BSS056-6 Theory Into Practice, Assignment, University of Bedfordshire, UK

Aims and Relevance

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.

Syllabus Content

The integrated application project is the culmination of the MBA programme. It is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to think through the implications of applying the knowledge and skills acquired through the taught elements of the course. Its purpose is to bring together all the taught elements of the programme to reinforce their interrelationship and to enable you to move forward from the understanding of a discrete knowledge base to combine knowledge in different ways and increase your understanding through synthesis and exploration.  Adopting an Evidence-based Management approach you will  integrate contemporary knowledge and research across different areas to enhance management and business practice. Appreciating the range of data sources and their collection and analysis will be concluded in order to help you more critically assess a contemporary problem and solve a business issue.    

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit you should be able to

1. Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding 

Demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical appreciation of the interrelationship of diverse theories in the MBA toolkit to challenge existing preconceptions and develop positive and enquiring approaches to management and enterprise. Demonstrate an aptitude and ability to solve a defined business problem through enquiry having drawn upon your MBA studies and appreciating the
interrelated nature of organisations.

2. Demonstrate the following skills and abilities

Demonstrate intelligent practice by imaginative and critical integration of theory and practice to create a tangible deliverable through critical insightful evaluation stipulating areas of excellence and reflecting on areas for development to improve performance in contemporary organisations.

In addition, for specialist pathways:   

• MBA (Internship)
It is essential that the internship is linked to your studies on the MBA to support your personal and professional development in the integration of theory and practice and this will contribute directly to the completion of the Theory into Practice Project.

• MBA (Finance)
A focus on strategic finance and risk management

• MBA (Global Banking)
A focus on global investment banking and capital market strategies in relation to mergers and acquisitions and private equity management.

• MBA (Hospital and Health Services Management)
A focus on hospital and health service management and including economic, political, social and environmental change and the impact of regulatory and governance trends.

• MBA (Human Resource Management)
A focus on human resource management and development in complex situations and within and across borders.

• MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)
A focus on sustainability of the relationship and expectation between markets, customers, supply chain partners and other stakeholders.

• MBA (Marketing)
A focus on complex market situations taking account of the development and progression of the customer relationship and customer satisfaction.

• MBA (Oil and Gas Management)
A focus on the external context in which modern oil and gas organisations operate including economic, political, social and environmental change and the regulatory and governance trends impacting n different organisations.

• MBA (Digital Technology Management)
A focus on the management of communication and information technologies and contemporary information systems to inform and support decision making in a global knowledge-based economy. 

• MBA with Data Analytics
A focus on applied computing and information technology and security implications, methodologies and frameworks to safeguard data

• MBA (Hospital and Health Service Management)  with Data Analytics
A focus on hospital and health service management and including economic, political, social and environmental change and the impact of regulatory and governance trends whilst taking into account the computing and information technology and security implications, methodologies and frameworks to safeguard data.

PSRB Outcomes and/or Apprenticeship Standard

Summary Learning Hours

Approach to Learning

As the final project designed to support your transition to the professional work environment, the focus of this unit is on the integration of taught units in the complex context of contemporary work organisations.  The emphasis is on your independent learning through the application of management education to management practice to inform and enhance problem definition, solving and decision making. This unit provides the opportunity for you to investigate an area of interest drawing on the MBA toolkit developed through taught units and will support the development of lifelong learning through an Evidence-based management approach where analysis, evaluation and decision making are supported by research evidence from quality academic sources and where relevant the collection of data. You will be expected to comply with the University ethics process including seeking approval where required. 

You will be supported through regular group briefings, discussions and a panel review of your problem definition online supervisor will provide guidance, support and feedback on progressive drafts and you will be responsible for maintaining an online journal in order to facilitate this process.

In this way your learning is:    
• Meaningful: you will experience personal, social, professional, intellectual and practical relevance
• Active: you are actively engaged in the learning process.
• Challenging: application of theory in practice challenges existing constructs, knowledge and assumptions and offer opportunities for creative and enjoyable learning.
• Reflective: the research process and interpretation of findings provides a structured opportunity for reflection and development that supports internalisation of your experiences and developing connections across boundaries
• Collaborative: you learn with and through peers, tutors and others, face-to-face and online, creating and sustaining a learning community.
• Co-created: you have the opportunity to influence aspects of theory in practice.  

Assessment Summary

Learner Development

This Unit particularly focuses on the development of your abilities in the following areas:

Integration of knowledge, understanding and skills developed in taught elements Exploration of an appropriate organisational problem or opportunity relating to the implementation of decision making, strategy or change. Application of appropriate tools and techniques relevant to strategic decision making in contemporary organisations Independent design, planning and delivery of objectives for an investigative project investigation of an organisational problem or opportunity supported by research and sourcing of data. Analytical and critical reading skills through accessing and evaluating quality academic sources appropriate to the project.

