1st Year
BUS 1340: PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
This is an elementary course. It aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the key facets of an organisation, its environment and the process of Management. Along with an introduction to historical evolution of Management, the Course will facilitate participants to gain a basic knowledge of the concepts, models and theoretical foundations of Management. Therefore, knowledge gained through this Course will be beneficial for participants to follow their Degree programme successfully.
2nd Year
BUS 2346: MANAGING PERSONAL AND MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES
This is a competency development course
that covers both personal and managerial skills. Personal and managerial competencies facilitate managers to perform their multiple roles in work organisations effectively. Thus, managing personal and managerial competencies has been recognised as a vital aspect of the sustainable success of work organisations. However, in today’s volatile environment, these competencies are being constantly challenged by multiple forces both in work organisations and wider society. As a result, identifying and developing ‘appropriate’ competencies among Business Management undergraduates – prospective managers – have become a requisite. In this context, this skills-oriented Course seeks to cultivate critical reasoning and thinking among the participants while facilitating them to identify and develop their conceptual, inter-personal, technical and communicative skills in the broad area of Business Management. Also, this Course will help the participants to enhance their personal qualities, such as values, and thereby will facilitate them to develop their personality. After successful completion of the Course, it is intended that the participants will be able to ‘mould’ themselves to become e_ective and ethical managers in the World of Work.
BUS 2341:ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
This is a core course in the field of Business Management. It deals with understanding human behaviour at work. It analyses and examines individual, group, and organisational processes. It recognizes the fact that human beings are complex: the same person’s behaviour changes in different situations. Two people are not alike and often act very differently in the same situation. This complexity limits our ability to make simple predictions of human behaviour. Therefore, a systematic approach is required to understand human behaviour at work. The basis for using the systematic approach to study human behaviour is the belief that behaviour is not random and that we can offer a reasonably accurate explanation and prediction. With this background, the contents of this Course address the key issues and the dynamics of individual and group behaviour in the organisational context. thus, the students who follow this course will be able to gain systematic knowledge and understanding about human behaviour at work from a broader perspective.(The Department offers this course as year II- Semester II Subject to other service Departments of the faculty under the course name BUS 2341)
BUS 2347:BUSINESS IN SOCIETY
Business in Society is an important foundation course of the Degree Programme. It aims at familiarising students in Business Management with some of the key concepts, issues and trends, such as Work, Organisation, Market, Capitalism, Globalisation, Sustainability, Diversity, etc., that are central to understand the role of ‘Business’ in contemporary society. The Course addresses the fundamental questions of the existence of Business in Society. Thereby, it encourages the participants to go beyond the conventional understanding of Business in Society and facilitates them to critically reflect on how Business and Society interact in the contemporary market economy.
BUS 2348:BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY
The application of Psychology in business and work organisations has a long history that dates back to the 19th century. The volatile nature of the contemporary business lays further emphasis on the importance of applying Psychology in Business. With this backdrop, this foundation course seeks to make students in Business Management familiar with the basic concepts and principles of Business Psychology, an applied science that studies work life in order to make people and organizations more effective. With an introduction to Psychology, the Course focuses on the key areas of Business Psychology, such as personality, intelligence and psychological testing, learning and memory, creativity and decision making, teambuilding, and managing occupational stress. Furthermore, it encourages critical thinking among the students in relation to the issues and challenges of implementing Business Psychology practice in contemporary business.
3rd Year
BUS 3352: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
This is an integrated course focused on the importance of knowledge and wisdom. Business in the 21st century has become increasingly competitive as it goes global. A plethora of new technologies and business processes, such as business intelligence, content management, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and enterprise resource management have resulted in the rise of new information types and interrelationships that require knowledge in diverse areas. Hence, in the quest for sustainable competitive advantage, organisations have finally come to realise that technology alone is not what sustains knowledge. The primary focus is on the effects of recognising knowledge within the organisation, capturing this knowledge, and using it to position the organisation in a competitive environment. In this Course, students are encouraged to acquire skills and knowledge that facilitate to and out solutions that enable organisational and individual knowledge to flourish.
BUS 3353: BUSINESS INNOVATION
This Course aims to equip students with an understanding of the main issues in business innovation vis-à-vis the appreciation of the relevant competencies that are needed to manage innovation at strategic, business as well as operational levels. It provides evidence of different approaches based on real-world examples and experiences of leading national and international firms. Further, this Course will enable students to develop an understanding of analytic frameworks for managing the innovation process. In particular, the students will be able to examine the patterns and sources of technological and other changes while understanding the mechanisms that enable them to capture the economic benefits from innovation. In doing so, the Course facilitates the students to identify the strategic and organisational challenges that are part of managing innovation.
BUS 3347: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (OPTION 01)
This is a research oriented core course offered in the Year III – Semester II. This Course is a prerequisite for Research Study (Dissertation) located in the Year IV – Semester I of the Degree Programme. With a brief introduction to the philosophical foundation of Social Science Research, the Course intends to provide the participants with necessary knowledge and skills in ‘doing’ their independent Research Study in Management – Dissertation – in the Year IV – Semester I of the Degree Programme. The contents of the Course cover both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches to Management Research.
