Module Title: CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS ISSUES

Subject Group: Business Management and Marketing

Module Author: S Barnett/Julie Boone

Module Number: BH005

Credit Value: 15

Level: Honours

Pre-requisites: Work experience (Placement Year)

Co-requisites: None

Excluded Combinations: None

Module Approval Date:

Start and Expiry Date of Module:

Courses for Which Module Validated: BSc Business Management with Marketing
BSc Agri-food Marketing with Business Studies
BSc Food Retail Management
BSc CELT

Rationale and Context:

Given the dynamic nature of business and the business environment, it is important to ensure that
students are aware of the impact of sociological, ethical, legal, economic, political, environmental,
managerial and technological and managerial changes upon industry; , can assess the extent of the
impact and can relate the changes to business and managerial responses. This module is designed
to address the consequences of recently announced/implemented change upon a sector of the
economy that is of relevance to the student. It will also provide students with the opportunity to
develop their awareness and understanding of a broad range of issues, initiatives and concepts
particularly in areas of recent/ongoing research activity. Previous Work Experience (Placement
Year) is considered a desirable pre-requisite.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Assess the potential impact upon business of changes in the internal/external environment;

2. Evaluate the consequences of likely trends within an industry.

3. Assess the findings of published research in terms of their validity and reliability.

4. Synthesise evidence from a range of research evidence and theoretical concepts to undertake
a critical analysis of the commercial environment.

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Indicative Content:

Given the contemporary emphasis of the module, it is difficult to provide a definitive guide to the
indicative content. Whilst some topics may be addressed frequently, the content will be responsive to
the issues faced by commercial organisations. Therefore, this following list is merely illustrative as to
the topic areas that may be covered.

Political: The political environment has a significant impact upon people, organisations
and the commercial environment. The module will seek to examine the
announced/potential policy decisions of both the UK and Europe.

Legal: Legislation introduced by the Government (& Europe) can have a profound
effect upon business. By exploring issues such as diversity and equality, students will
be provided with an opportunity to review the impact of legislation and reflect upon their
own responsibilities and actions.

Economic: The economic activity of the commercial sector also raises issues regarding our natural
environment and the sustainability of business. In addition, the nature of business
means that it is important to measure and understand the notion of competitiveness
and new market opportunities.

Technological: The progress of technology inevitably requires organisations to constantly review their
operating practices. By identifying potential future innovations (& their likely
implementation), the module will attempt to forecast the medium to long-term
implications for the commercial environment.

Sociological: The importance of understanding ‘intangible’ factors can be a critical success factor in
business. Analysing the ethics of business practices is an important issue to explore
and understand in the modern business environment.

Managerial: The dynamic nature of the commercial environment requires that managers implement
policies to address issues such as corporate and social governance, sustainability,
environmental auditing and ‘fashionable’ managerial trends. (e.g. adoption of a TQM
approach etc).

Learning and Teaching Strategy:

• Nature of student support

The module will seek to encourage student independent and collaborative learning by providing
keynote lectures lecturesfor each topic, supplemented by directed reading and/or WebCTMoodle
resources and activities, including suggested reading, websites, discussion forums and use of
Web 2.0 applications and services (e.g. blogs, podcasts, wikis, collaborative mind mapping,
document/media sharing, online conferencing). As such, Contemporary Business Issues is a
post-first year module with a significant e-learning element. In addition, staff will provide one-to-
one support for students who require further guidance. The module will be supported by a wide
range of textbooks, journals and internet sources. Furthermore, in view of the (potentially) diverse
range of topics covered, it is likely that several members of staff and external speakers will
contribute to this module, each focussing upon areas of their particular research/teaching
interests. Use may be made of speakers invited to Research Seminars, the Harper Forum, or to
address other module groups (e.g. the MBA Contemporary Business), requiring flexibility in timing
and attendance.

