Strategic Management and Marketing – MBus

In conjunction with the Marketing Communications Strategy module, this module focuses on the analysis of business management problems and the use of business intelligence (BI) systems and scientific research as a problem-solving tool. This encompasses critical thinking, the understanding and application of appropriate research designs, data and information analysis and visualisation techniques, and report writing and presentation.

Organisations are increasingly reliant on business intelligence systems and business research to remain competitive in the marketplace. Students will mine the data warehouses of a live business intelligence system turning data into actionable insights that will improve organisational efficiency and increase productivity. Actionable insights, where appropriate, will be supported by primary or secondary research.

On completion of this module, students will be able to identify, understand and solve complex management problems using business intelligence systems, secondary research sources and various secondary and primary research methods and tools

This module will engage students in key financial matters that influence the success or otherwise of organisations. The module will focus on the importance of financial management in the planning and control of corporate activities with due consideration of any ethical issues. Learners will be immersed in the technicalities of financial analysis with an emphasis on understanding, explaining and

rationalising information produced with each activity. The emphasis will be at a strategic level aimed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and financial competences to successfully pursue careers in management.

This module (in conjunction with the Business Research and Intelligence Module) will assist students in understanding and applying marketing communication tools to identified situations. Students will research and apply marketing communications theory to a variety of business contexts. Real-world problems (some written in conjunction with participating organisations) will engage students and require them to follow a problem solving process to arrive at outcomes. The tasks will require the acquisition of a depth and breadth of knowledge and the acquisition of skills and competences reflecting those used by professional practitioners.

In conjunction with the Strategic Decision Making and Consumer Behaviour and Relationship Marketing modules, this module aims to provide the learner with an understanding of, and an ability to evaluate, the importance of branding within the arena of contemporary marketing. The module also requires the learner to consider the role branding plays during the design, development and commercialisation of products and services. The learner will actively demonstrate, throughout the module, a thorough understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of developing a strong brand image and appreciate the value of strong brand loyalty in the marketplace.

In conjunction with the Brand Management and Strategic Decision Making modules, the aim of this module is to develop learners’ abilities to analyse the critical issues in consumer behaviour thought and practice, including an understanding of consumer choice processes, the effects of experience and learning, attitude formation, social networks and their impact on consumption, segmentation, brand management and communications processes. Furthermore, this module will explore the theories and concepts of relationship marketing in various contexts including industrial, services and mass consumer markets. Issues are explored through theoretical frameworks, market research, experiments and detailed case studies.

In conjunction with the Brand Management and Consumer Behaviour and Relationship Marketing modules, the aim of this module is to develop the learner’s ability to analyse the factors which will determine whether a firm excels, survives or fails. Furthermore, this module aims to provide the learner with the tools necessary to prescribe short, medium and long-term strategies which will enable firms to achieve their corporate goals and objectives. Business environments will be analysed using appropriate frameworks and models so that both proactive and reactive innovative strategies are comprehensively developed. A broad approach will be used, which will fuse the disciplinary underpinnings of strategy and decision making.