In this module, you will explore some of the key ethical challenges that businesses and management face today. Engaging in lively debates, you will discuss the responsibilities of corporations towards both local and global societies. You will analyse in depth the factors that contribute to or hinder ethical decision-making and critically evaluate the role of business and the wider economy in promoting a just, fair and equitable world.

Using contemporary examples and recent theoretical developments, you will examine the ethics of global production and consumption. You will investigate how various international organisations attempt to stimulate and regulate responsible business conduct. Additionally, you will challenge existing business practices that affect nature, our planet and its future, envisioning possible alternatives.

Through a critical and reflective approach, this module will develop your appreciation of the ethical implications of management and its impact on people, society, and the planet.

You will engage in practical workplace scenarios and participate in activities such as role-plays and situation analyses to develop your employability skills. You will apply your developing understanding of human resource management to real-world cases covering a range of issues, including:

• negotiation and bargaining
• recruitment and selection
• performance management

This practical experience will help you to consider what it means to be a human resource manager today and provide insights into how you will be managed in the workplace.

Success in every organisation is driven by its people, and Human Resource Management (HRM) is the process that shapes how we work, grow, and succeed. This module goes beyond HR policies and paperwork. We will explore how HRM actively influences our working lives, various workplace cultures, and our perceptions of identity and work itself.

You will explore why HRM plays a crucial role in shaping employability and recruitment, performance management, and personal development across all sectors. But HRM isn’t just about policies; it’s about people. You will examine how companies attract talent, keep employees motivated, and navigate the challenges of both human and digital work.

Whether you aspire to lead a team, foster a creative workplace, or specialise in HR, this module will challenge you to think critically about people, performance and purpose in modern organisations.

You will develop the skills to conduct effective research and gather solid evidence for decision-making. Managers are increasingly being called upon to use academic evidence and more sophisticated organisational data in their decision-making. We will explore various methods for collecting high-quality data, which can serve as evidence for academic work and management decision-making.

You will develop key transferable skills and knowledge that will be beneficial for placement project work, dissertation planning and execution, and management and consultancy work after your degree. Using different social research approaches and methods you will learn how to gather and analyse your own primary data or use secondary data to build a solid evidence base.

This module will help you understand people and how they are managed and controlled in the workplace. It will draw on concepts from social and organisational psychology and explore how these ideas have been applied in designing management and work practices. You will be introduced to practices such as psychometric personality testing, as well as various motivation techniques. You will also explore new forms of control and how work changed from something we do, to who and what we are.

We will examine how managers and management practices shape the meaning and identity of employees using corporate culture, workspaces and work environments, humour and emotions to align individuals with organisational goals.

Boost your CV by gaining international experience and earn credits towards your degree. You study abroad at a summer school at a partner university between your first and second year.

You will gain subject-specific business knowledge and experience studying in a different country and culture. You can choose from a wide selection of partner universities based on where you want to study and the subjects offered.

Some of your assessment will take place at the partner university. You will also write a reflective essay after you return to help you articulate what you have learnt during your time abroad. This will help you to link your experiences to employability for future interviews.

To complete your experience, you will participate in an online project during the semester, working with an international team of students. This project will help you develop a global mindset and build your communication skills as you work in a cross-cultural team, participating in a business game where you will complete challenges related to the global Sustainable Development Goals.

In this module, you will explore the key concerns and strategies of managers in international businesses. Through various examples, you will study the complexities of managing these enterprises, ranging from global manufacturing companies to international service providers. You will explore how international businesses affect economies and societies. By the end of this module, you will gain a clearer understanding of how to manage global operations and the intricate networks that support the production and delivery of goods and services worldwide.