BUS 3354: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT
This is an advanced course focused on the current issues in Management in a wider societal context. While focusing on the emerging trends in wider socio-political and economic context vis-à-vis the board area of Management, this Course seeks to achieve two pedagogical objectives. The Course, on the one hand, encourages participants to critically dissect and reflection contemporary issues in the World of Work, which they are part of. On the other hand, it facilitates them to explore and craft alternative ways and means – against orthodoxies in the market managerialism – to cope with those issues.
BUS 3355: MANAGING FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY
This is an integrative skills-driven course on ‘Productivity’ and ‘Quality’. It aims to provide a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts and issues of productivity and quality and to impart the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to successfully improve productivity and quality in business organisations. Under this Course, the meaning, interdependence and interrelationship of the concept of productivity and quality, strategies and techniques for improving productivity and quality, and issues related to the productivity and quality are discussed in-depth. This Course intends to use several practical productivity and quality enhancement activities such as factory visits, article presentations, guest lectures, and productivity improvement projects as active learning methods to improve students’ practical knowledge on productivity and quality.
BUS 3356: LEADERSHIP AND CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
This Course explores the effect of leadership and cultural differences on managing people and organisation in global context. It exposes students to issues and problems that inevitably arise in global business when leaders/managers have to deal with culturally determined differences in values, attitudes and behaviours. The Course helps students in developing competencies of cross-cultural communication, management and negotiation skills to successfully solve problems in a multicultural environment. Specific topics include understanding the foundations of culture and cultural frameworks; cross-cultural verbal and non-verbal communication and communication styles; motivation, leadership and decision making across cultures; characteristics of global leaders negotiation and conflict resolution in global business settings; understanding organizational culture; managing and leading multicultural teams and culturally diverse organisations.
4th Year
BUS 4340: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
This is an advance and capstone course that draws upon knowledge of previous courses delivered at the first, second and third phases of the Degree Programme. The purpose of this Course is to deliver a holistic understanding of corporate and business strategy. As such, it ties previous disciplines together at a strategic level, in determining the strategic direction of organisations in the context of the broad general and immediate competitive environment. Thereby, the Course exemplifies how successfully these strategies could be executed to ensure long term business survival and growth.The emphasis of the Course will primarily be on the analysis of the external and internal environment of various organizations and industries using appropriate models, frameworks, theories and approaches. Students will be provided with multiple perspectives to view organisations or industries. The students are thought to make the appropriate choice of future direction and alternative strategies to gain and retain competitive and corporate advantages.
BUS 4361: BUSINESS ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
This is an advanced course aimed at cultivating the importance of becoming an ethical corporate citizen by adhering to Business Responsibilities, Business Ethics and Good Governance. Social responsibility encompasses a wide variety of concerns such as ethical values in Business, welfare of society, awareness, respect, protection of the natural and built environment as regular action that Business can take to solve the problem being faced by the society. This Course will discuss the notions of social responsibility while examining how organisations have responded to the demand for ethical behaviour and, social and environmental responsibilities. Furthermore, it will examine how corporations can become more effective in managing their social impact and improving the reciprocal relationships with the stakeholders of the organisation.
BUS 4361: RESEARCH STUDY (DISSERTATION) (OPTION 01)
This Course fulflls the requirements of the Dissertation—i.e. the major independent research study component of the Degree with nine (09) credits—located in Year IV – Semester I of the Degree Programme. Thereby, during this Course, the students are required to conduct an in-depth study on a phenomenon and/or issue of the World of Work in a rigorous manner. The development of the Dissertation is under the supervision of at least one senior academic member of the Department who is responsible to guide the researcher to ensure the scholarship of the Dissertation development process. In order to undertake BUS 4962 Research Study (Dissertation), it is necessary that a student should successfully complete BUS 3347 Research Methodology.
BUS 4363: RESEARCH PROJECT IN MANAGEMENT (OPTION 02)
This is a six (06) credit research oriented course o_ered in Year IV – Semester I of the Degree Programme. Having a holistic view on any given situation/issue may facilitate a manager to make effective data collection, analysis and decision-making. Effective decision making can be identified as a vital process for the sustainability of any work organisation. Thus, cultivating and developing analytical skills among Business Management undergraduates—prospective managers—to conceptualise organizational problems and to formulate pragmatic solutions in the Field of Business Management can be identified as one of the essential requirements to be addressed in this Course. In this context, this Course directs the students to analyse a selected managerial problem by integrating diverse subject knowledge that they have gained during the earlier stages of the Degree Programme. While enhancing participants’ investigative, explorative, analytical and synthesizing skills, this Course will facilitate them to conceptualise managerial issues and create alternative solutions in the broad area of Business Management with proper application of research methods.
