Swedish name: Business Analysis, Planning, and Performance D
This syllabus is valid: 2011-09-05 and until further notice
Syllabus for courses starting after 2011-09-05
Syllabus for courses starting between 2010-08-30 and 2011-09-04
Course code: 2FE153
Credit points: 15
Education level: Second cycle
Main Field of Study and progress level:
Business Administration: Second cycle, has second-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Grading scale: Pass with distinction, Pass, Fail
Responsible department: Business Administration
Customers and markets tend to change due to innumerous reasons why it is necessary for a firm to constantly monitor its environment. The Business Analysis, Planning and Performance course aims to develop the students skills in understanding the need for transformation in a firm due to changes in the internal and/or external settings. In the course the knowledge from all areas in business administration, marketing, management, entrepreneurship, accounting, and finance are applied and integrated, as the knowledge from these different areas is required to fully understand the nature of the firm and thus to be able to act upon different types of information. The course stresses the interrelation between these different areas of knowledge. Students skills developed during the various master programs core courses are interrelated and developed. Prior knowledge is used e.g. to plan and assess possible strategies and actions for a company. The teaching will use different forms, for example: lectures, seminars, case studies, and simulation activities. The course starts with a presentation of a theoretical framework that will serve as a point of departure. Here the student is offered an overall view of interrelation of the different functional areas within the firm and the impact of the external environment on these. Integration of knowledge from the different disciplines of business administration is central in the course, i.e., marketing, management, entrepreneurship, accounting, and finance. Different situations in an ongoing firm are studied from these perspectives. Significant efforts in the course are put on looking on the same situation from different points of view. Cases, seminars and discussions are central in this learning process. In the last part of the course, the students are given the opportunity to apply the contents of the course and competences from previous courses in a simulated business setting. A small group of students is in charge of an ongoing company in a competitive situation. The students have to analyze the situation and decide upon which actions are to be taken in order to make the company as successful as possible. Here the skills and techniques as well as theoretical knowledge learned prior in the course must be applied and used. An excessive amount of information is provided for putting into models and the students learn to interpret and summarize the outcome of the models, to transform and evaluate this outcome into managerial implications, and to make decisions for the company in which they are in charge. Different ways of acting are reflected in the performance of the company.
By taking this course the student gains knowledge in the field of an ongoing businesss requirements for monitoring and control. The design of the course facilitates the development of an advanced understanding of how companies manage their current business operations, and how they plan for their future operations, as well as to assess expectation of results on different type of action. After completing the course, the student should be able to: identify external and internal factors affecting the business in a firm and evaluate the impact and risk of these factors for a specific business situation, compare the impact of different types of business information for an ongoing business, use the vocabulary of strategy in order to judge an ongoing business situation, apply specific business models to summarize information and to discuss different possible decisions, structure and evaluate complex information from different sources, analyze and evaluate relationships for information coming from marketing, management, entrepreneurship, financing, and accounting regarding the ongoing business of a firm, consider managerial implications from different types of information
The Business Analysis, Planning and Performance course is a program course given during the third semester of the two year master programs given by Umeå Scool of Business. Admission to the course requires that the student is registered on one of these master programs, and has passed at least 45 ECTS credits at their master program. Students are also required to have English B from Swedish gymnasium or the equivalent.
The principal teaching methods are lectures, discussions, case studies, and seminars. Guest lecturers may be invited to present some of the contemporary trends in specific topics and elaborate how these trends might affect the presented topic. With the use of teaching cases, students will have opportunities to develop skills in structuring complex information. Seminars are used to discuss the central topics, and to illustrate the links between analyses and decision-making in business marketing processes. The students are expected to read the assigned material and actively participate in case discussions. Included in the course is a simulation game. The purpose of this game is to give the students an understanding of how it might be to work with complex relationships between different activities and processes in settings closely resembling a real life business situation.
The examination of this course will be based upon the students active participation in seminars, attendance at lectures, a written comprehensive examination (tentamen), and successful completion of group or individual coursework as assigned. The examination, therefore, consists of: A written comprehensive examination (tentamen) Examinations during the course A written project report Attendance at seminars and workshops The following grading system will be used: Pass with distinction (Väl godkänd, Vg, 75% or more), Pass (Godkänd, G, 50% or more) Fail (Underkänd, U, less than 50%). In order to pass the course, the student must complete all parts of the examination i.e. reach 50% of the points of each part. To receive the grade pass with distinction, the student must reach at least 75% of the total points on the course. In case of failure on seminar participation or individual and group assignments, compensating assignments must be completed in accordance with instructions given on each occasion. Students who do not pass at the time of the normal written examination will be offered an opportunity to sit a further examination within 2-3 weeks. Beyond that, additional examination opportunities normally arise every academic year, one week prior to the start of the autumn term. When a student has failed an examination on two occasions, he or she has a right to have another grading teacher. A written request for an alternative examiner should be handed to the director of studies no later than two weeks before the next examination opportunity. Rules and regulations concerning the production of academic texts and correct referencing will be applicable to all written assignments. Lectures are normally not obligatory. However attendance is expected because the lectures are designed to facilitate students towards achieving course specific learning objectives. In addition lectures often provide insightful explanations of, and can supplement and provide contrast to, the course litterateur and other relevant course materials. Student who has passed an examination can not redo the examination to get a higher grading. Grades on the course are awarded when students have passed all examinations and compulsory course elements.
This is a course at the D-level in a MSc-degree at Umeå University. The course is included in the master programs (two-years) in Business Administration.
The literature list is not available through the web. Please contact the faculty.