Curriculum Innovation, University of Southampton

How much do you know about running a business? Do you think you have the business skills you need to be successful throughout your career?

The Business Skills for Employability module aims to help students be better prepared when looking for jobs, to sell themselves to prospective employers, to understand the issues that drive success in business and to convince employers they are able to be effective managers. Using a tried and tested interactive computer simulation, that has been used to train managers in international companies such as Tesco and Mars, students will practise managing a business and learn what effective management practice is.

For more information view the video and read the Module Profile for Business Skills for Employability.

Module Profile Information

Module overview

Aims and objectives/Learning outcomes

Syllabus

Learning and teaching hours

Teaching and learning methods

Resource and reading list

Assessment method

Module Overview

Title: Business Skills for Employability

Code: UOSM2001

Year: 2 (also open to 1st and 3rd year students)

Semester: 2

CATS points: 15

Level: Undergraduate

Co-ordinator(s): Dr Andrew Stainton

Pre/co-requisites: None

Aims and Objectives/Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. demonstrate skills in the application of strategic management concepts;
2. understand the need for financial and accounting controls;
3. understand the performance of target marketing based on actual data;
4 . demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the nature of business and its
interdependencies;
5. recognise the need to effective teamwork and business relationships within the working environment

Syllabus

The application of business management thinking processes:
1. Strategy
2. Marketing
3. Financial analysis
4. Team working
Students will be required to read extensively from a range of sources, including, but not limited to, those supplied on a reading list for the module .

Key texts will be:-
Bloisi, W (2003) Management and Organisational Behaviour Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill
Dibb,S. Simpkin, L. Pride, W. and Ferrell, O. (1997) Marketing Concepts and Strategies. 3rd Ed. (1997) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Learning and teaching hours

Scheduled learning and teaching activities: 20 hours

Guided independent study: 130 hours

Placement/study abroad: None

Teaching and learning methods

The course will be presented as a series of decision periods over two full days during which teams will need to assimilate information, negotiate and make business decision which will affect the performances of their companies. This decision-making process is intertwined with plenary sessions which introduce theoretical business concepts. Assisted by facilitator support, students reflect upon theory and experiences to formulate deductions and to clarify learning.

Resource and reading list

Bloisi, W (2003) Management and Organisational Behaviour Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill
Dibb,S. Simpkin, L. Pride, W. and Ferrell, O. (1997) Marketing Concepts and Strategies. 3rd Ed. (1997) Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Assessment methods

Students will be asked to write a reflective journal concerning business management issues that contributed or hindered business performance during the simulation.
Each team will also be required to deliver a short 15-minute presentation to explain their business performance.

Given that the course will be delivered over two consecutive days with a third half-day for presentations, it will be important to support the students’ learning before, during and after the simulation. This will help students to deliver good coursework and will be achieved by:-

- Issuing a list of recommended chapters from key texts to be read prior to the course
- Issuing the assignment at the start of the course so that students can reflect upon the simulation experiences in relation to the assignment
- Providing a “questions and answers” tutorial at the end of the course.

Type of assessment:

Coursework - 3500 words - 75% of overall mark

Presentation - 15min - 25% of overall mark

For more detailed information please view the module profile