ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management ABE Level 5 ... · ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources ABE Level 5

ABE Level 5 Diploma

in Business Management

ABE Level 5 Diploma


and Human Resources

ABE Level 5 Diploma


and Marketing

Qualification Specification

Version 2.0 March 2018

© ABE 2018 All rights reserved

© ABE Level 5 Diplomas Qualification Specification Version 2.0 March 2018 page 2

Contents

About ABE ............................................................................................................... 3

Why study with ABE ................................................................................................ 4

Managing Agile Organisations and People ............................................................. 18

Innovation and Business Performance ................................................................... 25

Effective Financial Management ............................................................................. 34

International Business Economics and Markets ..................................................... 42

Operations Management ....................................................................................... 49

Analytical Decision-making .................................................................................... 53

Managing Stakeholder Relationships ..................................................................... 59

Human Resource Management ............................................................................. 66

Employee Engagement .......................................................................................... 71

The HR Professional .............................................................................................. 76

Integrated Marketing Communications ................................................................... 83

Buyer and Consumer Behaviour ............................................................................ 91

Societal and Social Marketing ................................................................................ 97

Appendix A .......................................................................................................... 102

Version control

Launch version June 2017

Version 2.0 March 2018


About ABE

Recognition

ABE qualifications are designated higher education qualifications. They are aligned to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statements. These qualifications are part of the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

Ofqual, we have agreements or recognition by regulatory authorities in many other countries where we operate check our website for more details.

ABE diplomas

Our diplomas are management focused and blend common units with more specialist subject areas, enabling you to develop expertise in particular disciplines as well as a strong understanding of business management in general. They represent the latest in professional standards and provide opportunities for students to develop professional behaviours. Our focus on developing practical workplace skills alongside academic expertise, is a winning combination for ABE graduates.

ABE diplomas are valued internationally because they are:

Professional Our qualifications are designed to give you the knowledge and skills you need to excel in a managerial career.

Affordable ABE is a not-for-profit organisation; as such we endeavour to keep costs to a minimum. Our fast track routes to degrees are often much less expensive than traditional routes.

Recognised In addition to respected regulatory authorities, our qualifications are recognised by colleges, universities, employers and governments around the world.

Supported As an ABE member, you can access a wealth of resources designed to support your studies, and enhance your learning experience. Each ABE unit has its own study guide and we support our colleges with a wealth of tuition resources to help them deliver teaching to an outstanding standard.

International For more than 40 years, learners around the world have been benefitting from ABE qualifications.

Proven Our alumni speak for themselves see their testimonials on our website. They work in a diverse range of industries and organisations. Many are in top jobs or running their own successful enterprises.

Flexible You can study full time or part time at a pace that suits you. All our diplomas provide expertise in business management and offer you the option of specialising in Marketing or Human Resources alongside this.

A great route to university

ABE s diplomas have credits which are accepted by universities around the world. Holders of ABE diplomas can fast track onto a degree course, meaning the cost of your education is dramatically reduced.


Why study with ABE

ABE has an outstanding history and an excellent global reputation. Our qualifications are designed to give you the best chance of achieving your full potential in your chosen career. There is a world of opportunity waiting for you, and ABE can help you seize that opportunity and succeed.

The content and format of our qualifications are the outcome of extensive research which explored the skills employees need to possess in order for businesses to succeed. When redeveloping the new qualifications in Business, we collaborated with a wide range of students, employers, higher education providers, colleges and subject experts to ensure that the new qualifications meet their needs and expectations. Our findings highlighted that organisations require staff with a set of strong core business skills that can be flexible and adapted to diverse environments.

outstanding portfolio. Our qualifications are designed to adapt and develop in line with the needs and demands of employers now and in the future.

Whether you dream of becoming an entrepreneur, getting a great job, being promoted to senior management, or if you are already in a leadership role and want to enhance your professional skill set, an ABE qualification will help you turn your plans into reality.

About your qualification

ABE is regulated by Ofqual which evaluates qualifications by difficulty level. Qualifications at the same level are broadly similar in the knowledge and depth of understanding required to pass them, but the size and the content of qualifications at the same level can vary. The diagram below shows how the levels progress.

Level 3Same level of difficulty as: UKA-Levels, BTEC National Certificate

Level 4Same level of difficulty as: BTEC Professional Diploma, bachelor's degree first year

Level 5Same level of difficulty as: UK Foundation degree, bachelor's degree second year

Level 6Same level of difficulty as: bachelor's degree final year


ABE Level 3 Certificate in Business Essentials (24 credits)

Level 3

ABE Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Business Management(60 credits)

ABE Level 4 Diploma in Business Management(120 Credits)

ABE Level 4 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources (120 Credits)

ABE Level 4 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing(120 Credits)

Level 4 ABE Level 5

Diploma in Business Management(120 Credits)



Level 5 ABE Level 6

Diploma in Business Management(120 Credits)



Level 6

Pathways

enter at Level 3 and progress all the way to Level 6, enabling you to accumulate the credits needed for a university top-academic judgement


Qualification titles and codes

ABE Level 5 Diploma in three pathways:

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management (603/1596/9)

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources (603/1597/0)

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing (603/1598/2)

Qualification purpose

The purpose of s is to extend your knowledge and understanding of businesses and the business environment, enabling you to adopt a more analytical approach of the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses.

The Level 5 qualifications aim to prepare you for progression to a higher level of study through their coverage of core business and management theory, and their credit value of 120 credits make them an ideal springboard for academic progression. The core theories are balanced with application and skills development to prepare you for the next step in your career.

Specifically, you will cover organisational management, business finance, and business performance and innovation, as well as the international aspects of business management, allowing you to develop your management and decision-making skills. The ABE Level 5 Diplomas also enable you to choose a specialism (which you may have already done at Level 4) in Business Management, Human Resources or Marketing, enabling you to study these areas in more depth.

At Level 5, the Business Management programme will allow you to focus on two of three areas: operation management, analytical decision-making or managing stakeholder relationships. All three areas complement the core business management subjects you will study and will further develop your management skills and competencies.

At Level 5, the Human Resources Management programme will allow you to focus on two of three areas: human resource management, employee engagement or the HR professional. Again, all three areas complement the core business management subjects you will study and will further develop your management skills and competencies.

Finally, at Level 5, the Marketing programme will allow you to focus on two of three areas: integrated marketing communications, buyer and consumer behaviour or societal and social marketing. As with the other specialist routes, these areas complement the core business management subjects you will study and will further develop your management skills and competencies.


Qualification objectives

The objectives of the ABE Level 5 qualifications in Business are as follows:

▪ To equip learners with business skills, knowledge and the understanding necessary to achieve high

performance in the global business environment.

▪ To provide education and training for a range of careers in business, including management, human

resources and marketing.

▪ To provide insight and understanding into international business operations and the opportunities and

challenges presented by a globalised market place.

▪ To equip learners with knowledge and understanding of culturally diverse organisations, cross-cultural

issues, diversity and values.

▪ To provide opportunities for learners to enter or progress in employment in business, or progress to

higher education qualifications.

▪ To provide opportunities for learners to develop the skills, techniques and personal attributes essential for

successful working lives.

▪ To provide opportunities for those learners with a global outlook to aspire to international career

pathways.

▪ To provide opportunities for learners to achieve a nationally-recognised professional qualification.

▪ To offer learners the chance of career progression in their chosen field.

▪ To allow flexibility of study and to meet local or specialist needs.

Who it is for

The ABE Level 5 Diplomas are for learners who are capable of reaching the standards required to study at Level

More specifically, the qualification is for those who are looking to develop their knowledge and skills in business management to enable progression to higher levels of study or to a middle management level role in the workplace.

Entry guidance

There are no formal entry requirements to study ABE Level 5 Diplomas; however, the centre should ensure that you have a reasonable expectation of success on the programme by assessing your previous qualifications and/or related work experience.

Hence, it is responsibility to use their professional and academic judgement when assisting you in making the decision at which level you should enter the ABE programmes.

In order to successfully study for an ABE qualification, you should have an appropriate level of English Language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening). For the ABE Level 5 Diplomas, ABE recommends the following standards are met:

▪ IELTS 6

▪ Cambridge ESOL Cambridge English Advanced (point score 169 or above)

▪ Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) 56

▪ Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) B2

Centres must be satisfied that the score is equivalent to those recommended above.


Structure

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing

Each of the ABE Level 5 Diplomas consists of six mandatory units. The first four units are the core units and

you must choose two of the three suggested optional units from your chosen specialism (Business Management,

Human Resources, or Marketing). You must complete all six mandatory units and achieve a minimum of a Pass in

all units in order to be awarded the qualification.

The Total Qualification Time (TQT) for each of the ABE Level 5 Diplomas is 1200 hours.

Each of the ABE Level 5 Diplomas is worth 120 credits.

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management

ABE

Unit

Code

Unit Title Level GL

H TQT

Credit

s

Assessment

Method

Core

Mandatory

5UMAO Managing Agile Organisations and

People

5 70 200 20 Assignment

Core

Mandatory

5UIBP Innovation and Business

Performance

5 70 200 20 Examination

Core

Mandatory

5UEFM Effective Financial Management 5 70 200 20 Examination

Core

Mandatory

5UIBE International Business Economics

and Markets


Optional 5UOM Operations Management 5 70 200 20 Assignment

Optional 5UADM Analytical Decision-making 5 70 200 20 Assignment

Optional 5UMSR Managing Stakeholder

Relationships



ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources

ABE

Unit

Code

Unit Title Level GL

H TQT

Credit

s

Assessment

Method

Core

Mandatory


People


Core

Mandatory


Performance


Core

Mandatory


Core

Mandatory


and Markets


Optional 5UHRM Human Resource Management 5 70 200 20 Assignment

Optional 5UEE Employee Engagement 5 70 200 20 Assignment

Optional 5UHRP The HR Professional 5 70 200 20 Assignment

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing

ABE

Unit

Code

Unit Title Level GL

H TQT

Credit

s

Assessment

Method

Core

Mandatory


People


Core

Mandatory


Performance


Core

Mandatory


Core

Mandatory


and Markets


Optional 5UIMC Integrated Marketing

Communications


Optional 5UBCB Buyer and Consumer Behaviour 5 70 200 20 Assignment

Optional 5USSM Societal and Social Marketing 5 70 200 20 Assignment


Progression

, after completing one of our qualifications,

you can progress to employment or to a higher level of study.

ABE offers you a full framework of qualifications that have been designed for you to be able to progress right from

Level 3 all the way up to Level 6. Each qualification builds from the one before, taking you from introductory units

through to strategic ones.

ABE allows you to progress from one level to the next with one trailing unit. You must ensure to fully complete the initial level in order to be awarded the next level. Should the higher level be completed first, ABE will withhold the certificates until the initial level is achieved.

The ABE Level 5 Diplomas are each worth 120 credits, making them ideal for progression to higher education

(e.g. a university degree) or Diplomas. You can also take advantage of one of our university

partnerships (see website for more details on progression arrangement and exemptions).

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6With this qualification you can get onto the second year of a bachelor s degree

The grounding you need to help you successfully complete the next ABE academic level

With this qualification you can get onto the final year of a bachelor s degree

With this qualification you can go straight onto a master s (included MBA) degree

Will help to prepare you for a junior business role, such as an administrator, marketing assistant or HR assistant

Will give you the skills you need for a junior management role, such as a general manager, a digital marketing executive or an HR officer

Will equip you for a middle management role, perhaps leading a small team of people

Will give you the strategic skills needed for progression into a senior management role with the responsibility to setting and driving strategic goals


QAA benchmarking

One of the key design prin higher education

university programmes. As well as ensuring that each qualification level offers the appropriate credit values for

progression, we have also benchmarked the qualifications against the QAA Framework. The QAA Framework

applies to all degree-awarding organisations, such as universities, in England, Wales, Northern Island and

Scotland. The framework describes the achievement represented by higher education qualifications.

The pu

qualifications map to those qualifications offered at Degree-Awarding Organisations and should support those

wishing to progress to a degree programme.

In addition to this, the mapping also clearly shows which of the business management skills, generic skills and

relevant workplace skills and competencies that you will develop through studying an ABE qualification.

Please see Appendix A for the mapping detail.

Credits and Learning Hours

Total Qualification Time

As part of its Ofqual regulation, ABE allocates a Total Qualification Time (TQT) to each of its qualifications. TQT is

the estimated total number of hours that learners will need in order to complete and achieve the qualification.

Examples of activities which can contribute to Total Qualification Time include:

▪ Guided Learning

▪ Independent and unsupervised research/learning

▪ Unsupervised compilation of a portfolio of work experience

▪ Unsupervised e-learning

▪ Unsupervised e-assessment

▪ Unsupervised coursework

▪ Watching a pre-recorded podcast or webinar

▪ Unsupervised work-based learning.

Within the TQT value of each qualification, we also define the Guided Learning Hours (GLH). The GLH is the

estimated total number of hours for centres to deliver a qualification to their learners. The GLH covers any

activities completed under direct instruction or supervision of a lecturer/teacher/tutor etc. For example, classroom

learning supervised by a teacher, live webinar or telephone tutorial, e-

n of a

lecturer/teacher/tutor.

Credits

use these credits towards progression to another qualification.

The ABE Level 5 Diplomas are worth 120 credits each.


Modes of study

To study for an ABE qualification, you should be registered with an ABE Accredited Centre. For more information

on finding an accredited centre, please see the ABE website.

When studying for your ABE qualification, you will most likely learn both with supervision from tutors at your centre

and through your own self-study time.

Your centre is responsible for teaching ABE qualifications and they will likely use a range of delivery methods. For

example, they might use:

▪ Classroom delivery (face to face taught time)

▪ Mentoring and coaching from tutors or external employers

▪ E-learning

▪ Formative assessment

▪ Live webinars

▪ Assessment support for assignment writing and revision sessions

Note: The list above is indicative; to find out more about how you will be taught, you should contact your centre.

Suggested reading and resources for the qualification

For each unit in the ABE Level 5 Diplomas, ABE will provide the following learning materials:

▪ A Study Guide in PDF format available on the ABE Portal. This Study Guide is aimed at learners and will expand on the Unit Syllabus, including case studies and examples, activities, and a glossary of terms.

▪ Tutor Resource Packs for centres. These will contain session plans, presentations, activities and wider resources available for each unit

▪ A Recommended Reading List, including online resources, available on the ABE Portal.

Assessment

ABE Level

5 Diplomas are assessed by a combination of examinations and assignments, both externally set by ABE. You

can find out how each unit is assessed by checking the Unit Specification in this document, or the qualification

tables above.

At Level 5, each examination will be two hours long and there will be two examination sessions per year. The

examination will consist of three sections: two of which will be made up of short answer questions, and one

section consisting of long answer/essay-based questions. For more details on the examination format, please

see the Sample Assessment Materials available on the ABE Portal.

Assignments will be set by ABE in the format of an assignment brief. Sometimes a scenario and/or templates

may be provided as well. At Level 5, assignments will have a word count of 3500. For more details on the

assignment format, please see the Sample Assessment Materials available on the ABE Portal.

There will be four opportunities a year for assignments to be submitted by learners. All assignments will be submitted by centres to ABE for marking. Results will be released by ABE on your portal.

Centres can find more information about submitting assignments in the ABE Assessment Handbook document available on the ABE Portal.



Grading

In order to achieve an ABE qualification, you must demonstrate sufficient depth of study and acquisition of knowledge and skills expected for the qualification. You will need to demonstrate your achievement through the assessments set by ABE. On completion of your ABE qualification, you will be awarded an overall qualification grade based on your performance across all of your unit assessments.

The following qualification grades are available:

Grade

Fail

Pass

Merit

Distinction

Units will be assessed using the following grading scale:

Grade Boundary

Fail 0 39

Pass 40 54

Merit 55 69

Distinction 70 100

Calculation of the qualification grade:

The overall qualification grade will be calculated based on learner performance at unit level. Each unit carries a maximum of 100 all units to the value of 120 credits. All units in the qualification must be attempted and contribute to your final grade. A minimum of Pass is required for all units in order to complete the qualification.

Grade Point

Boundary

Fail 0 239

Pass 240 329

Merit 330 419

Distinction 420 600


Grade descriptors

The table below details the grade descriptors that will be used to make judgements on grade boundaries. These descriptors will also help you to understand what we expect to see in order to achieve each grade.

Level 5

0-39 (Fail) 40-54 (Pass) 54-69 (Merit Pass) 70-100 (Distinction)

Knowledge and understanding of the subject matter including underpinning theoretical concepts

Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and underpinning concepts and theories, including their relevance; lack of ability to apply concepts to a relevant context.

Adequate knowledge and understanding of most key areas of the subject matter and basic use of their underpinning concepts and theories; sometimes able to apply to a relevant context.

Sound knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and in the appropriate use of concepts and theories; understands how to apply them to a relevant context.

Extensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and in the appropriate use of related concepts and theories, including in-depth understanding and application to a relevant context.

Awareness of relevant ethical, social, legal, regulatory and other local issues of relevance

Lack of awareness of relevant ethical, social, legal, regulatory and local issues.

Adequate awareness of relevant ethical, social, legal, regulatory and local issues.

Clear recognition of relevant ethical, social, legal, regulatory and local issues.

In-depth recognition of relevant ethical, social, legal, regulatory and local issues.

Professionalism business acumen, innovation and professional practice

Lack of or limited awareness of business acumen, innovation and consideration of relevant professional practice.

Adequate awareness of business acumen, innovation and consideration of relevant professional practice.

Sound awareness of business acumen, innovation and consideration of relevant professional practice.

Clear evidence of awareness of business acumen, innovation and consideration of relevant professional practice.

Investigating and solving problems using different methods including data gathering and use of literature

Lack of or limited use of information gathering, investigation and problem-solving methods; limited use of data and of relevant literature.

Adequate use of information gathering, investigation and problem-solving methods; some use of data and of relevant literature.

Sound use of a range of information gathering, investigation and problem-solving methods; good use of data and relevant literature.

