Fundamentals of Senior Management Module Handbook 2024-25 | UWS

Module Handbook – Fundamentals of Senior Management

This module seeks to provide an integrated and critical understanding of businesses and their core business functions, including internal and external factors that impact them. The module provides students with an understanding of organisational theory, management functions and leadership theory.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:

L1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key tools for analysis of the internal and external environmental context within which businesses operate to exhibit knowledge and analyse the impact of changing and challenging environments on businesses and business functions in different sectors.

L2. Critically evaluate business functions and their contribution to organisational success across a range of business settings.

L3. Synthesise the complexity and ambiguity of other factors which impinge on businesses and business functions, including structure, culture, stakeholders and ethics.

L4. Critically evaluate the various factors that impact the health of an organisation, using accepted forms of internal and external measurement.

L5. Critically analyse the extent to which the health of an organisation may affect its ability to operate successfully, in terms of objectively acknowledged criteria.

Aula 

Delivery of this module is over a 10-week term in 2024/25.  It is a 40-credit module. It’s a core programme module and must be completed.

Updated information about what is happening in the module can be found on Aula (Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).  In addition to learning resources, notices and discussion forums are also posted there.

Please ensure that you visit and check the module’s Aula page regularly.

Your Learning

The delivery of the ‘Fundamentals of Senior Management’ module will involve weekly interactive tutorials to disseminate information and introduce related topics. Additionally, it will help develop your understanding of the module's content and additional materials, providing an opportunity to discuss critical issues with other students and with your tutor. Additional learning materials can be found on Aula. The aim is to improve not only your subject knowledge but also your personal, interpersonal and employability skills. 

You must study relevant lecture and tutorial slides and other material(s) before attending weekly sessions. The tutorial materials provide a general framework of the main topics covered. However, it is expected that you add to any comments and points of discussion given in the tutorial. 

In meeting the learning objectives of this module, you must take responsibility for your learning and engage with both staff and students. 

Therefore, during this module, it is anticipated that you:

• Attend weekly tutorials and participate in the discussion.
• Be curious about the subject and ask questions;
• Be punctual, suitably prepared in advance, and engage in sessions;
• Read the directed pages/chapters within the prescribed textbook before attending tutorial sessions.
• Develop the habit of taking relevant notes during tutorials.
• Complete assessments by given deadlines and to agreed standards;
• Read recommended textbooks, journal articles, reputable media sources, etc..
• Work independently or within a team, where necessary;
• Respect fellow students, lecturer(s) and tutor(s) at all times.

Module Delivery

Module Assessment

This module is assessed through a Portfolio, weighted 70% and an Individual Essay, weighted at 30%.
To pass the module, you need to pass each component with at least 40% but overall, once your marks have been weighted, you need to have an overall mark of 50% or above to pass.
Example—imagine your Portfolio mark is 63% and your essay is 40%, the final mark is   63 x 0.7 + 40 x 0.3 = 44.1 + 12 = 56.1%

Portfolio

• Use the Portfolio template
• Start the Portfolio exercises early
• Work on the portfolio exercises every week; do not leave them till the last week.

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 1 

From the internet, identify a recent (in the last 2 months) example of an External factor(s) influencing an organisation’s activities. 

Copy and paste the example and web link into your Portfolio, underneath the example, explain the impact of the external factor(s) and how the organisation responded to them and in your view, how the external factor(s) could have been handled more effectively.

Your discussion should include module theory, and you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. Word count 350 words
Marks 10%

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 2

Identify a recent internet (in the last 2 months) example of Stakeholder influence on an organisation's activities.

Copy and paste the example into your Portfolio, underneath the example, discuss the impact of the stakeholders and how the organisation responded and in your view, how the stakeholders could have been handled more effectively.

Your discussion should include module theory, and you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. 
Word count 400 words, Marks 15%

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 3

Identify a recent internet (in the last 2 months) example of organisational leadership and how this leader has played a role in the performance of the organisation.

