Global Supply Chain Management MSc (Brunel Business School)

The MSc consists of both compulsory and optional modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

Compulsory

Business intelligence

Logistics and Supply Chain Management: The aim of this module is to provide students with a solid grounding in logistics and supply chain management principles. They will develop a critical understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks in the context of contemporary business practice.

Procurement Fundamentals: The main aims of this module are to:

• Demonstrate the importance of procurement strategies and techniques within both service and manufacturing environments.

• Gain a clear understanding of the importance and scope of the procurement function.

• Explore and critically assess the elements of contracts and contractual obligations.

• Demonstrate how supplier selection and assessment criteria lead to improved procurement performance.

Business Modelling and Simulation in Supply Chains: Systems' modelling is now an integral part of any decision making process, particularly for complex and dynamic systems. To meet the challenges of current environments, students need to be equipped with modelling skills and analytical abilities. Supply chain management is a typical example of current systems, while modelling is a critical component of its decision process.

The module aims to critically examine and identify the role played by modelling and simulation in managing and assuring the quality of system performance and operations whilst meeting strategic targets. The topics range from managing basic day to day operations to strategic planning and decision making. This module aims to provide students with insights into several areas of modelling and simulation. It teaches them how to carry out a typical modelling project including the phases of the modelling process.

Operations and Project Management: This module aims to provide an overview of the breadth of operations management in contemporary organisations. It will also raise awareness and understanding of the strategic issues involved in the way organisations manage their operational activities and facilities, within and beyond the firm boundaries and where exposure to a project environment is pervasive.

The module will develop participants' appreciation of the relation between operations/service/project design choices and performance imperatives including quality, time compression and flexibility.

Global Outsourcing: The main aims of this module are to:

• Examine the implications, scope and influence of the outsourcing decision upon business strategy and operations.

• Analyse vendor assessment procedures, vendor managment, project trasition and governance.

• Evaluate effective procurement strategies for successful outsourcing.

• Develop an understanding of the legal aspects associated with outsourcing.

International Marketing: The module addresses critical understanding and ability in assessing the effectiveness of international marketing theory and practice. It targets principles and issues that drive markets world-wide. Students will develop insight and investigative ability concerning issues facing a business that needs to research markets and develop and implement market strategies, techniques and methods across a range of international sectors.

Understanding Business and Management Research: The module is predicated on the dominant role of both quantitative and qualitative methods in management research. It is based on the need to enable the understanding of research reports and use this information to improve the quality of work, decision-making, and the understanding of complex management problems. The latter will be instrumental in applying existing management theory and research to practical management problems as action researchers.

The specific aims of the module are:

• To provide a balanced view of social science and business research methods enabling a critical understanding of research information.

• To acquire theoretical and practical knowledge for business management by covering issues and debates in management research as reflected in the literature.

• To provide knowledge of relevant research methods and techniques for master's level project work.

Dissertation: A research-based dissertation is an integral and particularly important element of the programme. Students are required to base their dissertation on empirical research into a management problem or issue of their choice (subject to approval).

Dissertations are supervised by full-time members of the academic staff of the school who have a wide range of research interests and expertise. The dissertation must be submitted by the end of the academic year during which a student completes all of the taught modules of the course.

Optional

Strategic Management: The module has three main aims which are to:

• Enable students to appreciate the issues and challenges that confront managers responsible for strategic management in potentially complex, hostile and uncertain conditions.

• Introduce students to concepts, topics and methodological approaches and tools relevant to the analysis of the strategic position of the organisation.

• Introduce studets to the development and implementation of strategies and policies, and their major operational implications.

• Develop students’ skills of critical thinking, logical analysis, argument and judgement via the use of case study and other materials exemplar readings and other information sources.

International Business Ethics and Corporate Governance: This module focuses on business ethics and corporate governance in the international context. Both areas will be addressed from the perspective of the dual ‘business’ models of the shareholder and the stakeholder approaches. Further, the broader societal impacts of business activities will be considered in-depth. The full range of businesses will be considered – from large corporations through to SMEs. Empirical studies will be used to apply the theoretical resources of moral philosophy, CSR, sustainability and corporate governance.

International Business Strategy: The module aims to help students understand strategies and structures that multinational firms adopt and how they perform their key business operations to compete and succeed in the international business environment.

Students taking this module will:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategy of international business.

• Understand the organizational architecture that international businesses use to manage and direct their global operations.

• Understand issues related to foreign expansion.

• Understand roles of specific business functions in an international business.

Knowledge Management, Social Networks and Innovation: This module explores the intersection between knowledge, social network technologies and innovation. It examines how organisations create, utilise and communicate knowledge in the global knowledge-based economy and the wider social and economic factors affecting knowledge transfer. The module identifies the exploitation of Web 2.0 which enables social engagement and processes for business development.

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