Clear, consistent and appropriate use of a wide range of information gathering, investigation and problem-solving methods; use of data and relevant literature throughout.


0-39 (Fail) 40-54 (Pass) 54-69 (Merit Pass) 70-100 (Distinction)

Critical evaluation, analysis and independent thinking

Lack of or limited evidence of evaluation, analysis and independent thinking; conclusions are unsupported or lacking; content is highly descriptive.

Adequate level of evaluation, analysis and independent thinking, although some content is descriptive; conclusions are generally made but often lack support.

Sound evidence of evaluation, analysis and independent thinking, points made are generally explored and supported; conclusions made where appropriate and are supported.

Clear and consistent evidence of evaluation, analysis and independent thinking, points made are appropriately detailed and supported; conclusions are consistently made, clear, relevant and justified.

Professional communication

Poor or inappropriate standard of communication and editing, lacking in relevant examples; limited consideration of the audience; inappropriate choice of media and format; poorly referenced.

Adequate standard of communication and editing, generally using in relevant examples where appropriate; some consideration of the audience; some appreciation of the choice of media and format; referencing is generally adequate but inconsistent.

Good standard of communication and editing, using in relevant examples where appropriate; consistent consideration of the audience; sound appreciation of the choice of media and format; work is accurately referenced throughout.

Outstanding communication and editing, using highly relevant and topical examples where appropriate; clear and consistent consideration of the audience; thorough appreciation of the choice of media and format; high quality referencing throughout.

Results issue

Your assessment results will be published by ABE after each assessment session. ABE will announce the

specific results release date in advance of the assessment session.


Unit Specifications

In the second section of this document, you will find the Unit Specification for each unit included in the ABE

Level 5 Diplomas.

The Unit Specification contains all the information you need about a particular unit, including the Credit value,

Guided Learning Hours and the Unit Syllabus details. You should use the Unit Specifications to see what you will

be expected to learn and what you will be expected to demonstrate in your assessments.

Here are some key terms to help you read and use the Unit Specifications:

Qualification The qualification is the outcome of your studies and assessment, and represents

your achievement.

Unit A unit is a component of the overall qualification, focusing on a particular topic or

area of study relevant to the qualification. Some units may be mandatory, and

some may be optional so be sure to check before starting your studies.

Total Qualification Time

(TQT)

TQT is the number of notional hours which represents an estimate of the total

amount of time that could reasonably be expected to be required in order for a

Learner to achieve and demonstrate the achievement of the level of attainment

necessary for the award of a qualification.

Guided Learning Hours

(GLH)

GLH is an element of the TQT and is an estimate of the number of hours during

which the learner is given specific guidance by their tutor towards the achievement

of the qualification, for example: face to face teaching, e-learning, mentoring etc.

Element An element represents a segment of learning within the unit. Each individual

element has its own rationale and content.

Learning outcomes The learning outcome lays down the expectations of the learner and defines the

knowledge, understanding and/or skills they will acquire on completion of the Unit.

Assessment criteria The assessment criteria define what a learner must know, understand or be able

to do, proving that they can achieve the Learning Outcome.

Indicative content The indicative content is the scope of knowledge required in order to fulfil the

assessment requirements and achieve the learning outcome; it also outlines the

technical components of the programme.

Weighting The way in which a section of the content is emphasised in terms of teaching,

learner effort, and emphasis in assessment.


Managing Agile Organisations

and People

Unit Type: Mandatory Level: 5 Credits: 20 GLH: 70 Assessment Method: Assignment

Modern organisations operate in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA)

environment. Changes and shifts in the wider external environment are no longer limited to either specific

industries or by geographical boundaries, but both directly and indirectly impact on all organisations across the

globe. Succeeding in this increasingly complex and integrated global environment requires organisations to be

agile in order to respond quickly, flexibility and appropriately. This poses challenges for the modern manager:

How can organisations plan and anticipate the future when this is often uncertain? How can organisations best

balance the need for clear communication with increasing levels of ambiguity? How can internal resources be

deployed most effectively whilst maintaining commitment and engagement levels? And finally, how does this

impact on the professional development of managers?

This unit will explore the traditional nature and form of organisations and how the external environment has led to

the emergence of new organisational forms and ways of working. The implications of this on the role and scope

of management will be considered drawing out the professional implications for those aspiring to a career in

management. A range of contemporary working practices will be considered, examining the risks and benefits

associated with these leading to an understanding of how these can best be deployed. This unit will also

consider the people performance link, developing an understanding of the contribution that the right person, in

the right place at the right time makes in helping ensure sustainable organisational success.


The table below shows the learning outcomes of this unit (what you will be able to do or what you will know),

along with the assessment criteria (what you will be able to do to demonstrate achievement of the learning

outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the impact of the internal context and external trends on management practices and approaches (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Assess the changing nature of organisations and assess the impact this has on management practice

1.2 Analyse the impact of vision, values, culture, and structure both on the organisation and on management practice

1.3 Demonstrate how the role of a manager has evolved in light of the changing external environment in order to assess the contribution management makes

1.4 Compare and contrast a range of management approaches in order to assess their suitability for specific contexts

2. Evaluate the applicability of contemporary management practices in both a specific and wider organisational setting (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Analyse the concept of organisational agility and its contribution to sustainable organisational success

2.2 Analyse contemporary management practices in the context of changing organisational forms and structures

2.3 Assess the impact of contemporary management practices techniques on organisational behaviour and management practice

3. Assess the links between effective people management and organisational achievement (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Demonstrate the people performance link and the contribution this makes to an agile organisation

3.2 Evaluate the importance of, and key principles underpinning, effective human resource planning including selection, evaluation, and development of employees

3.3 Assess how communication and interpersonal relations impact on organisational performance

3.4 Discuss methods of motivating others for high performance

4. Assess personal capability to manage agile organisations and people, and develop a justified personal development plan as a result (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Assess the role of continual professional development (CPD) in achieving personal and organisational objectives

4.2 Recommend a plan for personal development based on an analysis of needs

4.3 Justify approaches to meet personal development needs

4.4 Evaluate the impact of CPD at both an individual, professional, and organisational level

Capabilities


practical skills and capabilities. These capabilities are highlighted as certain values, knowledge, skills, and

behaviours that will help you in your professional development.

Below is an overview of the behaviours, skills, and attitudes that you will develop through this unit:

Element of learning Key capabilities developed

Element 1 - The

changing nature of

organisations

Ability to conduct an analysis of both the internal and external environmental

context

Ability to present reasoned arguments in favour of adopting specific strategies

Analysis, judgement, commercial awareness

Element 2 - Modern

management practice

and principles

Ability to present arguments in favour of changing practices

Ability to draft a clear statement of values at team level

Analysis, judgement, communication, values, managing teams

Element 3 - The people

performance link

Appreciation of the need for communication and good working relationships

Ability to select appropriate methods and media when communicating

Ability to work within internal and regulatory practices when selecting, developing

and evaluating staff

Ability to facilitate staff development and performance

Communication, teamwork, performance management, developing team members, people management

Element 4 - Personal

development as a

manager

Ability to take personal responsibility for ongoing personal development as a

manager

Ability to reflect on current practice, skills, and behaviours, and the impact of these

in the workplace

Ability to develop a justified and meaningful personal development plan (PDP)

Ability to reflect on learning

Personal responsibility, people management, reflection, self-development, planning

Localisation


It is very important when studying for your ABE qualification that you consider your local business environment

and try to apply what you are learning to relevant scenarios in your local business context. Doing this will help you

to put your learning into practice and use it in your professional day-to-day activities.

The nature and form of organisations varies widely. Internal factors such as ownership, business strategy, and

size each play a part in defining the shape and focus of an organisation. In turn this impacts upon the

expectations and responsibilities placed on individual managers. Whilst trends in the external environment impact

on organisations differently, increased globalisation and digitalisation have led to increasing competition resulting

in a growing need for managers to be aware of external practices and approaches and to adopt a best fit

approach.

You should take into account the following when preparing for your summative assessment:

▪ The structure, culture, size, vision, and mission of the organisation you are working for or basing your

assessment on

▪ The local culture and how this impacts on employee and stakeholder expectations of a manager

▪ Availability of resources

▪ Feasibility and suitability of practices within your specific setting


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the impact of the internal context and external trends on management practices and approaches (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Assess the changing nature of organisations and assess the impact this has on management practice

▪ Use of environmental analysis tools: and Norton (1993) Balanced Scorecard

▪ Defining the organisation: organisation theory including positivist, symbolic interpretivist and postmodernist views, rise in strategic alliances, partnerships, and outsourcing

▪ Impact of increased competition, globalisation, technology, and digitalisation ▪ Organisational responses including ethical decision-making, corporate social responsibility (CSR),

managing non-standard work, and relationship and stakeholder management

1.2 Analyse the impact of vision, values, culture, and structure both on the organisation and on management practice

▪ Vision, mission, and values: contribution to organisational success, developing and cascading statements, challenges of working within a values framework

▪ Culture: dimensions and manager

▪ Structure: Organisation structural forms - mechanistic vs organic structures, bureaucracy, geographic, territory or divisionalised forms, strategic business units, contemporary structures including virtual, networked, postmodern and matrix forms

▪ Increasing needs for flexibility: downsizing, restructuring ▪ Intrapreneurship ▪ The rise of MNO/TNOs (Perlmutter (1969) EPG model and the updated EPRG model of transnational

management)

1.3 Demonstrate how the role of a manager has evolved in light of the changing external environment in order to assess the contribution management makes

▪ Changing views on management practice: historical (POLC framework), classical and scientific (Taylor (1947), Fayol (1949), Weber (1947)), behavioural, contemporary (human relations school, system and contingency)

▪ Managing strategically ▪ Entrepreneurial management

1.4 Compare and contrast a range of management approaches in order to assess their suitability for specific

contexts

▪ Differences between management and leadership ▪ Traditional and emerging leadership styles ▪ Hersey and Blanchard (1969) Life cycle model of leadership


2. Evaluate the applicability of contemporary management practices in both a specific and wider organisational setting (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Analyse the concept of organisational agility and its contribution to sustainable organisational success

▪ Forms of agility (time, location, role, source) ▪ Forms of resilience (strategic, portfolio, operational, individual) ▪ Features and characteristics of organisational agility and resilience ▪ Application of forms of agility in differing contexts: sector (public, private, third sector) and size (micro,

SME, National, MNO)

2.2 Analyse contemporary management practices in the context of changing organisational forms and structures

▪ Contemporary management practices: lean and agile working, Total Quality Management, Just in Time (JIT), Kaizen

▪ Supply and value chain management

2.3 Assess the impact of contemporary management practices techniques on organisational behaviour and management practice

▪ Managing the agile workforce, environment and culture Smart working and empowerment ▪ Competing values framework (Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1983) ▪ Leading and supporting change

3. Assess the links between effective people management and organisational achievement (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Demonstrate the people performance link and the contribution this makes to an agile organisation

▪ Evidence of a link between people and organisational performance: Gallup studies, Black Box Studies (Purcell), Bundles of practice (Pfeffer), implications for management practice

▪ Engagement as a driver of performance ▪ Resource based view of the organisation (Barney)

3.2 Evaluate the importance of, and key principles underpinning, effective human resource planning including

selection, evaluation and development of employees

▪ Human resource planning ▪ Recruitment or employee resourcing ▪ Selection: fairness, objectivity and legal requirements, policies and processes, effective on-boarding ▪ Performance evaluation: formal and informal evaluation methods, contribution of performance review,

identifying poor performance, supporting performance issues, managing the high performer ▪ Development: The learning cycle, meeting development needs, 70:20:10 model (Lombardo and

Eichinger, 1996)

3.3 Assess how communication and interpersonal relations impact on organisational performance

▪ Principles of effective communication: Shannon Weaver model (1963), communication process, feedback

▪ Communication channels (formal and informal) and media ▪ Barriers to effective communication including cultural and organisational ▪ Building and maintaining trust and respect ▪ The impact of power on working relationships (Raven and French 5 power bases (1959))


3.4 Discuss methods of motivating others for high performance

▪ Motivation: sources of (intrinsic vs extrinsic), influence of personal values and beliefs on approach to work, motivational theories: content (Maslow (1960), Herzberg (1966), McCelland (1961)) vs process

▪ Job design and enrichment: ,

▪ Engagement, commitment and involvement: definitions, differences between, fostering

4. Assess personal capability to manage agile organisations and people, and develop a justified personal development plan as a result (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Assess the role of continual professional development (CPD) in achieving personal and organisational objectives

▪ CPD principles: experiential learning model, Honey and ; differences between organisational, personal work, and personal

development goals; responsibilities: personal responsibility vs management responsibility to develop employees

▪ Rationale for CPD: development, continual improvement and career management outcomes, alignment with organisational needs, future proofing

▪ Benefits of CPD for both individuals and organisations: learning organisation concept, knowledge management, tangible vs intangible outcomes, lifelong learning

▪ CPD as a driver of organisational growth and sustainable success

4.2 Recommend a plan for personal development based on an analysis of needs

▪ Methods of self-assessment / skills analysis, limitations of self-appraisal, reliable sources of feedback and role of 360-degree feedback, use of SWOT as a tool for personal development planning

▪ The role of competencies/professional frameworks, benchmarking ▪ Features of effective personal development plans, SMART objectives, success criteria

4.3. Justify approaches to meet personal development needs

▪ Circular nature of CPD: CPD cycle (plan, do, review approach) and link with organisational objective setting

▪ Types of development activities: work based learning activities (shadowing, mentoring, coaching, projects, secondments), self-directed learning, external sources of CPD

▪ Maximising the impact of personal learning style preferences (Honey and Mumford 1997) ▪ Making the case for personal CPD: expressing the outcomes and benefits, cost benefit analysis

4.4 Evaluate the impact of CPD at both an individual, professional, and organisational level

▪ Monitoring CPD: process, principles and contribution of effective reflection, models of reflection, CPD records, links with performance review

▪ Barriers and challenges to effective CPD, sustaining motivation, taking remedial action if required ▪ Evaluation of CPD, ▪ Evaluation of contribution to organisational success


Innovation and Business Performance

Unit Type: Mandatory Level: 5 Credits: 20 GLH: 70 Assessment Method: Examination

Throughout the world, the increasing level of innovation is a key factor that gives rise to constant changes in the

market conditions for different goods and services. Business organisations therefore need to constantly evolve in

order to compete effectively, underlining the need for strong business performance. This unit focuses on the

importance of business performance and the need to identify, develop, and utilise the appropriate forms of

measurement needed for informed managerial decisions and for the evaluation of the results of the actions taken.

The impact of innovation within the organisation is very much part of this focus and its effect on business

performance is addressed accordingly. As such, the unit aims to provide you with a theoretical framework of the

concept of innovation that can be used to evaluate its impact in a range of business contexts and situations.

As a result of studying this unit, you should be able to appraise the issue of innovation as it falls within, and

relates to, a range of key business functions and disciplines. You should additionally be able to form a holistic

view of the drivers and effects of innovation on the business enterprise, and to develop an awareness of the

need to innovate. Furthermore, you should come to realise that the concept of innovation pertains to more than

just technology, and, indeed, may not even have a technological basis or dimension. However, the need to

identify, develop and rely on the right measurements is crucial to developing the correct perception needed to

maintain and enhance business performance.


What learn



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Apply measurement techniques as an aid to business performance (Weighting 30%)

1.1 Discuss the role of measurement in the management of business performance

1.2 Discuss the behavioural issues that can impact the setting and utilisation of business performance measures

1.3 Recommend the basis for developing metrics that are useful for monitoring and measuring business performance

1.4 Apply key measures of business performance for specific business functions

2. Discuss the sources, drivers and patterns of adoption of innovation in goods, services and ideas (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Explore the concept of innovation and assess its relevance to business performance

2.2 Examine the theories and models of innovation

2.3 Examine the phases in the innovation life cycle of a typical product or service.

2.4 Compare and contrast the different adoption patterns of innovation

2.5 Appraise the environmental factors that are relevant to an innovative business undertaking

3. Assess the information requirements needed to manage the levels of innovation within an organisation (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Appraise the characteristics of an innovative organisation

3.2 Assess the impact of innovation on overall business performance

3.3 Evaluate some of the common methods of measuring the extent and successes of innovation in a business

4. Evaluate the risks and uncertainties that innovation creates for business performance (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Appraise the risks and uncertainties associated with innovation that may affect business performance

4.2 Discuss the potential causes of failure in innovation activities

4.3 Assess the legal and ethical issues that can pose risks to innovation performance

4.4 Analyse the key ethical issues pertaining to innovation and the implications for corporate social responsibility and governance


Capabilities





Element 1 - Measuring

business performance

Ability to apply performance measurement techniques

Ability to recommend monitoring metrics

Critical thinking, problem posing, problem solving using appropriate quantitative and

qualitative skills, research skills, data analysis

Critical reflection and evaluation, numeracy, information retrieval

Communication and reporting

Element 2 - Adopting

innovation

Ability to identify sources, drivers and patterns of adoption of innovation in

goods, services and ideas

Ability to analyse models and integrate theory and practice

Commercial awareness (i.e. of key trends and features of the current business

environment.)

Innovation, analysis, commercial awareness, critical thinking

Element 3 - Managing

innovation and its impact

on business performance

Ability to assess the information requirements needed to manage the levels of

innovation within an organisation.

Information retrieval, synthesis and evaluation of data and information, adopting innovation, managing innovation

Element 4 - Managing risk

in innovation

Ability to evaluate the risks and uncertainties that innovation creates for

business performance and ascertain the business impact

Appreciation of ethical and legal issues, commercial awareness (of the

implications of risk and uncertainty)

Communication, risk management, responsibility, evaluation, ethical awareness

Localisation


The syllabus has a sufficiently wide scope to enable its content to be assessed in environments that do not have

a level of high technological development, although you may focus on this aspect if you wish. The contents of the

syllabus are applicable to any local environment with a reasonably competitive, enterprise culture.

