Business & ICT

2008 - 2009 curriculum of the Degree Programme in Business Management, BBA

Basic studies

Own Professionalism

12B020 Personal Development, 3 credits

Objective and content: The objective of the course is to provide students with knowledge and skills required for a polytechnic study programme, with a focus on time management, autonomous and collaborative study methods as well as commitment and responsibility. Students will be able to assess themselves and others, identify their strengths and weaknesses and to overcome challenges. Moreover, the course will coach the students into gradually developing specialist skills in their field of studies. Furthermore, attention will be paid to learning environment, field of studies, learning practices and skills, personal curricula and portfolios, inner entrepreneurial skills and team work abilities.

Learning and teaching methods: In addition to contact lessons, students have individual counseling/tutoring sessions and personal interviews. Compiling a portfolio and active participation in (company) visits and lectures, use of the virtual learning environment and information retrieval from various sources are part of course activities. Self-supervised learning is emphasized.

Literature and other material: Study path information, on-line and other material will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

Assessment: Pass - Fail

Other: This basic course is a fundamental part of each study programme.

12B021 Communication Skills, 3 credits

Objective and content: The objective of the course is to provide students with in-depth knowledge and skills in international written business communication practices. Additionally, attention is paid to the etiquette of international business communication.

Learning and teaching methods: The course consists of contact lectures (during which students acquire skills by familiarising themselves with and writing different types of business messages) and a monitored written exam.

Literature and other material: Study materials are provided in class during the course. Elements from the book: Airas & Junkkari. 2001. New Business Friend 3. WSOY. will be used. Students will gather additional source materials for their tasks from the Internet and electronic databases.

Assessment:

mandatory (80%) attendance and active participation during contact sessions (50% of final result)
satisfactory completion of all assignments by the due dates (25% of final result )
a monitored written exam (25% of final result )

Other: This course is a prerequisite for further studies and working career in international business life.

12B022 Basics of Information Handling, 3 credits

Objective: To give students a basic understanding of computing concepts. To make students acquainted with basics of the common business information technology.

Content:

basics of computer hardware: students will familiarize themselves with the use of computer hardware
operating systems: to introduce students to the most common operating systems
desktop tools: students will learn the basics of word processing and spreadsheets
network services - Internet: to introduce the student to the use of e-mail and world wide web (students will make their own home page)
to provide students with good knowledge in using spreadsheets in financial and economical tasks

Learning and teaching methods: lectures and assignments

Assessment: continuous assessment 30 %, test in computing skills 70 %

Literature and other material:

hardware and software manuals
additional material will be submitted during the sessions

12B023 Foreign Languages, 3 credits

Objective and content: Brush-up English course aims to help students become more confident and correct in their use of English in different situations during business studies. In other words, the objective is to develop and enhance practical competence in the use of the English language.

Learning and teaching methods: Brush-up English course involves practice in writing, speaking and reading skills and competences which are essential to get by - and get on - in versatile business studies preparing students for future working life.

Literature and other material: Study materials are provided in class during the course. Additional material will be found on the Internet and in other electronic databases as well as printed sources.

Assessment: Mandatory 80% attendance and active participation in classroom work (40 % of the final grade)

Assignments

written and oral (30 % of the final grade)
Written and oral exams (30 % of the final grade)
Scale from 0 to 5

Other: This is mandatory for those who would like to develop and enhance their practical competence in the use of the English language, writing, reading, speaking and listening.

12B040/12B041 Finnish for Foreigners / Swedish for Finns, 3 credits

Local SMEs

12B030 Entrepreneurship, 3 credits

Objective and content: To familiarize students with the environment in which enterprises are being ventured, existing and growing , and are exiting. To understand the processes that lead to the venture, start-up and the early survival of "baby-businesses". To introduce the different theories surrounding the concept of entrepreneur.

Learning and teaching methods: case-based: Lectures, exercises, case studies

Literature and other material:

Deakins & Freel. 2006. 4th ed. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Chapter 1-2.
Stokes & Wilson. 2006. 5th ed. Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship. Chapter 1-2-3.
Carter & Jones-Evans. 2000. Enterprise and Small Business. Chapter 5-6-8.
Burns. 2001. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Chapter 1-2-4.
Lundström & Stevenson. 2005. Entrepreneurship Policy. Chapter 1.

