BA (Hons) in Business Management in Barcelona, Spain

Outline

To succeed in the future, managers must develop the resources and capabilities
needed to gain and sustain advantage in competitive markets. The way in
which organizations attempt to develop such competitive advantage
constitutes the essence of their strategy.

Indicative content

• Introduction to strategic management: What is strategy; strategic analysis;
  classical and emergent schools; strategic thinking; levels of strategy.
• Strategy context. Competitive advantage of a firm: Defining the business
  environment. Industry analysis: turbulence and dynamics. Porter’s five forces; new
  dynamics in the 21st century.
• Business level strategy: Sources of competitive advantage: Competitive stance,
  business level strategy, corporate level strategy; generic strategies; hybrid
  strategy; value chains.
• Beyond competition: The nature of competition; co-operation; co-opetition;
  strategic alliances and joint ventures; mergers and acquisitions.
• Strategy in the public sector: Public-private partnership as a strategic tool of
  public sector management

Outline

You’ll combine theory and practice to examine organizational change and
transformation in times of uncertainty

Indicative content

• Analyzing change contexts and drivers: The change context: globalization,
  technology, and changing market dynamics; change management and
  sustainability
• Theories of change and approaches to change management: Models of change
  and change management; trans- formational change and organizations; Critical
  discourse in change management.
• Human resources issues in change management: Participative change ;
  managing psychological contracts, social identity, stakeholder positioning and
  dynamics in times of radical change ; voice, dialogue and rethinking resistances
  in radical change; Culture, habits and unlearning.
• Change in context: (this will change each year and will form the basis of the
  guest lectures)
• Leading and managing change: Transactional and transformational leadership; a
  competency framework for transformational leadership; values and value-based
  systems in transformational change

Outline

Undertake some practical research in response to a current business need of a
real company and produce a suitable management report with
recommendations.

Indicative content

• Analyzing a problem: Using different analysis techniques such as data flow
  diagrams, entity relationship modeling and process mapping, examine
  problems to better understand the current position of the business.
• Innovation and innovation techniques: Using different creativity and innovation
  tools to help find solutions to business problems
• Innovation for global growth (IGG): Work with multiple organizations – public,
  private and third sector, on a challenge they currently face. This will provide a
  scoping opportunity for the problem and a chance to test possible solutions.
  Prior to this event discussions on professional behavior and communication will
  take place.
• Developing and presenting the solution: Take the solutions identified during
  IGG and further investigate their suitability. Develop one or more solutions to
  provide an implementation plan for the organization.

Outline

Contemporary accounting, business and management issues and to gain an
in-depth understanding of current thinking

Indicative content

• Business and management: Contemporary issues in general management
• Human resource management: Contemporary issues in human resource
  management, organization theory and structure
• Marketing: Contemporary issues in marketing
• Accounting and finance: Contemporary issues in accounting and finance.

Outline

This module provides a framework for the study of the challenges of managing
in complex international business environments.
Indicative content

• Introduction: The theoretical background: Globalization and international
  business; Analysis of international external business environment; political
  factors; economical factors; social factors; technological factors and
  implications for international managers; International trade theories and
  practices.
• International Business Strategies: Strategy and international business; Country
  evaluation and selection; Export and Import strategies; Direct investments and
  collaborative strategies.
• International and cross-cultural management: International Dimensions of
  Culture: Understanding various dimensions of culture; Hofstede’s (1980) National
  Culture Approach and Trompenaars (1993) Cultural Dimensions. Implications for
  International Managers. managing employee relations in multiple contexts
• Managing in international contexts: Culture and Negotiations: Understanding
  the relationship between culture and negotiations; how to reconcile possible
  conflicts regarding differences in culture and negotiations.
• Contemporary issues in managing international business: Managing
  international work assignments, Understanding the implications of CSR on MNE
  decision making.