For those who have had some practical business experience in business, the unit affords the opportunity to draw

on your own current and/or past experiences in examining the application of measurement and to assess the

impact of innovation in business in contexts that you have encountered.

You should take the following into account when preparing for your assessment:

▪ Innovations that are being undertaken by businesses that operate in the local economy. The scale

businesses may range from large to small and the innovations that they undertake may have been developed

locally (i.e. they are indigenous) or they may have been sourced from overseas and adapted for local use.

▪ The prevailing local economic conditions should be considered when evaluating business performance, and

the measurements taken. Social and cultural issues can also be taken into account where relevant.


Indicative Content

1. Apply measurement techniques as an aid to business performance (Weighting 30%)

1.1 Discuss the role of measurement in the management of business performance

▪ The input-process-output-outcome framework as applied to organisational performance. ▪ Efficiency and effectiveness (defined and distinguished) ▪ Qualitative vs quantitative data (defined and distinguished) and their use in measuring business process

performance ▪ The use of financial data (cost-savings, growth and revenue generation) as being one perspective of

measuring business performance ▪ Benefits to the business that can be obtained from appropriate performance measurement ▪ The balanced scorecard as an example of a key strategic evaluation technique that utilises performance

measurement

1.2 Discuss the behavioural issues that can impact the setting and utilisation of business performance measures

▪ The importance and benefits of setting appropriate objectives and targets for business performance ▪ The behavioural theories that help to explain how business performance objectives are set ▪ The challenges that managers can face when selecting and applying appropriate performance measures

such as: - Identifying what should be measured, why and how - The ability and resources needed to design and set up a measurement system that is cost effective to

operate in terms of time and effort - Ensuring adequate communication of metrics in terms of presentation, accuracy, frequency and

timeliness of reporting - Designing a system with enough flexibility to be of use in changing environments, such as new

competition, changing consumer attitudes ▪ The use of key performance metrics, e.g. KPIs and SLAs in assessing managerial performance. ▪ The elemental features of SMART targets

1.3 Recommend the basis for developing metrics that are useful for monitoring and measuring business

performance

▪ The relevance of business drivers and the importance of identifying them ▪ The important features of useful performance measurements, which enable progress to be monitored

and reviewed, namely: - Relevant and meaningful to the activities and outcomes that contribute to business performance - Consistency in their makeup - Reliable and accurate in their measurement - Cost effective to measure

▪ Some common mistakes made in devising business performance measurements


1.4 Apply key measures of business performance for specific business functions

▪ The relevance and importance of internal and external benchmarking ▪ A range of appropriate performance measures for key business functions, such as the following:

- The human resources function: measures of recruitment, training, retention, motivation, labour turnover, absenteeism, productivity (amount and quality of work produced) per worker

- The operations function: measures of unit quality, efficiency, capacity, productivity, wastage and sustainability

- Sales and marketing: measures of customer satisfaction measures, market shares, sales growth from new and existing customers, increases in brand awareness, product trials, distribution expansion, acquisition and retention of customers, communications expenditure evaluations

- Finance: measures of profitability, liquidity, financial efficiency, investor performance - Procurement and supply chain: measures such as inventory turnover, transportation time, customer

order cycle time, manufacturing cycle time, inventory carrying costs

2. Explain the sources, drivers and patterns of adoption of innovation in goods, services and ideas (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Explore the concept of innovation and assess its relevance to business performance

▪ Overview of the dimensions in which innovative change can lead to new products, services and ideas in businesses (Tidd and Bessant, 2013), namely: - Changes in the processes carried out to create, sell and/or deliver the finished goods and services to

the customer - Changes to the features and functionality of the products and/or services being made/delivered - Changes in the way(s) that the products and/or services are promoted and targeted to the customer - Changes in the way that the business is viewed and perceived, internally and externally, in terms of its

overall mission and purpose ▪ The impact of innovation within business climates and contexts with reference to

dilemma by Christensen (1997) ▪ Overview of the current trends in globalisation of innovation, as highlighted by the findings of the global

innovation index (2016), namely: - The requirement to leverage global innovation to promote economic growth, worldwide - The requirement to overcome national divisions and develop a global mindset about innovation - The finding that innovation output cannot be guaranteed by spending alone - The innovation momentum that has been perceived in regions of the world such as sub-Saharan Africa,

Latin America and the Caribbean, in recent years

2.2 Examine the theories and models of innovation

▪ Overview of the major Democracy, 1942)

▪ ▪ Overview of open innovation (Chesborough, 2003)

- Inbound and outbound innovations - The key drivers of open innovation (skills mobility, venture capital, IP availability) - The different management principles adopted in the pursuit of open innovation, compared to closed

innovation (namely the disposition towards acquiring external expertise, R&D, inventions and IP from the environment and for developing an appropriate business model to capitalise on these)

▪ Overview of the major themes of the diffusion of innovation (EM Rogers, 1962,1995), namely: - Adopter distributions (innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards) - Stages in the innovation-decision process (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation,

confirmation)

2.3 Examine the phases in the innovation life cycle of a typical product or service


▪ The characteristics of the industry during the three main phases (i.e. fluid, transitional and specific) of the innovation life cycle and the implications for business competitiveness, namely: - Fluid phase: industry characterised by rapid concept development, low volumes, uncertainty over the

target market, technological knowledge and performance; focus of business competitiveness is on product functional performance, market exploration

- Transitional phase: industry characterised by a dominant design, refined production techniques, decreasing focus on concept development, defined market; focus of business competitiveness is on product differentiation, satisfying unmet market demand

- Specific phase: industry characterised by standardisation, market maturity; focus of business competitiveness is on cost savings, efficiency and rationalisation

2.4 Compare and contrast the different adoption patterns of innovation

▪ Explanation of continuous/incremental innovation (Christensen 1995,1997) ▪ Explanation of discontinuous/disruptive Innovation (Christensen 1995,1997) ▪ Comparison and contrast of the key performance challenges that a business faces in each case ▪ The relevance of the S-curve to technological innovation (Foster 1987, Christensen 1997)

2.5 Appraise the environmental factors that are relevant to an innovative business undertaking

▪ ▪

by a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis ▪ The implications of the product/service portfolio of the business

3. Assess the information requirements needed to manage the levels of innovation within an organisation (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Appraise the characteristics of an innovative organisation

▪ The main stages in the process of innovation that take place within an organisation (using Hansen & :

- Idea generation - Idea development - Diffusion of the developed concepts

▪ The organisational conditions needed to promote innovation, namely: - Organisational culture and climate to aimed at promoting individual creativity - Leadership - Communication - Appropriate business models using open innovation as an example (Chesborough, 2003) - Organisational polices aimed at supporting innovation e.g. Kaizen, promoting teamwork and high-

involvement (of employees) in innovation (Bessant, 2003) ▪ The importance of the factors that are required for the success of open innovation and for the success of

centralised Research and Development (R&D) in a business organisation, namely: - Communication and connectivity - Core competencies (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990)

Providing potential access to a variety of markets Enabling delivery of key customer benefits Essential and unique to the business, thereby conferring a competitive advantage

- Supporting resources including cost


3.2 Assess the impact of innovation on overall business performance

▪ Possible measures and indicators of the effectiveness and efficiency of the innovation process, in terms of the organisational: - Inputs: the proportion of financial resources allocated, staff development, skills and training, time and

space allocations - Outputs: the number of patents, scientific papers, new products and services and improvements to old

ones, customer surveys - Processes of innovation: improvements in efficiency and productivity including the number of new ideas

generated and the time from inception to market launch ▪ Possible implications on short term performance that innovative companies may incur, namely:

- Detriment of short term financial performance (profitability and cash flow) in pursuit of long term payoffs - Reallocation and diversion of internal resources (staff, equipment, financing) to new products and

services during development and implementation phases

3.3 Evaluate some of the common methods of measuring the extent and successes of innovation in a business

▪ The relevance of post-project reviews in innovation management ▪ Overview of a range of performance metrics and KPIs used in the NESTA innovation audit, (deploying the

IVC framework), such as: - Accessing knowledge: the proportion of externally sourced ideas (A1), R&D intensity (A2) - Building innovation: diversity of innovation (B3), embeddedness of team-working inbuilding innovation

(B5) - Commercialising innovation: Expenditure on branding and marketing intensity as a percentage of sales

(C2), use of IP protection (C5)

4. Evaluate the risks and uncertainties that innovation creates for business performance (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Appraise the risks and uncertainties associated with innovation that may affect business performance

▪ The sources of risks that need to be considered for new products and services such as demand risk, technology risk, competitor, governmental and network risk

▪ The significance and the impact of managerial attitudes (risk aversion) to risk in innovation

4.2 Discuss the potential causes of failure in innovation activities

▪ management could take to mitigate them, namely: - Ensuring concise definition of goals - Enforcing the alignment between the business activities and these goals - Fostering and ensuring team participation - Appropriate monitoring of results - Establishing appropriate communication and ensuring access to information for all concerned - Facilitating the provision of adequate resources and monitor their usage - Ensuring that the necessary project and change management skills are deployed in the process

4.3 Assess the legal and ethical issues that can pose risks to innovation performance

▪ The main types of property rights protection


▪ Definition of intellectual property and its purpose ▪ Some of the limitations of intellectual property right protection, namely:

- Ineffective enforcement of the rights, thereby expediting imitation or illegal use of the innovation - Time expiration before an adequate return is earned from the innovation - Possibly expensive in terms of time, money and legal expertise - Competitors may pursue IP protection for similar innovations

4.4 Analyse the key ethical issues pertaining to innovation and the implications for corporate social responsibility and governance

▪ The need to develop a corporate culture of integrity, trust and openness in all business relationships, as evidenced by shared values and communication, and the willingness to put ideas forward without fear of ridicule or reprisals

▪ The need to ensure that the pursuit and outcome of innovations are commensurate with the values, concerns and interests of the local communities that they affect

▪ The need to embed sustainability in the pursuit and outcome of innovations ▪ The need to p

imitation products


Effective Financial Management


The focus of Effective Financial Management is the management of financial resources in a business. It

addresses the applied techniques that managers need in order to take financial decisions in a business. It also

addresses the critical and theoretical knowledge and skills that managers need to take financial management

responsibilities.

The aim of this unit is to enable you to:

▪ Assess the objectives of financial management

▪ Evaluate organisational activities, processes and performance

▪ Understand the impact of the financial risk on financial management in a business

▪ Examine and explain how businesses can finance their activities

▪ Evaluate options for the financing of a business

▪ Apply techniques to make appropriate investment decisions


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Assess the objectives of financial management and the role of different stakeholders in the financial strategy of a business (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Assess the objectives of financial management in order to decide how best to formulate a financial management strategy for a business

1.2 Analyse the roles played by different stakeholders in order to select a financial management strategy that best meets the needs of stakeholders

1.3 Discuss the ethical issues that need to be considered in financial management in order to ensure that financial practices reflect ethical requirements and standards

2. Evaluate organisational activities, processes and performance, using projected financial statements and measures of business performance (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Analyse business objectives, organisational activities and processes

2.2 Evaluate business performance, and financial management processes, using financial statements and calculation of key financial ratios

2.3 Apply alternative techniques in order to evaluate the financial management of key organisational activities and processes

3. Evaluate financial risk using suitable techniques in order to apply approaches that reduce exposure to financial risks (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Assess the importance of financial risk in order to select appropriate financial management techniques

3.2 Evaluate financial risk using suitable techniques in order to ensure financial management decisions take account of financial risks

3.3 Apply approaches to financial risk management that reduce exposure to financial risks

4. Evaluate options for the financing of business activities, including the characteristics of different sources of finance and how best to meet the financing needs of the business (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Assess the role of capital markets and the efficient markets hypothesis in order to understand the effects of financing decisions on the business

4.2 Analyse the role and characteristics of different sources of finance in order to identify suitable sources of finance that best meet the financing needs of a business

4.3 Evaluate sources of finance in order to decide how best to meet the financing needs of the business

5. Evaluate investment opportunities in order to ensure that investment decisions reflect the needs of the business and its financial management strategy (Weighting 10%)

5.1 Select and justify investment appraisal techniques in order to ensure that investment decisions reflect the financial management strategy of the business

5.2 Compare investment appraisal techniques for a range of typical investment scenarios in order to best meet the needs of the business

5.3 Analyse relevant non-financial factors, including the limitations of investment appraisal techniques, in order to ensure the investment decision-making takes account of the broader strategic needs of the business


Capabilities





Element 1 - The

objectives of financial

management

Ability to identify and understand the objectives of financial management

Awareness of different stakeholders in the financial strategy that is used by a business and their role

Awareness of the role of the finance function and of financial management within the wider business

Appreciation of the agency problem and how it might be managed

Analytical skills, commercial awareness, critical reflection, ethical appreciation, financial

management, stakeholder management

Element 2 -

Organisational activities,

processes and

performance

Ability to discuss business objectives, organisational activities, organisational processes and performance measures and the link between them

Ability to assess business performance using financial statements and key accounting ratios

Ability to prepare projected financial statements for a business and interpret their significance for decision-making purposes

Ability to recommend possible measures of business performance and wealth maximisation

Analysis, planning and implementing, using reporting skills, numeracy, evaluation, preparation of accounts

Element 3 - Risk and

financial management

Ability to use suitable techniques to evaluate financial risks and their impact on organisational activities and decision-making

Awareness of how different types of risk influence the pursuit of wealth maximisation

Ability to calculate financial gearing for a business and awareness its significance

Ability to evaluate different financial structures and assess their implications for the business

Critical thinking, problem solving, numeracy, evaluation, ethical appreciation, financial management, decision-making

Element 4 - Sources of

finance

Knowledge of the main sources of internal and external sources of finance, including their key features

Ability to discuss the factors to be taken into account when choosing an appropriate source of finance

Ability to recommend an appropriate source of finance

Ability to calculate the weighted average cost of capital for a business and assess its usefulness in making investment decisions

Awareness of the methods by which share capital can be issued

Numeracy, analysis of models, creativity, financial management, decision-making, commercial awareness

Element 5 - Investment

appraisal

Appreciation of the nature and importance of investment decision-making

Knowledge of the key stages in investment decision-making

Ability to apply techniques to evaluate investment opportunities, taking account of risk and non-financial factors


Analytical, problem solving, analysis of models, numeracy, adaptability, decision-making, financial management

Localisation




You should take into account the following when preparing for your assessment:

▪ Local legal and taxation requirements

▪ Local corporate governance requirements

▪ Local cultural environment


Indicative Content

1. Assess the objectives of financial management and the role of different stakeholders in the financial strategy of a business (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Assess the objectives of financial management in order to decide how best to formulate a financial management strategy for a business

▪ The role of the financial function and of the financial manager ▪ The relationship between financial management and modern economic theory, including time and risk

1.2 Analyse the roles played by different stakeholders in order to select a financial management strategy that best

meets the needs of stakeholders

▪ The stakeholder approach and the need to serve the groups that are affected by the operations of the business

▪ The identification and treatment of different stakeholder groups ▪ The techniques that can be used to analyse the roles that are played by different stakeholders ▪ The relationship between the needs of stakeholders and the development of a financial management

strategy ▪ The effects of multiple business objectives and how these create problems of multiple accountabilities

1.3 Discuss the ethical issues that need to be considered in financial management in order to ensure that

financial practices reflect ethical requirements and standards

▪ The key ethical considerations that need to be considered in financial management and in financial practices

▪ Ethical codes and practice and policies in financial management, including corporate governance codes ▪ Shareholder involvement and the provision of incentives for directors and managers ▪ The agency problem that may exist between shareholders and directors

2. Evaluate organisational activities, processes and performance, using projected financial statements and measures of business performance (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Analyse business objectives, organisational activities and processes

▪ The development of business objectives and the planning of organisational activities and processes ▪ The role of projected financial statements and key financial ratios in organisational planning

2.2 Evaluate business performance and financial management processes, using financial statements and

calculation of key financial ratios

▪ The preparation of projected financial statements and their role in the evaluation of the impact of plans on financial performance and position

▪ The checking of projected financial statements for reliability ▪ The use of projected financial statements and key financial ratios and their role in the critical evaluation of

organisational activities and processes ▪ The analysis of financing gaps based on projected financial statements and key financial ratios


2.3 Apply alternative techniques in order to evaluate the financial management of key organisational activities and processes

▪ The application of horizontal and vertical analysis in the evaluation of financial management activities and processes

▪ The application of the percent-of-sales method and its use in financial planning ▪ The preparation of short-term and long-term cash projections using projected financial

3. Evaluate financial risk using suitable techniques in order to apply approaches that reduce exposure to financial risks (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Assess the importance of financial risk in order to select appropriate financial management techniques

▪ The nature of risk and its importance in financial management ▪ The different types of risk and their impact on organisation activities and decision-making ▪ The impact of different types of risk on financial management processes and activities

3.2 Evaluate financial risk using suitable techniques in order to ensure financial management decisions take

account of financial risks

▪ The calculation of operational gearing ▪ The calculation of financial gearing ▪ The significance of financial gearing and its importance to organisational activities, processes and

performance 3.3 Apply approaches to financial risk management that reduce exposure to financial risks

▪ The evaluation of financial risk using suitable techniques and approaches to financial risk management, such as sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, simulations, and standard deviation, to reduce exposure to financial risks

▪ The evaluation of different financial structures and their implications for the business

4. Evaluate options for the financing of business activities, including the characteristics of different sources of finance and how best to meet the financing needs of the business (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Assess the role of capital markets and the efficient markets hypothesis in order to understand the effects of financing decisions on the business

▪ The calculation of the weighted average cost of capital for a business and its usefulness in making investment decisions

▪ The nature, role and purpose of the equity and debt markets ▪ The methods by which share capital can be issued ▪ The nature and implications of stock market efficiency ▪ The needs of smaller businesses and the methods by which smaller businesses might raise share capital

4.2 Analyse the role and characteristics of different sources of finance in order to identify suitable sources of

finance that best meet the financing needs of a business


▪ The distinctions between long-term and short-term sources of finance and between internal and external sources of finance

▪ The types and characteristics of long-term sources of finance ▪ The types and characteristics of short-term sources of finance ▪ The types and characteristics of internal sources of finance ▪ The types and characteristics of external sources of finance

4.3 Evaluate sources of finance in order to decide how best to meet the financing needs of the business

▪ The matching principle and finance and its importance in the selection between long-term and short-term sources of finance

▪ Other factors that need to be taken into account in the selection of a sources of finance ▪ The advantages and disadvantages of different types of finance


5. Evaluate investment opportunities in order to ensure that investment decisions reflect the needs of the business and its financial management strategy (Weighting 10%)

5.1 Select and justify investment appraisal techniques in order to ensure that investment decisions reflect the financial management strategy of the business

▪ The nature and importance of investment decision-making ▪ The nature and characteristics of different investment appraisal techniques ▪ The key stages in investment decision-making ▪ The use of investment appraisal techniques in practice ▪ The advantages and disadvantages of different investment appraisal techniques ▪ The selection of an investment appraisal technique that best meets the needs of the business

5.2 Compare investment appraisal techniques for a range of typical investment scenarios in order to best meet

the needs of the business

▪ The calculation of payback period 5.3 Analyse relevant non-financial factors, including the limitations of investment appraisal techniques, in order to

ensure the investment decision-making takes account of the broader strategic needs of the business

▪ Investment appraisal techniques and smaller businesses ▪ Modifications to net present value (NPV) decision rules where there is capital rationing or there are

competing projects with unequal lives ▪ Non-financial factors and their importance in investment decision-making


International Business

Economics and Markets


This unit is aimed at developing a strong working understanding of economic theory and principles in the ever-

changing and dynamic international economic marketplace. When a firm decides to engage in international trade,

it has different options. The aim of this unit is to make you aware of the relevance of each method of entry with

the analysis of case histories.

