Undergraduate Course: Foundations of Business (BUST08025)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | This course affords students an understanding of the nature, structure and workings of contemporary business organisations. This is achieved by applying the concepts and techniques of the social sciences to the problems of business. With the mix of lectures, tutorials and assignments, the course aims simultaneously to cater for the needs of those who have, and have not, formally studied the subject prior to University.
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| Course description |
This course affords students an understanding of the nature, structure and workings of contemporary business organisations. This is achieved by applying the concepts and techniques of the social sciences to the problems of business. With the mix of lectures, tutorials and assignments, the course aims simultaneously to cater for the needs of those who have, and have not, formally studied the subject prior to University.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the course for students for whom Business is a mandatory part of their degree programme. If you are wanting to take Business as an outside course you must take Introduction to Business (BUST08026).
Syllabus
Module 1: Business Policy & Strategy
Module 2: Economic Analysis
Module 3: Marketing
Module 4: Operations Management
Module 5: Business Analytics
Module 6: Finance
Module 7: Employment Relations
Module 8: Organisation Studies
Student Learning Experience
After an initial lecture which introduces the subject content of Business and its methodology, the course comprises eight modules throughout Semesters 1 and 2 (see above)
The students are introduced to the subject-matter of the modules by a combination of lectures and weekly tutorials, and students have the opportunity to select areas to study in depth through a choice of essay topics. The poster exercise is designed to encourage practical application of concepts and models introduced in the initial module on Business Policy and Strategy, and to encourage early interaction with academic staff and peers.
During Semester 1, there is normally an annual 'Jubilee' lecture, when a senior business executive gives a lecture to the class. In recent years, speakers have included the Scottish entrepreneur, Sir Tom Farmer; the CEOs of Sainsbury's Finance, Ford UK and AEGON; the Directors of Standard Life and Aggreko plc; and the Managing Director, Retail Products, Royal Bank of Scotland, Richard Cousins, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Group.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Introduction to Business (BUST08026)
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Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2016/17, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
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Lecture Hours 59,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 18,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 5,
Revision Session Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
307 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group project (poster exercise) accounts for 10% of the assessment.
Two essays (2,000 words each), each essay accounts for 20% of the assessment.
Final degree exam accounts for 50% of the assessment. |
| Feedback |
Generic feedback on coursework, together with individual marks, will be posted on Learn within 15 working days of the submission deadline - please check course booklet for specific date. At the same time, you should also be able to look at your individual feedback at the UG Office Reception Desk, Room 1.11, Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place, and normally take away a copy of the feedback form (most courses will have some form of feedback form), but you will not be able to take away the original piece of coursework, as it may be required by the Board of Examiners. If your course is using electronic feedback, you will instead be able to review your individual (or group) feedback electronically via Grademark on Learn.
Your examination mark(s) will be posted on Learn (together with generic feedback and examination statistics) as soon as possible after the Boards of Examiners meetings (normally end of January/beginning of February courses examined in the December diet; mid/end June for courses examined in April/May).
During the summer months (i.e. mid/end June - end August), you may come into the UG Office (Room 1.11, Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place) to look at your examination scripts (from the April/May diet). Note that you will not be able to remove any examination scripts from the UG Office as they may be required by the Board of Examiners. However, students on non-Honours (i.e. Years 1 and 2) courses are now permitted to take examination scripts away with them from the UG Office.
Continuing students will be given the opportunity to review their examination scripts early in the new academic year in Semester 1 (i.e. in October).
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 3:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 3:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the various ways in which organisations are structured and managed
- Describe the inter-relationships between organisations and the environments in which they operate
- Explain and evaluate critically the contribution of the various techniques and functions to the operation and development of organisations.
- Describe and discuss critically such key contemporary topics as the globalisation of business, and the responsibilities of organisations, including environmental concerns and employees¿ welfare.
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Reading List
| You are strongly advised to purchase a copy of the Custom Textbook, Volumes 1 & 2 (available exclusively from Blackwell's South Bridge) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive Skills
On completion of the course, students should have had inculcated into them the desirability, and the methods, of time management and planning through lectures, tutorials and course assignments. Students should have been encouraged to:
(a) use the entire range of learning resources that are available to today's students;
(b) analyse and solve organisational problems and issues, especially through tutorials;
(c) appreciate the holistic nature of the contemporary organisation, especially through the two integrated assignments.
Key Skills
On completion of the course, students should have been encouraged to:
(a) develop their written skills, through the two assignments and the degree exam;
(b) develop their oral skills through the weekly tutorials;
(c) be aware of, and confidently to use, the range of quantitative and qualitative techniques that are appropriate to contemporary organisations;
(d) acquire, or develop, computer literacy techniques.
Subject-Specific Skills
On completion of the course, students should be aware of:
(a) the techniques and insights that are germane to Strategy, Business Economics, Marketing, Operations Management, Management Science, Finance, Human Resource Management and Employment Relations, and Organisational Behaviour.
(b) the uses, abuses and limits of these techniques and insights
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
3 Lectures plus 1 tutorial per week for 8 weeks (S1)
3 Lectures plus 1 tutorial per week for 10 weeks (S2) |
| Keywords | Economic Analysis,Marketing,Operations Management,Business Analytics,Strategy,Finance,HRM |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stephen Harwood
Tel: (0131 6)51 5243
Email: stephen.harwood@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Sara Dennison
Tel: (0131 6)50 3825
Email: Sara.Dennison@ed.ac.uk |
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