BR4003 - The Business Environment

At The Bridge you learn through a blended approach where short, focused and interactive face-to-face sessions are underpinned by guided and independent online learning. Your attendance for scheduled activities is monitored regardless of whether you are on campus or joining the session remotely. This ensures you access all of the learning opportunities which have been purposefully designed for your success.

A range of teaching and learning approaches are adopted to accelerate your learning in this module.

During the first week of this module, you will receive information about the module and Teaching & Learning Plan. The teaching and learning plan (TLP) sets out
• Learning outcomes and overall module and programme aims
• Teaching, learning and assessment strategy
• Teaching schedule
• Directed reading references (text and journals) and core texts for the module
• References to data sources and details of lab activities

You will also receive the assessment brief which sets out the formative and summative assessments throughout the module.

There are three key sources of academic support available to you during your time at the Bridge in addition to Ask4Help who are available 24/7 for general queries related to your studies.

Your Module Tutor
Your module tutor is responsible for your learning outcomes on the module. They deliver the workshops and provide guidance in relation to learning and assignments. They develop all of the key resources and make them available through the eLP (electronic learning portal module) Blackboard, which is used to provide support materials, interactive learning tasks and give you regular opportunities to test and get feedback on your learning. You will be given both written and verbal feedback and guidance on your work and progress during the semester by your module tutor.

Your Learning Mentor
On programme, you will have your in-person and online engagement activity tracked against the learning plan with key check-in points built into the academic calendar to ensure you maximise your learning potential. Engagement with formative assessments will also be used by the learning mentor to discuss any action planning required to ensure success.

Academic Skills Team
The Bridge aspires to build a range of student skillsets, including digital skills, academic writing and discourse, working alone and in teams. Your learning mentor may refer you a dedicated academic skills team which is based in the centre. Here you can attend drop-ins or schedule 1-1 sessions on issues which have been identified at the diagnostic stages of the programme however you may also have self-identified areas for your own growth and self-refer yourself for support.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1: Gain a comprehensive understanding of employing a range of recognized analysis tools to evaluate the internal and external environments that business organizations operate in.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO2: The ability to assess the business environment and apply strategic solutions to real-world challenges.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO3: Understand the impact of cultural diversities and differences in different organisational settings
MLO4: Confidence in justifying your analysis approach to business problems

You will receive formative feedback throughout the module including at the following checkpoints:-

•Week 2: Navigating the course materials
•Week 4: Completing the in-module reflective tasks
•Week 6: Completing the in-module knowledge checks and tasks

This module is assessed in two parts:

Assessment One - You must complete a 15 minute presentation with extra time for questions. Your presentation should analyse a business opportunity using the tools you have learned on the module and covers MLOs 1-4. You may choose to present live in the classroom and take questions from your module tutors; if you prefer you can provide a recording in advance and will be required to take questions in person in the final week of teaching. (50%)

Your presentation will be marked on the quality of the narrative you provide.
Assessment Two – your should submit detailed presentation slides with notes which demonstrates your understanding of theoretical concepts relating to this module and your analyis process. (50%)

Your slide notes will be marked on the depth of reading and quality of the analysis you have undertaken.

Universal Design for Learning
This module allows the option for you to chose how you are assessed formally depending on your learning preference and approach to the specific module. This will be discussed and agreed with your Learning Mentor by no later than week 4 of the module.

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The aim of this module to equip you to place organizations in contexts; past, present and future, then enable you to analyse the macro, micro and internal business environments. A comprehensive understanding of the environments that an organization operates in will enable you to interpret situations and allow managers to make decisions that add value for stakeholders within legal and financial frameworks. The focus of the module is on the external and internal influences on organizations and the effect these have on business practices and internal aspects of organizational life. Contemporary business issues will be studied as they arise.