A key focus will be on how multinational firms and organisations operate internationally in an increasingly

competitive marketplace. One of the key driving factors is the rise of information and communication

technologies, and many markets that were previously limited to within nations are now truly international. The

factors of production are increasingly mobile across the world with the movement of labour and capital being

commonplace.

You will also gain a working knowledge of the organisations that facilitate the many processes involved within the

international trading environment.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse economic principles associated with international business (Weighting 30%)

1.1 Explain the reasons why organisations engage in international trade

1.2 Justify the arguments for and against free trade with reference to restrictions in trade

1.3 Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of international issues such as globalisation on organisations trading internationally

2. Evaluate markets from an international perspective (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Evaluate the methods and criteria by which markets are selected

2.2 Assess the characteristics and applicability of the main market entry methods across a range of industry sectors

2.3 Conduct a structured analysis of a country/market from both external and internal perspectives

2.4 Recommend appropriate marketing mix strategies for different contexts

3. Evaluate the significance of international trading blocs and organisations (Weighting 30%)

3.1 Assess the characteristics of different types of economic cooperation and preferential trade arrangements

3.2 Evaluate the purposes and operations of intergovernmental bodies

3.3 Evaluate the international market in terms of the major trade blocs and regional groupings

4. Discuss the key aspects of international finance (Weighting 10%)

4.1 Analyse the aims and roles of key international institutions in the financial aspects of world trade

4.2 Evaluate the impact of foreign currency exchange and interest rates on international business

4.3 Analyse the trading position of a country with reference to balance of trade/payments


Capabilities





Element 1 - Economic

principles of international

business

Awareness of the different economic and socioeconomic factors that affect

how companies conduct business internationally and how the behaviours of

customers and employees directly affect the workplace.

Analysis, justification, presenting reasoned arguments, communication

Element 2 - Markets from an

international perspective

Ability to recognise and adapt to the impacts on products and markets

arising from the availability of products, services and marketing

communications from abroad

Commercial awareness of cultural aspects and the direct impact of

globalisation

Analysis, commercial awareness, cultural awareness, decision-making,

communication

Element 3 - International

trading blocs and

organisations

Ability to view the world not only in terms of an own country perspective, but

to work within the wider sphere of global cooperation, treaties, and changing

relationships

Global perspective, relationships, communication

Element 4 - International

financial aspects

Gaining an acceptance of the financial impacts and implications of being

involved in global activity that are apparent in commercial activities of all

businesses

Financial awareness, analysis

Localisation





Well known and established trading organisations operate internationally and have a presence in most countries,

whether it be in manufacturing or distribution or both, and you should take note of their presence in your own

country. You should also relate your studies to the economic and trading situations that prevail locally. Other

aspects to be considered are your countr membership of trade organisations and the balance of payments

situation of your country.


▪ How indigenous/domestic organisations operate internationally in a contemporary context

▪ The impact and importance of international trade in your country

▪ How foreign multinationals and globalisation impacts upon the local/domestic economy

▪ The membership of trade organisations your country may belong to

▪ The changing role of inter-governmental organisations

▪ The impact of international financial crises and other such international events on your country


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the economic principles associated with international business (Weighting 30%)

1.1 Explain the reasons why organisations engage in international trade

▪ How trade has developed internationally - Reasons for trade - Absolute and comparative advantage

1.2 Justify the arguments for and against free trade with reference to restrictions in trade

▪ Protectionism and barriers to trade ▪ Winners and losers of trade

1.3 Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of international issues such as globalisation on organisations

trading internationally

▪ Globalisation - Globalisation and its implications for regions, countries, markets and customers: the pros and cons of

globalisation, i.e. prosperity and impoverishment, the key aim of globalisation: combining high cost reduction pressures and high pressure for local responsiveness

- The two main components: the globalisation of markets (customers) and the globalisation of production

- The key drivers of globalisation and international trade i.e. ICT developments (internet, mobile phones), multinationals, transnationals, urbanisation, international consumers, together with the prevailing counter culture as typified by the G20 protests with the use of the internet (social networks) as responses to globalisation

▪ The impact of multinational enterprises upon countries economies and cultures

2. Evaluate and assess markets from an international perspective (Weighting 30%)

2.1 Evaluate the methods and criteria by which markets are selected

▪ Country groupings by economic development - BRIC Brazil, Russia, India, China - MIST Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa Turkey - Less developed countries (LDCs)

▪ The role of market research - International market research

Desk research Data sources governmental and commercial published data Field research

- Decision criteria - Market analysis


2.2 Assess the characteristics and applicability of the main market entry methods across a range of industry sectors

▪ Exporting - Direct - Indirect agents and distributors - Piggybacking

▪ Licensing - Franchising - Turnkey contracts - Contract manufacturing

▪ Joint ventures ▪ Strategic alliances ▪ Foreign direct investment ▪ Direct marketing

2.3 Conduct a structured analysis of a country/market from both external and internal perspectives

▪ Macro analysis - based upon political, economic, social/cultural, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) factors

▪ analysis ▪ Industry/market analysis from the micro viewpoints of buyers, suppliers/compliments, substitutes, new

entrants, and intra industry rivalry ▪ Prioritised strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis with further quantification in

terms of threats/opportunity and weaknesses/strengths strategic development ▪ Conduct a structured analysis of a market in an internal context

2.4 Recommend appropriate marketing mix strategies for different contexts

▪ Marketing mix - Product decisions - Pricing factors - Distribution factors - Promotional mix - Extended services marketing mix (people, process, physical evidence)

▪ Strategy development - Adaptation - Standardisation

3. Evaluate the significance of international trading blocs and organisations (Weighting 30%)

3.1 Assess the characteristics of different types of economic cooperation and preferential trade arrangements

▪ The main types of trade agreements - Economic cooperation - Bilateral/multinational trade treaty - Sectorial free trade agreement - Trade preference agreement - Free trade area - Customs union - Common market - Economic union - Political union/federation


3.2 Evaluate the purposes and operations of intergovernmental bodies

▪ World Trade Organisation ▪ OECD ▪ G7 G20 ▪ OPEC ▪ World Economic Forum

3.3 Evaluate the international market in terms of the major trade blocs and regional groupings

▪ The single European market ▪ North American free trade area ▪ APEC ▪ TPP ▪ Contemporary developments in a dynamic world such as RCEP and Brexit

4. Discuss the key aspects of international finance (Weighting 10%)

4.1 Analyse the aims and roles of key international institutions in the financial aspects of world trade

▪ World Bank ▪ International Monetary Fund (IMF) ▪ European Central Bank

4.2 Evaluate the impact of foreign currency exchange and interest rates on international business

▪ Factors causing exchange rate and interest rate volatility ▪ Different types of interest rates ▪ The impact of exchange rates and exchange rate volatility on international businesses ▪ The impact of interest rates on international business performance

4.3 Analyse the trading position of a country with reference to balance of trade/payments

▪ Visible trade ▪ Invisible trade ▪ Current account deficits ▪ Devaluation of currency


Operations Management

Unit Type: Optional Level: 5 Credits: 20 GLH: 70 Assessment Method: Assignment

The effective management of operations is vital in modern day business. This unit will introduce you to

operations, logistics and supply chain management, a subject which is essential and which offers excellent

employment opportunities. We will consider challenges implicit in introducing effective operations and a supply

chain approach, how internal operations will have to work together to achieve common objectives, and how

organisations need to co-operate at a strategic level.

The focus of this unit will be the study of different operations and supply chain methods adopted by companies.

What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the role and importance of operations management (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Discuss the role of operations management in an organisation

1.2 Discuss the importance of quality and quality management and its integration with operations management

2. Discuss the importance of the supply chain and supply chain management (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Discuss the meaning of an organisation s supply chain

2.2 Discuss the role of supply chain management

3. Analyse the role of procurement and procurement approaches (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Discuss the meaning of organisational procurement

3.2 Analyse organisational procurement approaches

4. Analyse the role of logistics and logistics management (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss the meaning of logistics

4.2 Analyse organisational logistics management considerations


Capabilities

qualifications have been designed to develop your





Element 1 - Introduction to

operations management

Awareness of the operations function and its importance to business

organisations

Appreciation of the role of quality management and how it integrates with

operations management

Understanding of business functions, inter-functional working, quality management, responsibilities, transformation processes

Element 2 - Supply chain

and supply chain

management

Awareness of supply chains and ability to undertake supply chain mapping

Ability to identify and manage supply chain risks

Appreciation of sustainability and ethical supply chain practices

Ability to identify areas for improvement and how to approach them

Understanding of business functions, sustainability and ethical awareness, risk management, continuous improvement

Element 3 - Procurement Ability to discuss the objectives of purchasing

Ability to show an awareness of the strategic importance of purchasing

Ability to analyse various approaches to procurement available to business

organisations

Understanding of business functions, strategic approaches to business functions,

supplier relationships

Element 4 - Logistics

management

Ability to demonstrate an awareness of logistics and logistics management

Appreciation of organisational logistics management considerations in order to

put logistical plans into place

Planning, risk management, strategic approaches to logistics, decision-making, partnerships and supplier relationships

Localisation





Indicative Content

1. Analyse the role and importance of operations management (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Discuss the role of operations management in an organisation

▪ Operations management defined ▪ The transformation process ▪ The importance of goods and services ▪ The operations function

1.2 Discuss the importance quality and quality management and its integration with operations management

▪ Quality and quality management and the role of the operations function ▪ Total quality management

2. Discuss the importance of the supply chain and supply chain management (Weighting 25%)

▪ Definition of supply chain ▪ Supply chain mapping ▪ Nature of supply chain risks (how/where they might arise) ▪ Identifying supply chain risks

2.2 Discuss the role of supply chain management

▪ Definition of supply chain management ▪ Managing supply chain risks ▪ Improving supply chains (collaboration, continuous improvement, competitive advantage) ▪ Sustainability and ethical supply chain practices ▪ Performance measures

3. Analyse the role of procurement and procurement approaches (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Discuss the meaning of organisational procurement

▪ Definitions of procurement ▪ The strategic importance of purchasing ▪ Purchasing objectives ▪ Purchasing strategy

3.2 Analyse organisational procurement approaches

▪ Sources of supply ▪ Supplier assessment ▪ Single and multiple sourcing ▪ Partnership sourcing ▪ Subcontracting ▪ Outsourcing


4. Analyse the role of logistics and logistics management (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss the meaning of logistics

▪ Definitions of logistics ▪ The logistics function ▪ The strategic importance of effective organisational logistics ▪ Logistics strategy

4.2 Analyse organisational logistics management considerations

▪ Factors influencing transportation choice ▪ Transport options/modes ▪ Transport issues, considerations and risks ▪ Managing transportation risks ▪ Warehousing (location, management, storage, capacity) ▪ Planning (forecasting, demand management) ▪ Stock levels (reviewing, order quantities) ▪ Just in Time ▪ Understanding stock turnover


Analytical Decision-making


Robust, effective, and timely decision-making in any organisational context is a critical factor in determining the

success of a project or enterprise. The currency, accuracy and relevance of information, data and other

contributory aspects impact significantly on the outcome of any decision-making.

This unit is designed to provide you with the theoretical, practical, and technical knowledge and understanding to

build a capability to identify, define, analyse, and interpret data from a broad range of sources to support critical

business decisions in a variety of contexts and using a range of methodologies.

You will gain technical skills in research methodology including the collection, analysis, and interpretation of

multiple data sets, using narrative and predictive techniques and models. These skills will encourage you to

develop strong business acumen which will enable you to recommend and demonstrate confident business

decisions across a range of organisational and business contexts and scenarios. In addition, these techniques

will be useful when you undertake other units within the level 5diplomas, for example in the Innovation and

Business Performance unit.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Examine the role of analytics in decision-making in contemporary dynamic business environments (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of appropriate decision-making

1.2 Evaluate the nature, scope and impact of routine/non-routine, operational and strategic decision-making in response to identified issues and problems

1.3 Discuss the nature of analytics to support business decision-making

1.4 Assess analytical decision-making considering contemporary and emerging themes in a dynamic business environment

2. Assess business information management data and systems appropriate for analytical decision-making in a variety of contexts (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Evaluate data retrieval, analytics, and information management systems and methodologies

2.2 Assess how data sources and use of technology can benefit analytical decision-making in varied contexts

2.3 Examine a range of varied data sources and sets for a specific purpose in a range of organisational, functional, and complex contexts

2.4 Evaluate the validity of data sources in contemporary contexts

3. Prepare evaluative reports to meet the requirements of a specific project brief (Weighting 30%)

3.1 Plan the collection and analysis of information required for a business decision-making project

3.2 Design, collect, and collate appropriate data to meet requirements of business decision-making brief

3.3 Analyse complex data sets using a range of techniques from a range of sources to support project brief

3.4 Interpret complex data from varied sources to enable coherent reporting in response to a specific brief

3.5 Assess and reflect on risk factors when reporting against the project brief

4. Apply analytic techniques to develop options for decision-making, reports, and recommendations (Weighting 30%)

4.1 Apply analytic techniques to develop appropriate options in context

4.2 Apply scenario planning techniques to support decision-making

4.3 Apply mapping and testing techniques to justify recommendations

4.4 Report coherent findings and credible recommendations to facilitate management decision-making


Capabilities





Element 1 - Role of analytics in

decision-making in contemporary

dynamic business environments

Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the concepts of

business decision-making and the role of analytics to support effective

decision-making in a variety of organisational contexts

Evaluating the nature, scope and impact of routine, operational and

strategic decision-making in response to identified issues and problems

Initiating decision-making with consideration for contemporary and

emerging themes in a dynamic business environment

Commercial and business understanding, assimilation of complex and diverse knowledge and data, appraisal in context, problem solving

Element 2 - Source and use of

data, systems and technologies

for relevant decision-making

Understanding and managing research methodology and systems for

periodic and continuous data retrieval for routine and non-routine

purposes to meet client and organisational requirements, meeting

ethical and legal standards

Identifying, sourcing and accessing information using technologies and

a multiplicity of data sets in complex contexts

Business research skills, quantitative methods, organisational skills, technology and software applications

Element 3 - Analytics in practice:

analysis synthesis, evaluation,

and reporting of data to meet

requirements and the needs of a

specific brief

Analysing, interpreting, and evaluating complex data sets from a range

of internal, competitive and external sources

Using a variety of techniques and models to evaluate data including

qualitative/quantitative data, comparative studies, and trend and

forecast extrapolation in a variety of contexts

Reflecting on risk factors including access to reliable data, which can

lead to anomalies and misinterpretation allowing for realistic margin of

error

High levels of analytical, interpretive and evaluative skills, objectivity, logical thinking, communication, business reporting, language and presentation skills,

responsiveness, sensitivity to audience

Element 4 - Option development

in analytical decision-making

Evaluating options for decision-making through modelling techniques and scenario development with consideration for organisational culture and contexts

Mapping and testing the likelihood of success considering risk and other factors

Reporting and providing justifiable recommendations to enable decision-making

Lateral thinking for problem solving, skills in scenario planning to aid forecasting, logical argument, testing, decision-making, communication of

ideas and justified argument

Localisation






▪ Currency, accuracy, reliability and sufficiency of available data in the cultural and legal framework of local

context

▪ Appropriateness and ethical considerations for access to and sources of information in the local context

▪ Access to technologies such as the internet and IT-based analysis tools to support interpretation within the

local context


Indicative Content

1. Examine of the role of analytics in decision-making in contemporary dynamic business environments (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of appropriate decision-making

▪ Types of decision-making: routine, repeat, simple, complex and ambiguous; operational management decision-making, strategic decision-making; short (regular, repeat, within specific timespans up to one year), medium (one to four years) and long term (five years plus)

▪ Context of types of decision-making within organisations and sectors organisations nature of decision-making in specific functional areas and for specific activities (e.g. marketing, HR, finance, procurement, operations), quality, process control, cross-organisation, pan-industry

1.2 Evaluate the nature, scope and impact of routine/non-routine, operational and strategic decision-making in response to identified issues and problems

▪ Nature and scope of identified issues and problems (common business issues and problems e.g. supply chain, credit control; marketing campaigns or contemporary or political issues e.g. ethical or environmental, uncertain futures and outcomes) departmental/organisational problem solving and decision-making; relate to functional areas of the business and overall direction and scope (strategic level); strategic business unit, business and corporate level

▪ Level of impact and urgency (routine, important, critical) on the department and organisation of decision-making for short, medium and long-term purposes

▪ Stakeholder opinion; expectations of client/management when commissioning regular, frequent, infrequent, project-based research, analysis, interpretation and evaluation to support decision-making

1.3 Discuss the nature of analytics to support business decision-making

▪ Concepts of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics for analysis of historic data and use of forecasting to predict the future and formulate advice to support business decision-making; use of business performance based statistics and data to support analysis (including ROI, financial, operational activity, staff-based statistics), measuring performance against specified goals and targets; use of prescriptive techniques to influence outcomes

1.4 Assess analytical decision-making considering contemporary and emerging themes in a dynamic business environment

▪ Issues related to decision-making in a dynamic business environment: (contemporary and emerging themes ethics, environmentalism and trans-disciplinary skills and entrepreneurism, globalisation,

history/trends in these issues; unknown impacts or experience and results of decision-making, difficulties in using quantitative data and qualitative decisions to forecast/predict outcomes

▪ Technological developments and work practices supporting analytics and decision-making, i.e. statistical techniques analytical software, online, social media, virtual teams and collaboration


2. Assess business information management data and systems appropriate for analytical decision-making in a variety of contexts (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Evaluate data retrieval, analytics and information management systems and methodologies

▪ Management information purposes, uses, systems and structures; links to functional areas of the business (marketing, HR, finance, procurement, operations etc.)

