1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of how information and data are used to support evidence-based decision-making in organisational contexts.

University Learning Outcome: Knowledge and Understanding, Learning

2. Reflect critically on the role, value, and ethical implications of information and data in managerial decision-making processes.

University Learning Outcome: Reflection, Enquiry

3. Critically analyse and evaluate fundamental statistical concepts and techniques, applying them to interpret and derive insights from data.

University Learning Outcome: Knowledge and Understanding, Learning, Analysis

4. Formulate justified, data-informed recommendations to enhance organisational performance, drawing on quantitative and qualitative evidence.

University Learning Outcome: Problem Solving, Communication, Application

Assessment 1 will assess Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 4. Assessment 1 will be research report on a selected topic.

Assessment 2 will assess Learning Outcome 3. The open book exam will include multiple choice questions, calculations and short essay questions. The release of the exam will be timed.

In this module, you will explore the role and the importance of data for decision making processes of modern organisations. You will also cover tools and techniques used to analyse and interpret the data for the purposes of decision making. Moreover, you will explore the methods for data visualisation and presentation. Finally, the module will discuss concepts and principles in business statistics.

Data is of great importance of modern organisations. This module will explore the role and importance of information and data within organisations, tools and techniques for analysing and interpreting the data for the purposes of decision making, and tools and techniques for data presentation and visualisation. In addition, the module will cover the concepts and principles in business statistics.

Students are expected to commit a total of 200 hours towards achieving the learning outcomes. Out of those 200 hours, 4 hours will be in direct contact with a tutor and 196 hours will be directed, guided and self-study. All the materials – including learning materials and independent learning materials – will be provided.

A mixture of activities including lectures, relevant videos and in-class discussions, individual and group problem-solving and self-directed learning will be utilised in this module. Given the focus of the module, students will be encouraged to complete the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Excel Examination.

You'll work on these tasks both on your own and with a learning group, focusing on analysis, discussion, and presentation.

Students will be expected to obtain supplementary information from a number of papers or electronic sources as part of their preparation, as recommended by the tutor.

Gressel, S., Pauleen, D., and Taskin, N. (2020) Management Decision-Making, Big Data and Analytics. London: SAGE Publishing.

Haimowitz, I. (2023) Data Analytics for Business: Lessons for Sales, Marketing, and Strategy. Abingdon: Routledge.

Mariappan, P. (2019) Statistics for Business. Abingdon: Routledge.

Saulles, M. (2021) The Business of Data: Commercial Opportunities and Social Challenges in a World Fuelled by Data. Abingdon: Routledge.

VLE learning material
University’s library and learning resources
Selection of peer reviewed papers, research reports, official statistics, contemporary case studies

Careers

The Introduction to Career Connect video for Business Management (Top Up) students at Staffordshire University explains how to use Career Connect to book one-to-one careers appointments, search for job opportunities, access employability resources, and register for events that support your career development. You can also explore guided career activities and tools on the Career Centre platform and engage with immersive job simulations on the Forage platform. Learn more about careers support on the Staffordshire University Careers website.