You will learn how to read and critically interpret both the financial information and narrative content of company reports. To do this, you will study the theory and context of corporate reporting, including ethical issues, and the international framework for reporting, as well as very practical techniques such as ratio analysis. Building on the calculation of ratios, you will use them to help you analyse a company’s performance by selecting appropriate comparators and considering the figures in the context of a company’s industry and its business strategy. You will also consider the role of integrated reporting and sustainability reporting.

The aim of this module is to equip you with the ability to comprehensively understand corporate reports, including financial statements. You will learn to analyse the performance of a company and critically evaluate the quality of the information given in its corporate reports, from an end user’s perspective. This is essential for many business roles, and not limited to roles in finance. In studying this module, you will learn about current reporting issues both from an academic, research-based perspective, and from a practical, business perspective. The assignment and the exercises you will be using for practice are based on actual company reports, so that you are working with and experiencing real-world documentation.

This module transfers highly-sought-after graduate level consultancy skills that can be brought to bear in analysis of commercial companies. Here you learn to synthesize the major Resource-based View concepts of Capability, Competence and Resource with Value Chain analysis, and how to deploy these tools to create a strategy for a sustainable and commercially successful future for an organisation. The development of recommendations meeting the generic tests of Acceptability, Suitability, and Feasibility will also require the consideration of Leadership, Stakeholders, Sustainability and Business Ethics.

The module provides a comprehensive guide to Organisation Theory, and offers practical guidance to application of theoretical perspectives to organising practices. It offers an introduction to main theoretical perspectives dominant in Organisation Theory, i.e. modern, symbolic and contemporary perspectives. It highlights the implications of contrasting theoretical perspectives in practice, and further explores the latest development in organising practices. Through challenging conventional understanding of organisation and management, the module enables you to critically approach Organisation as a field of theory and practice, and to construct your own knowledge and understanding of ‘management’. It helps you to situate yourself within this field as critical thinkers, and as capable and reflective practitioners. As such the module contributes to your enhanced employability, and informed employment decision-making.

The dissertation module aims to equip you with the necessary intellectual and practical skills for undertaking an individual student-led, ethical investigation into an applied business (or the named degree) problem or issue. In addition, the dissertation aims to equip you with key transferable, employability skills, including: time management, project management, communication (written and verbal), negotiation, persuasion and influence, discovery, initiative, creativity and innovation in problem-solving, and analysis.