▪ Types and methods of data collection used in business organisations, data retrieval and reporting methodologies and processes for continuous, frequent and periodic routine and non-routine

2.2 Assess how data sources and use of technology can benefit analytical decision-making in varied contexts

▪ Sources: internal (contextualised to functional areas i.e. customer records, production data), market, external; stakeholder; industry-related, competitor, media, political and economic, national, international, global; historic and forecast

▪ Use of technology, industry brands, standard and specialist systems and software (to aid information sourcing, analysis and management; machine learning and data mining (examples of brands may include Microsoft Power BI, Oracle)

2.3 Examine a range of varied data sources and sets for a specific purpose in a range of organisational, functional and complex contexts

▪ Purpose of research: routine, non-routine; continuous, specific; commissioned; operational; strategic ▪ Types of data: qualitative and quantitative; statistics - primary and secondary; historic; continuous,

frequent, periodic, commissioned; intelligence and opinion

2.4 Evaluate the validity of data sources in contemporary contexts

▪ Compliance with legal requirements for data access in a variety of industry and national cultural contexts, online security protection; costs of knowledge acquisition; timeliness

▪ Industry and organisational intelligence: sources; reliability, currency, whistleblowing policies; legal and ethical influencing

▪ Ethical standards applied to information and intelligence gathering and use of data: sources; use of incentives; cultural differences in global contexts

3. Prepare evaluative reports to meet the requirements of a specific project brief (Weighting 30%)

3.1 Plan the collection and analysis of information required for a business decision-making project

▪ Analysis of the project brief in context: operational/strategic, nature, size, timelines ▪ Project plan for implementation of data collection against brief ▪ Conditions to meet the project brief: context extent and limitations; timely - activity plan (Gantt chart);

considered decisions on discarding or ignoring data; impact and cost implications

3.2 Design, collect and collate appropriate data to meet requirements of business decision-making brief

▪ Research design: primary surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups; pilot tests of primary research

▪ Collection and collation of data range/sources and statistics: financial, market, internal, competitive, external, qualitative, quantitative

▪ Nature of data - historic and predictive, comparative; consistency, trend, primary/secondary ▪ Techniques: modelling, machine learning, data mining (identifying patterns in behaviour from a large

number of data sources, e.g. patterns in consumer behaviour)

3.3 Analyse complex data sets using a range of techniques from a range of sources to support project brief


▪ Techniques for analysis of researched primary and secondary data sets software analysis tools (e.g. spreadsheets); numeracy and mapping skills; data comparisons (quantitative and qualitative); benchmarking against performance targets

▪ Statistical techniques: modelling, machine learning, data mining, financial ratio analysis

3.4 Interpret complex data from varied sources to enable coherent reporting in response to a specific brief

▪ Commonly used descriptive and predictive techniques for interpretation in the context of analytical decision-making for example use of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats matrix (SWOT), analysis Forces competitive position analysis; financial statements interpretation; valuing competences and intangible assets

▪ Interpretation and synthesis of outcomes of analyses: comparative studies, trends and forecast extrapolations in summary of findings and justified interpretation

3.5 Assess and reflect on risk factors when reporting against the project brief

▪ Considerations for currency, accuracy, sufficiency; validity of using trends, regression and extrapolations to forecast and predict

▪ Risks and anomalies e.g. technical issues e.g. quality of data input, process issues, business/ stakeholder response; comparative data sets and use of secondary data; reliability; opinion and data; historic vs predictive; margin of error; fact-based vs wisdom/intuition

4. Apply analytic techniques to develop options for decision-making, reports, and recommendations (Weighting 30%)

4.1 Apply analytic techniques to develop appropriate options in context

▪ Predictive techniques in context: extrapolation, regression, machine learning; linear and non-linear; trend ▪

Value Chain, GE McK

4.2 Apply scenario planning techniques to support decision-making

▪ Scenarios to arrive at decisions: different futures and processes e.g. Delphi, consensus brainstorming, Pareto

4.3 Apply mapping and testing techniques to justify recommendations

▪ Likely outcomes of alternative options for descriptive and predictive forecasting to meet identified goals and targets; pros and cons; weighting and rating

▪ Suitability of options given circumstances; feasibility; financial and non-financial reason; acceptability to stakeholders of alternative options; direction, approaches and methods in business decision-making

▪ Value and risk; certainty/uncertainty; likelihood of success and risk factors including predictable and unpredictable events

4.4 Report coherent findings and credible recommendations to facilitate management decision-making

▪ Presentation of reports: quality and clarity of communication, levels and influence of target audience and readership

▪ Visual tools i.e. images, applied models, tables, charts and graphs for example bar and pie charts, line and scatter graphs

▪ Summary and interpretive tools to provide clear meaning and justification; recommendations to meet target outcomes; implications of outputs

Managing Stakeholder Relationships



Stakeholders come in many forms: governments, pressure groups, employees and customers to name just a

few. Some are more important than others but all can affect an organisation in some way.

For example, pressure groups can encourage consumers to boycott brands in a matter of minutes using social

media. Shareholders can overturn board decisions. Governments can bring in legislation that will change the

nature of an industry sector. Consumers can tell millions of others about poor service in a few clicks.

Gi , it is important for

organisations to take a proactive approach to managing stakeholder relationships if they are to protect their

reputation, recognise new opportunities and continue to grow.

In this unit, you will explore different stakeholders in depth, analysing their potential impact and influence, in order

to develop relevant relationship management strategies that will enable organisations to overcome threats, take

advantage of opportunities, achieve their objectives and protect their brand.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Assess the potential influence and impact of stakeholders for a range of organisations (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Assess the stakeholders for a range of organisations including SMEs, social enterprises, charities, national and international organisations, and the public sector

1.2 Assess the relative importance of stakeholders for a range of organisations using relevant theoretical frameworks

1.3 Analyse the impact of influence and power on the interactions between organisations and their stakeholders

1.4 Assess environmental factors that may affect the power of key stakeholders to influence organisations

2. Evaluate the opportunities and threats that can be created by key stakeholder groups (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Explain the ways organisations and their stakeholders interact with each other

2.2 Assess the different relationships stakeholders can have with organisations

2.3 Evaluate the opportunities and threats that pressure groups can create for organisations in a range of industry sectors

2.4 Evaluate the opportunities and threats customers can create for a range of organisations using consumer behaviour theory

2.5 Evaluate brand position and reputation

3. Assess the drivers for and key components of effective stakeholder relationships (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Examine the relationship marketing concept

3.2 Evaluate the importance of trust and commitment in developing and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships

3.3 Assess the importance of customer loyalty to an organisation

3.4 Evaluate the relevance of networks and collaborations to a range of organisations

4. Apply relationship management strategies for a range of internal and external stakeholders (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Identify the relationships an organisation has with a range of internal and external stakeholders

4.2 Evaluate the relationships an organisation should have with key stakeholders

4.3 Assess the relevance of online interactive technologies, digital media and social media in developing effective stakeholder relationships

4.4 Develop relationship management strategies appropriate for key stakeholders


Capabilities

Alongside academic





Element 1 Introduction

to key stakeholders

Understanding of the potential influence and impact of stakeholders on a range

of organisations

Types and categories of stakeholders, sources of power, environmental influences,

analysis, theoretical knowledge

Element 2 Stakeholder

groups

Awareness of opportunities and threats resulting from key stakeholder groups

Recognition of the impact of stakeholders on brand position and reputation

Stakeholder communication, stakeholder relationships, pressure groups, consumer behaviour, analysis, communication

Element 3 Effective

stakeholder relationships

Ability to recognise and establish effective stakeholder relationships

Ability to establish trust and commitment

Relationship marketing, establishing and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships, customer acquisition and retention, trust and commitment, loyalty

Element 4 Stakeholder

relationship management

strategies

and contribution to business performance

Ability to undertake a stakeholder analysis and gap analysis of stakeholder

relationships to make improvements

Ability to develop a relationship management strategy appropriate to key

stakeholders

Stakeholder analysis, gap analysis, stakeholder relationships, analysis and decision-making, developing strategies

Localisation

Different organisations will have fundamentally the same categories of stakeholders but the power and influence

of those stakeholders can vary widely and this may be as a result of local conditions. The level of maturity of

some organisations in terms of recognising the importance of developing relationships with key stakeholders may

also vary.


▪ Local and global influences

▪ The relative maturity of the business environment and the organisation

▪ The availability of online technologies


Indicative Content

1. Assess the potential influence and impact of stakeholders for a range of organisations (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Assess the stakeholders for a range of organisations including SMEs, social enterprises, charities, national and international organisations, and the public sector

▪ Definition of stakeholders ▪ Categories of stakeholders: internal, connected and external ▪ Stakeholder mapping ▪ Primary and secondary stakeholders

1.2 Assess the relative importance of stakeholders for a range of organisations using relevant theoretical

frameworks

▪ interest matrix ▪ -sitters, opponents, bedfellows, adversaries ▪

opponents, adversaries, the voiceless ▪ ower vs interest grid

1.3 Analyse the impact of influence and power on the interactions between organisations and their stakeholders

▪ power, referent power, coercive power.

▪ Johnson, Whittington and Scholes (2011) sources and indictors of power ▪ Other sources of power such as: positional power, system power, and personal power ▪ Power of organisations to influence their stakeholders

1.4 Assess environmental factors that may affect the power of key stakeholders to influence organisations

▪ Application of PESTLE frameworks to assess the impact on the power and influence of key stakeholders to influence organisations

▪ Potential influence of social media / new media and power of dynamic technological advances in communications

▪ Potential influence of increased interest in corporate social responsibility and ethics ▪ Potential influence of examples of poor stakeholder relationships/management

2. Evaluate the opportunities and threats that can be created by key stakeholder groups (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Explain the ways organisations and their stakeholders interact with each other

▪ Organisation to stakeholder methods of communication such as: social media, mobile communication, blogs, virtual meetings, email, face to face meetings, conferences, e-newsletters, presentations, events, public relations

▪ Stakeholder to organisation methods of communication such as: virtual meetings, face to face meetings, email, protests, publicity, social media, mobile communications, blogs

▪ Stakeholder to stakeholder methods of communication such as: social media, mobile communications, virtual meetings, face to face meetings, email, conferences, public relations


2.2 Assess the different relationships stakeholders can have with organisations

▪ Transactional vs relationship ▪ ▪ Partnerships, strategic alliances and networks ▪ Peck, Payne, Christopher and Clark (2004) Six Markets Model

2.3 Evaluate the opportunities and threats that pressure groups can create for organisations in a range of industry

sectors

▪ Sectional and causal pressure groups ▪

robotics ▪ Potential impacts of pressure groups on the organisation: changes in strategy, changes in processes,

changes in employment practices ▪ Potential impacts of pressure groups on other stakeholder groups: publicity (media), lobbying

(governments), share price movement (shareholders)

2.4 Evaluate the opportunities and threats customers can create for a range of organisations using consumer behaviour theory

▪ Consumer involvement in purchasing decisions: high and low involvement purchases ▪ The decision-making process (DMP) ▪ The decision-making unit (DMU) ▪ Reference groups including opinion leaders and opinion formers ▪ The consumer movement and consumerism

2.5 Evaluate brand position and reputation

▪ Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick 4 Cs Framework (2013): clarity, credibility, consistency and competitiveness ▪ Perceptual positioning maps ▪ Spidergram analysis ▪ Carroll and Buchholtz pyramid of social responsibility ▪ Johnson, Whittington and Scholes corporate social responsibility stances: laissez-faire, enlightened self-

interest, forum for stakeholder interaction and shaper of society ▪ The potential effects of stakeholders on corporate brand reputation such as: reputation damage,

reputational enhancement, increased/decreased brand value

3. Assess the drivers for and key components of effective stakeholder relationships (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Examine the relationship marketing concept

▪ Definitions of relationships and relationship marketing (customer relationship management) ▪ Egan (2011) Drivers promoting/against relational strategies ▪ Customer satisfaction drivers such as: the core product/service, customer support, customer interaction,

overall customer experience, after sales service ▪ The relationship life cycle model (Dwyer, Schurr and Oh)

3.2 Evaluate the importance of trust and commitment in developing and maintaining effective stakeholder

relationships

▪ Definitions of trust ▪ Definitions of commitment ▪ Definitions of risk, salience and emotions ▪ Mitchell, Reast and Lynch (1998): trusting situations: probity, equity, reliability, satisfaction ▪ : loyalty based cycle of growth

3.3 Assess the importance of customer loyalty to an organisation


▪ Definitions of loyalty ▪ Leaky bucket theory (Egan, 2011) ▪ Customer acquisition and retention including customer lifetime value ▪ The relationship marketing ladder of loyalty

3.4 Evaluate the relevance of networks and collaborations to a range of organisations

▪ Definitions of networks ▪ Definitions of collaborations ▪ The value of networks and networking to developing stakeholder relationships ▪ Tsokas and Saren (2000): relationship life cycle stages

4. Apply effective relationship management strategies for a range of internal and external stakeholders (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Identify the relationships an organisation has with a range of internal and external stakeholders

▪ Stakeholder audit ▪ Customer relationship marketing (CRM) ▪ Key metric/performance indicators such as: net promoter scores, return on relationships, employee

turnover, sales, market share, cost reductions

4.2 Evaluate the relationships an organisation should have with key stakeholders

▪ Analysis of stakeholder audit findings ▪ Gap analysis ▪ Prioritising relationships, e.g. risk vs potential ▪ Cost benefit analysis ▪ The relationship continuum

4.3 Assess the relevance of online interactive technologies, digital media and social media in developing effective

stakeholder relationships

▪ Advantages and disadvantages of online interactive technologies, digital media and social media from an organisational perspective, such as speed of communication, reach of communication, lack of control over communication

▪ Advantages and disadvantages of online interactive technologies, digital media and social media from , such as speed of communication, wide reach of communication,

cost effective communications, number of communication methods/opportunities ▪ , such as

organisational knowledge, potential customer manipulation, vulnerability to cyber-attacks

4.4 Develop relationship management strategies appropriate for key stakeholders

▪ Causes of stakeholder conflict ▪ Managing stakeholder conflict (Thomas and Ruble) ▪ Inform, consult, involve, collaborate, empower ▪ ▪ The effectiveness of internal and external marketing communications such as: advertising, public

relations, social media, mobile communications, blogs, direct marketing, sales promotions, personal selling, sponsorship


Human Resource Management


It is the role of the human resource department to get the right people, in the right place, at the right time, with the

right skills, at the right price. At each stage, human resource management involves investing some value into the

people via recruitment and selection of the right candidate, identifying and developing their knowledge and skills,

and undertaking strategic activities such as workforce planning, developing employee engagement and reward

strategies to add value to both employees and the organisation.

HR is more than just processes; if managed effectively it can add value and contribute to organisational success.

This unit introduces you to contemporary approaches to managing people by analysing and challenging theory in

relation to the practice of HRM. This will enable you to manage the people strategies in a diverse range of

organisations and occupational disciplines breaking the stereotype and championing a value-added approach.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the concept of human resource management (HRM) and its impact upon organisations (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Discuss the concept of HRM in relation to the traditional approach of personnel management

1.2 Analyse the main HR activities involved within HRM

1.3 Analyse the external and internal factors influencing HRM practice

1.4 Evaluate the ways the HR function contributes to the organisation

1.5 Discuss the ways in which the HR function can be evaluated

2. Assess the processes that arise from the application of human resource management in the workplace (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Analyse the role strategic HRM plays in organisational performance

2.2 Evaluate the role HR policies play in defining organisational values

2.3 Assess the effectiveness of competency based approaches

3. Appraise the various procedures and practices involved in HRM including human resource planning, resourcing, employee development, relations and reward, and evaluate their application (Weighting 40%)

3.1 Discuss the process of human resource planning and its role in HRM

3.2 Appraise the activities involved in employee resourcing

3.3 Appraise the activities involved in employee development

3.4 Appraise the activities involved in employee relations

3.5 Appraise the activities involved in employee reward

4. Evaluate the factors that determine the employment relationship in the workplace (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Discuss the concept of the employment relationship

4.2 Examine the benefits of a good employment relationship

4.3 Evaluate the ways to support good employee relationships


Capabilities

practical skills and capabilities. These capabilities are highlighted as certain values, knowledge, skills and


Below is an overview of the behaviours, skills and attitudes that you will develop through this unit include:


Element 1 - Concept of HRM Ability to discuss the key features of the HR function

Ability to identify the contribution of HR activities to business organisations

Ability to recognise how the HR function can be evaluated

Analysis, business performance, environmental analysis, internal analysis, HR practices

Element 2 - Application of

HRM processes

Ability to identify the principles of developing HR policy and its operational

impact

Policy development, HR strategy, organisational awareness, analysis, decision-making, HR operations

Element 3 - HRM procedures

and practices

Ability to evaluate HR processes against relevant employment legislation and

good practice

Communication, analysis, making reasoned judgements, application of theory, application of HR processes

Element 4 - Employment

relationship

Ability to assess the role of employee relations practices in maintaining an

employment relationship

Employment relationships, employee retention, analysis, role of social media

Localisation




You should refer to your country employment law in regard to recruitment and selection.


