Level 5 Higher Diploma in Business Administration

This Higher Diploma is designed to provide a more in depth understanding and application of business administration.  It should equip learners with the right knowledge, skills and tools to progress careers and/or take up employment in the business sector.  Those who are keen to further their education can progress on to gain entry and acceptance into Year 3 of a Bachelor degree in Business and Management.

Overall Programme Outcomes

On completion of this programme, learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate an in depth understanding of management theories, current issues of management, the development of conceptual frameworks to guide their application within organizations operating in an increasingly global and competitive environment.
• Demonstrate and apply critical skills enabling the investigation and evaluation of valid and relevant management issues and practices.
• Demonstrate command of a range of competencies relevant to cross-border management, including inter-cultural awareness and understanding.
• Demonstrate a coherent body of knowledge on economic, ethical, environmental, legal, political, sociological and technological factors together with their effects at local, national and international levels upon the strategy, behaviour and management of organisations.

Assessments

Assessments are based wholly on course work and assignments submitted by learners

Entry Requirement

• Completion of a level 4 qualification or equivalent.
• Applicants may be admitted on evidence to show they are able to fulfill and benefit from the objectives of the programme and achieve the standards required via APL or APEL.

Programme Structure

The Level 5 Higher Diploma in Business Administration accrues 120 credits over 8 modules.  Each module carries 15 credits and are in:

• Module 1- Managerial Accounting
• Module 2 – Marketing Management
• Module 3 – Operations Management
• Module 4 – Intercultural Management
• Module 5 – International Business Environment
• Module 6- People and Organisation
• Module 7 – Internet Marketing
• Module 8 – Managing People

Module 1: Managerial Accounting

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Discuss the concepts of planning and control and how the management accountant can assist the management process now and in the future.
• Select the costing systems that are most appropriate for a given business situation.
• Analyse the impact on management planning and control systems have on managerial behaviour and the organisation’s accounting system.
• Construct, analyse and present a set of budget statements for a range of budget types (fixed, flexible, zero based).

Module content includes:

• Cost Accounting Fundamentals

This is an introductory unit which deals with the role of management accountants in the planning and control process. The section covers some of the basic concepts used in management accounting such as the way costs can be classified and reported.

• Cost Information for Decisions

This section deals with how costs are accumulated or allocated to specific products or services within different types of cost systems.  This will enable students to decide which particular costing system would be most appropriate for a given business situation.

• Tools for Planning and Control

This section requires you to use your knowledge of costs and systems to prepare, analyse and present budget statements of an organisation.  Learners will also explore the behavioural implications of budgetary systems.  This section also contains a discussion of the contemporary approach to cost control.

Module 2 – Marketing Management

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Evaluate and challenge prevailing marketing theories.
• Discuss, develop and analyse marketing strategies.
• Develop, analyse and present marketing plans and reports.

Module content includes:

• Marketing Planning Theories and Models.
• Situation Analysis.
• Marketing Strategies and Programmes.
• Marketing Organisation and Control.
• Formulating a Marketing Plan.

Module 3 – Operations Management

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Recognise the importance of effective operations management to an organization.
• Create, maintain and improve the necessary conditions for productive work.

Module content includes:

• Understanding Operations Management.
• Operations and Strategy – including possible contractual/partnership relationships.
• Operations Performance Objectives.
• Managing Process Design.
• Managing Quality.
• Managing Capacity.
• Managing Materials.
• Managing Work and Work Systems.
• Managing Change.

Module 4 – Intercultural Management

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Gain a better understanding of contemporary management issues from an international and cross cultural perspective.
• Developed awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences in behaviour in order to improve skills for working in multicultural organisations and markets.
• Develop the ability to handle differences in intercultural communication styles, to prevent intercultural conflicts.
• Gain a better understanding of staffing, training and compensation issues for global operations.

Module content includes:

• Introduction to intercultural Management.
• Rules of the “social game”.
• Intercultural Leadership Management.
• Intercultural Communication.
• Social and Intercultural Competence.
• Intercultural Conflict and Negotiation Management.
• Global Human Resource Management.

Module 5 – International Business Environment

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Understand the context in which international business takes place.
• Distinguish what differentiates international from domestic business.
• Research the international business environment and understand the actors and their interaction in it.
• Apply knowledge and skills needed to develop solutions and challenges present in the international business environment.

Module content includes:

• Introduction to and overview of the international business environment.
• The cultural environment.
• The political and legal environment.
• The economic environment.
• Government and parastatal influences on trade and investment.
• Corporate trade and investment issues and international marketing.
• Business-government relations.
• The international financial environment, currency and capital market issues.
• International market selection.

Module 6 – People and Organisation

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Analyze the effect to psychological and social process on process on individual and group behavior.
• Demonstrate the ability to incorporate insights of various influential theories of management and Organizational behavior in work situations.
• Diagnose the cause, consequences, and implication of Organizational decisions and actions to bring about improvements in the organization.
• Learn how Organizational change affects all aspects of the organization from the individual to the group to the structure and culture of organization.

Module content includes:

(i)           Introduction

• Management: An applied Behavioral Sciences Approach.
• Managing in rapidly changing world.
• Challenging and Opportunities for Organizational Behavior.

(ii)          The Individual

• Personality, Principles, and Ethics.
• The importance of Learning.
• Stress Management.

(iii)         The Group

• Power and Politics.
• Conflict and Negotiation.

(iv)         The Organization

• Work Design and Technology.
• Organizational Culture.
• Organizational Change.

Module 7 – Internet Marketing

• Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:
• Identify the key components of marketing strategy and evaluate the extent to which digital technologies change existing marketing
• models
• Examine how new models and strategies can be applied to effectively use digital technologies
• Analyse the impact digital technologies have on consumer behaviour; consumer research and customer relationships
• Identify best practice in designing the digital customer experience online;
• Demonstrate how Social Media Marketing can be successfully employed.

Module content includes:

• Digital Marketing Fundamentals
• Digital Marketing Mix: IMC Owned, Paid and Earned
• Digital Marketing Strategy

Module 8 – Managing People

Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of HR decisions on the workforce and the organisation.
• Develop a critical awareness and understanding of current theory and good practice in the management of people.

Module content includes:

• An introduction to people management, the importance of the human resource to effective organisational performance and the distinction between specialist HR and line management responsibilities.
• HRP, flexibility, recruitment and selection.
• Managing reward, performance & conduct.
• Employee development.
• Managing health & safety, managing stress.
• Diversity management.
• Generating commitment through involvement.
• Employee relations.
• Contemporary issues.