Business and Finance

You will develop knowledge and critical understanding of the classical principles of business strategy in exploring the question 'How should organisations compete to achieve sustainable, competitive advantage in today's global business environment?’ In answering this question, the potential of an organisation to create value through effective exploitation and development of internal resources and capabilities is examined using well-established analytical tools.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to analyse and evaluate the relative impact of the international industrial and competitive environment on organisations and the strategic choices they face, apply decision-making criteria and weigh risks appropriately.
 

Building on from first year accounting study, this module allows you to critically evaluate the financial results of strategic and financial decisions as reported by different companies. You’ll develop desirable skills of financial analysis and management accounting to support the needs of future managers and marketing professionals. 

This module will also allow you to develop the confidence to use financial information both independently, and collaboratively with financial specialists. 

This module will help you develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for making effective career decisions and managing your future career development, including transitions into graduate employment, self-employment or further study (including professional training courses) whether in the UK or overseas. This module will support you in taking an informed and critical view of the current and future world of work and consider your future role and responsibility, not only to yourself but also to others. This module will raise your awareness of the services and support offered by the Careers Service and OBBS WAVES team. The aim is to encourage you to further develop your career by engaging in placements, internships, volunteering and other extracurricular activities offered by the University.
 

On this module, you’ll examine the nature of financial markets and the role of financial intermediaries. You’ll analyse the nature of market efficiency, and the extent to which asset prices reflect rational decisions in consideration of psychological or speculative factors. You’ll also explore comparative merits and the question of financial regulation. Different types of financial instruments and their valuation will also be explored.

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to assess institution-based and market-based finance in a variety of contexts, understand the main principles underlying asset pricing models, and resolve general problems in selecting investments in a global market. 

This module focuses on contemporary debates in the field of organisational studies, enhancing your ability to understand and apply organisational behaviour concepts to real-world problems. The module covers core topics, and you will distinguish between individual, group and organisational levels to analyse complex organisational issues. You will also develop an awareness of diverse perspectives, cultures, and values. Additionally, the module facilitates learning in adaptive and collaborative environments, helping you develop independent and self-motivated learning strategies.

After completing the module, you will be well-equipped with the skills and knowledge required to analyse evidence critically and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the field of organisational behaviour and management.
 

This module will introduce you  to the fundamentals of finance and to the finance function in a company or corporation. This will enable you  to understand the sorts of decisions that are taken by financial managers along with their rationales. The content includes an explanation of the role of finance in business and the objectives of the finance function. You will also examine the decisions affecting capital structure and the cost of capital.
 

This module is designed to provide practical guidance and support in undertaking a placement search, preparing for the placement experience, and succeeding in the modern workplace. Throughout the module, you will develop critical self-awareness and personal literacy skills, enabling you to self-reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses and target your placement search effectively. Additionally, you will also explore methods of effective and targeted placement search, increasing your chances of securing a placement.

In summary, this module is an essential component of your employability journey. By integrating with co-curricular activities, the module provides a holistic approach to employability, ensuring that students have a broad range of skills and experiences to draw upon in their future careers.
 

In this advanced module you’ll get a good introduction to the specific areas of corporate and business law. You’ll gain understanding and knowledge of business activities and how they are affected by business law. You’ll also have the opportunity to examine and test those areas of law against specific cases in various business areas. This will help you develop a good knowledge of corporate and business law, that can be applied to real world business activities.

You’ll look at the environmental sustainability challenges facing society and businesses. You’ll discuss key environmental issues such as:

• global warming
• pollution
• biodiversity loss 
• freshwater depletion 

and the role of business in causing as well as responding to such issues. 

You’ll explore macro (economic, policy, governance) as well as micro (organisational and individual) perspectives. You’ll also be introduced to a variety of stakeholder perspectives and frameworks for evaluating business responses. Through the module you’ll develop your key competencies for sustainability that are endorsed by UNESCO (2017) and the QAA/Advance HE (2021). The competencies are:

• systems thinking
• anticipatory thinking
• normative competency 
• strategic thinking
• collaborative competency 
• critical thinking
• self-awareness 
• integrated problem-solving competency.
   

This is your opportunity for independent study on an approved topic. It will relate to your programme learning outcomes. You’ll select and discuss a relevant topic area with your Programme Lead/Subject Co-ordinator. Your independent study may involve:

• action based learning 
• be based solely on desk research 
• limited primary research
• group work.

And will be self directed. Through any group work you may have a specific role and responsibilities.
 

You’ll study the main forces that are shaping the international financial environment. You’ll also look at the techniques and strategies used by organisations to respond to the international financial environment when making key financial decisions. 

You’ll look at:

• capital flows
• exchange rate determination
• risk management in an international context
• international investment decisions and 
• the financing of international activities.

To develop your understanding of global finance and give you insight into global financial decisions that are made in today’s world.
 

This module aims to equip you with the skills of modelling and abstraction, and the ability to use generic business models to understand and analyse an organisation from both an information and process perspective. You will examine the information flows that integrate across organisational functions and explore the role of Information Systems in supporting business processes and information flows. Throughout the module, you will learn how to apply systems theory to analyse an organisation's information perspective, as well as draw and analyse an Information Flow Diagram.

By the end of this module, you will have a cross-functional understanding of business and management, allowing you to maintain a perspective on your field's role in the broader picture. You will have a comprehensive skill set to analyse and model business processes, and communicate them effectively in both oral and written reports.