BUS 4343: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
This is an advanced course that provides the knowledge in doing business in the globalised world. The Course is designed as a culmination of knowledge and skills from all management related subjects learned in the previous phases of the Degree Programme and how that knowledge could be profoundly applied in order to exploit the opportunities of globalisation and to successfully engage in overseas expansion. The major areas covered in this Course include analysis and understanding the international and global environments, global opportunity and threat assessment, risk analysis and overseas market selection, international market entry strategies, international trade theory, government and regional in_uences with respect to international business management. It also focuses on the ongoing and upcoming trends in global business management.
BUS 4365: ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT
This is an integrated course aimed at emphasising the importance of continuous change and persistent development needed to ensure business survival and growth, especially useful for organisations operating in highly volatile business environments. ‘Change’ is an ever-present feature of organizational life. Hence, there is no doubt regarding the importance to any organisation of its ability to identify where it needs to be in the future, and how to manage the changes required in getting there. Starting with an initial historical perspective of the field, the Course explores the core organizational model of planned change followed by the various change interventions. The students reading for a degree in Business Administration are intended to become catalyst of change. For them to become successful change agents, this Course is structured around opportunities to put the diagnostic and prescriptive tools of organizational development into action.
BUS 4366: MANAGEMENT BY PRACTICE
This three (03) credit course in Year IV – Semester II of the Degree Programme is aimed at exposing undergraduates to the practical aspect of the World of Work. Thus, the Course provides them with an opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and experience in Business Management and related areas by working as interns in private, public or third sector organisations. The delivery mode of the Course is twofold: a practical training in Business Management and a series of seminars conducted by practitioners from the corporate sector. Under the practical training, students are required to undergo training in any field of Business Management for a period of three months (at least 400 training hours) under the supervision of ‘industrial mentors’ and academic members of the Department.
Simultaneously, the students are required to actively participate for a seminar series through which they could learn how to prepare themselves as ‘employable graduates’ in a highly competitive job market. Therefore, Management by Practice Course as a whole seeks to further mould and align the undergraduates to successfully move ahead with their intended career ladder.
Description of Elective Courses offered by the Department of Business Administration
BUS 4364: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP (ELECTIVE)
This is a three (03) credit course offered in
Year IV – Semester I of the Degree Programme. This elective course provides an opportunity for students to gain practical knowledge and experience in Business Management and related areas while applying their conceptual and theoretical knowledge of Management in everyday business practices. Internship placements are required to be found by the students and are required to be approved by the Internship Coordinator of the Department. The progress of the students in the Course is subject to monitoring done by an academic supervisor of the Department and an industrial mentor. As part of this, the students are required to maintain a Training Record Book which is monitored by both the academic supervisor and the industrial mentor. At the end of the Semester, the students are required to submit a written report that shows how the students gained practical exposure as interns. The students’ performance is reviewed by a panel of lecturers at the end semester viva-voce examination.
BUS 4367: INDEGENOUS APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT (ELECTIVE)
This is one of the elective courses offered in Year IV – Semester II. The Course will familiarise the students with the fundamental aspects of indigenous approaches to Management while emphasising how indigenous communities are managing their everyday affairs. The aim of this Course is to prepare undergraduates for diverse professional pathways where a sound basis of indigenous knowledge and skills to stimulate intellectual curiosity for managing their scarce resources for sustainable development of the country. Further, it will provide students with an overview of holistic indigenous perspectives of knowledge systems, community management systems, socio and cultural systems, economic systems and practicing legal and policy framework in ancient eras of the country. This Course will also facilitate students with an opportunity to learn and think critically how ancient organizations successfully engaged and managed natural resources, social and economic activities and managerial issues.
BUS 4368: ORGANISATION THEORY (ELECTIVE)
This advanced course in Business Administration is designed to facilitate students to explore, understand and re-frame ‘Organisation’ theoretically. The Course will revisit the classical organisation theories, such as structural contingency theory, in the western scholarly tradition and discuss how these theories can be used to understand and re-frame contemporary organisations— their nature, issues and trends. Simultaneously, it will provide a forum to students to familiar with the recent developments in the Field of Organisation theory and encourage them to critically reflect on contemporary organizations theories vis-à-vis their everyday realities as members of organisations. Therefore, the Course as whole will elaborate the role of ‘theory’ in re-designing as well as re-framing organisations effectively.
BUS 4368: SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIORNMENT MANAGEMENT (ELECTIVE)
The objective of this Course is to address the question of how to become a successful business organisation while protecting the natural environment and the society at large. The term ‘Sustainability’ expresses the significance of not harming the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby, supporting the long term ecological balance of the earth. Hence, the Course will help the students to learn how to create a better environment for the society through sustaining biodiversity and natural resources. Further, they will acquire the necessary knowledge and problem-solving skills which are needed to confront existing and future environmental issues. The main areas explored by the Course are the social, economic, and environmental implications which arise due to our decisions and attempts to find sustainable solutions to the environmental problems. In addition, the Course will give an in-depth understanding of the natural environment, the human-environment interactions and, knowledge of local and global environmental issues, environmental policies and how these policies help to overcome the environmental challenges.