Module Summary and Description
This module provides you with the opportunity to work on specific management and business issues that organisations are facing. Utilising your problem-solving skills and competences of handling and managing business challenges. Starting from problem identification and concluding with solution related recommendations, thus encouraging research into real world business and management issues impacting organisations.
Building Business Insights brings together the learning processes from the whole MBA programme. It encourages the synthesis of knowledge, theories and skills developed in the modules during the previous terms in order to provide realistic solutions to contemporary business and management challenges.
Module Aims
This applied module aims to allow students to:
· Integrate their prior knowledge into an in-depth investigation of specific management and business problem or issue and present the results
· Facilitate the identification of topical issues in the business/management area of interest
· Assimilate theories and concepts drawn from different areas and the wider business/management literature
· Develop and implement strategies in data collection, analysis, synthesis and in building compelling arguments
· Apply reflective practice, ensuring models and concepts can be used effectively in the critical evaluation of your performance.
· Synthesise knowledge, experience and reflective practice to continually develop professional skills and competences
Module Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate the different approaches to business/management issue(s) in the context of their chosen area to be investigated, with the use of appropriate evidence-based information and theory.
Discuss and critically evaluate the different perspectives of related evidence-based and theoretical literature including appropriate referencing from diverse sources.
Demonstrate acumen in the design, planning, selection and collection of evidence in investigating the chosen issue using primary and/or secondary data as deemed appropriate
Communicate effectively including your collection of evidence in the form of reports using appropriate formats in a well-structured report
Utilise reflective practice techniques to critique your performance and identify improvements.
Demonstrate the development of independent and self-managed learning
1. Business Insights Project Report (80% of module grade)
This report should take the style of a consultancy report, rather than an academic article, making extensive use of infographics and other visuals.
Definition of the problem (5%, 400 words):
Client
A brief summary and history of your client, including decision-maker who has commissioned this project.
Problem
A short description of the situation that prevails for your client at the outset of problem solving (i.e., the state of affairs that are problematic).
Provide clear evidence of the business problem, ideally quantifying the problem and illustrating it graphically, e.g., comparison with competitors.
Cause
A set of observations or complications around the situation that creates the tension or dynamic that captures the problem (i.e., what changed or what went wrong that created the problem).
Provide clear evidence of what changes or what went wrong, ideally quantifying the problem and illustrating it graphically, e.g., year-by-year data tracking the problem.
Problem statement
In the form of an objective with a success threshold (e.g., To reduce Coca-Cola’s plastic waste by 50% by 2026 without sacrificing profit margin), define a specific, measurable and actionable problem (i.e., what are you trying to solve?).
Boundaries
Describe any boundaries and constraints of the project (i.e., what is in scope and what is off limits), considering the key forces and values acting on decision-makers (e.g., the need to maintain profit margin).
NB: You should use your problem definition worksheet as a basis for this section, but should not present your problem definition worksheet.
Disaggregation of problem and solutions (25%, 2000 words):
Problem components logic tree
Use an initial logic tree (i.e., factor/lever/component) to break the problem into component parts or issues to illustrate and define the basic structure of the problem (e.g., causes of the problem).
It is expected that this logic tree will have three layers.
This should be evidence-based, using a combination of credible industry and academic literature, evidence and theory, covering the problem generally and the problem in the context of your client.
Provide a fully-referenced commentary of the logic tree, concluding with a summary of the insights gained.
Solution drivers and hypothesised solutions logic tree
Using the basic problem structure logic tree as a guide to locate further industry and academic literature, evidence and theory, produce a more complete logic tree (i.e., deductive logic, hypothesis or hybrid of the two) of:
solution drivers, which help us to see potential pathways to solve the problem,
concluding with your hypothesised solutions as the leaves of your logic tree.
It is expected that this logic tree will have four layers – branches should expand at each layer, although not necessarily for the fourth layer of hypothesised solutions.
Provide a fully-referenced commentary of the logic tree, concluding with a summary of the insights gained.
Prioritisation of hypothesised solutions (10%, 800 words):
Prioritisation matrix
Using a prioritisation matrix, prioritise the ‘leaves’ (i.e., hypothesised solutions) from your second logic tree that have the biggest impact on the problem (i.e., importance) and which your client can most affect (i.e., controllability) to find the critical path to solving the problem, in effect pruning the tree to remove the ‘leaves’ that are not on the critical path to solving the problem.
Provide a fully-referenced commentary of the prioritisation matrix, concluding with a summary of the hypothesised solutions that will be taken forward to be tested and informed via analyses.
Workplan of analysis (10%, 800 words):
Workplan
Starting from the prioritised hypothesised solutions established in the previous step, propose a workplan for how you will test your hypothesised solutions and inform their implementation via data collection and analyses, so to be able to reach a conclusion on the solution to the problem.
For each prioritised hypothesised solution identify the following columns in a chunky workplan:
a research question that guided data collection and analysis to test each hypothesised solution and inform their implementation,
the data used and how you accessed or collected it, and
the data analysis techniques you used.
NB: It is not required that you will need to undertake primary data collection (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups) or highly sophisticated analysis (e.g., regression modelling, thematic analysis), but you may feel these methods are critical to solve your problem. If so, discuss with your supervisor ahead of commencing such work.
Analysis and findings (30%, 2,400 words):
One day solution
Commence by presenting your ‘one day solution’ on the basis of your understanding ahead of your analysis, summarising the situation that prevails at the start of your project, the complication (i.e., what changed or what went wrong) and your current understanding of a resolution.
The situation and complication may have evolved from original definition of the problem.
Summarise what insights are still required to reach a solution, so to justify the forthcoming analysis.
Analysis and findings
Sequentially working through each of your research questions, present the analysis you undertook and the findings.
Wherever possible, visually present your findings (e.g., graphs, infographics).
For each research question, clearly state the insights that have been gained.
It is expected that your analysis and findings will use a combination of literature and data (e.g., case studies).
Synthesised conclusions (20%, 1,600 words):
Pyramid structure
Draw together the individual findings and insights of your problem-solving work into an overall picture.
Using a pyramid structure, present your conclusions (i.e., governing thought) as an engaging story supported with arguments, insights, recommendations and supporting data to convince your audience of the merits of your recommended solution.
Provide a fully-referenced commentary of your pyramid structure, focusing on your overall resolution and detailed recommendations.
Word count: 8,000 words (excluding contents, figures, references and appendices).
2. Reflective Practice Report (10% of portfolio grade)
A written report that reflects upon your learning journey in undertaking your business insights project covering the following:
Three challenges you faced during the development of your Business Insights project
How you sought to overcome these challenges.
What you learned and how what you learned would manifest in doing something differently if faced with similar challenges again in the future.
Word count: 1,000 words (excluding references)
3. Reflective Practice video presentation (10% of portfolio grade)
A recorded video using slides that reflects upon your accomplishments and future needs covering the following:
How the submitted elements of the portfolio meet the module learning outcomes.
The relevance of the experience gained within this module to your future career aspirations.
Development needs to meet your future career aspirations that were not met on this module.
You should embed your PPT slides into your single portfolio document along with a YouTube link to your video presentation, ensuring the privacy settings are Unlisted so that your video is viewable to the markers. It is expected that you will be visible in the presentation recording with the video embedded into your slides.
