MNM2FIN: Finance

Module code: MNM2FIN

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

Credits: 15

Level: 7

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Mrs Clare Calderan, email: clare.calderan@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students:

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Module aims and purpose 

This module forms part of the PGDip Business Administration (Senior Leader Apprenticeship) programme and, as such, sets out to provide the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by senior leaders in today’s world, in relation to understanding financial strategies.  The module covers a range of areas relating to finance and is designed to meet the learning outcomes of Apprenticeship Standard D: Finance. 

Having analysed topics relating to Strategy, Innovation & Change, and Enterprise & Risk, it is important now to incorporate an understanding of financial strategies. The module is designed for the practising manager, recognising that every aspect of the business has an impact on the bottom line. Organisations that do not effectively plan, control and monitor their financial resources are unlikely to achieve their operational targets and strategic business objectives.  As such, this module covers core topics in financial accounting, management accounting, finance, microeconomics and procurement to provide a strong foundation for managerial planning, control and decision making. The module is designed to addresses the critical issues of planning and management control to enable managers to direct the resources available to an organisation in the most efficient and effective manner so that they make decisions, which are essential to achieve their business objectives. 

The Finance module is designed for practising managers to enable them to: 

• make effective use of, understand and interpret financial and economic data with an appreciation of the related timeframe 

• support key management tasks of planning, controlling and decision-making in the achievement of creating value in an organisation 

• develop a level of confidence in their ability to communicate on financial and economic issues 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that programme members will be able to demonstrate their ability in the following areas: 
 

To know and understand: 

• D1(K8).Financial strategies, for example, scenarios, modelling and identifying trends. 

• D2 (K8). The application of economic theory to decision-making 

• D3 (K8). How to evaluate financial and non-financial information  

• D4 (K9). Financial governance and legal requirements. 

• D5 (K9). Procurement strategies 

To be able to: 

• D6 (S10).Oversee development and monitoring of financial strategies 

• D7 (S10).Challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies. 

• D8 (S10).Oversee setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 

• D9 (S11).Use financial data to allocate resources 

• D10 (S12). Oversee procurement, supply chain management and contracts 

Additional outcomes: 

Skills 

• By the end of the module, it is expected that programme members may begin to demonstrate their ability to: 

• A11 (S3). Be able to undertake research and critically analyse and integrate complex information.  

Behaviours  

By the end of the module, having applied learning in the workplace, the learner may begin to develop the following behaviours: 

• B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment  and delegation.  

• B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values. 

• B3: Curious and innovative – exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions 

• B4: Value difference and champion diversity. 

• B5: Seek continuous professional development opportunities for self and wider team. 

Module content

Module content 

• The key financial statements in terms of presentation, terminology, content and the relationship between them 

• Analysis of financial statements, interpreting and communicating financial ratios 

• The assessment of company performance and key financial measures of performance 

• An introduction to time value of money, cost of capital 

• An introduction to company valuation using multiples and discounted cash flow 

• The basic concepts of economic thinking relevant to firms in different industries 

• The theories of supply and demand, markets and regulation and their relevance to the management of financial resources 

• The costing concepts relevant to making decisions in the short term and in the long term 

• The role of budgeting and budgetary control within an organisation’s planning process 

• The techniques of decision analysis, and methods of investment appraisals 

• The financial information necessary to enable managers to make good decisions 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Brief description of teaching and learning methods 

Teaching and learning takes place through a blended learning approach. The teaching and learning methods comprise a combination of self-study via a range of online materials on the Canvas learning platform, face-to-face workshops with Academic Faculty and a Learning Coach, and facilitation of learning by a Learning Coach (face-to-face and online).  Programme members take an Action Learning approach, and each person forms part of an Action Learning set of approximately 6 - 8 learners throughout the Finance module. 

Materials on Canvas include content on-screen, videos, PowerPoint presentations, journal articles, book chapters, practice applications and reflection points. 

Study hours

At least Please note that the hours listed below are indicative and for guidance purposes only 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

50% pass mark - Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

This module is subject to the Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes policy, which can be found at:

https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties to work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar month 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; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

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.

Formative Assessment Methods (Work which provides opportunities to improve performance (e.g. through feedback provided) but which does not necessarily contribute towards the overall module evaluation): 

Facilitated learning activities are undertaken to support formative evaluation of the learning. These activities are not assessed for the purposes of the final module evaluation. 

This formative assessment takes the form of feedback on progress given to students at the Action Learning workshops or during other interactions with the Learning Coach as well as formative assessment of the individual assignment. 

Formative assessment requirements for a decision of ‘Proceed’: 

Evaluation of the work-based project leads to a decision of ‘Proceed’ or ‘Revise’.  In order to gain a ‘Proceed’ the learner must satisfactorily meet 50% of the learning outcomes for the module (listed above).  Any learning outcomes not achieved will be highlighted for the learner, so that it is clear that these learning outcomes should be addressed prior to reaching Gateway for the End Point Assessment (EPA).  Learners may revise their project as many times as necessary, as they progress through the programme.  However, only one resubmission will be evaluated and feedback provided by the Learning Coach (see reassessment arrangements, below).   

Formative reassessment arrangements: 

The revised work-based project should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 6 weeks after notification of the ‘revise’ decision.  This resubmission will be evaluated by the Learning Coach, feedback will be provided and an indication of whether the revised project has met the ‘Proceed’ criteria.  No further resubmissions will be evaluated by the Learning Coach.  The student will need to address any remaining gaps regarding achievement of learning outcomes prior to reaching Gateway for the L7 SLA End Point Assessment.  Students should discuss this with their Apprenticeship Tutor at their planned review meetings. 

Reassessment

Additional costs