Contextual Understanding, including where employer based

Analysis and evaluation of the dynamic interaction and interdependence of effective operation in a corporate, business, public sector or not for profit environment. Appreciation of the practical complexities, commercial and ethical implications in implementing decisions, strategy or change Critical evaluation of the usefulness of theory to professional practice using evidence in both your own writing and that of others to demonstrate awareness of current research and thinking Synthesis of theory and practice to combine knowledge in different ways as appropriate to a given context to maintain effectiveness.

Collaboration

Transfer of learning to the context of the workplace based on progressive personal and professional development through experiential learning activities. Contribution to facilitated discussions relating to the identification, development and scoping of the project topic.    

Enterprise

Critical appreciation, integration and synthesis of theoretical knowledge, understanding and skills for improvement and transformation of contemporary organisations Design and planning of a tangible deliverable through identification of key issues and construction of persuasive arguments through the production of a significant piece of independent written work.   

Assessment 1 Details

Theory, Decisions and Implementation The TIP Project enables you to consider a business problem, how this is framed and what solution you can present based on your appreciation of critical enquiry.  The assessment requires you to consider in depth one aspect of the implementation of decisions.  You will be offered a selection of topics or you may select your own, subject to approval by your tutor.  Subject to availability and ethical approval you may also choose to work with a real organisation.

The first assessment requires  you to present a poster in which you define the problem, outline the methodological approach and demonstrate how the contribution will move the organisation forward.  
You will need to provide an indication of the theories you will use to inform your investigation, using a range of good quality and appropriate data sources. Following formative panel feedback on your defined problem as outlined in a three minute overview (in week 3), week 6 Part time) you will deliver a poster presentation supported by a document in a format that can be accepted by Turnitin in Week 6 (Week 12 Part-time). (20% Weighting)    

Assessment 2 Details

Your final assessment report should be an in-depth critical analysis and evaluation of contemporary theory in practice, drawing on a wide range of academic sources and data including peer-reviewed material to demonstrate insightful outcomes from your research. The emphasis of the work is to address the business problem through research. Your work must be submitted as a professional Business Report of 9000 words (including an improved Chapter 1 (Assignment 1) of approximately 1500 words). Staged submissions are required to be submitted regularly through the online journal on the Breo site as part of your research journal and to reflect on during your supervisor meetings. This will demonstrate your progress and the authenticity of your project. (80% weighting). (Submission PT 24 weeks)

Threshold Expectations

In order to pass Assessment 1 you will need to :
• Justify a choice of project and appraise its feasibility.
• Formulate a plan for a major project by developing aims and objectives and designing an outline method of analysis.
• Determine theories that may be appropriate for the project. 

In order to pass Assessment 2 you will need to:
• Demonstrate assessment of theories underpinning the aim and objectives of the project and integrate this understanding into a coherent framework for analysing case studies or other data/evidence.
• Develop a research design to identify and assemble sources of data and evidence, and carry our data analysis as appropriate to the aim and objectives.
• Demonstrate adequate critical analysis and evaluation of case studies/evidence, debate the implications of the analysis and develop a tangible deliverable.

Section B

Recommended Reading

Core Text - this unit is supported by the following core text:
There is no core text as this is an independent study unit where you are expected to integrate and apply your learning from taught units.

Guided Reading

The following is expected reading for this unit. Details of what to read and when will be provide in the BREO site.

• For help in researching and constructing the major piece of work on this unit, the following sources are strongly recommended:
• Bonnett A (2011) How to Argue (2011) Third Edition.  Prentice Hall
• Briner R and Walshe N D (2015) From Passively Received Wisdom to Actively Constructed Knowledge: Teaching Systematic Review Skills As a Foundation of EvidenceBased Management. Academy of Management Learning (1): 63-80.
• Denscombe M (2014) A Good Research Guide (Electronic resource)

There is no recommended subject-specific reading for this unit. It will depend on the nature of the scenario but it is anticipated that you will consult academic journals, trade press, newspapers, industry reports and company annual reports and other information sources in the public domain. 

Independent Study

To receive high grades you will need to demonstrate your wider reading. The following resources provide useful background reading for the material in this unit. This is not an exhaustive list and students should read widely from the variety of journals available in the Learning Resources Centre.

Students should read widely from the variety of journals available in the Learning Resources Centre.

Equality Impact Assessment