Business and Professional Administration HNC

You develop an understanding of the entrepreneurship qualities required in today’s competitive business environment. You develop a critical awareness of the complexities in developing, growing and leading ventures. You focus on how entrepreneurs use their knowledge and skills to develop their capabilities to identify opportunities that allow themselves and the business they work for to develop new and commercial prospects for the benefit of the organisation. You are required to research and present a business proposal for a new business venture.

You gain the knowledge to understand and apply principles of effective human resource management (HRM) in order to meet organisational objectives. You explore how HRM methods are used to gain a competitive advantage and how developing and building the skills-base and creating a flexible workforce allows firms to meet the changing business environment. You become familiar with the techniques of job design and reward systems, the importance of good employee relations and the law governing employment practices. You also explore the importance of training and development in improving an organisation's skill-base to ensure it is relevant to the fast moving business environment.

You examine the importance of understanding innovation and commercialisation and the constant changing business world. Competitive advantage runs through the module and it’s critical that organisations continually innovate both their product offering and processes to ensure they remain competitive in the market. You gain knowledge of the key ways organisations become more innovative while remaining commercially driven. You look at a number of tools and techniques used to develop innovation, giving you cutting-edge knowledge to become more innovative in your practical application in business.

You understand the functions of an organisation and the wider business environments in which organisations operate. You explore an organisation’s relationships with stakeholders, looking at how external environments can influence decision making.

You gain the skills to evaluate the financial data used to produce company financial statements, and understand the importance of choosing the correct form of finance for a given business. You gain knowledge of management control and co-ordination of financial data, enabling you to understand, evaluate and interpret financial, management and non-financial information in the context of modern business. You explore how using financial data can help with planning decisions and monitoring finance within organisations.

You examine the crucial role of operations to business success, understanding the systems and processes of people, capital, materials, equipment, knowledge, technology, information and time to produce goods and services. You gain an overview of the key areas of operations management, particularly in maintaining and improving the quality of goods and services and making sure that these reflect an organisation’s performance. You develop knowledge and understanding of how managing operations can make a positive and effective contribution to an organisation at the first line of management.

You gain a basic understanding of the current and emerging marketing principles, tools and techniques within the business environment. You explore market success within well-known organisations such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, BP and small local businesses. You consider how to add value for customers and other stakeholders, and learn to assess the impact that marketing activities have on customers’ lives.

You are introduced to research within business, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate the skills required for managing and implementing a project. You undertake independent research and investigation for carrying out and executing a business project that meets appropriate business aims and objectives. You undertake literature reviews and research methodology to enhance your analytical skills in researching issues related to business. You engage in decision-making, problem-solving and research activities using a variety of product management tools. You develop the knowledge and skills to allow you to examine business concepts within a work-related context, enabling you to make decisions or offer solutions to present to various stakeholders using appropriate formats.