Unit title Corporate Management in Action. Unit Description. Learning outcomes. 180 hours. Learning time. ABP qualification framework level

Transcription

1 1 Unit title Corporate Management in Action Learning time ABP qualification framework level 180 hours 7 (Postgraduate) Unit Description The unit considers the requirements of corporate management by looking at how business strategy and operations are shaped by looking at both global considerations and a range of system factors. The unit then examines corporate governance and the factors that need to be taken into account when ensuring best practice corporate governance is in place. In addition there is pressure on corporations to demonstrate that management behaves in ethical and socially responsible ways that go beyond legal and regulatory requirements. The inter-relationship of business strategy and corporate management is of increasing importance to a wide range of stakeholders who have diverse interests but ultimately want to see develop in the global economy. Learning outcomes 1 Understand the impact of the international business environment on global 2 Understand the business system factors that impinge upon business operations 3 Understand how corporate governance is shaped 4 Understand the impact of ethical management requirements on 1

2 Learning outcomes, content and assessment criteria The learning outcomes describe the abilities that learners will possess after they have completed the unit. The content identifies the breadth of knowledge, skills and understanding needed to design and deliver a programme of learning to achieve the learning outcomes. The assessment criteria provide a list of achievements sufficient to demonstrate that a learner has met the learning outcomes. The learner should be given the opportunity to cover all of the content but it is not a requirement that all of the content is assessed. Learning outcome 1 Understand the impact of the international business environment on global Content for learning outcome International business environment: market size, trade, trading blocs, World Trade Organisation (WTO), stock market fluctuations, credit availability, industry-specific developments (e.g. oil, gas, motor), outsourcing, emerging economies (tiger economies, BRIC economies), economies of scale, vertical integration, horizontal integration, strategic alliances and partnerships Development strategy: strategy, mission, vision, strategic intent, objectives, goals, core competencies, strategic infrastructure, strategic control, disinvestment (e.g. retrenchment, turnaround strategies, divestment, liquidation), management, leadership, change implementation Strategy evaluation: objectives, plans, resource allocation, monitoring mechanisms, control mechanisms, communication mechanisms, strategic, performance indicators, (e.g. performance against targets, business scorecard, financial measures, customer satisfaction, quality measure and market share) 1.1 Assess how the international business environment affects the development of global 1.2 Evaluate alternative development strategies that businesses can use in global markets 1.3 Discuss how global strategic plans can be evaluated 2

3 Learning outcome 2 Understand the business system factors that impinge upon business operations Content for learning outcome Soft systems: fuzzy problems, soft problems, human dimension, alternative interpretations, intuition, learning Hard systems: defined problems, technical dimensions, objective understanding, scientific approach, problem solution System factors: analysing business systems with hard and soft systems approaches, strategic systems, tactical systems and approaches, operational systems and approaches, managing people, organisational culture, information processing, financial resources, technical resources, value chains, organisational competences 2.1 Identify the soft systems that shape business operations 2.2 Identify the hard systems that shape business operations 2.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of the operations of businesses from soft and hard systems perspectives 3

4 Learning outcome 3 Understand how corporate governance is shaped Content for learning outcome Corporate governance: architecture of accountability, role of the board, the shareholder model, Financial Reporting Council, Combined Code of Corporate Governance (2008), reports from Cadbury, Greenbury, Turnbull Rutteman, Hamel and Higgs, Corporate Governance Guide, Companies Act 2006, EU 8th Company Law Directive, Sarbanes-Oxley Act Identify the requirements that determine the nature of corporate governance 3.2 Assess the impact of corporate governance requirements on internal controls in 3.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of corporate governance requirements on business 4

5 Learning Outcome 4 Understand the impact of ethical management requirements on Content for Learning Outcome Business ethics: corporate governance, responsible behaviour, ethical behaviour, environmental awareness, carbon emissions, carbon trading, global warming, fair trading, sustainability, third world trading, supplier relations, customer relations, legal and regulatory compliance Impact: ethical behaviour and corporate governance, policies on ethical issues, compliance with internal policy requirements, compliance with national external legal and regulatory requirements, compliance with international external legal and regulatory requirements; impact of ethical behaviour (internal, external), responsibility for managing behaviour, costs of ethical behaviour; ethics committees, whistle blowing 4.1 Explain the importance of ethical issues to business operations and practices 4.2 Evaluate how organisational purposes are affected by the need to respond to the requirements of ethical behaviour 4.3 Evaluate the impact of ethical behavioural requirements on business activities 5

6 Delivery and assessment Delivery should engage students in their learning by using a range of teaching and learning techniques that accommodate different learning styles, including: presentations, case studies, simulations, professional discussions, group activities, visits, guest speakers and independent research. Assessment should use vocationally relevant methods that require students to adopt a realistic work role and to produce work in the formats that are expected in business. Examinations and assignments that use a range of assessment methods can be used. Case studies, problems and examples used in assessments need to be current and to have the requisite range of issues for students to consider at this level of study. Students should be able to apply their understanding of theory to their investigations and their proposed solutions to problems. Indicative resources Checkland, P.B., and Poulter, J., Learning for Action: A Short Definitive Account of Soft Systems Methodology, and its use for Practitioners, Teachers and Students (2006), John Wiley & Sons, ISBN-13: Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J.B., and Ghoshal, S., The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts and Cases (2002), Prentice Hall, ISBN-13: Grant, R.M., Contemporary Strategic Analysis (2007), Blackwell, ISBN-13: Johnson, G., Scholes, K., and Whittington, R., Exploring Corporate Strategy: Texts and Cases (2008), Prentice Hall, ISBN- 13: Thompson, J.L., Strategic Management Awareness, Analysis and Change (2005), Thomson Learning, ISBN-13: Lynch, R. Corporate Strategy (2005), Prentice Hall, ISBN-13: Lasserre, P., Global Strategic Management (2007), Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN-13: