Staffordshire University electronic resources and off-campus library facilities Module website
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - www.cipd.co.uk
Employers for Work-life Balance - www.employersforwork-lifebalance.org.uk
Department for Trade and Industry - www.dti.gov.uk/employment
www.guardian.co.uk
www.timeonline.co.uk
www.economist.com
www.independent.co.uk

The learning strategy for this module requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessment). This will include 24 hours of class support and 126 hours of independent and self directed study.

The class sessions will include formal lectures, case study analysis and group discussions based on student experiences in the subject area. Students will be encourage to integrate their work based experience with new knowledge and skills developed in the classroom as the module progresses

Core texts

Worthington, I & Britton C, The Business Environment, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0273678272
Sloman J, (2006) Essentials of Economics, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall 2003, ISBN 0-273-68382-9
Campbell, D.J. (1997), Organisations & the Business Environment, Butterworth Heinemann,

Additional Reading

Begg, D, Fischer, S & Dornbusch, R. (2002) Economics, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hall
Brooks, I, Weatherston, J. (2000) The Business Environment ? Challenges and Changes, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall
Ferguson, K. (2002) Essential Economics A Guide for Business Students, Palgrave
Hornby, W. Gammie, B. & Wall, S. 1(997) Business Economics, Longman,
Mulhearn, C. et al, (2001) Economics for Business, Palgrave

An individual 1500 work based assignment, (100%) covering Learning Outcomes 1-4.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the environment in which organisations have to operate. To understand the impact on the internal environment and the dilemmas that management teams may have to face.

This module will familiarise students with tools to analyse the business environment and how management can prepare for external change.

The content of this module will also assist the students to understand the importance of carefully considered strategic plans and effective functional areas to enable organisations to compete in an increasingly competitive business world.

Students will be introduced to:

Strategic management.
- Purpose of organisations.
- Strategic decisions.
- Impact of strategy on factors of production and internal structure.

The external environment.
- PESTLE.

The internal environment
- SWOT

Change management
- Managing change in response to the external environment