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the concept of human resource management (HRM) and its impact upon organisations (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Discuss the concept of HRM in relation to the traditional approach of personnel management

▪ The foundations of HRM: Harvard model, and the models of Guest (1989 and 1997), Legge (1998), Sisson, Storey (1992), Hendry & Pettigrew (1986)

▪ The characteristics of HRM vs personnel management

1.2 Analyse the main HR activities involved within HRM

▪ The key HRM activities: resourcing, reward, relations and human resource development (HRD)

1.3 Analyse the external and internal factors influencing HRM practice

▪ Examination of the external environment and application of the PESTLE model and its impact upon HRM practice within organisations

▪ Examination of the internal environment and its impact upon HRM: organisational structure, culture, managerial skills, change management

1.4 Evaluate the ways the HR function contributes to the organisation

▪ Consideration of the concept of added value within the context of HRM ▪ Competitive advantage and HRM contribution

1.5 Discuss the ways in which the HR function can be evaluated

▪ Methods of evaluation: process vs output ▪ Types of performance measures and their application to HRM: profit vs cost, time, measures of effect

and reaction, balanced scorecard ▪ Quantitative vs qualitative measures: employee, service level and wider stakeholder measures ▪ The use of data to interpret business trends and enable the development of cost benefit analysis

2. Assess the processes that arise from the application of human resource management in the workplace (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Analyse the role strategic HRM plays in organisational performance

▪ The definitions of strategic HRM including the concepts of strategic integrations, coherence and bundling ▪ The process of HR strategy development and how this impacts upon operational HR

2.2 Evaluate the role HR policies play in defining organisational values

▪ HR policy e.g. diversity and equality, dignity at work, bullying and harassment, employee wellbeing and the link to organisational values

2.3 Assess the effectiveness of competency based approaches

▪ Concept of competencies including definitions ▪ Types of competencies: generic and specific competencies ▪ The role of competencies in integrated HRM


3. Appraise the various procedures and practices involved in HRM including human resource planning, resourcing, employee development, relations and reward, and evaluate their application (Weighting 40%)

3.1 Discuss the process of human resource planning and its role in HRM

▪ Soft vs hard human resource planning ▪ The process of human resource planning and its impact upon decision-making including rationalisation,

succession planning and employee development

3.2 Appraise the activities involved in employee resourcing

▪ The various processes involved in employee resourcing including recruitment and selection, induction, and release from the organisation

▪ An examination of performance management and its links with employee development, reward and relations

3.3 Appraise the activities involved in employee development

▪ An introduction into the concepts of learning theory in the areas of learning and development and practice: learning organisation, continuous development, self-managed learning

▪ The concept of training within organisations: types of training, growth of coaching and mentoring, management development and career management

3.4 Appraise the activities involved in employee relations

▪ The balance of power in the employment relationship and effect of labour market economics ▪ The processes and practices involved in managing the employment relationship on both an individual and

collective level: disciplinary, grievance, fair and unfair dismissal, employee communication, negotiation, participation and involvement

3.5 Appraise the activities involved in employee reward

▪ An introduction to reward management systems and structures ▪ Examination of the role of job evaluation in ensuring fair, equitable, transparent reward systems ▪ Contingent pay practices: performance related pay, contribution based pay, competence related pay,

team based pay, bonus schemes, executive based pay and factors affecting choice of approach

4. Evaluate the factors that influence the employment relationship in the workplace (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Discuss the concept of the employment relationship

▪ Parties involved in the employment relationship and their expectations as the buyers and sellers of labour

4.2 Examine the benefits of a good employment relationship

▪ Contractual and psychological aspects of the employment relationship ▪ Impact upon employee retention

4.3 Evaluate the ways to support good employee relationships

▪ The role of employee voice in supporting the employee relationship ▪ Review of employee wellbeing practices in supporting the employment relationship ▪ The role of social media in changing the dynamic of the employment relationship


Employee Engagement


Engaged employees are enthusiastic and committed to the organisation. Enthusiastic and committed employees

lead to organisation growth. Organisations want, therefore, engaged and motivated employees. The focus in this

unit is on understanding engagement and exploring ways to improve and enhance the engagement of

employees in an organisation.

On completion of this unit, you will know what employee engagement is and you will also know what it is not. You

will be able to distinguish between engagement and such concepts as job satisfaction and employee

involvement. You will be able to evaluate the different types of employee engagement and the components that

add together to form engagement. You will also be able to analyse how employee reward can be linked to

engagement.

Having studied this unit, you will be able to plan and implement organisational strategies, evaluating the tools and

techniques available to increase and develop employee engagement. You will be able to analyse models of

employee engagement and evaluate how appropriate they are in different organisational settings. You will

understand how to monitor the progress of employee engagement strategies and reflect on the impact that such

strategies will have.


What learn



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the concept of employee engagement in order to explain its contribution to organisational success (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Discuss the concept of employee engagement within an organisational setting

1.2 Explain the importance of the dimensions of employee engagement within an organisation

commitment to the organisation

2. Assess the impact of engagement on the

working experience (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Discuss the positive impacts of employee engagement on the experience of the employee working in an organisation

2.2 Assess the negative impact that reduced employee engagement can have on the employee experience of work

3. Analyse the link between approaches to reward and employee engagement (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Analyse the impact of reward on levels of employee engagement

3.2 Discuss the extent of the relationship between reward and employee engagement

4. Analyse the contribution of employee engagement to organisational success (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Discuss the impact of employee engagement on organisational success

4.2 Analyse the link between organisational measures and organisational outcomes

5. Discuss the process of developing an employee engagement strategy (Weighting 20%)

5.1 Discuss the process of creating employee engagement strategies in an organisational setting

5.2 Appraise the barriers to creating effective employee engagement strategies in an organisation


Capabilities





Element 1 - Understanding

employee engagement

Understanding the concept of employee engagement, and what it is and is

not

Appreciation of the impact that employee engagement has on business

organisations

Application of theory, analysis, employee engagement, measuring success, commitment

Element 2 - The impact of

employee engagement on the

employee

The ability to identify positive and negative impacts on employee

engagement

Application of theory, positive and negative working relationships, employee engagement, reflection

Element 3 - Employee

engagement and reward

Being able to use reward to encourage and enhance engagement

Use of rewards, organisational success, analysis, making reasoned judgements

Element 4 - The impact of

engagement on the

organisation

Being able to assess the extent to which engagement predicts the success

of the organisation

Measuring success, alignment with organisational outcomes, employee success, employee development

Element 5 - Developing

employee engagement

strategies

Being able to develop strategies that work in an organisation to enhance

employee engagement

Strategy development, making recommendations, analysis, decision-making, assessing barriers

Localisation




The key section that needs to have specific reference to culture is reward, where different approaches to reward

will be common in different cultures and countries.


▪ The approach to reward can be affected by the different culture of a country and an organisation, and the laws of a country. Hence, understanding of the relevant culture and legislation should be demonstrated in the assignment.


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the concept of employee engagement in order to explain its contribution to organisational success (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Discuss the concept of employee engagement within an organisational setting

▪ Definitions of employee engagement ▪ The difference between employee engagement and related concepts, such as employee involvement

1.2 Explain the importance of the dimensions of employee engagement within an organisation

▪ Emotion, cognitive and physical engagement ▪ Affective, continuance and normative commitment

1.3 Analyse the impact of employee

▪ The drivers of employee engagement (e.g. leadership, employee voice) ▪ The enablers of employee engagement

2. (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Discuss the positive impacts of employee engagement on the experience of the employee working in an organisation

▪ The link between employee engagement and the psychological contract ▪ Career advancement and the link to engagement ▪ How personal and psychological growth can be affected by levels of engagement ▪ The impact of working relationships with peers and superiors on engagement ▪ The ethos and values of the organisation ▪ The link between employee engagement and the employer brand/being an employer of choice

2.2 Assess the negative impact that reduced employee engagement can have on the employee experience of

work

▪ The reasons that employee engagement might be reduced (e.g. poor leadership, lack of job security) ▪ Different levels of engagement in different organisational settings (ranging from no engagement to

complete engagement)


3. Analyse the link between approaches to reward and employee engagement (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Analyse the impact of reward on levels of employee engagement

▪ The link between reward and motivation, and the impact that this might have on employee engagement ▪ Non-financial reward and the impact on motivation ▪ Evaluate different approaches to basic financial rewards, including contingent based pay, financial

incentives such as bonuses ▪ Perceived unfairness in reward and the impact that this can have ▪ Consideration of equality, justice, and social responsibility to reward and performance

3.2 Discuss the extent of the relationship between reward and employee engagement

▪ Total reward and employee engagement ▪

4. Analyse the contribution of employee engagement to organisational success (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Discuss the impact of employee engagement on organisational success

▪ The link between business performance and an engaged workforce ▪ The relationship between the psychological contract, engaged employees and organisational outcome ▪ The link between customer service and employee engagement

4.2 Analyse the link between organisational measures and organisational outcomes

▪ Employee turnover and the outcome of high turnover on the organisation ▪ Creativity and diversity and whether a lack of employee engagement reduces innovation ▪ The impact of high levels of employee absence on the organisation

5. Discuss the process of developing an employee engagement strategy (Weighting 20%)

5.1 Discuss the process of creating employee engagement strategies in an organisational setting

▪ Using strategies as tools to implement engagement ▪ The place of employee engagement in business and HR strategies ▪ Measuring employee attitudes using attitude surveys ▪ The design of employee engagement strategies appropriate for an organisation ▪ Embedding employee engagement in recruitment and selection and performance management strategies ▪ The link between leadership style and the implementation of employee engagement strategies ▪ Ensuring the employee voice is heard by using appropriate methods (e.g. suggestion schemes)

5.2 Appraise the barriers to creating effective employee engagement strategies in an organisation

▪ Overcoming resistance to change (through consultation, negotiation, persuasion) ▪ Overcoming negative attitudes towards employee engagement strategies (through positive promotion of

strategies) ▪ Organisational features that support, and detract from, employee engagement strategies


The HR Professional


Organisations today operate in an increasingly uncertain environment.

Shifts in demographics and technology, changes in legislation and social behaviour, alongside ever-increasing

globalisation and mobility, have all contributed to the management of employees becoming increasingly more

challenging and complex.

As such, the role of the HR professional has moved from focusing on managing policies and ensuring

compliance within a legal framework, to a function which is strategically aligned, contributing and supporting

business achievement whilst managing a number of conflicting stakeholder expectations.

This unit focuses on the impact of these changes for the delivery of the HR function and what this means for the

HR professional. Contemporary practices and recent trends in HR service delivery, including research on the

contribution effective HR makes to sustainable organisational success, will be considered in order to determine

the hallmark of an effective HR professional.

human

capital reporting will be assessed. Looking ahead, the unit will reflect on current research and thoughts on the

future of HR and the skills, behaviours, confidence, and agility required to deliver its priorities with intent and

purpose. The need for an ethical approach to HRM will be explored, considering both the benefits and strategies

to manage ethical and professional tensions.

Finally, the unit explores the notion of critical reflection as a key component of professional learning.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the impact of the changing nature of HRM in terms of its implications for professional practice and development (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Analyse how the evolution of HR has impacted on HR service delivery, roles, and responsibilities

1.2 Discuss the factors that impact on the changing role and nature of the HR function

1.3 Discuss the main frameworks and models that have developed around the role of the HR practitioner

1.4 Discuss the impact of current trends in HR service delivery on the skills, knowledge and behaviours required by the HR professional

2. Appraise contemporary debates regarding the future of the HR profession, identifying implications for professional practice and development (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Discuss recent research and debates on the future of HR

2.2 Analyse the impact of emerging workforce trends, including technology on the future work of the HR professional

2.3 Discuss the implications of projected changes from a personal development viewpoint

3. Discuss the value and contribution of HR in order to drive development of both HR service delivery and personal contribution (Weighting 15%)

3.1 Assess the contribution made by the evaluation and measurement of HR at both an organisational and professional level

3.2 Compare different methods of evaluating and measuring the contribution of HR

3.3 Analyse the impact of human capital reporting and intellectual capital accounting practices on HR practices

4. Discuss the implications of adopting a professional and ethical approach to HRM in the workplace from both an organisational and individual practitioner viewpoint (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Discuss HRM as a profession

4.2 Discuss ethical perspectives and theories in order to develop a business case for ethical HRM

4.3 Discuss the ethical rationale for maintaining values and standards within the workplace

4.4 Appraise a range of day-to-day HRM activities within the workplace, identifying potential ethical and professional tensions and proposing solutions

5. Apply the concept of a reflective practitioner within both current and anticipated future work contexts (Weighting 20%)

5.1 Analyse a range of reflective practice approaches

5.2 Reflect on personal knowledge, experience and practice including a realistic self-assessment of skills and needs, both current and future, relating to your role as a HR professional


Capabilities

your





Element 1 - The

changing nature of HRM

Recognise the impact of current and emerging trends and use this knowledge to

plan for personal professional development

Adapt own practice in response to internal and external pressures and needs

Reflection, self-development, environmental analysis, awareness of current trends

Element 2 - The future

world of HRM

Appreciate the need to adapt personal style and approach in light of context and

expectations

Ability to keep abreast of professional trends and draw out personal conclusions

for own work

Intellectual debate, awareness of emerging trends and their impact in reality, reflection, self-development, impact of technology

Element 3 - Evaluating

contribution

Ability to select appropriate methods to evaluate own and functional contribution

Ability to develop objectives for own work and agree relevant service level

agreements

Planning, setting objectives, measuring performance, making reasoned judgements, HR practice

Element 4 - Leading and

developing a professional

and ethical approach to

HR practice in the

workplace

Ability to work within relevant professional codes of conduct and standards

Able to be a role model with an ethical approach to own work

Ability to manage arising ethical tensions

Professionalism, role model, ethical approaches and standards in own work, managing ethical tensions

Element 5 - The reflective

practitioner

Identify and evaluate factors impacting on own effectiveness as an HR

professional

Develop original ideas to apply to own practice

Intellectual debate, ethical approaches and standards, developing a business case, making reasoned judgements

Localisation

Managing HR takes place not just within an organisational context (where forms of ownership, business strategy,

culture and expectations will all impact), but must also work within the confines of any legal requirements (which

will vary from country to country) as well as operating within cultural and social expectations of the country based

in. You are expected to consider the application and suitability of underpinning concepts in light of these factors.


▪ The structure, culture, size, vision and mission of the organisation you are working for

▪ The local culture and social expectations and their impact on employee and stakeholder expectations

▪ Feasibility and suitability of practices within your specific setting


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the impact of changing nature of HRM in terms of its implications for professional practice and development (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Analyse how the evolution of HR has impacted on HR service delivery, roles, and responsibilities

▪ Changes in focus from a welfare orientated function (personnel), through policing (industrial relations) to a focus on partnering (human relations); key features of each including scope, organisation (roles and responsibilities) and priorities

▪ Development of HR as a specialist function and the impact of this in both scope and delivery of the role; differences between generalist and specialist approaches

▪ Impact of stakeholder interests on delivery of HR: limitations placed on policy choices and approaches, views on outsourcing and devolution of HR to line managers

▪ Delivery approaches including Adams (1991) inhouse agency, internal consultancy, business within, -legged stool (1997); self-service; outsourcing; issues and benefits of

each

1.2 Discuss the factors that impact on the changing role and nature of the HR function

▪ Awareness of organisational context and situational factors and how these impact on choices available (size, structure, culture, management style, vision and mission)

▪ Five Forces analysis, EVR)

▪ Assessing HR implications and appropriate responses: vertical and horizontal alignment ▪ Changing nature of the psychological contract and how this has influenced employee perceptions and

expectations of the HR function ▪ The impact of increasingly greater global influence and/or integration on practices and expectations and

the implications of this for HRM

1.3 Discuss the main frameworks and models that have developed around the role of the HR practitioner

▪ Frameworks and models: Legge (1978), Guest and King (2004), Storey (1992), Caldwell (2003), Tyson and Fell (1986), Monks (1993) and Ulrich and Brockbank (1995); emergence of a transformational approach to HR

▪ Contribution of each framework to development of HRM; scope of role and responsibilities, challenges and benefits associated with each framework

▪ Dimensions: strategic/technical; transformational/transactional; strategic/operational; low/high influence

1.4 Discuss the impact of current trends in HR service delivery on the skills, knowledge and behaviours required by the HR professional

▪ Development of professional industry bodies: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI); their influence and impact on practices, expectations and standards

▪ Debates on best practice, best fit approaches to HR delivery ▪ Consequences of a more global, strategic and transformational focus on personal development and

experiences ▪ Employee wellbeing as an integral component in employee engagement and productivity, defining

wellbeing at work, importance of roles in maintaining implications for practices


2. Appraise contemporary debates regarding the future of the HR profession, identifying implications for personal professional practice (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Discuss recent research and debates on the future of HR

▪ Influence of thought leadership and research on emerging trends and practices (Note: thought leadership and research will continue to evolve, therefore the following content should be viewed as indicative and repetitive of influences at the point of development (early 2017): insight driven

opportunities and challenges associated with emerging views

2.2 Analyse the impact of emerging workforce trends, including technology on the future work of the HR professional

▪ Characteristics of the labour market both locally and globally and how this impacts on HR policies and practices and their delivery (diversity, patterns of employment, availability of skilled and experienced staff). Changing expectations of work and the influence of expectations for the HR function

