MSc Management

University of Lincoln

Entrepreneurship is an essential skillset in the development of new and existing businesses, social enterprises and more broadly societies and their economies. Enterprise is defined as the application of creative ideas and innovations to practical situations, combining creativity, ideas development and problem solving with expression, communication and practical action. Entrepreneurship is the application of enterprise skills to creating and growing organisations in order to identify and build on opportunities, and applies to both individuals and groups (teams or organisations). This module can give students alternative perspectives on their career options and ultimately, the confidence to set up their own business or social enterprise.

The module aims to develop the student's ability to critically analyse the financial statements for single and group companies, understanding how the financial statements are prepared, considering compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the relevant International Accounting Standards. Students taking the module will examine both financial and non-financial matters that affect a business on a day to day basis and develop proactive ideas to solve these issues. The module will help to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand corporate financial performance and the relevance of accounting information, including the implications for the organisation, stakeholders, and for effective corporate governance.

The business world never stands still; technologies and the move towards a more global economy are creating opportunities that organisations must embrace to maintain their competitive edge. Never before have global events and innovations had greater impact on local markets. Businesses now compete on a global stage where marketers can do so much more with small budgets, ultimately shrinking the historic chasm between SMEs and large enterprises. Creative marketing that grabs the attention of the ever demanding changing needs of the consumer takes careful planning. This module can provide students with the fundamental building blocks to manage an organisations marketing function. By establishing an organisations current market position, unpacking their value offering to consumers, and formulating a plan to meet strategic marketing objectives, the marketing planning process provides a creative framework to drive organisational success.

This module is designed to provide students with a conceptual and theoretical background in leadership, and an opportunity to develop leadership competencies in themselves and others. It covers topics such as leadership style, followership, ethical and responsible leadership, gender and leadership, and cross-cultural leadership. Over the course of this module, students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the impact interpersonal skills have on leadership effectiveness. This module has an applied focus and requires students to reflect on and apply theories and techniques to their personal real-world context in order to enhance their leadership practice.

A major characteristic of all decisions in every organisation is that they are taken to achieve objectives, both short-term and long-term. To do this well is a fundamental skill for managers at every level in the organisation. But decisions are often hard to make in the presence of multiple objectives, uncertainty about the future, and differences of opinion among key players. For decisions that require large amounts of resources and commitments, the weight of responsibility felt by the decision maker can be heavy, especially when the consequences require considered judgements about trade-offs between benefits, risks and costs. The aim of this module is to enhance students decision capabilities when confronted with strategic or operational choices. Students can learn how decision analysis tools can be used to structure and analyse decision problems and how a mix of data and judgment can help decision makers to better achieve their objectives. The main focus of the course is on practical management problems.

The ability to manage people towards organisational goals depends on the manager's insight on individual and group psychology including motivation, decision-making, power, conflict, leadership and culture. This module covers related theory through lectures and practical class exercises.

The Professional Inquiry Project allows students to demonstrate their mastery of management within the field of their degree. It is an individual and independent project in which students can bring together and apply their learning from the programme to help to solve a chosen business problem or challenge, a real-world issue or a research topic. Although the foci and form of the final project are to be negotiated, the following are indicative of the potential formats students may choose: work-based project, client-based project; or other negotiated project such as the design of a new enterprise. Completing the Professional Inquiry Project gives students a unique opportunity to undertake an extended piece of personal research on a topic of their own choosing. By undertaking the project students will be demonstrating their ability to research and critically analyse and integrate complex information necessary in the world of contemporary management.

With the rapidly changing context of modern business, the process of introducing novel technologies, products, infrastructures, or systems has become vital yet more challenging due to often conflicting stakeholder requirements, irreversible investments, operating constraints, and associated risks. Therefore, any business change has to be project-managed as the current emphasis in business is on flexible, rapid response to customer demands. Managers increasingly require a project competence with a systems-oriented management style that cuts across traditional functional roles throughout the project life-cycle. Project management is thus considered a crucial management philosophy of how organisations manage fluctuating business environments and bring to life something innovative or simply never accomplished before. This module provides students with the opportunity to develop an essential understanding of the fundamentals of project management. It covers a variety of concepts and their practical application including project scope, time, cost, quality, stakeholders, and communication.

In our current globalised world, individuals in leadership and management positions within organisations across sectors are often confronted with a myriad of wicked problems which demand for a comprehensive and cohesive strategy. To succeed, individuals in position of responsibility must develop a range of capabilities needed to gain competitive advantage in markets and in the globe. This module seeks to equip students with crucial knowledge and strategy making skills to perform as a strategist and contribute to responsible business strategies to give their organisation a competitive advantage. Students who fully engage with the module will develop the knowledge and professional expertise needed for the formation, implementation and analysis of responsible business strategies; to make appropriate choices between strategic options; and then to follow a strategic route that will deliver results that are robust, ethically sound and socially responsible.

Sustainability practices are wide ranging and include various managerial decisions, monitoring environmental damage, and external financial reporting. In light of climate change and recent environmental disasters, sustainability practices are a growing concern to investors, creditors and regulators, all of whom demand greater transparency and accountability. The first part of the module provides an in-depth overview of current issues and best practices in sustainability and integrated reporting from both managerial and financial perspectives and develops an understanding of an essential role that sustainability practices and transparency play in corporate governance worldwide. The second part of the module, which is designed with support of the Institute of Business Ethics, focuses on business ethical issues and ethical decision-making. The module aims to develop students, as future business leaders, managers or governance professionals, who understand and appreciate the importance of going beyond numbers and supporting good ethical business practices to help companies to sustain long-term success. The module examines the responsibilities of organisations to different stakeholder groups and develops an understanding of fundamental ethical principles and ethical dilemmas in organisations across different job roles. The module also aims to explore the role of information technology (IT) in sustainability governance, a range of ethical questions that arise from the use of IT in business, and how IT can support organisations sustainability strategies.