Course Co-ordinator: Dr I Heywood

Pre-requisite(s): One management course at level 1(MS 1007 or MS 1507) and one management course at level 2 (MS 2005 or MS 2511); Or students who have completed the course new venture creation.

Note(s): Available to students in Programme Year 3 and above.

This course covers the research, designed and evaluation of a business development strategy for an existing organisation. The course is a blend of the theoretical and practical aspects of business development.

The first part of the course looks at the challenges surrounding the definition of business development and explores the different theories and models that underpin the subject. Students will be asked to critique these theories and models by exploring how these concepts and ideas apply to businesses operating in today's economy. This is done via a case teaching approach.

The course then explores the different dimensions of business development that an organisation may pursue. This includes, for example, strategies for growing market share, entering new markets, reducing cost and expanding products and services.

The second part of the programme centres on the shaping of a business development plan as the main tool for sustaining or growing a business. The main elements of the business development plan are explored and the theoretical justification for their inclusion in the plan presented. In addition, concepts such as options appraisal and scenario planning are introduced to show how a business development strategy and its associated business development plan can be evaluated. Once again a case study approach is used to support the course.

The course concludes with students delivering a business development strategy for an existing business. This will include an appraisal of the current business, an options appraisal comparing different business development possibilities and a business development plan.

2 one-hour lectures per week (Monday 10:00-11:00 & Friday 16:00-15:00), and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

In the tutorial groups students work in 'consultancy teams' of no more than 4 students. Students are encouraged to use these groups as 'learning sets' and coached in how to support each other?s learning.

1st Attempt: The assessment for Business Development will consist of two components:

1. A business development strategy for an existing organisation, to include:
a. a review of the existing business;
b. an options appraisal of a range of possible business development options; and
c. an implementation plan for the preferred business development option.

This will be an in-course assessment and assessed through the individual contribution to a group project.

The assessment will be worth up to 50% of the overall mark:
- up to 20% will be awarded for the contribution to the review of the existing business position (normally between 1,200 and 1,800 words); and
- up to 30% will be awarded for the contribution to the options appraisal and implementation plan (normally between 2,500 and 3,000 words).

2. A review and analysis of a Business Development case.

This will be a formal 2 hour exam in which the student will be asked to use a a Business development case as the starting point for answering 3 questions on the wider field of Business development. The student will be expected to supplement their knowledge and analysis of the case with additional information and examples drawn from the material covered during the course and their wider reading.

The student will be provided with a copy of the case, to review, in advance of the exam. They will not be allowed to take this copy of the case into the exam. A clean copy of the case will be provided for the student to refer to during the exam.
The exam will be worth up to 50% of their overall mark, with each of the three answers being given equal weighting.

Should the student be required to resist the assessment for Business Development the following will apply:

- Any marks already awarded for the coursework element of the course will be discounted; and

- The student will be required to sit a further formal 2 hour exam in which they will be asked to review a business development case as a starting point for answering 3 questions on the wider field of business development. This will be a different case from the case used for the first assessment.

- The exam will be worth up to 100% of the student's overall mark, with each of the three answers being given equal weighting.