This module investigates how information systems are transforming modern organisations, work, and society. You will explore the significant impacts of digital technologies, focusing on key areas:

• shaping organisational culture
• analysing system successes and failures
• navigating the ethical dimensions of information technology
• addressing digital inclusion and exclusion

Using interactive case studies and key readings, you will dissect complex technological challenges facing contemporary organisations. You will learn to identify crucial technological developments, evaluate the consequences of implementing new systems, and develop appropriate management responses. This module will sharpen your critical and analytical skills, enhancing your understanding of key theories and practices for navigating the digital age.

This project is an opportunity for you to draw on the knowledge you have gained through your course and apply it to a key problem or issue linked to your field of study. It serves as the culmination of your learning experience, enabling you to demonstrate the skills you have developed.

You will develop an informed, critical and current understanding of how people management is undertaken in organisations and the implications this has for all stakeholders. Whether you aspire to be a human resources professional in your future career or a manager in some capacity, you are likely to be managed in some way.

The module provides a solid foundation for evaluating different approaches to managing people and their potential impacts. You will gain a critical understanding of the appropriateness of these approaches in different contexts. To build this understanding, we will explore several current themes including flexible working and work-life balance, health and wellbeing in the workplace, and managing careers.

Organisational change is a defining feature of modern life. It can be disruptive but also creative, affecting how organisations reproduce, stabilise and evolve themselves and their environment. You will explore key concepts related to approaches to change, particularly those at the individual and group level. You will focus on managing people and change in an increasingly technologically mediated world. Additionally, you will develop informed opinions about change theories, helping you understand and implement change through negotiating dynamic interactions between people.

In this module, you will learn about managing people in international businesses. You will explore how cultural differences, regulations, and employee expectations are experienced and managed when companies operate across international borders. By examining examples from various sectors, including manufacturing and professional services, you will gain insights into the design, implementation, and impact of different people management strategies. Additionally, you will examine how different groups experience human resource management practices and develop an understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion.

It is important to consider work and employment issues in their international dimensions. This module will examine how globalisation shapes the way people work in around the world. We will examine the rise of precarious and non-standard work in the gig economy and engage in debates around who has responsibility for workers and working conditions in global supply chains. We will consider how power and inequality influence work and employment relations across different sectors, regions, and job types.

You will develop critical thinking skills as you explore the future of work and working lives, employee rights, and the importance of worker voices in the workplace. We will also discuss how we can advocate for decent and fair work worldwide.

Can global sustainable development be effectively managed? If so, who should be responsible for it?

The UN Sustainable Development Goals represent the most recent effort to balance environmental, social, and economic priorities in a world experiencing rapid change in both ecological and material conditions. You will explore various perspectives and positions regarding sustainable development: what it is, how it is distributed, what it could become, and what kind of sustainability we can realistically achieve.

We will examine how businesses and management interact with nature, while critically assessing the political, ecological, social, and economic interconnections and their implications. Through comparative analyses, case studies, and reflective inquiries, you will develop the ability to think critically, establish connections, and take meaningful action toward creating sustainable futures.

This module critically examines the relationship between technology, power, and society. You will challenge the conventional view of technology as a neutral force, exploring its profound impact on work, organising, and social inequalities, including those related to gender, race, disability, and coloniality. You will investigate the complex interaction between technological development and societal structures.

You will learn to analyse dominant narratives surrounding technology, examining diverse perspectives. A key focus will be on developing your ability to critically examine the discourses and applications of technology. This will encourage you to question your own assumptions and those of others.

By the end of the module, you will gain tools to contextualise how technology is discussed, deployed, and experienced within contemporary organisations and society.

You will learn how to think about the role of technology in shaping futures for organisations and societies. You will explore how different potential futures can be imagined, understood, predicted, and brought into being. You will also examine how values, beliefs, and morals are built into technological futures and how they can mirror or contribute to the perpetuation of increasing inequalities.

This topic is particularly important as emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology, are rapidly transforming the way we live, work, and interact, particularly in a context of environmental and political instability. The lectures and workshops will be interactive, multi-modal, and practical, featuring a variety of exercises based on design studio principles. These activities will help you understand and employ different ways of thinking about technological futures.