Welcome to your Business Management (Sustainability) course

Hello and welcome to your Business Management (Sustainability) course at University of Staffordshire. Starting university can be both exciting and a little daunting, but you will have a team of dedicated lecturers to help you settle in. We will cover everything when you arrive, but there are some things you can do to get a head start on preparing for your course and to help you make the most of your first week. If you do need anything, your course leader (Karl McCormack - k.mccormack@staffs.ac.uk) is only an email message away. We are looking forward to you joining us in September and we are here to help you every step of the way!

First activity

In your first few weeks at university, as you get to know each other, the staff and familiarise yourself with the facilities you will also be engaging in some of the following modules:

Foundations Of Management

This module will draw on interdisciplinary theory and research from the field of management. Specific attention will be given to the study of organisations as social systems; the dynamics of change and survival in organisations; and the relationships between organisations and their environments. Other topics covered will include enhancing personal and organisational effectiveness, improving decision-making skills, and resolving conflicts in the workplace.

Foundations Of HRM

You will learn about the key and contemporary issues associated with managing people in the workplace. Calling upon literature and research from across the fields of Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour and Employment Relations, you will learn the issues affecting the motivation and engagement of employees in the modern workplace.

Academic Agility and Entrepreneurial Thinking

This module will focus on three key themes covering academic knowledge and understanding, career progression and entrepreneurial mindsets. This module empowers you to harness academic practice and digital literacy skills, transforming them into actionable strategies for innovative business solutions. Through a blend of interactive lectures, practical workshops, and creative assessments, you will be equipped to excel in both scholarly and professional environments.

Marketing In The Business Environment

Marketing plays an important role in developing relationships between customers and organisations. This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of the role of marketing and key principles. This module will equip you with the knowledge to adapt to continuously changing consumer behaviour and reflect on how these principles link to your organisation.

Course delivery

Studying our Business Management Sustainability course promises to be an exciting and engaging experience. The course relates aspects of traditional Business enterprise but challenges these traditional interpretations of business with broad contemporary themes of sustainability in business. Throughout your course there will be an emphasis on ethical business and sustainable practices with the goal of creating long-lasting value for the organisation. At level 4 our students work with students from other Business Management courses such as Business Management (Events), Business Management (Innovation and Enterprise) and other pathways. We feel this is important as it facilitates a wider understanding of the challenges in Business and it allows you to challenge these business models around corporate accountability and social impact.

Your teaching is delivered in person through lectures and seminars with additional study materials available online via the Blackboard website (our Virtual Learning Platform) for each module. Attendance on campus is compulsory and supports not only your learning but that of the rest of the cohort.

In addition to the module teaching, we provide employability support throughout the course that gets you to consider your potential career paths and prepares you to make the first steps on the professional job market when you leave.

Pre-learning

There are a few activities that are recommended before we start on our journey together.

Consider the following reflective questions:

What kind of world do we want to live in?
What is the state of the natural environment in that world?
How are the societies organised?
How do the economies function, and in whose interests?
And, importantly, how does that vision compare to our present reality?

It will be interesting to explore your answers over the first few weeks.

Take some time to measure your own Ecological Footprint

Use this online Footprint calculator (desktop computer required, available in several languages) at the Earth Overshoot Day website. The calculator tells you how many Earths would be required if everyone on the planet lived like you, and then suggests ways to reduce your Ecological Footprint.

For an interesting insight into sustainability practices in a business go onto the Henkle website.

There is a great 3 minute video explaining their vision: What do you think?

Make yourself aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with this less than 2 minute video.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are a universal call to action adopted by over 190 countries to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Here is a TEDx video from Ray Anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional "take / make / waste" industrial system on its head.

In a gentle, understated way, he shares a powerful vision for sustainable. commerce. A little long at 15 minutes but a really considered talk that should have you questioning traditional business models.

Other resources you may find useful to check out:

The United Nations (UN) sustainable development website that has a wealth of information including information on each of the goals. The main website is worth looking at out as well.

Check out these online business focused resources for up-to-date information:

Financial Times or the YouTube channel The Financial Times – The Financial Times is an excellent source of news and commentary; it is one of the world's major news organisations, and its credibility, honesty, and authenticity are respected internationally.

The Economist – Check out the finance articles published in the Economist's section for the most recent news and stories.
BBC Ideas – The BBC Ideas YouTube channel strives to fuel your interest and expose your mind to innovative views, which is significantly more important to an accounting award than you may imagine.

Foundation year semester one activities

On the foundation year you will cover modules such as: business performance, communication in the digital age, external business environments and managing for people and profit. You will also undertake a business simulation project.

This year will act as a stepping stone and will provide you confidence by strengthening your academic background. Beyond subject-specific knowledge, the foundation year will emphasise the development of transferable skills such as critical thinking, research, and communication, which are valuable in any academic or professional setting moving forward.

Foundation year pre-learning

The university provides academic resources such as libraries, writing centres, tutoring services, and study groups. Get to know what is available to you and take advantage of these resources to enhance your learning experience.

Reference texts to familiarise yourself with:

Porter, M. Competitive Advantage : creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press
McDonald, M & Meldrum, M. The Complete Marketer. London: Kogan Page
Paul, D. et al. Business Analysis. 4th edn. Swindon: BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Equipment and software

There are a multitude of resources available online for students at University of Staffordshire, such as Microsoft Office 365.

Essential equipment and facilities include:

A laptop computer
A reliable Broadband internet connection at your place of residence
Access to University of Staffordshire’s Virtual Learning Environment ‘Blackboard’
Access to your University of Staffordshire e-mail inbox
Access to key University of Staffordshire websites
Access to the University of Staffordshire online Library Portal for the Library Catalogue and links to e-Resources (such as subscribed e-books and journals)

Desirable equipment and facilities include:

A headset for listening to audio content
A microphone for creating audio content
A webcam
Access to Microsoft™ Office 365 products (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.) which are provided by the university
Access to remote tutorials and Webinars (primarily using Blackboard Collaborate online video conferencing)

Software you will need to have on your computer includes:

Web browser (Google Chrome tends to work best with Blackboard)
A Word-processing programme
Adobe Acrobat – for reading on-line documents and electronic journals – this can be downloaded for free

You will need to be a proficient computer user, though technical help will be available if you have trouble with specific applications or tasks. The amount of time you will need to spend connected to the internet per week will be very variable. Most weeks it will be several hours. You can also download all the reading onto your own laptop and safely store it for future use.

Download software

Groups and societies

There are multiple clubs and societies at the University which you can get involved in.

Clubs and societies

Meet the team

Karl Mccormack

Senior Lecturer

Karl has experience teaching on Apprenticeship and Foundation Degrees, BA accounting programmes, MBA modules. He has also taught as a subject specialist in forensic accounting, computerised accounting and management accounting.

Karl's profile

Kathryn Mitchell

Senior Lecturer

Lecturer in Digital Marketing, specialising in developing strategy in changing and disruptive environments, assessing occupational competency and using technology to increase operational efficiency. Kathryn joined Staffordshire University in 2019.

Kathryn's profile

Jon FAIRBURN

Emeritus Professor

Professor Jon Fairburn is active in teaching, research, bid writing and public engagement. He has incorporated credited work experience into geography and tourism degrees as well as the MSc Digital Marketing Management.

Jon's profile

What to expect on Welcome Week

We're so excited for you to join us on campus and to welcome you to where you matter. During your welcome week you'll be able to meet our friendly student services teams, connect with new friends, join societies, explore on-campus venues attend club nights and much more.