In this module, you'll critically analyse the role of digital technologies in modern businesses. You'll explore software and hardware applications and evaluate their impact on competitive strategy and organisational change. Using a multidisciplinary approach, you'll cover topics like online and mobile channels, digital marketing, and business-to-business relations. You'll develop analytical and presentation skills to provide clear and concise reports, both individually and in teams.
 
This module prepares you to lead digital technologies in modern organisations, and it equips you with essential skills to evaluate the value of digital business development for businesses and sectors.
 

You can spend your third year on a work placement, which is a great opportunity to enhance your CV, preparing you for future employment. You will gain commercial and practical experience, and many students are offered graduate positions by their placement employer. Recently, Business School students have enjoyed inspiring and intellectually challenging positions at organisations such as IBM, BMW, Apple, Bosch, EY, Deloitte, Metro Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Harley Davidson and L'Oreal. For more information about the fees please go to the Fees/Funding section. Learn more about how Oxford Brookes Business School supports students secure a work placement.

On this module, you’ll develop a critical stance in investigating contemporary business and finance practices and issues. Using an informed and critical perspective, you’ll independently research from a range of sources including current research, newspapers and financial data. 

You’ll develop skills required to evaluate current practice and research in the area of business and finance, and you’ll gain a systematic understanding of its key aspects. 

This module provides an opportunity for students to investigate the forces shaping the contemporary financial system. A variety of issues will be examined, taking the financial turmoil of 2007-2008 as a starting point. The emphasis will be on both the underlying causes of recent financial developments and the more general implications of these for our understanding of finance and on the possibilities open to regulatory authorities, companies, investors and other interested groups to respond to these developments.
 

The module aims to develop critical thinking in evaluating the application of change management theory and normative practices to challenges taking place in organisations and wider society. The literature used in the module draws on a breadth of sources including the mainstream and contemporary literature on change management. It aims to increase personal reflexivity and self-awareness. 

After completing this module, you will have an understanding of the nature of change and key theories, frameworks, principles and practices relevant for the management and leadership of change. You'll be able to evaluate critically the actions taken by those leading change. You will be better prepared to lead and manage change in your own managerial careers and have an increased awareness of your own potential for ongoing personal development in leading and managing change.
 

This module extends the basic theory of corporate finance covered in previous years by developing more complex approaches to financial management which can guide decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty. It also examines corporate decisions concerning capital structure and the choice between internal and external finance and sets these decisions in the context of developments in a range of financial markets. Your learning outcomes include being able to apply investment appraisal techniques to conditions of risk and uncertainty, assess the impact of cost capital for businesses and understand the key principles and techniques of risk management.

On this module, you’ll explore contemporary issues in accounting and finance, in relation to developing a business. You’ll engage with factors such as culture, ethics and organisational size and form, to understand how they impact finance and accounting issues for business. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop digital research skills, while engaging with online reporting by corporations. 

You’ll develop skills and knowledge central to organisational forms, organisational life cycles and different cultures. 
 

This module is designed to address our changing world that is facing social and environmental challenges. You’ll develop the capacity to make ethically defensible decisions as members of business organisations and of society in general. You’ll analyse and evaluate the ethical propositions of others. And, you’ll evaluate the ethics of different systemic models of production, distribution and exchange.

Upon completing this module, be able evaluate and apply ethical reasoning to local and global business dilemmas and economic systems, and you’ll be able to evaluate the significance of a range of western and non-western ethical perspectives.

This module concentrates on developing an understanding of the wider strategic and tactical aspects of analysing corporate performance. In teams, you’ll use a range of IT systems to develop a business intelligence system. And you’ll also explore the nature of decision making in business, from strategic to transaction based decision making, and the role of IT in supporting it. 

Upon completion of this module, you’ll develop the necessary skills to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data, while being adept for management decision making.You’ll also have the ability to evaluate appropriate frameworks used for developing business intelligence solutions.

This module provides you with an in-depth focus on the skills involved in evaluating business ideas, the practical steps involved in launching a business and the necessary processes of winning the finance. The module also addresses those issues that ventures must consider when planning an exit strategy and so focuses attention on the purpose of business enterprise. In Semester 1 this module explores contemporary theories of entrepreneurship and applies them to real life case studies. In Semester 2 the module focuses upon the preparation of a complete plan for a new business, capable of attracting funding.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to apply appropriate analytical concepts to provide support for untried venture proposals, understand the range of technical issues faced by those in start-up ventures and reflect on application of entrepreneurship theory, based on experience in a practical setting.
 

Throughout this module, you’ll explore the economic challenges of financing development in developing countries, while using internal and external sources of finance. You’ll investigate the difference between development and growth, the roles of public and private sector, financial dualism, credit market failures, micro finance and international capital flows. 

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to interpret the implications of international financial flows on development, and you’ll gain an understanding of how a viable financial system can assist in economic growth and development.
 

This is your opportunity to embark on independent study of an approved topic that relates to your learning outcomes. Your study will be conducted under supervision and you will select a relevant topic area from your course and you’ll need to get approval from the module leader.

Your study on this module can involve:

• action-based learning
• solely on desk research 
• limited primary research.
   

This module aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage effectively in a globalised business environment. You’ll analyse a wide range of management practices, while also evaluating theoretical frameworks and conducting research on national cultures. You will evaluate the strategic implications of culture on business operations and HRM practices, while also developing the aptitude required to manage effectively across cultures.

Benefits to you include gaining a competitive edge in the job market by expanding knowledge about managing in a globalised world and navigating cross-cultural communication challenges. You will also broaden your horizons and increase your cultural awareness and sensitivity, enhancing your ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.