Master of Business Administration (MBA)

30 credits

This is a core module in the MBA programme. The module consists of taught sessions on theory and practice of management consulting, as well as business research methods and a set of activities to support MBA candidates in the development of their consultancy project. As such it looks at the relevant business research and analysis instruments and processes of sourcing and delivering consulting work. Perspectives of both consultant and client in a typical engagement are considered. The material provides solid theoretical and practical background to those wishing to pursue management advisory work on a professional basis.

0 credits

The Career and Leadership Journey module runs throughout your studies at Kingston and aims to support you in your personal and professional development through an emphasis on the refining of leadership, teamworking and the acquisition and refining of executive and professional skills. It also aims to prepare Senior Apprentices to meet Behavioural Standards for their End Point Assessment (EPA). The module builds on the recommendations of joint research undertaken by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) aimed at meeting the growing demands from employers for business schools to produce more professionally adept managers and leaders. You will develop a number of valuable transferable skills via a series of workshops, each focused on a different aspect of your leadership, managerial and professional development, and help you develop as an individual those areas of most relevance to you. Throughout your journey you will also be able to track and assess your own individual progress. Module workshops and other activities are delivered by a range of academics and practitioners.

15 credits

This Corporate Finance module is an elective available to course members of the MBA programme, both full-time and executive versions. The module has been designed and developed to provide course members with an opportunity to explore the theory and practice of corporate financial strategy and the link with corporate strategy. A blended learning strategy will be utilised, involving a combination of classroom based learning, independent and group study, together with tutor-student and student-student interaction via Canvas. Where and when possible, corporate finance practitioners will lead one or more session, offering course members the opportunity to explore at first-hand how analytical frameworks and models are applied in the practice of financial strategy and decision making.

15 credits

In this module we look at how to use project management to deliver strategic change in organisations and thereby achieve performance improvement. We consider how strategic change can deliver performance improvement and identify the change required to deliver it. We then describe how to plan and manage a project to deliver the change. We consider how to define, plan and organise the project, and how to engage the stakeholders. We then describe how to manage time, cost, quality and risk. Projects usually take place as part of a portfolio or program of projects, so we describe how to manage them. We also cover the development of the business case and benefits realisation management. Portfolios and programs are a key governance mechanism in the project-oriented organisation, and so we place them in the context of governance. They are also key for translating corporate strategy into project strategy, and for ensuring project objectives are linked to corporate objectives.

15 credits

Why do organisations need to change; to become more creative and innovate? How can management help people to achieve their new ideas and practices in a creative and imaginative way?

Change is a defining feature in contemporary organisations, posing key challenges and questions for all sorts of businesses, communities and societies. Implicit in change is the ability and capacity to act creatively in order to maintain healthy organisations. Therefore, to learn more about how organisations change, how to manage it, how people understand it; and, the complexities involved in acting and enacting change through creative processes becomes an essential feature of organisations in order to succeed in the 21st century. All of these exciting issues are explored in this module focusing on both, the epistemological and ontological aspects of creativity and change.

15 credits

This module is designed to introduce the students to key theoretical and practical aspects of human interaction occurring across cultural boundaries in a global context. It provides a structured approach to identifying, reflecting and analysing students' first-hand knowledge and experience about the culture and commerce of another country, thus developing their ability and confidence to work in the global work environment.

15 credits

The module introduces students to the core concepts of customer acquisition and retention in different contexts, namely business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) and service settings. It builds on the knowledge acquired from the Marketing Principles and Practice module, examining how organisations are able to create value for their customers as well as other stakeholders. The module examines the importance of understanding the contemporary marketing environment before developing strategic plans to retain existing, and acquire new customers.

The module critically evaluates traditional marketing theories in their role of creating value. More advanced theories are introduced to evaluate customer value creation: specifically, relationship marketing, business networks, services marketing and value co-creation within service-dominant logic.

Having identified appropriate theories, relevant concepts such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Key Account Management (KAM), multi-channel architecture and digital media will be discussed. The importance of segmentation in new marketing environments is explored including issues of Big Data. The module concludes with an analysis of the relevant marketing and financial metrics needed to ensure effective management of the customer/business relationship.

