Skills Development
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively is universally recognised as a key skill in an aspiring manager. We try to help you develop your communication skills in a variety of ways in all of the units that you study. There is a core unit in business communication which demonstrates how important we consider this to be. While communication is typically broken down to written and oral this broad classification in no way represents the diversity of opportunities that you will be give. To develop your written communication skills you will be exposed to a wide variety of applications. Business reports and essays (there are not too many essays) are obvious ones but you will also be completing briefing papers, keeping notes, writing proposals and plans. The oral side is equally diverse and you are encouraged to develop your oral skills through class discussions and presentation. A PowerPoint presentation combines both oral and written communication and you will become more experienced at using these.
The ability to communicate effectively is universally recognised as a key skill in an aspiring manager. We try to help you develop your communication skills in a variety of ways in all of the units that you study. There is a core unit in business communication which demonstrates how important we consider this to be. While communication is typically broken down to written and oral this broad classification in no way represents the diversity of opportunities that you will be give. To develop your written communication skills you will be exposed to a wide variety of applications. Business reports and essays (there are not too many essays) are obvious ones but you will also be completing briefing papers, keeping notes, writing proposals and plans. The oral side is equally diverse and you are encouraged to develop your oral skills through class discussions and presentation. A PowerPoint presentation combines both oral and written communication and you will become more experienced at using these.
Information LiteracyIn the UK, information literacy is defined by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals as: Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner. Right from induction you are introduced to the sources that the university has. We invest heavily in electronic sources of information as well as paper based ones and you are introduced to the range and diversity of what is available to you. The majority, if not all of the units that you study will expect you to search out relevant information and so your skills will improve throughout the course.
To help with the development of this you will use of the Internet as a research tool, analysis of websites, SMS etc. as communication media, use of online data / journals e.g. Keynote, EBSCO, use of PowerPoint as a presentational medium.
Research and Evaluation
Through the analysis, processing and justification of numerical data: budgets, brand equity, return on investment measurement e.g. AVEs, other technical formulae OTS, CPT, TVRs. Problem solving permeates much of the course. In most, if not all, units you will be expected to search out relevant information and academic literature. Identifying information and theory is only the start, you must assess the relevance of information and the applicability to the context at hand of the competing theories that you find. This requires critical assessment of the material that you have. Obviously, tutors will present their own critical evaluations of theory and the applicability of theory in particular contexts within class and you should learn from this to develop your own perspectives.
To help with the development of this you will use of the Internet as a research tool, analysis of websites, SMS etc. as communication media, use of online data / journals e.g. Keynote, EBSCO, use of PowerPoint as a presentational medium.
Research and Evaluation
Through the analysis, processing and justification of numerical data: budgets, brand equity, return on investment measurement e.g. AVEs, other technical formulae OTS, CPT, TVRs. Problem solving permeates much of the course. In most, if not all, units you will be expected to search out relevant information and academic literature. Identifying information and theory is only the start, you must assess the relevance of information and the applicability to the context at hand of the competing theories that you find. This requires critical assessment of the material that you have. Obviously, tutors will present their own critical evaluations of theory and the applicability of theory in particular contexts within class and you should learn from this to develop your own perspectives.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
If running a business were a simple thing then all you would have to do to succeed is read a textbook and follow the guidance given. Theories are a great basis for running organisations but the way that you implement them is critical to how well they can help you. This is where creativity comes in. You need to be looking for different and creative ways to apply what you learn on the course. Of course we give you ample opportunities to develop your creativity. You will find class sessions provide opportunities for discussion of case examples where other classmates have very different solutions to the ones that you have thought of, some more creative than yours and others less. Most of the assignments that you tackle will call for some degree of creativity and so you will get plenty of practice in developing and arguing creative solutions.
Critical thinking, on the other hand represents the application of logic and evidence rather than creativity. Again class discussions provide you with ample opportunity to present logical solutions to case problems and receive feedback on the strength of the argument. Indeed, the majority, if not all, of your assessments need logic and evidence to support your case not least when you have come up with a creative solution.
We believe that being on a postgraduate course is very much like working as a professional in an organisation. We therefore expect that you will behave like an employee and we will do our best to behave as your employer. This has a number of imperatives:
If running a business were a simple thing then all you would have to do to succeed is read a textbook and follow the guidance given. Theories are a great basis for running organisations but the way that you implement them is critical to how well they can help you. This is where creativity comes in. You need to be looking for different and creative ways to apply what you learn on the course. Of course we give you ample opportunities to develop your creativity. You will find class sessions provide opportunities for discussion of case examples where other classmates have very different solutions to the ones that you have thought of, some more creative than yours and others less. Most of the assignments that you tackle will call for some degree of creativity and so you will get plenty of practice in developing and arguing creative solutions.
Critical thinking, on the other hand represents the application of logic and evidence rather than creativity. Again class discussions provide you with ample opportunity to present logical solutions to case problems and receive feedback on the strength of the argument. Indeed, the majority, if not all, of your assessments need logic and evidence to support your case not least when you have come up with a creative solution.
Improving learning and performance
Most of us are not perfect and most, if not all, of the things we do could be improved. We help you to improve your learning and performance in several ways. When you prepare for an in-class discussion you will find that others have tackled the problem in a different way. This gives you an opportunity to learn from your fellow students (although you have to recognise when your interpretations are better than theirs). You will also interact with the tutors during class sessions, again an opportunity to learn different perspectives and approaches that you can apply later on. For assignments you will receive feedback. This feedback is very much more than simply the grade given. You will find in the feedback suggestions of how your work could have been improved and can apply this information for further pieces of work. Finally, the best management practice draws heavily from reflection. This is your reflection on how you could tackle things differently to improve learning and performance. We do include reflective components in some assessments (in particular the Advanced Management Project) but you will be encouraged to reflect on what you do throughout the course.Progress files
The course builds on the progress files that you will probably have developed in your previous studies. The main vehicle for demonstrating developments will be in the Advanced Management Project element (analogous to the level 3 Undergraduate approach). Nevertheless, the majority of units provide enabling opportunities for autonomous development in the areas of needs analysis, performance planning and management (especially within a group context) and presentation and evaluation. The most substantial evidential output is the Advanced Management Project but you will have a (self maintained) portfolio of individual and group tasks. The main mechanism for implementation will be through structured discussions with the dissertation supervisor but there will also be inputs from unit leaders.Professional standards
We believe that being on a postgraduate course is very much like working as a professional in an organisation. We therefore expect that you will behave like an employee and we will do our best to behave as your employer. This has a number of imperatives:
- Staff and students will work with professional integrity at all times
- Staff and students will abide by the Code of Conduct as stated in the Universitys Student Regulations
- Staff and students should ensure contact details are current; staff should ensure that their availability is publicised and appropriate communication channels are agreed
- Students are expected to attend all classes; where there are mitigating circumstances staff must be informed promptly
- Staff and students must arrive on time for classes
- In all situations students and staff should dress and act appropriately
- Staff and students should work to sustain a culture of mutual respect
- All assessed work should be a students own and correctly referenced where material is taken from other sources
- Electronic devices must not be used during classes without express permission and mobile telephones must be switched off
- Student concerns should be raised promptly, through the appropriate channels