▪ The rising recognition of the importance of Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and employer branding ▪ Managing a migrant, transitional workforce ▪ The impact of technology on the delivery of HR; impacts on communication; social media challenges and

uses including in recruitment; use of HRIS in planning and managing employee contributions, managing work patterns, data storage and retrieval; use in employee development and performance management; opportunities to demonstrate a value-added contribution through use of dashboards and metrics

2.3 Discuss the implications of projected changes from a personal development viewpoint

▪ Cultural awareness and communication challenges; openness and adaptability ▪ Adopting a coaching and facilitation approach in the workplace ▪ HR as a role model; characteristics of a role model (e.g. leading with purpose and integrity, value driven

behaviour); challenges including balancing different parameters ▪ Creating shared purpose; the link between shared purpose and sustained success; factors influencing a

sense of shared purpose (CIPD 2011); implications for HR practices and approaches ▪ Gaining support and commitment of line managers, employees, senior managers and key stakeholders

3. Assess the value and contribution of HR in order to drive development of both HR service delivery and personal contribution (Weighting 15%)

3.1 Assess the contribution made by the evaluation and measurement of HR at both an organisational and professional level

▪ HR analytics; meaning (including big data (CIPD 2013), aims, contribution, processes ▪ Evaluation criteria; effectiveness, efficiency and fairness ▪ Perspectives; organisational, risk, line manager and employee ▪ HR data types of data and examples (quantitative and qualitative), data gathering and analysis

techniques, presenting data. ▪ Sources of information; organisational, sector, national, online databases, professional bodies ▪ Return on Investment (ROI) and Return on Expectation (ROE) (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2009)


3.2 Compare different methods of evaluating and measuring the contribution of HR

▪ Strengths and weaknesses of different methods; application to different situations: methods to include benchmarking, HR audits, survey and goal based evaluation, balanced scorecard (Kaplan and Norton 1992), LAMP (Logic, Analytics, Measures, Process) (Boudreau & Ramstad 2006), service level agreements, KPIs

▪ Data vs information, quantitative and qualitative metrics, conversion of data into meaningful information; effective presentation including the use of HR dashboards

▪ Data protection: requirements, impact on HR activities, challenges and tensions

3.3 Analyse the impact of human capital reporting and intellectual capital accounting practices on HR practices

▪ Human Capital Reporting (Bontis et al 1999): meaning, contribution, measuring including levels of data analysis, measurement challenges, internal and external reporting, links with Resource Based View of the firm (Barney 1991)

▪ Intellectual Capital Accounting (Bontis 1996): meaning, implications for HR

4. Assess the implications of adopting a professional and ethical approach to HRM in the workplace form both an organisational and individual practitioner viewpoint (Weighting 20%)

4.1 Analyse HRM as a profession

▪ The nature of professionalism: definitions e.g. Friedson (2001); characteristics, traits, competence, body of knowledge, accountability, autonomy

▪ Professional identity: personality, values and emotions ▪ Professional norms, working with a professional code of conduct (sector and professional) and standards ▪ The HR Profession Map (CIPD), model of competence (SHRM), uses of, impact on role

4.2 Discuss ethical perspectives and theories in order to develop a business case for ethical HRM

▪ Ethical perspectives: duties, consequences and values (deontological, teleological and utilitarianism approaches)

▪ Business case for ethical HRM: defining ethics in a business context, the value of ethics to a business, , impact of these on HR

delivery and practices

4.3 Discuss the ethical rationale for maintaining values and standards within the workplace

▪ Ethical issues: minimum vs best practice standards, legal and regulatory compliance, maintaining workplace standards, employer of choice and organisational success

▪ feedback, monitoring) of ethical policies and practices

▪ Managing ethical dilemmas and tensions: guidelines (1990) to help with decision-making

▪ Whistleblowing: definition, benefits, and content of a policy on; challenges in implementing and managing whistleblowing policy

4.4 Appraise a range of day-to-day HRM activities within the workplace, identifying potential ethical and professional tensions and proposing solutions

▪ Fair and ethical practices including recruitment and selection: management of absence and welfare issues, reward management, employee relations and communication

▪ Organisational approaches to equality and diversity: discrimination and positive discrimination ▪ Stakeholder conflicts: conflict of expectation, power dynamics ▪ Challenges in the need to think global act locally ; concepts of convergence and divergence


5. Apply the concept of a reflective practitioner within both current and anticipated future work contexts (Weighting 20%)

5.1 Analyse a range of reflective practice approaches

▪ Defining reflective practice as learning through and from experience (Boud et al 1985) ▪ Uses and value of reflective practice: challenging self and supporting personal grow and best practice,

leading CPD in the organisation, link with professionalism, professional obligations ▪ Types of reflection: reflection on action, in action and for action (Schon 1987); Atkins and Murphy (1993)

three stages of reflective process; personal and group reflection / open and closed reflection ▪ Feature of reflective practice ▪ Principles and concepts of reflection, reflexivity and reflective practice in relation to the role of the HR

professional ▪ Single and double loop learning (Argyris 1974) ▪ Models and frameworks for reflection:

(1988 ; criteria for choice of framework ▪ Obstacles to reflective practice and solutions

5.2 Reflect on personal knowledge, experience and practice including a realistic self-assessment of skills and

needs both current and future relating to your role as a HR professional

▪ Use of professional frameworks and standards e.g. CIPD HR Professional Map/SHRM competency model/AHRI Model of excellence; relevance and opportunities; self-assessment; similarities and differences

▪ Self-awareness and understanding of own approaches and preferences and how these impact on approach both to work and personal development: to include personal learning preferences (e.g. Honey and Mumford (1982), Fleming and Baume (2008) VARK), emotional resilience, social awareness, values and beliefs, sources of power and influence

▪ Approaches to personal professional development including the role of formal and informal learning, self-directed learning, mentoring and coaching

▪ Reflection as a lifelong process: from reflection to learning, action learning ▪ Use of tools to help with reflection of own practice: blogs, diaries, 360-degree feedback and appraisal

processes, use of mentor


Integrated Marketing Communications


customers.

The use of mobile, social media, and personalised channels have all contributed to the explosion of customer

touchpoints through which brands can reach out to their target audiences.

This explosion of channel options now enables organisations to construct powerful media plans with precisely the

right media mix to reach their audience, whether they operate in consumer or industrial markets, product or

service providers, public sectors and charities.

This fragmented media landscape means that it is imperative for brands to create and communicate a consistent

message; one that cuts through the competitive noise to tell an engaging and compelling brand story.

To be able to leverage these new media opportunities, organisations increasingly need people with the right skills

and a deep understanding of how to plan, implement and manage fully integrated marketing campaigns.

This unit will help you to develop these skills by introducing the concept and principles of integrated marketing

communications (IMC). Specifically, the unit will explain the importance of IMC in meeting the brand, marketing,

and business objectives and, as such, you will develop a broad understanding of how IMC is implemented in a

variety of real world situations.

As such, this will prepare you for the complex task of developing and managing a fully integrated multichannel

campaign that is appropriate for different businesses, markets, and industries, whilst building your knowledge of

customer behaviour, media planning, and brand strategy.

The ultimate aim of this unit is to help you gain highly relevant and valuable marketing skills increasingly sought by

employers in all markets, sectors, and industries.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Discuss the concept and principles of integrated marketing communications (IMC) (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Explain the role of IMC in a variety of settings

1.2 Discuss the purpose, benefits, and barriers of a fully integrated marketing communications campaign

1.3 Discuss the ethical aspects involved in IMC

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of different marketing communications channels to achieve business objectives (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Identify the components of the IMC mix

2.2 Explain the diverse nature and purpose of advertising in the IMC plan

2.3 Explain the nature and purpose of public relations, sponsorship, and product placement in the IMC plan

2.4 Explain the role and nature of direct marketing (DM) methods including sales promotion, personal selling, telemarketing, and direct response activities

2.5 Explain the concept of corporate and internal communications

2.6 Assess dynamic interactive media

3. Discuss the role of IMC in building, positioning, and differentiating brands (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of brand marketing

3.2 Discuss customer behaviour and the customer journey

3.3 Explain how IMC can be used to position the brand in different markets and sectors

3.4 Discuss the influence of different online and offline media channels on

4. Propose methods to manage and report IMC campaign performance (Weighting 10%)

4.1 Develop and recommend contingency plans and apply the principles of marketing campaign management

4.2 Understand how to gather and measure IMC campaign performance data

5. Discuss the principles of implementing a fully integrated marketing communications campaign for an organisation (Weighting 30%)

5.1 Discuss the process of implementing an IMC campaign

5.2 Explain the role of third party agencies in providing creative, media, and marketing services

5.3 Evaluate how business-to-business (B2B) marketing and business-to-customer (B2C) marketing differ and be able to recommend an appropriate approach for a specific organisation

5.4 Discuss how the IMC strategy is applied in different markets and sectors


Capabilities





Element 1 - The theories,

concepts and principles of

integrated marketing

communications

Ability to recognise the role of IMC in a range of settings

Ability to discuss the ethical factors involved in IMC in order to uphold

ethical practice

Critical thinking, analytical skills, analysis of models, critical reflection, ethical appreciation

Element 2 - The components

of the IMC mix, their role and

purpose in the marketing

strategy

Knowledge of a full range of marketing communications channels and their

appropriate uses

Synthesis, planning, reflection, evaluation, analysis of models, critical reflection, evaluation

Element 3 - The role of IMC in

brand marketing

Awareness of the relationship between IMC and brand marketing

Ability to apply the principles of brand marketing

Ability to develop IMC strategies for use in brand positioning in different

markets and sectors

Critical thinking, problem solving, analytical skills, synthesis, planning, analysis of models, information retrieval

Element 4 - Monitoring,

measuring and managing the

IMC campaign

Ability to apply the principles of marketing campaign management and

develop contingency plans

Ability to gather and measure IMC campaign performance data

Analytical, problem solving, planning, evaluation, using reporting skills, mapping, analysis of models, numeracy

Element 5 - Implementing the

IMC campaign

Awareness of the process of implementing an IMC campaign

Knowledge of the role of third party agencies in providing creative, media,

and marketing services

Ability to evaluate business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer

(B2C) marketing and recommend an appropriate approach for a specific

organisation

Ability to apply IMC strategy in different markets and sectors

Critical thinking, analytical, problem solving, problem posing, evaluation, decision-making, planning and implementing, using reporting skills, presentation skills, mapping, creativity, initiative


Localisation





▪ National, regional and local media channels available

▪ demographic structure

▪ cultural characteristics affecting attitudes to brands and marketing

▪ The digital maturity of nations, regions and territories

▪ Specific retail channels and routes to market

▪ Specific legislation, codes of practice and regulations relating to marketing

▪ The structure of commerce and industry in the particular market


Indicative Content

1. Discuss the concept and principles of integrated marketing communications (IMC) (Weighting 20%)

1.1 Discuss the role of IMC in a variety of settings

▪ Theories of the marketing communications process including The Schramm Linier or Sequential Model of Communication, the Two-Step Flow (Katz and Laszerfeld) and Opinion Leader Influence, and approaches to consumer processing including the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) (Petty and Cacioppo 1986)

▪ The nature and principles of IMC and how they apply to different markets, sectors and customer groups ▪ Trends and changes in marketing communications including globalisation, digital marketing, and the

impact of new technologies on consumer buying behaviour, media consumption habits, preferences and insights

1.2 Discuss the purpose, benefits, and barriers of a fully integrated marketing communications campaign

▪ The advantages and importance of IMC to the customer and the organisation ▪ The role of IMC in contributing to the overall marketing strategy ▪ The difference between strategic and tactical use of IMC ▪ How IMC contributes to organisational objectives ▪ Necessary conditions for successful IMC including cross-functional collaboration; agility and attitudes to

risk; sufficient resources, tools and expertise ▪ Why some organisations do not achieve IMC and the challenges that IMC can present including cultural

barriers; attitudes and beliefs about the marketing concept; human and financial resource constraints

1.3 Discuss the ethical aspects involved in IMC

▪ The ethical imperative of IMC in different countries, cultures and regions ▪ The impact of ethical behaviours on the brand, the customer and society and the responsibility of

marketers to uphold ethical best practice

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of different marketing communications channels to achieve business objectives (Weighting 20%)

2.1 Identify the components of the IMC Mix

▪ Setting the objectives for marketing communications ▪ Identifying the different online and offline media channels included in the IMC mix of advertising, public

relations, sales promotion, sponsorship and direct marketing ▪ The principles behind selecting appropriate media touchpoints to meet different marketing objectives

2.2 Discuss the diverse nature and purpose of advertising in the IMC plan

▪ Types of advertising strategy including brand positioning, transactional, functional and corporate communications, and their function in different markets and sectors

▪ The different traditional and digital advertising channels and how they contribute to meeting marketing objectives

▪ The advertising process including researching, planning, executing and evaluating campaigns ▪ The advantages and drawbacks of advertising for an organisation

2.3 Discuss the nature and purpose of public relations, sponsorship, and product placement in the IMC plan


▪ Methods to achieve earned media coverage across different channels including influencer marketing, social sharing and the concept of viral marketing

▪ The growing importance of social media and the influence of opinion leaders on customer choices ▪ How organisations use public relations to manage bad publicity and limit damage to the brand's

reputation ▪ The role and purpose of different types of sponsorship including social, sports, cultural and environmental ▪ The benefits and drawbacks of sponsorship including the risks to brand reputation ▪ How organisations use event marketing to build the brand image

2.4 Discuss the role and nature of direct marketing (DM) methods including sales promotion, personal selling, telemarketing, and direct response activities

▪ A definition of direct marketing and the factors involved in planning and implementing DM campaigns ▪ The importance of capturing and maintaining accurate, meaningful and current customer intelligence for

generating audience insights ▪ Regulations affecting permission marketing, data security and face-to-face selling ▪ Sales promotion as part of the CRM strategy, including discounting, gifting, competitions, product

sampling and experiential methods ▪ The advantages and limitations of direct marketing and CRM

2.5 Explain the concept of corporate and internal communications

▪ The role and purpose of corporate and internal communications as part of the IMC strategy ▪ The advantages to the organisation and its employees of consistent brand communications for managing

corporate reputation

2.6 Assess dynamic interactive media

▪ The role of social, search and other interactive media ▪ Interactive media including banner ads, pop-ups, microsites, rich media ads, online video, online gaming ▪ Social media including social networks, web logs, microblogging, viral marketing, podcasting, email

marketing, SMS, affiliate marketing, augmented reality ▪ The importance of developing interactive strategies that protect and enhance the

3. Describe the role of IMC in building, positioning and differentiating brands (Weighting 20%)

3.1 Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of brand marketing

▪ The value of a brand to the organisation and its power to influence customer choice ▪ Creating and communicating the brand persona; personality and characteristics; brand positioning and

the importance of the brand value proposition ▪ The concept of brand equity and how organisations calculate the value of the brand

3.2 Discuss customer behaviour and the customer journey

▪ The principles of customer segmentation and how organisations select customer groups ▪ The customer decision-making process in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer

marketing contexts and how customer behaviour differs across countries and cultures ▪

3.3 Explain how IMC can be used to position the brand in different markets and sectors

▪ The concept of segmentation, positioning, and targeting ▪ Principles of segmenting consumer and industrial groups ▪ How brands align the brand position with the target audience ▪ Developing IMC strategies to target different consumer and industrial segments


▪ How brands develop powerful and compelling customer value propositions

▪ How media channel choice is used to support the brand positioning strategy


4. Propose methods to manage and report IMC campaign performance (Weighting 10%)

4.1 Develop and recommend contingency plans and apply the principles of marketing campaign management

▪ The methods used to manage campaigns, including tactical calendars and scheduling tools ▪ The roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in delivering the IMC campaign, involving cross-functional

teams

4.2 Understand how to gather and measure IMC campaign performance data

▪ The types of data needed to measure IMC campaign performance and the principles of qualitative and quantitative feedback

▪ The tools and techniques used to gather and assess qualitative data involving focus groups, interviews and observation

▪ The tools and techniques used to gather and assess quantitative data involving syndicated research, surveys and online analytics

▪ How to report and present the IMC campaign findings, analysis, conclusions and recommendations to important stakeholder

5. Discuss the principles of implementing a fully integrated marketing communications campaign for an organisation (Weighting 30%)

5.1 Discuss the process of implementing an IMC campaign

▪ Evaluation of the different marketing implementation models relevant to IMC strategy ▪ The challenges involved in developing marketing strategies in the fast moving digital landscape

5.2 Explain the role of third party agencies in providing creative, media, and marketing services

▪ The structure of marketing services agencies including advertising, media, creative and marketing consultancies

▪ Methods used to search for and select appropriate agencies and understand the agency-client relationship

5.3 Evaluate how business-to-business (B2B) marketing and business-to-customer (B2C) marketing differ and be able to recommend an appropriate approach for a specific organisation

▪ The principles of business-to-business (B2B) marketing ▪ How IMC is applied in B2B markets ▪ The different approach to customer segmentation, targeting and positioning in B2B markets ▪ How IMC strategies differs in B2B and B2C markets

5.4 Discuss how the IMC strategy is applied in different markets and sectors

▪ The growth of the services sector and how IMC is applied in service industries ▪ The different approaches taken by charities, non-profit and public sector organisations in developing IMC

strategies ▪ How IMC is used by organisations operating in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) markets


Buyer and Consumer Behaviour


What makes someone decide to buy a particular brand? Why do some people select a certain product over

another?

How consumers make such buying decisions is a complex process that is heavily influenced by who they are,

pressures from peer groups, their lifestyles, and their finances. It involves how people feel about themselves,

about the brands they purchase and those they do not.

For marketers, understanding this unpredictable purchase behaviour is a combination of science and art, firmly

grounded in theories of human psychology and economics. It is one of the most critical success factors in any

marketing strategy which is why marketers constantly seek new insights about customer behaviour; about why

people act as they do and about their needs, wants and fears, so that they can develop marketing strategies that

connect with the target customer on a deep emotional level.

