NBS8490 : Business in Action
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Mrs Jo Clark
- Lecturer: Dr Wee Chan Au
- Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
This module enables students to explore real world business challenges associated with all of the modules on the MBA programme. These issues are explored in a variety of ways including some time-bound interactive business experiences. These opportunities consolidate learning across the programme and integrate the theory and practice across the modules.
The module aims to develop the students’ critical and problem-solving skills by inviting them to examine the challenges faced by individual managers and leaders in business and to practice the skills to devise and implement practical solutions.
The module aims to expose students to current management practice and offer opportunities for critical reflection on relevant theory through a series of business engagement opportunities. These include a series of events working with our business partners offered during a business experience week including company visits (at least one of which will feature a business challenge). Company visits to leading regional businesses will enable the students to experience practice in key areas of management. Visits may be in person or virtual at the companies' request.
Students will respond to a variety of challenges, opportunities and cases. Working in real time, the students will apply the theory and practice the skills taught in this and other modules enabling them to build confidence to tackle difficult and unexpected situations in the workplace.
Outline Of Syllabus
• Tools for Discovery and Diagnosis
• Management Consultancy Theory
• Consulting Skills
• Working with clients
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 5 | 3:00 | 15:00 | Classes in Business Experience week - PIP or synchronous |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 3 | 3:00 | 9:00 | Introduction to management practice, business in action sessions - PIP |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 23:00 | 23:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Host organisation research - business in action |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Workshops and panels, company visits, in Business Experience week |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 1 | 16:00 | 16:00 | Groupwork for MBA competition |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Q&A and assessment guidance |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | Consultancy skills reflection classes for Business Experience week- practitioners' perspectives PIP |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The series of lectures in semester one prepares students to undertake the major business challenges with our business partners in semester two. In this way the relevant theory will be covered and students will develop a ‘toolkit’ to enable them to undertake the diagnosis and problem solving that is required of them both when working with our business partners and as a module outcome.
The students will be fully briefed and debriefed during the lecture series on the corporate visits and other activities and any business challenges involved in these.
As this module involves our students in working with our business partners on unresolved real business issues and problems it incorporates the teaching of the theory of management consultancy as well as the development of skills required to undertake this successfully. A variety of approaches to diagnosing and resolving business challenges are delivered through the series of lectures enabling the students to select appropriate methods to apply in practice.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 50 | Individual recorded voiced over Powerpoint presentation on learning based on module activities |
| Oral Examination | 2 | M | 50 | Group presentation |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study | 2 | M | Feedback from presentation on case competition |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
These assessments enable the students to demonstrate that they have met broader learning outcomes from this extensive module. Working in teams is a strong aspect of the current module and is assessed through the assessment of group exercise to prepare a report. Tying the individual assessment to the business experience week maximises the value that the students will obtain from the week by requiring them to critically reflect on what they have learned about applying theory into practice during the week.
Formative feedback is provided following the compulsory but unassisted case competition presentations to the organisation hosting this activity. Senior personnel from the organisation can provide feedback as can the module leader.
Formative feedback is also provided during reflections that takes place at the end of the Business Experiences.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NBS8490's Timetable