Copy and paste the example into your Portfolio, underneath the example, discuss the impact of the leader on the organisation and in your view, why they are an effective leader. your discussion should include module theory. Note, you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. 
 
Word count 400 words
Mark 15%

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 4

You will be assigned a group, and each group will have three students. You are expected to present a maximum of three slides to your tutorial group. Each student within the group will have the opportunity to present one slide. 
 
The topic is:  Ethical Challenges in doing business globally.
The presentation will take place at one of your tutorials, date to be decided. 

Your tutorial group will give you feedback on your presentation, and you will be able to add the slides and their feedback to your portfolio.

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 4 (continued)

In your portfolio, you can individually reflect (using a reflection theory) on the feedback and consider what you will do going forward in terms of improving your approach to working in a group and presenting your work. 

Note, you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. 

Word count 400 words

Individual Essay (Draft to be approved)

Essay Questions 

1) Identify an organisation and critically analyse its performance. You should discuss the factors that have led to the organisation being a successful one or not. 

Word count 1,500. Your answer should be well-structured, proofread, and include references. It is expected you will look at the organisational functions, link in examples and discuss organisational performance.

You should provide in-text references for any examples and theories in your discussion

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 5

Identify a recent internet (in the last 2 months) example of how organisational functions (marketing, operations, HRM and Finance) have collaborated to make an organisation successful.

Copy and paste the example into your Portfolio, underneath the example, explain how the different organisational functions have integrated and collaborated to ensure the organisation is successful. 

Your discussion should include module theory. Note, you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. 

Word count 400 words
Mark 20%

Portfolio exercises - Portfolio activity 6

Identify a recent internet (in the last 2 months) example of the challenges faced by senior managers in today's organisations and the tools they might use to overcome these challenges.

Copy and paste the example into your Portfolio, underneath the example, discuss the challenges and the tools that may have or could have been used to understand and overcome the challenges. 

Your discussion should include module theory/concepts regarding performance management/improvement. Note, you should provide in-text references for your examples and theory. 
Word count 400 words
Mark 20%

Module regulations and guidelines 

1. Presentation of Work 

The University operates a very strict policy on plagiarism, details of which are available.

All work that is submitted must be the work of the individual student. Material (intellectual property) from books, journals, the Internet, etc. must be attributed to the original author by use of the Harvard reference system. 

Portfolio test and individual assessment must be completed within the given deadlines. Work submitted after the assignment deadline, without prior permission from the Module Co-ordinator, will be subject to the following penalties: 

• Where submission is up to one week late, the mark awarded shall be reduced by ten percentage points, so moving you to the next lower grade; 
• Where submission is more than one week late, the coursework shall be awarded a mark of zero. 

2. Student Engagement 

It is expected that students will attend all scheduled classes or participate in all delivered elements as part of their engagement with their programme of study. 

Attendance will be monitored and, if deemed unsatisfactory, may result in a warning and/or withdrawal. 

Students should inform the appropriate person (Module Co-ordinator) of any planned absence where this is known in advance. 

Where unforeseen absence occurs, students should inform the appropriate person as soon as is practicable and, if the absence is for longer than one week, provide supporting evidence of the reason(s) for non-attendance, e.g. doctor's certificate for medical absence.

3. Grades 

To obtain a reasonable grade, you are required to attend all lectures and tutorial sessions as required. The grade bands are shown below:

A1 - 90-100%
A2 - 80-89%
A3 - 70-79%
B1 – 60-69%
B2 – 50-59%
C – 40-49%
D – 30-39%
E – Less than 30%
        
You should attempt both elements of assessment within the module, and you must achieve a combined overall mark of 50% (with no element below 40%) to achieve a 'pass' for this module. 

4. Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating Circumstances Statements (ECS) The University recognises that, from time to time, you may encounter issues which may prevent you from being able to submit or undertake an assessment. Where this is the case, you can submit an Extenuating Circumstances Statement (ECS) for consideration. Please see the UWS website for further details. Or ask your module coordinator for clarification on when and how to submit ECS.