ECONOMICS, BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY - 2021/2

Module Overview

This module considers the decisions of consumers and businesses and an interaction of these decisions in markets. It plays an important part in understanding firm behaviour and particularly in understanding of the ways in which businesses operate. Businesses do not exist in isolation. They must operate within a complex and sometimes turbulent environment. The key forces facing businesses are economic, political, legal, technological, demographic, social-cultural, ethical as well as ecological. This module examines the economic architecture of both the business environment and businesses themselves. It introduces students to the roles of business in society and discusses current and potential business contribution to sustainable development and ideas concerning corporate responsibility to environment and society.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

DENNIS Karen (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

1. What is Business Economics


2. The economic architecture of the firm


3. How markets work


4. Government and market failure


5. The relationship between the business and its environment


6. Business, society and development


7. Business and the natural environment


8. Business engagement with sustainable development

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Resits for assessment 2 will be individual submissions

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy of the module allows students to demonstrate two things. First a clear understanding of theory in the context of both businesses and the environment in which they operate. Second how that theory can be applied to real world problems in order to reach conclusions which are robust and defendable.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A mid-term multiple choice Economics test to verify understanding of basic economics principles in the business environment


• A group poster presentation delivered at a Sustainability Showcase in Week 11 which suggests options for a real business problem and its sustainability environment.

Formative assessment and feedback

This module adopts an enquiry based approach to feedback where the emphasis is on providing resources to students which allow them to identify their own strengths and weaknesses in order to develop learning strategies which will allow them to improve their performance. Options for rehearsal of the poster presentation will be offered.

Module aims

• Provide an appropriate level of understanding of key theories (Business Economics and Sustainability) and their application in resolving business problems
• Provide an understanding of the relationships between businesses and a number of related external environments
• Explore how governmental organisations at local, national and international levels influence business organisation and management

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the relevant theories to a range of topics in the study of Business Economics. The teaching and learning methods are based around the delivery of lectures and seminars. Lectures are mainly designed to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and models and the seminars illuminate the theoretical concepts and models by reference to and explanation of a range of specific issues. The lecture precedes the seminar and, prior to attending the seminar, students are required to undertake the essential reading of the theory and relevant material assigned in the relevant lecture which precedes the seminar. The module culminates in a Sustainability Showcase event in December where students will present through posters their ideas for a real business problem delivered to them in the preceding weeks.

The learning and teaching methods include:

Formal lectures (3 hour lecture per week x 4 weeks for weeks 2-5 (Economics) and 2 hour lecture per week x 5 weeks for weeks 6-11 (Business and Sustainability) but not during activities week

Includes:

• Interactive lectures


• Guest talks

Seminars (1 hour seminar per week x 6 weeks from week 6-11 for Business and Sustainability) but not during activities week

• On-line discussions


• Enquiry Based Learning

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: MAN1100

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.