Assessment: active participation and groups assignments

12B032 Presentation Skills, 3 credits

Objective and content: The objective of the course is to enable students to express themselves in front of an audience using audio visual tools and to emphasize the interaction between the presenter and the audience.

Learning and teaching methods: lectures, in-class and out of class assignments, group discussion and presentations, group response/interaction exercises, hands-on use of audiovisual aids

Literature and other material: All study materials are provided in class or via the course environment. Students will gather additional source materials for their tasks from the Internet and electronic databases.

Assessment:

mandatory (80 %) attendance active participation during contact sessions and (50 % of final result)
satisfactory completion of all assignments by the due dates (25 %)
final presentation (25 %).

Other: This course is essential for any marketing and management courses and theme seminars.

12B037 Business Applications 1, 3 credits

Objective: To give students the ability to use spreadsheets effectively and the ability to use most common business applications.
Content:

presentation programs and computer graphics (PowerPoint)
built in functions in spreadsheets !
statistical tools
pivot table
use of solver application
creating macros and programming with macro language (VBA)
creating and using databases (Access)
use of integrated applications in office work
HTML

Learning and teaching methods: lectures 60 hours, assignments 60 hours

Literature and other material: will be submitted at the beginning of the lessons

Assessment: continuous assessment, test and assignment

12P040 Project Management, 3 credits

Objective and content: To provide a necessary understanding of project management for personal and professional use. To develop the skills needed to plan, organize and execute a project. To achieve the competence of selecting and applying the right balance of management tools, techniques and theories.

Learning and teaching methods: problem-based learning

Literature and other material: article handouts during the course

Essential reading: Gardiner, P. D. 2005. Project Management: A strategic planning approach. Palgrave.

Venture Plan

12B035 Product and Design Management, 3 credits

12B026 Financial Accounting, 3 credits

Objective and content: To introduce the most common forms of business organization and to discuss the principal sources of finance. To understand the reasons why people need accouting information, the nature of accounting information and the role of an accountant. To enable students to understand how a balance sheet and a profit and loss account are prepared and to enable students understand the use of variousccounting adjustments and tteir effect on annual accounts. To enable students use information technology in accounting.

Learning and teaching methods: case-based: Lectures, exercises, case studies

Literature and other material:

Ryan. 2004. Finance and Accounting for Business.
Berry & Jarvis. 2006. Accounting in a Business Context.
Gowthorpe. 2006. Business Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists.

Assessment: exam, active participation and groups assignments

12B033 Economics, 3 credits

Objective: The objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge and understanding of Economics. The course provides an understanding of the subjects and aims to develop the ability to recognize the economic events that affect a country’s economy. The student learns the role of households, firms and governments in the economy. He/she knows the concepts of demand and supply, and knows that the most formal exchange takes place in markets at prices determined by the interaction of buyers and sellers in those markets. The student learns how the economics fluctuations affect the economy and the meaning of economic growth in the country’s economy and business life.

Content:

Introduction to Economics
Choice, Opportunity Costs, and Specialization
Markets, Demand and Supply, and the Price System
Households, Businesses, Government and the International Sector (the Circular Flow)
National Income Accounting
Business Cycles
Unemployment and Inflation
Economic Growth

Learning and Teaching Methods: Contact lessons, assignments, discussions and presentations, Moodle, Learning Diary

Literature:

Bade, R. & Parkin, M. Foundations of Macroeconomics.
Mankiw, G. Principles of Microeconomics.
Boyes & Melvin. Economics.
Begg. Economics.
Gorman, T. The Complete Idiots Guide to Economics.

Assessment: Exam 100 %. Learning diary approved.

12B038 Business Mathematics, 3 credits

Objective and content:
To familiarize students with basic concepts and specific skills in mathematics to address business problems and business applications.
Students will learn the mathematics involved in retailing, payroll, financial analysis, interest, and financial management.

Content:

Percentages
Simple and compound interests
Mathematics of buying and selling (discounts and markups)
Annuities and sinking funds
Payroll applications
House loans (mortgages)
Depreciation and inventory valuation

Learning and teaching methods: Lectures coupled with solving practical tasks and exercises. Also, there will be one assignment.

Literature and other material:

Miller, C. & Salzman, S. & Clendenen, G. 2003. Business Mathematics. 9th edition. Addison Wesley. Pearson Education.

