Strategy And The Global Competitive Environment

This unit explores strategy and the implications for marketing. You will consider the broad external environment, current issues and challenges facing directors, senior managers and entrepreneurs in guiding the long-term development of organisations. The objectives of organisations and the means of achieving these objectives through the mobilisation and deployment of assets and resources and the integration of the various functions of the organisation will be the focus of the unit. You will most specifically:

• Understand and develop strategy; think strategically;  
• Research, develop and demonstrate expertise in understanding the global business environment in which the modern organisation operates gaining confidence in handling current affairs and relating these to organisations’ strategies;
• Identify and evaluate political, economic, social and technological developments relevant to organisational strategies;
• Apply a range of skills in developing business and marketing strategies for different environments and opportunities that can harmonise the organisations’ objectives, capabilities and resources    

Digital Technology Management

In today’s business world digital technology in all its facets is crucial to facilitate decision-making, create new business models, and achieve competitive advantage. This unit, informed by staff research and other scholarly activities, develops your knowledge and understanding of the use of digital technology for effective management in a variety of business settings, as well as enabling you to manage digital technology. Crucially, you will learn about the role of digital technology in strategy, Internet marketing, and related areas.
The unit takes an integrated approach to critically assess the relationship between information systems and how they can create a competitive advantage. The aim is to enable you to understand and critically assess what information systems are, what key characteristics they have and what they can (and cannot) do for an organisation.
Successful completion of the unit will give you a comprehensive and detailed overview of theory and practice and you will acquire a ‘toolkit’ that provides the basis for understanding the potential – and limitations – of information systems for business success.

Project Management

• enables you to consider the importance of Project Management and the role of a project manager in modern businesses;
• develop your systematic understanding of Project Management, informed by contemporary research, and its diverse application in different business contexts;
• enable you to evaluate commonly used tools and methodologies for application in your business area;
• enable you to approach new projects equipped with many of the necessary skills to bring projects to successful conclusions;
• enable you to recognise and promote the importance of effective Project Management to potential users.Relevance

Leading And Managing Organisational Resources

The unit takes an integrated approach to critically assess the relationship between leadership, operations management, finance and information systems which is essential for adding value and achieving competitive advantage in contemporary organisations. The theme is ‘leadership’ with an emphasis on high performance work systems and the international management of innovation and change. Successful completion of the unit will give you a comprehensive and detailed overview of contemporary practice informed by quality scientific research evidence. You will acquire a ‘toolkit’ that provides the potential for inspirational leadership and the effective management of organisational resources.
Operations Management addresses issues such as quality, location process layout, capacity management, and scheduling and inventory management. Global sourcing and relocation are now commonplace, and the competitive environment demands new ways of thinking about how to manage operations in a global context. Business and information systems facilitate decision-making and effective management across all functions. You will develop an understanding of how changes in the business strategy, the business operations and the funding of these operations can impact on the reported financial statements, their cash flows and thus impact on both share price and the reported results of a company.

Advancing Professional Practice

This is a short professional and academic development course that is designed to support all MBA students in the University of Bedfordshire Business School to develop a professional profile through their journey in the Masters. The specific aims are to:

• Enhance students’ professional, personal development and communication skills. 
• To support students to evidence how their experience at masters level has contributed to the development of their professional profile as required after graduation.
• To support students to develop the necessary academic skill required for successful completion of postgraduate research.

Theory Into Practice Project

The unit aims to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of management and business as well as the skills essential to effective operation in a corporate, business, public sector or not for profit environment. It is a unit specifically designed to help your transition into the professional work environment through the integration of theory and practice supported by contemporary research evidence.

Management Practice

Practice events are integral to the University of Bedfordshire Business School’s vision to take business education, research and practice in exciting new directions. Central to this vision is the aspiration to give you the skills and knowledge to find the career and future success you want. We aim to develop intelligent practitioners who imaginatively integrate theory and practice, supported by contemporary research evidence. You will need to select and apply knowledge and principles you have learnt through the taught MBA units, experiential learning activities and challenges to develop an understanding of current realities in work organisations and be better placed as a future manager.
This unit is specifically designed to help your transition into the professional work environment through combining academic rigour with practice skills: the behaviours, attributes and intent which give you immediate impact in the organisations you join. This produces individuals with the confidence and know-how to fit in and be effective from day one: managers who understand business context, and have the creativity, drive and focus to bring about change. The aim of this unit is to:

• Enhance your transition to the workplace through experiential learning
• Improve your personal, interpersonal and business skills
• Develop your awareness of professional working practice and increase your employability
• Relate the theories learnt in the earlier stages of the MBA to real-word business practice issues