This unit introduces you to the concepts of consumer behaviour. It addresses the important differences between

how and why individual consumers make purchase decisions and the processes used by organisations and

groups.

It explores a range of popular models and theories about customer behaviour and puts them into the context of

today s digital marketplace and the multicultural dimensions that influence customers everywhere.

Ultimately, it will explain how marketers use behavioural insights to inform every part of the marketing mix, from

the packaging design to media channel choice, and from pricing strategy to the marketing message.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Analyse the major influences on consumer choice (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Analyse the personal characteristics of the consumer as an individual

1.2 Analyse the concept of motivation and its role in customer decision-making

1.3 Discuss the external forces that influence customer buying behaviour

1.4 Explain aspects of contemporary customer behaviour

2. Discuss the principles of purchase decision-making in a variety of situations (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Discuss the theories of the purchase decision process followed by individuals

2.2 Discuss the theories of the buying decision process in organisations and formal groups

2.3 Compare how buyer behaviour may differ in the purchase of a service to that of a product

3. Analyse the value of research in providing insights into buying behaviour (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Analyse the methods used to gather customer insights research data

3.2 Assess digital methods of gathering customer information

3.3 Discuss the importance of protecting customer data

4. Discuss how consumer behaviour theories influence the marketing mix (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss elements of the marketing mix and the impact of buyer behaviour on marketing mix decisions

4.2 Discuss the effect of post-brand loyalty

4.3 Explain customer behaviour


Capabilities





Element 1 - Internal and external factors affecting consumer purchase behaviour

Ability to identify the personal characteristics of consumers and recognise contemporary consumer behaviour

Ability to understand how consumer choices are influenced

Analytical, synthesis, reflection, evaluation, analysis of models, information retrieval

Element 2 - The processes of consumer and industrial purchase decisions

Awareness of consumer and industrial decision-making processes

Analytical, synthesis, reflection, evaluation, analysis of models, information retrieval

Element 3 - Research methods used to gather data about consumer and industrial buying behaviour

Ability to use methods to gather customer insights, including digital methods

Awareness of the importance of protecting customer data

Critical thinking, analytical, problem solving, problem posing, synthesis, planning, evaluation, decision-making, planning and implementing, using reporting skills, mapping, analysis of models, information retrieval, research, ethical appreciation

Element 4 - The influence of buying behaviour theories on developing the marketing strategy

Ability to apply consumer behaviour theories to the marketing mix

social responsibilities

Critical thinking, analytical, problem solving, problem posing, synthesis, planning, evaluation, decision-making, planning and implementing, using reporting skills, mapping, analysis of models, information retrieval, research, ethical appreciation

Localisation





▪ National, regional and local media channels available

▪ demographic structure

▪ cultural characteristics affecting attitudes to brands and marketing

▪ The digital maturity of nations, regions and territories

▪ Specific retail channels and routes to market

▪ Specific legislation, codes of practice and regulations relating to marketing

▪ The structure of commerce and industry in the particular market


Indicative Content

1. Analyse the major influences on consumer choice (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Analyse the personal characteristics of the consumer as an individual

▪ An introduction to the principles of consumer buying behaviour ▪ Dimensions of personality and how these influence human behaviour ▪ The power of emotions in making purchase decisions ▪ The influence that self-perception and personal values have on purchase decision-making ▪ How attitudes and beliefs impact on our purchase behaviour ▪ Aspects of learning and memory and how they are applied in marketing situations

1.2 Analyse the concept of motivation and its role in customer decision-making

▪ Theories of motivation ▪ How motivation influences customer brand and product choices

1.3 Discuss the external forces that influence customer buying behaviour

▪ The role of culture, subculture, class and demographics in influencing buying decisions ▪ How the economic and political climate affect purchase behaviour ▪ The differences between customer behaviour in developing and developed countries including attitudes,

determinants of value and purchase constraints ▪ The power of peer groups, family members, colleagues and opinion leaders to shape buying behaviour

1.4 Explain aspects of contemporary customer behaviour

▪ Trends and changes in customer behaviour brought about by ecommerce, smartphone technology and social media

▪ The implications for marketers of increasingly digital customer behaviours

2. Discuss the principles of purchase decision-making in a variety of situations (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Discuss the theories of the purchase decision process followed by individuals

▪ Exploring different theories of customer behaviour including rational, instinctive and situational decision-making

▪ Models of customer decision-making e.g. Engel, Kollet, Blackwell (EKB), the Howard-Sheth Model and

▪ A conte ▪ The benefits and drawback for marketers of these popular behaviour theories and models including

-Seth model of buyer behaviour

2.2 Discuss the theories of the buying decision process in organisations and formal groups

▪ Important differences between consumer and organisation buying behaviour ▪ The concept and characteristics of the organisational buying process including industrial market

dynamics, relative purchase size, levels of risk and stakeholder involvement ▪ Important roles and stakeholders involved in making the organisational buying decision ▪ External and internal influences on organisational buying decisions including economic climate, regulatory

constraints, organisational structure and cultural aspects ▪ The factors that affect the individuals involved in organisational buying decisions including personal

factors such as age, education and risk attitudes; team behaviours, leadership styles, authority and status

2.3 Compare how buyer behaviour may differ in the purchase of a service to that of a product


▪ The key characteristics of a service and how these differ from a product including the intangibility of a service and its benefits; the level of consumer involvement and difficulties in evaluating service quality

▪ How customers evaluate intangible services ▪ Managing customer expectations relating to the desired service, the expected service and minimum

variable service ▪ The process that organisational buyers and consumers follow to make service purchase decisions

3. Analyse the value of research in providing insights into buying behaviour (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Analyse the methods used to gather customer insights research data

▪ An overview of the marketing research process ▪ Qualitative methods of gathering and analysing customer behaviour insights including focus groups,

individual interviews, action research and observational techniques ▪ Quantitative methods of gathering and analysing customer behaviour insights including surveys,

questionnaires, digital behaviour analytics, internal consumer records and syndicated data ▪ Mixed methods of research and the benefits of a qualitative-quantitative approach

3.2 Assess digital methods of gathering customer information

▪ ▪ -transactional data and

response tracking ▪ in forecasting purchase behaviour and making data-driven marking decisions ▪ The advantages and drawbacks of digital research data including validity and reliability; age and relevance

3.3 Discuss the importance of protecting customer data

▪ Legal and regulatory controls relating to market and customer research data including data protection and privacy laws in key countries

▪ The ethical perspective of capturing, keeping and using consumer information and the responsibility of marketers to protect consumers and the organisation


4. Discuss how consumer behaviour theories influence the marketing mix (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss elements of the marketing mix and the impact of buyer behaviour on marketing mix decisions

▪ Elements of the extended marketing mix ▪ The process of segmenting customer groups based on purchase behaviour ▪ The impact of different customer behaviours on the marketing mix and how marketers develop strategies

for products, and services to appeal directly to the target consumer 4.2 Discuss the effect of post-purchase

▪ -purchase emotions and behaviours ▪ How organisations develop strategies for managing consumer relationships (CRM) and improve brand

loyalty ▪ Brand responses to post-purchase dissonance and its impact on brand reputation, including the

consumer complaint handling process; attitudes to deceptive marketing and the effect on repeat purchases

▪ Social and ethical concerns relating to marketing, consumerism and customer behaviour ▪ The power of public opinion and pressure groups ▪ Key customer legislation, advertising standards and regulatory controls in different regions, countries and

continents


Societal and Social Marketing


Social marketing relates to the use of marketing approaches considering the positive impact on individuals and

communities within society. It is an application that is used within the marketing sector to address issues of

health, environment, and safety by demonstrating social wellbeing. Social marketing also provides a robust

platform for the development of behavioural change strategies and programmes for marketers to instil social

benefits by addressing changing demographic landscape within social, cultural, and economic environment.

In addition, the concept of social marketing has been growing significantly in its scope and impact as a result of a

structural change due to transformative consumer research (TCR) movement led by the Association of Consumer

Research across cultures involving diverse target audience. The social marketing practice provides coverage of

substantive topics including consumption and wellbeing, combatting threats to self, improving financial decision-

making, and regulating the advertising of tobacco and other adult products.

Societal marketing considers the ethical aspect within application of marketing theory and practice outlining

sustainable interests of society beyond just providing employability and utility benefits. The practice of social

marketing provides broader coverage to the key areas of corporate social responsibility, ethics in organisational

strategies, green and responsible marketing. The social and societal marketing practices work in synergy with

each other providing mutual benefits but, more importantly, added value to the society and businesses overall.

This unit intends to cover contemporary areas of marketing practices from the perspective of social benefits,

ethical considerations and behavioural change interventions. It also presents a unique opportunity for you to

assess and evaluate the influence of marketing approaches and further contribute to the strategic development of

promotional strategies for social and societal impact.


What



outcome).

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

Assessment Criteria

The learner can:

1. Discuss the role and application of the social marketing practice for the behavioural change programmes (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Discuss the nature and characteristics of social marketing practices

1.2 Discuss the role of marketing communication in behavioural change programmes

1.3 Discuss behavioural change programmes in relation to social marketing applications

2. Assess the importance of social marketing choices and its relative impact on consumer decision-making (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Examine social marketing approaches from consumer behaviour perspective

2.2 Discuss the social marketing planning process in a consumer context

2.3 Discuss the impact of social marketing choices in consumer decision-making

3. Analyse constructs of ethics and corporate social responsibility in the use of marketing practices and their implications with stakeholders and wider society (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Discuss ethical issues in societal marketing

3.2 Analyse the importance of ethical considerations and CSR in marketing practices

3.3 Analyse social marketing approaches from stakeholder perspectives

4. Analyse different marketing approaches for strategic development of responsible practices providing added value to the society (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss societal marketing and the environment

4.2 Evaluate marketing practices from a societal benefit perspective

4.3 Examine the scope, planning and implementation of societal marketing practices


Capabilities





Element 1 - Social

marketing for behavioural

change

Awareness of social marketing practices and their difference to traditional

marketing practices

Awareness of behavioural change programmes, how and why organisations

might use them

Communications, environmental analysis, analysis, consumer behaviour, data gathering and interpretation

Element 2 - Social

marketing choices and

consumer decision-making

Ability to apply social marketing approaches to consumer behaviour

Awareness of the social marketing planning process

Awareness of the impact of social marketing choices in consumer decision-

making

Analysis, segmentation, targeting and positioning, planning, problem solving, investigation

Element 3 - Ethics and

corporate social

responsibility

Ability to discuss the ethical issues involved in social marketing

Ability to use marketing approaches to promote CSR initiatives and ethical

considerations

Appreciation of social marketing approaches from stakeholder perspectives

Ethical debate, ethical frameworks and their application, marketing approaches,

stakeholder analysis, marketing communication strategies, stakeholder engagement

Element 4 - Strategic

development of

responsible marketing

practices for societal

benefit

Ability to recognise social benefits of marketing practices

Knowledge of scoping, planning and implementing societal marketing practices

Intellectual debate, relationship marketing, planning and implementation

Localisation




In addition to reading core texts, you should include extensive use of relevant journal articles, practice-based publications, governmental documentation(s) emphasising business requirements addressing social issues in line with marketing activities.


▪ Work by local government bodies and authorities including respective NGOs in corporation with local supply chains

▪ societal & social marketing activities

▪ Establishing core stakeholder groups for chosen organisation and sourcing appropriate data from relevant marketing research


Indicative Content

1. Discuss the role and application of the social marketing practice for the behavioural change programmes (Weighting 25%)

1.1 Discuss the nature and characteristics of social marketing practices

▪ Principles of social marketing ▪ Essence of social marketing environment: analysis, planning, evaluation and execution of programmes for

personal and societal welfare including ethics ▪ Marketing mix in social marketing (lifestyle change marketing mix elements: product, people, price and

promotion also relative aspects of policy and partnership in the mix)

1.2 Discuss the role of marketing communication in behavioural change programmes

▪ Consumer insight and consumer psychology: understanding behaviour change influence of commercial marketing practices for wellbeing, trade-offs in consumer choice

▪ Evaluate social marketing mix: product, price, people and promotion, including finance for social marketing programmes, choosing tools for change, motivation build-up

▪ Social marketing communication campaigns and value promotion

1.3 Discuss behavioural change programmes in relation to social marketing applications

▪ Situational analysis: micro- and macro-marketing, finance and operational capabilities

▪ Marketing research into applications of social marketing for behavioural change: evaluate intervention programmes for adaptation to changes in target audience needs

▪ Analysing behavioural change in the context of social marketing

2. Assess the importance of social marketing choices and its relative impact on consumer decision-making (Weighting 25%)

2.1 Examine social marketing approaches from consumer behaviour perspective

▪ Social marketing research to investigate consumer behaviour: Kotler and Armstrong (2008) factors such as psychological, personal, social and cultural

▪ Social marketing strategies for behaviour changes, including use of social media communication, mobile technologies for promoting health applications

▪ Role of consumers in change applications of marketing practices

2.2 Discuss the social marketing planning process in a consumer context

▪ Segmentation, targeting and positioning in the context of social marketing ▪ The 4Ps of social marketing (social perspective on products and services, price, promotion and place for

behaviour change) ▪ Intervention planning and implementation using social marketing approach: scope and assessment of

potential impact of intervention, evaluate strategic areas of influence such as education, service, design and control measures

2.3 Discuss the impact of social marketing choices in consumer decision-making

▪ Lifestyle changes and marketing challenge ▪ Dismantling barriers: education and persuasive marketing communication ▪ Health promotion in social marketing


3. Analyse constructs of ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the use of marketing practices and their implications with stakeholders and wider society (Weighting 25%)

3.1 Discuss ethical issues in societal marketing

▪ Ethical philosophies in marketing practice including transparent communication, trustworthy endorsements, distinguished advertising, regulatory considerations, consumer privacy

▪ The Ethics of Social Marketing: establishing differentiation in nature and intensity from general marketing

3.2 Analyse the importance of ethical considerations and CSR in marketing practices

▪ CSR and its relative implementation in Societal Marketing ▪ Ethical behaviour of organisations for societal benefits ▪ Using marketing approaches to promote CSR initiatives and ethical considerations: integrated approach,

target audience specific selective approach, brand vision and philosophy

3.3 Analyse social marketing approaches from stakeholder perspectives

▪ Stakeholder analysis: nature, interest, power and influence in of various stakeholders ▪ Marketing communication strategies in communicating with relevant stakeholder groups: Morsing and

Schultz (2006) two-way communication strategy iterative sense-giving and sense-making process, from Informing to responding and involving stakeholders in CSR activities, reputation development and management

▪

4. Analyse different marketing approaches for strategic development of responsible practices providing added value to the society (Weighting 25%)

4.1 Discuss societal marketing and the environment

▪ Meanings and discourses in societal marketing and consumption decision-making ▪ Societal marketing and consumer welfare: anti-smoking/drugs/alcohol/climate campaigns

4.2 Evaluate marketing practices from a societal benefit perspective

▪ Social issues and consumerism ▪ Relationship marketing and societal benefits ▪ Cause-related marketing and consumer confidence

4.3 Examine the scope, planning and implementation of societal marketing practices

▪ Corporate societal marketing planning: segmentation and targeting, competition and positioning, societal development, environmental protection, economic welfare, community trade opportunities

▪ Social responsibility and marketing ethics: ethical considerations in the use of marketing for the management of public health and social Issues

▪ Not-for-profit, charities and green marketing


Appendix A

Mapping of Modules to QAA Benchmark Statement

(Business and Management - February 2015)

Undergraduate Knowledge Level 5

Module

Mark

ets

and

C

usto

mers

Fin

ance

Peo

ple

Op

era

tions

Info

rmatio

n

Sys

tem

s

Co

mm

unic

atio

n

and

Info

rmatio

n

Techno

logy

Po

licy

/ S

trate

gy

Innova

tion /

E

nte

rpris

e

Deve

lop

ment

So

cia

l R

esp

onsib

ility

Managing Agile Organisations and

People ● ● ●

Innovation and Business

Performance ● ● ● ● ●


● ●



● ● ● ●

Operations Management

● ● ●


●

Managing Stakeholder

Relationships ● ●

Human Resource Management

●

Employee Engagement

● ●

The HR Professional

● ●

Integrated Marketing

Communications ●


●

Societal and Social Marketing ● ●


Undergraduate Business and Management Skills Level 5

Module

Peo

ple

M

anagem

ent

Pro

ble

m s

olv

ing

/

Crit

ical a

naly

sis

Rese

arc

h

Co

mm

erc

ial

Acum

en

Innova

tion,

cre

ativ

ity,

ente

rpris

e

Num

era

cy

Netw

ork

ing


People ● ● ●


Performance ● ● ●


● ● ●



● ● ●

Operations Management ● ● ● ●


● ●


Relationships ● ● ●

Human Resource Management ● ●

Employee Engagement ● ●

The HR Professional ● ●


Communications ● ● ●


● ● ●


● ●


Undergraduate - Generic Skills and Attributes Level 5

Module

Wo

rk

co

llab

ora

tively

Wo

rkin

g w

ith t

hose

fro

m a

rang

e o

f cultu

res

Exp

lain

ing

in

form

atio

n

Build

ing

/ m

ain

tain

ing

re

latio

nsh

ips

Co

mm

unic

atio

n

Em

otio

nal

Inte

lligence

/

Em

path

y

Co

ncep

tual a

nd

crit

ical t

hin

king

Self-

manag

em

ent

Self-

refle

ctio

n


People ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


Performance ● ● ● ● ●


● ● ● ●



● ● ● ● ● ●

Operations Management ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Analytical Decision-making ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


Relationships ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Human Resource Management ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Employee Engagement ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

The HR Professional

● ● ● ● ●


Communications ● ● ● ● ●


● ● ● ● ●


● ● ● ● ●


www.abeuk.com

UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8329 2930 Fax: +44 (0)20 8329 2945

http://www.facebook.com/abequalifications

http://www.twitter.com/abetalk

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Documents

ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management ABE Level 5 ... · ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management ABE Level 5 Diploma in Business Management and Human Resources ABE Level 5