Assessment: Students have to attend at least 80 % of classes. There is a final exam and one mandatory assignment in the course. Active participation in class sessions will affect positively the final grade.

Other: The course is important and necessary for all "Business Management" students. It provides an opportunity to learn the basic mathematical concepts widely used in different business applications.

12B043 Project: Business Enterprise, part 1, 3 credits

Objective and content: The aim of the theme focuses on the important functions of a small and medium business (=SME) that are crucial for its internal and external operations. Understanding the importance of these functions will provide the students with the skills and tools to lay a solid foundation for their future studies and it presents a first impression of the reality of SMEs.

The contents include the basics of marketing for SMEs, financial accounting, management and logistics are the courses for this theme. The project combines these disciplines into a marketing management plan for a small company.

Learning outcomes:

The student in cooperation with fellow students will analyze the vision and mission of a chosen local company to acquire a better understanding of the reasons of its foundation.
The student will identify different functions of the company.
The student acquires knowledge about the activities of these functions and the interrelationship between functions.
The student gains understanding of the relationship of the different functions of the company and the external environment of the company
The student is able to develop and to present an outline of a marketing management plan for an SME.

Images of a Company

12B025 Small Business Marketing, 3 credits

Objective and content: To introduce students how small enterprises and their customers interact in the creation of value of solutions for these customers. To familiarize with alternative ways of interaction between business and customer specific to small business. To understand the importance of learning in small business-customer interaction.

Learning and teaching methods: case-based: Lectures, exercises, case studies

Literature and other material:

Carter & Jones-Evans. 2000. Enterprise and Small Business. Chapter 20. ´
Chaston & Mangles. 2002. Small Business Marketing Management. Chapter 4-5-6.
Needle. 2004. 4th ed. Business in Context. Chapter 11.
Dubois & Jolibert & Mühlbacher. 2007. Marketing Management. Chapter 1-2.
Cranfield School of Management. 2000. Marketing Management. Chapter 2-18.
Jobber. 2004. 4th ed. Principles and Practice of Marketing. Chapter 5.
Cagan & Vogel. 2002. Creating Breakthrough Products. Chapter 7.

Assessment: active participation and groups assignments

12B036 Financial Planning, 3 credits

Objective and content: To help students to understand the key issues invilved in the business planning process and the role of a financial plan, and to develop understanding of the ways in which performance is measures and reported in a firm.

Learning and teaching methods: case-based

Literature and other material:

Drury. 2006. Cost and Management Accounting. Sixth Edition.
Drury. 2005. Management Accounting for Businesss. Third Edition.
Ryan. 2004. Finance and Accounting for Business.
Berry & Jarvis. 2006. Accounting in a Business Context. Fouth edition.
Gowthorpe. 2005. Business Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists. Second edition.

Assessment: active participation and assignments

12B027 Small Business Management, 3 credits

Objective and content: To introduce students in the field of "running a small business through the pains of growth". To construct an understanding how an entrepreneur must change as business growth and how changes affect structure, resources and strategy. To create an understanding of the role of leadership in entrepreneurial businesses.

Learning and teaching methods: case-based: Lectures, exercises, case studies

Literature and other material:

Needle. 2004. 4th ed. Business in Context. Chapter 5-6.
Stokes & Wilson. 2006. 5th ed. Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship. Chapter 11.
Burns. 2001. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Chapter 9-10-11.
Carter & Jones-Evans. 2000. Enterprise and Small Business. Chapter 16-23.

Assessment: active participation and groups assignments

12B028 Small Business Logistics, 3 credits

Objective and content:

to provide a necessary understanding of differencies between Supply Chain Management and traditional Logistics
to develop the skills needed to make business logistics plans with SCM concept that provides a broader perspective across the supply chain than has been the traditional approach within logistics
to achieve the competence to realize the need of active processes across the supply chain and how the development of supply chain relationships are characteristics of SCM.

Learning and teaching methods: problem-based learning

Literature and other material: article handouts during the course as well as

Essential reading:

Christopher & Peck. 2003. Marketing Logistics.
Harrison F. 2003. Supply Chain Management Workbook.

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Business & ICT

2008 - 2009 curriculum of the Degree Programme in Business Management, BBA

Basic studies

Own Professionalism

Local SMEs

Venture Plan

Images of a Company