LD6081 - Finance and Operations in Enterprise Context

A mixture of lectures and practical seminars/workshop sessions will be delivered and supported by on-line learning materials and activities. Lectures will be used to introduce key topics using a research led approach. These lectures will be followed by seminars or practical lab-based workshop activities in which you will apply the methods, techniques and frameworks of operations and finance. Thus, you will very much use ‘learn by doing’ approach in this module. You will also have opportunities to engage in discussions with your peers as well as your tutor.



An initial workshop will introduce you to the module, assessment and core topics. Subsequent to this you will be guided through a range of subject specific topics delivered over the period of the module. Key messages from these sessions will also be available by online learning materials including video/podcast to support your learning outside of the classroom.



In order to develop your capacity and confidence as an effective learner, you will also engage in directed learning. This will be supported by tutor-guided activities reflected in a learning plan, including prompted reading, activities to undertake and questions to address. However, you will also extend to advanced independent study which entails reading beyond the learning materials/reading list provided and reflecting on its potential relevance for your own development.



The virtual learning environment will be used to encourage individual and group contributions to debate on key topics and issues. Materials and discussion group work will be available on the e-learning portal to support and engage you. To support and embed the learning, provide the opportunity for reflection, and encourage effective communication, you will engage in discussion forums via the University’s e-Learning platform. This will include posing and answering topic specific questions posed by the tutor and peer group and providing peer group formative feedback. You will also be encouraged to use email and discussion board tool to clarify issues.



In addition to the above learning and support, as a part time learner, you will be in employment and as such we will have certain work-based activities which are assessed formatively. These activities would typically replace more traditional seminar activities which are often designed to simulate a workplace environment.

A range of approaches are adopted to accelerate your learning in this module. During the first week of this module, you will receive information about the module and Teaching & Learning Plan. The teaching and learning plan (TLP) sets out:

Learning outcomes and overall module and programme aims

Teaching, learning and assessment strategy

Teaching schedule

Directed reading references (text and journals) and core texts for the module

References to data sources and details of seminar/workshop activities



Further supporting your learning journey, the first session of this module will discuss the rational and learning objectives of this module and how it contributes to your overall programme goals. The formative and summative assessment strategy will also be outlined as well a refresher on key academic skills, expectations of seminar or workshop activities and resources critical to your success as a learner on this module. Usually , this session will also be available as a video/podcast for further reinforcement.

During this module, your module tutor, a specialist in Finance and Operations management, will provide academic support including:

Delivering seminar/practical lab-based workshops using case studies. Excel spreeadsheets will be used to support your learning.

Providing guidance in relation to assignments

Development of key resources including lab activities, made available through the VLE

Assessing assignments and assessing or reviewing any other agreed summative or formative outputs as appropriate



E-Reading Lists

The module will also have an e-reading list which directs learners to specific reading for each session. This includes direct access to repositories, journal articles and other academic sources. You will also be provided with access to a significant set academic research sources via the Northumbria University library portal.



You will also have opportunities to receive formative feedback from your tutor in response to opinions you express and issues you raise during workshop sessions and face-to-face or online tutorials. These formative feedback sessions are formally scheduled at key points throughout the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

Demonstrate critical understanding of the importance of financial and operational decision making for sustained competitive advantage in enterprise context.

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:

Systematically identify and be able to critically analyse and evaluate investment opportuinities and the sources of finance available to fund them

Be able to critically apply a range of innovative investment evaluation techniques in a given problem scenario.



Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

Demonstrate a critical awareness of the code of ethics and code of conduct as required by professionals in enterprise setting.  

This module uses a subject-based assessment approach, encouraging or directly enabling you to bring your career context or learning experience into the module.



Formative Assessment

Formative assessment of your practical skills, knowledge and understanding, as demonstrated in your submitted assignments, is a key component of the assessment strategy. It forms an integral part of the formal scheduled teaching programme utilising lectures and practical labs using excel/spreadsheets to enable you to use ‘learn by doing’ approach.



Formative assessment feedback on learning will be provided to to refine your tutor-guided and self-directed independent learning and enhance your performance during final summative assessment.



Summative Assessment



This module is assessed by a single critical evaluation report for a given scenario (3000 words). The report should also be accompanied by working done in excel/spreadsheets (100%)

This will assess all module learning outcomes.



You will be provided with written, electronic, feedback on your work.

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This module connects the concepts of finance and operations in an enterprise context to help you identify the best investments for entrepreneurial ideas and appropriate sources of financing. Indeed, operations and finance management ensure competitive advantage for enterprises through integrated risk management approach using innovations, which transform labour, capital, materials, or information into products and services of greater value for customers.

Innovations in finance are transformations needed to improve a corporate value. As such developing an understanding of the importance of innovative finance helps to adapt to today’s era of disruption and rapid technological advancement. The contemporary business world, with its innovation-driven views, requires the use of innovative finance to improve corporate governance, business efficiency and growth.

As such this module helps you to develop a creative mind-set through creative thinking and innovative practice, allowing to gain knowledge, abilities, competences and skills of innovation finance and operations management. Specifically you will be able to understand, design and apply innovative finance models for various entrepreneurial ventures, improving real investments and revenue management. It is also recognised that the success of any financial modelling is dependent on efficient use of operations and innovative designs of operations to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. As such you will consider and be able to select appropriate capital budgeting techniques for investment evaluation, as well as consider a wide variety of innovative sources of finance cosdireing the costs. The module will also prepare you for the final project which requires an application of innovation-driven thinking.