NBS8130 : Management Consultancy Project
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Mrs Jo Clark
- Lecturer: Dr Peter Lamb
- Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
- Teaching Location: Mixed Location
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 3 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Pathway A
To provide students with an understanding of the integration of the taught elements of the MBA course.
To illustrate how management theories relate to real world situations by conducting live consultancy projects.
This is a compulsory module, aimed at demonstrating the integration of the learning across all of the modules on the MBA and providing students with the opportunity to apply the theory they have learned to real projects.
Pathway B
As above, plus, in addition, ESSAM offers an opportunity to enhance international perspectives working with students from other institutions in the ESSAM consortium.
The purpose is to give participants:
• A real-life experience in working in a multi-cultural environment
• A European perspective
Pathway B, ESSAM, is a full time residential place at the ESSAM host institution summer school, lasting two full weeks. Attendance is required for the full duration of that programme.
Full ESSAM assessment offers 10 ECTS credits.
The Newcastle University MBA programme requires students to pass 5 ECTS credits on pathway B, equivalent to 10 module credits in the pathway A option.
Outline Of Syllabus
Pathway A:
• The Consultancy Process
• Introduction to the projects
• The role of the consultant
Practical consulting activity to include for example:
• Writing Proposals
• Interviewing
• Reporting
• Presenting
Pathway B:
As above, which is the ESSAM CORE - will combine a European focus on management issues and professional development. An integrated part of the core is a group project, which focuses on a real-life consultancy project with a local company.
PLUS - The electives of which each participant can choose one only.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 25:00 | 25:00 | Assessment Preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 28:00 | 28:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Client' project research |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 3:00 | 6:00 | Understanding client briefs - PiP or Synchronous online |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Assessment preparation and formative feedback |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Guided consulting activity - Pip or synchronous online |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The live projects are group work designed to encourage students to diagnose and solve problems in real world situations, utilising and consolidating the knowledge gained across the MBA programme.
The workshops offer students the chance to meet client companies and understand a range of client project opportunities.
Learning and teaching, project supervision, focuses on supporting student teams in their work to deliver/address their client project brief.
Pathway B teaching methods align with pathway A, explained above, but are detailed in the ESSAM handbook timetable for the year. Two weeks full time attendance at the ESSAM host organisation, currently Glasgow University, Adam Smith Business School is required.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 3 | M | 75 | Pathway A - Group Consultancy Report for company 4000 words the alternative is Pathway B - Individual written assignment 2000-3000 words |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 3 | M | 25 | Pathway A - 30 minute group presentation to the company the alternative is the Pathway B - Group consultancy report 2000- 3000 words |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 3 | M | Pathway A - Feedback discussion on proposals for presentation to corporate managers |
| Oral Presentation | 3 | M | Pathway B - Compulsory group presentation to client on final day of ESSAM |
| Essay | 3 | M | Pathway B - Individual elective written assignment, optional and not needed for credit - 2000-3000 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Pathway A - The two elements being assessed, the delivery of a presentation to clients and the writing of a group report are two important elements in management consultancy.
They will also provide the students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to integrate the many different elements of the MBA.
Formative feedback on skills, knowledge and process development is provided by the module leader and client during regular meetings throughout the process.
Pathway B - Two reports are required based on the core modules. One is a group report for the client the other is an individual report based on learning from the core consultancy module experience.
The client consultancy presentation in pathway B is compulsory but assessed for formative feedback only.
also pathway B includes an optional essay based on the learning from the elective. This is not a requirement to pass the module.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NBS8130's Timetable