AFM4102: Strategic Business Issues
Aims
The module aims to develop students’ skills of analysis and evaluation using real and/or fictional case studies in business, accounting and finance. The case studies will draw on prior learning from across the degree programme and will encourage students to apply knowledge to realistic business situations and draw on a range of disciplines which may include strategic analysis, corporate governance, financial reporting, audit and assurance and business ethics. The skills development will concentrate on understanding and being able to critically analyse the wider business environment as well as risks and issues (and their implications) within the organisation being studied.
Outline of syllabus
Students will recap topics including:
- Strategic analysis
- Corporate Governance
- Ethics
- Business and Audit risks
- Stakeholder management
- Corporate reporting
Throughout the course (and interspersed with this content) they will be given guidance on approaching case studies and integrating knowledge. This will be achieved by guiding students through ‘mini’ case studies comparable to sections of the case study to be assessed. These "mock" case studies shall be approached as both group-based exercises and individual exercises and serve as skills practice.
Teaching methods
Teaching activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length (HH:MM) | Student Hours (HH:MM) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 3 | 02:00 | 06:00 | PIP opening lecture S1, S3, S5 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 64 | 01:00 | 64:00 | |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 100 | 01:00 | 100:00 | |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 13 | 02:00 | 26:00 | PIP case study workshops |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 03:00 | 03:00 | 3 hour mock case in semester 2 PIP |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 01:00 | 01:00 | Online debrief of mock exam |
| Total Hours | 200 | ||||
Teaching rationale and relationship to Learning Outcomes
Mini case studies based on real business scenarios will be developed and used across Semester 1 and 2. Teaching and learning will take place in two-week cycles. Week one of each cycle will involve a recap of a particular syllabus area (for example corporate governance) and week two will then focus on skills practice relevant to that area.
Skills practice will be achieved by presenting students with a short ‘advanced information’ document and a question about a business (in the style of the final semester 2 exam).
In this way, students will refresh their knowledge (in the first week) and quickly understand how it is to be examined at this level in the second week (thereby the link between theory and practice is enforced). The second session in each two week cycle will involve a thorough debrief and opportunities for questions.
Assessment methods
Exams
| Type | Length (mins) | Semester | When set | Percentage | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 180 | 2 | 100% | Organised in house by NUBS in BAF Assessment period |
Formative assessments
| Type | Semester | When set | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| WrittemExamination | 2 | Mock exam with online debrief |
Assessment rationale and relationship
This module is not so much about acquiring new knowledge, but about applying it in an interdisciplinary way. Thus it is appropriate to assess the module through an examination containing unseen questions based on a case study which will be made available in advance of the assessment date ( approximately 2 weeks before). Students can prepare, but their ability to think on their feet is still being assessed.
This is consistent with the learning outcomes for the module which are concerned with applying relevant knowledge to a business given its circumstances.
Where necessary the case study examination can be converted into a 24 hour take home examination as per 2020/21.