• Pattern of study including links to other module delivery

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 8 one hourkeynote lectures (one to two hours) (2 per topic) delivered over the academic year.
Seminars, tutorial and online support and Independent/directed/independent study will be issued
to supplement the lecture contact time.

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 The broad schedule forlectures and support sessions will be delivered flexibly across the academic
year to fit in with the availability of speakers timetabled sessions across the academic yearand
coursework stages, taking care to avoid, where possible, study weeks and the run up to
dissertation hand-in. is indicated below, where the white area indicates weeks in which class
sessions will be timetabled and the shaded areas indicate independent study, or from weeks 26-
32, independent study and exam weeks.

Autumn Term Spring Term

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2

Summer Term
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2

• Variations for different course groups None

Assessment Strategy:

Given the potentially diverse range of issues that will be covered, the assessment for this module will
be split into four three components, each equally weighted at 25%.

Assessment 1 Book/paper review 25%

Students will be required to undertake a book/paper review.

Assessment 2 Presentation of conference paper 25%

A ‘conference’ will be organised where the students will present a short paper
(10 mins) to peers and academic staff.

Assessment 3 Poster presentation 25%

Students will be required to produce an A1 size poster.

Assessment 4 Essay/Report 25%

Students will be required to produce an essay/report that will typically be 1500
words in length.

• Assessment format
Coursework: individual contemporary business issue paper (on a topic that is significantly different
from the student’s dissertation) similar to a conceptual conference/journal paper, requiring critical
literature review, including peer reviewed journals, a theoretical framework or other original
contribution 50% and associated seminar or online collaborative elements (25%)

End of module examination: 25%, one hour, open book, in depth essay questions on an issue
covered by a keynote speaker (staff or external)

• Outcomes assessed
Assignment: will develop knowledge and skills in relation to all four learning outcomes.
End of module examination: will test all the learning outcomes.

• Outcomes assessed
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 Each of the four assessments will identify a primary intended learning outcome and in most
instances a second learning outcome will also be addressed by each assessment.

• Timing
Assignment: launched early in the module to run in parallel with delivery, being completed before
Week 22.
End of module examination: Weeks 28-30

• Variations for different course groups

Assessments will allow scope for award specific contextualisation.

• Timing
The schedule of assessments is indicated below, where the shaded area denotes the period
between launch and submission dates.

Autumn Term Spring Term

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4

Summer Term
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
4 4 4 4

• Variations for different course groups None

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Essential Reading/Resources:

In view of the (potentially) diverse range of topics covered by the module and their currency, it is
difficult to provide a definitive reading list. Nevertheless, students will be provided with a detailed
reading/reference list for each of the topics covered by the moduleguidance via annotated
bibliographies, Moodle and tutorials. It is anticipated that the directed study/reading will take
advantage of a wide range of current and recent research output from a variety of sources (journals,
periodicals, working papers, websites, etc) carefully evaluated for impact, validity and reliability. In
addition, students will be required to ensure that they have a good knowledge of current affairs by
reading ‘quality’ newspapers, magazines etcand listening to reputable broadcasts/podcasts (e.g BBC
Radio 4/World Service “In Business/Global Business”).

Appropriate journals and The Economist

The Trade Press (e.g. The Grocer, Fresh Produce Journal, Farmer’s Weekly)
Mintel, IGD and other market Reports
Appropriate podcasts and video clips

Recommended Reading:

Black, G. 2001. Accounting – an online course. Pearson Education. (available via Harper Adams
WebCT provision)

Jobber, D. 2004. Principles and Practice of Marketing. 4th ed. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Mullins, L.J. 2002. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 6th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.

Pettinger, R. 2002. Introduction to Management. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan Business.

Appropriate journals

Appropriate working papers and other “grey literature”

Appropriate websites and blogs (e.g. by BBC business editors & correspondents)

‘Quality’ newspapers/magazines

Head of Group Approval: KE Walley - 19th July 2004

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