AC223: Business Essentials: Turning Strategy into Results

Module code: AC223

Module provider: Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Maggie Cooper, email: maggie.cooper@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE AC109 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in leadership and human resource management, marketing and innovation, operations management, sustainability reporting, digital systems and structure and configuring organisations, and to apply these to real-world business problems and case study scenarios.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the field of operations management and their effective contribution to the organisation's objectives and critiques sources of information and their relevance.
2. Apply a variety of techniques and analysis frameworks used by business managers to help them make decisions.
3. Appraise and apply a range of marketing strategies, tools and techniques including those that drive innovation.
4. Critically evaluate approaches to the strategic management of people in organisations and differentiate between different leadership styles and corporate cultures.
5. Debate the key issues around the use of information technology within a business and explain how businesses can adapt to a fast moving environment.
6. Practice teamwork skills including leadership and communication.

Module content

Key problems, theories, tools and techniques in the fields of:

• People and talent management
• Marketing and innovation
• Digital systems
• Operations management
• Managing sustainability
• Structure and configuring organisations

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in seminar classes and assessments and through individual work.

Lectures will be used for the exposition of the major concepts, principles and techniques under consideration. Work in seminars will focus on applying the theory to a variety of cases, questions and situations.

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students are required to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will be able to present ideas and discuss in their seminars. Feedback will be given in the seminars.

Reassessment

Additional costs