Explore issues ranging from environmental disasters to corporate greed and from executive pay to ethical bottled water. You discover the relationship between management and corporations on the one hand, and society and nature on the other, engaging in debates around ecological sustainability, governance and corporate ethics and responsibility.

Managers increasingly find themselves working across borders calling for a thorough understanding of issues that relate to cross cultural management. In this course you enhance your understanding of the way in which globalisation and international business activities affect management and management practices across cultures.

Operations management is how organisations create and deliver goods and services. And since the production of goods and/or services is the reason why organisations exist, it is clear that the effective and efficient management of operations is a central concern for all managers, regardless of the size or sector location of their organisation. Managers should be able to create and maintain the necessary conditions for productive work, often in a climate of resource constraints and increasingly in a global context. This module will also introduce supply chain management – that is, the management of the relationships and flows between different operations processes, both 'locally' and at regional and global scales. The Operations and Supply Chain Management module aims to engage the students in a critical evaluation of the various models of operations and supply chain management and an analysis of the range of processes, skills and competencies required for the successful management of both.

Business is international in scope as managers take advantage of the comparative advantages countries around the world offer through complex and geographic dispersed value chains, not only to sell products but also to access intermediate goods, capital, knowledge and skills. This module, built around a live, practical project addresses several questions. 'How can a domestic firm internationalise its operations?' 'How are its resources and capabilities challenged and transformed by internationalisation?' 'What factors determine the success of an international business operation?' While many practical examples are provided, focus is given to developing an analytical approach to addressing these questions, drawing on two perspectives. These are the Resource-based view, which focuses on the resources and capabilities of the firm, and the Institution-based view which requires studying the differences in the business environment around the globe, to which successful companies need to adapt. The module considers political, economic and cultural difference and the strategies companies adopt when conducting business across national boundaries. Through the group project, students analyse the internationalisation of a real life organisation, identifying the purpose of internationalisation, selecting the most appropriate target market and considering the various means available to the firm to internationalise its operations. Topical issues in international business are also discussed towards the end of the module, such as the impact of Brexit on the trading relationship of the UK, the re-emergence of emerging market MNEs, 'born global' firms and the fourth industrial revolution.