Module BUSI41R15: BUSINESS ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTING (DL)

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business)

BUSI41R15: BUSINESS ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTING (DL)

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To develop skills in the application of economic analysis in business decision-making and planning.
• To provide students with a critical understanding of key economic aspects of the business environment and the impact of changes in that environment at national and international level.
• To provide students with a critical knowledge and understanding of the use of financial reporting external to the organisation, and of financial statements - their underlying principles and fundamental techniques of analysis and interpretation.

Content

• Markets, information and transaction costs.
• Organisations, costs and the profit motive.
• Competition and welfare.
• Strategic behaviour by firms.
• Global business and the macroeconomic environment.
• Performance and business decisions.
• Critical understanding of information conveyed through corporate reporting.
• Analysis of company performance based on financial data.

Learning Outcomes

• Have a specialist knowledge and understanding of the importance of, and interaction between demand, costs and prices at the level of the firm and the market; the interrelationship between the competitive environment and business decisions; and the macro-economic environment, at the national and global level.
• Have a critical understanding and appreciation of the complex nature of the economic business environment.
• Have a specialist knowledge and understanding of the use of financial data within organisations.
• Have a specialist knowledge and understanding of the analysis of financial data for evaluating the financial prospects of organisations.
• Have a critical understanding of the uses and limitations of corporate financial reports in internal and external business analysis.

• Be able to apply economic understanding in the analysis of business decisions.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The learning outcomes will be met through a combination of learning material, self assessed exercises and a formative assignment on key topical issues, together with guided reading.
• On the DL MA Programme each module is delivered in discrete Units which are equivalent to a lecture session. A DL Unit normally consists of specially written material, directed reading, reflection through self-assessed assignments and guidance for further reading.
• Each student is allocated a Tutor for each Module. The Tutor is tasked with providing feedback on formative work and is available for individual consultation as necessary. Tutoring is normally provided at a distance and may be conducted by email, telephone, post or fax.
• The DL Programme also offers annual residential seminars which provide the opportunity for DL students to interface with members of Faculty, meet Tutors and to interact with other students.
• The assessment of the module, by exam and assignment, is designed to:
• test the aquisition and articulation of knowledge;
• test conceptual understanding and skills of application and interpretation within the business context.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Written assignment of 1,500 words (maximum).