CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS - 2021/2

Module Overview

The focus will be on resource allocation and the extent to which the disciplines of economics and business studies can analyse, explain and influence consumer behaviour, paying particular attention to research into factors which influence it. There will be an introduction to the dynamics of the competitive market and the socio-economic influences which operate at both micro and macro level. Market failure will be discussed and applied to contemporary issues in context. Key concepts and approaches will be explored through high profile and newsworthy examples of business successes and failures. The basic functions of organisations (accounting and finance, marketing, operations) and the pressures within which they operate will also be considered.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ATTA Zainab (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Description of business and economics as disciplines and their capacity to contribute to analyses of socio-economic patterns of behaviour

• Consumer behaviour and the factors which influence it

• Competitive markets

• Market failure

• Economic policy and its impact on key performance indicators

• Business successes and failures and the contributory factors in either case

• Basic functions of organisations

• Global context and trends in business and economic thinking

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and theories introduced in the module, and their ability to apply them in a contemporary global context. There will be a particular focus on developing and honing the ability to write for different audiences (self-reflection with the individual blogs and an article for a lay person, offering the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of complex concepts and theories). There will be an opportunity to complete a trial blog so that feedback and advice can be given before embarking on the assessed work (Week 3). The open note exam is intended to give students the chance to demonstrate their independent thinking skills. Scaffolding will be introduced through writing activities in seminars enabling them to integrate and critically analyse material from different sources.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Three individual blogs

• One 1,000 word article drawn from student blogs

• One open note examination

Formative assessment and feedback

Formative assessment will be in the form of verbal and written responses to the student blogs, which will be written as critical reflections on source material throughout the module. Seminars will be used to provide tutor and peer feedback on approaches taken and conclusions drawn. This feedback will enable students to explore critically their own interpretation of data, concepts and theories and to hone their verbal and writing skills so that they can present a piece of written work with different audiences in mind.

Module aims

• Develop awareness of key concepts and theories in business and economics and facilitate their application to real world examples
• Provide a clear and comprehensive understanding of the functions within organisations and the impact of their execution
• Present a clear depiction of contemporary business and economic contexts and illustrate associated pressures on national economies and organisations

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to equip students with the knowledge and ability to analyse and apply business and economic theories and concepts in real world contexts. It will enable them to better understand consumer behaviour and to illustrate the impact of decision-making at consumer and organisational levels. Contemporary examples will be utilised and the current pressures of operations within small enterprises and national economies will be explored. There will be a clear emphasis on the development of higher-level capabilities such as critical thinking in order to facilitate independent learning going forward. The practice of flipped learning will be introduced in the module enabling seminar time particularly to be used as a vehicle for critical analysis and interpretation around the topics explored.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures (1 hour per week)

• Seminars (1 hour per week)

• Guided reading and research

• Independent study 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN0001

Other information

N/A

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.