15 credits

This module aims to develop students' ability to understand how to plan, implement and control the most effective and efficient flow of products and services. This module will help students develop decision making skills in the structuring of strategic and tactical options for organisations engaged in various supply chain and logistics activities. Class will be delivered by the combination of lecture, discussion of case studies, and students' presentations. This module considers how the theoretical aspects and methodologies of logistics and supply chain management can be applied into the real life practices. This module will be assessed through group presentation and individual assignment. Formative feedback on how well they do this will be provided in class.

15 credits

This module examines international business issues and the phenomenon of globalisation from a strategic perspective. On one hand, this module investigates the issues from a macro-level, looking at the trends of international trade and foreign direct investment, emergence of emerging markets and how they interact with or impacts on the global economy, and the role of international institutions such as regional economic trade blocs and the WTO. The impacts of these on businesses are then considered. On the other hand, this module also discusses concepts and theories that could be used to help firms make internationalisation decisions and formulate appropriate internationalisation strategies.

The emphasis of this module is on integration and reflection. During the delivery of the module contents, students will be constantly encouraged to share their experience in classes in relation to the issues discussed on the module and reflect in a critical manner how theories and the real world relate with one another. The ability of students to integrate and reflect is further stimulated, developed and enhanced by class discussion and the assignment, which requires the students to write a critique on an academic article, discussing with a critical mind the importance and applicability of the theoretical concepts/issues in the article to real business cases that they are familiar with.

15 credits

The potential for growth is a defining feature of the entrepreneurial small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This module is concerned with the issues and decisions that the entrepreneur must consider in successfully managing the growth and development of new SMEs. The module is designed to cover four broad and interrelated issues: a) the process of business growth of SMEs, b) barriers to business growth of SMEs; c) internal strategies for the growth of SMEs, and d) external strategies for the growth of SMEs. The course will draw on materials from the literature on entrepreneurship to provide a basis for a critical understanding of the concepts and strategies for entrepreneurial venture growth and development.

15 credits

Venture capital and Business Angel finance has been the driving force behind some of the most vibrant sectors of the economy. Companies famous for receiving venture capital or business angel funding early in their development include Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon. US and Western Europe no longer dominate the industry and emerging countries such as China, India and Russia are fast catching up. Recently, the explosion of Crowdfunding platforms has signalled a new era for the innovation finance industry. This module analyses all stages of the funding ladder for innovative companies, from Crowdfunding, Business Angels, Venture Capital, Private Equity to IPO or M&A. It examines the main forms of innovation finance and the investment process; how private equity and venture capital funds, business angels and crowdfunding platforms work; how firms become investment ready, raise external finance and how to they finally exit. Students also learn about wider framework conditions that have a bearing on business innovation, including availability of finance for innovation, public policies and agencies promoting innovation.

15 credits

This module is an elective on the MBA. The module introduces students to the nature and scope of High Performance Leadership within private and public organisations, and explores how organisations can create and sustain success.

15 credits

In today's business world, a large number of organisations base their strategic initiatives on various digital business models, sometimes transforming whole industries in the process. In addition, many other successful organisations use Interactive Marketing as the core of their marketing strategy and/or to complement and extend their offline marketing activities. Thus, understanding the theory and practice of Interactive marketing has become an essential element of modern marketing.

In this module, you will:

• Understand Interactive Marketing and its role in modern marketing
• Examine the theory and practice of Interactive marketing and compare where appropriate with traditional or offline marketing
• Develop a working knowledge and understanding of the application of Interactive Marketing strategies and techniques

120 credits

The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates an extended professional placement that follows completion of the first 180 credits of taught modules and project or dissertation. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject specific skills in their chosen subject.

It is the responsibility of individual students to locate and secure a suitable placement opportunity; this will normally involve one placement which must be completed over a minimum period of 10 months and within a maximum of 12 months. The placement must be approved by the module leader prior to commencement to ensure its suitability.