module specification

The module will explore organisational structures, control systems, customer orientation, and service delivery and service management. Effective management of service delivery will be considered in the context of the nature of the service, customer expectations, employee behaviour, managerial processes and procedures and technological interfaces. It aims to provide students with an understanding the managerial issues involved in delivering an `intangible product’ such that they are able to critique theory and practice in differing contexts. This module also familiarises students with employment opportunities and has a focus on developing employability skills. 

This module has a strong focus on employability in the financial services industry. It aims to:
• To develop the skills of self-evaluation, creativity and ethical behaviour and performance in a variety of idioms and contexts.
• To develop an understanding of the major external and internal issues and challenges facing managers in the Financial Services Industry.
• To foster an awareness and critical understanding of the operational problems faced by a financial services institution when providing customer service in differing environments within the industry.
• Provide the opportunity for continuing professional development by enhancing communication and presentation skills as well as defend a point of view with well reasoned arguments and an enhanced awareness of career opportunities, employers and practitioners within the industry.
• To enable students to express the depth of their discipline intrinsic knowledge and transferable discipline intrinsic skills including cognitive flexibility, creativity and fluency in spoken and written communications,  the capacity for effective teamwork, and apply management theory in various scenarios.

• Organisational structures: organisational size, departmentalisation, alternative structures forms, impact on managerial and employee behaviour and communication, impact of cross-border operations and product/service delivery.
• Technological developments and service delivery
• Locational issues and service delivery: physical versus virtual service delivery
• Managerial strategy and service development
• Personnel and their impact on service delivery
• Customer participation in service delivery
• The service encounter triad
• Service quality and customer care: customer satisfaction, customer service gap model
• Managing capacity
• Service marketing
• Service advertising
• Business process engineering;
• Business ethics in service delivery;
• Staff development and training
• Career development: career awareness, skills development, continuous professional development, trends in employment in the financial services

There will be three hours of contact time per week consisting of a one-hour lecture and a two-hour seminar. Lectures will cover topics in a logical sequence and may involve industry visits and quest speakers.

The lectures will deliver the discipline specific material and will be supported by directed reading and the seminar classes.

The seminars will require students to prepare material in advance, and will involve mini case studies, diagnostic tests, videos, quizzes role play and group discussions.  Students will draw on their own personal experience of service delivery either as customers or as employees and encourage sharing these with their peers. The seminars will also enable students to practice other generic skills such as group working, communication, note taking and critical and analytical skills. Issues of personal and corporate ethics will be explored and students will be confronted the challenges of the ambiguities associated with service delivery.

The module will encourage self-reflection  and Personal Development Planning (PDP) and reflection skills will be practiced through periodic reflective exercises.

Students will be expected to devote at least seven hours per week undertaking independent reading and study.  The University’s virtual learning platform which will be used to provide supporting class materials, cited web sources and discussion forums.

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the linkages between people management, financial management, systems, strategy and market information and their role in providing customer service.
2. Analyse management concepts and the problems within the Financial Services context, using appropriate management concepts, when managing people and organisations, the changing business environment, and suggest solutions with knowledge of current practice within the industry.
3. Identify, analyse and critique, financial services operational problems and suggest solutions with knowledge of current practice within the industry.
4. Understand and demonstrate the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making within a group context.
5. Demonstrate personal and professional attributes within the context of qualities and transferable skills necessary for financial services and personal development, life long learning and employment, including information management, autonomy, self-evaluation and communication.
6. Demonstrate an ability to produce an updated personal development plan which reflects on progress and achievements and posits some future directions.

Diagnostic assessment will take place on a weekly basis in class to develop analytical and communication skills.

Twenty minute group presentations in week 10 (20%) will assess communication skills and group working as well as the discipline specific content and employability skills explored in the first 8 weeks of the module. This assessment also requires students to reflect on their experiences in the Activities Week in Week 7.  The presentation will test student’s subject knowledge and understanding and their ability to deliver a coherent group report orally.

Students will be required to submit a written group report of 2500 words (30%) in week 19. This will be based on an investigation of a particularly financial service company and will require the group to critically explore aspects of service delivery.  This will test students’ ability to coordinate a group exercise demonstrating written communications skills.

The final assessment will be a 2000 word structured reflective report with an individual development plan in week 30 (50%). This with involve a reflection on the skills gained in the module and an updated Curriculum Vitae.

The University’s virtual learning platform will be used to support student learning by providing access to module materials,  links research sources and discussion forums. 

Core reading:
 Mullins, L. J. (2010) Management for Organisational Behaviour, (9th Ed) Pitman, London
 Fitzsimmons, J.A. and Fitzsimmons M. J. (2008) Service Management: Operations Strategy and Information Technology, McGraw-Hill

Other Reading:
 Armistead, C. (1994) The Future of Services Management, The Cranfield Management Research Series
 Bartol, K. M. and Martin, D. C. (1998) Management (International Edition), McGraw Hill, London
 Boddy, D. (2011) Management: An Introduction, Pearson Education, Essex
 Buchanan, D. A. & Huczynski, A. A. (2002) Organizational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, London
 Certo, S. C. and Cetro, S.T. (2009) Modern Management: Concepts and Skills, Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ
 Cottrell, S (2010) Skills for success: the personal development planning handbook  2nd Ed, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke
 Glynn, W. J. and Barnes,  J.G .(Eds.), (1995) Understanding Services Management, Wiley
 Haksever, C., Murdick, R. G., Render, B. and Russell, R. S. (2000) Service Management and Operations, Prentice Hall
 Handy, C. (1998) Understanding Organisations, Penguin, London
 Hannagan, T. (2008) Management: Concepts & Practices, Pearson Prentice Hall, Essex
 Hitt, M., Black, J. S. and Porter, L. W. (2005) Management (International Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ
 Hunsaker, P. L. (2005) Management, A Skills approach, Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ
 Kirton B (2011) Brilliant Workplace Skills for Students and Graduates Prentice Hall, Harlow
 Lovelock, C. H. (1992) Managing Services, Prentice Hall
 Lynch, R. (2006) Corporate Strategy, Pitman, London
 Mastenbroek , W.  (Ed.) (1991) Managing for Quality in the Service Sector, Blackwell Business
 McGoldrick, P .J. and Greenland , S. J. (1994) Retailing for Financial Services, McGraw-Hill,
 Mintzberg. H. (1989) Mintzberg on Management, Free Press
 Normann, R. (1991) Service Management: Strategy and Leadership in Service Businesses, Wiley
 Robbins, S.P. and  DeCenzo, D. A. (2008) Fundamentals of Management: Essential concepts and Applications, Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ
 Trought F (2011) Brilliant Employability Skills Prentice Hall, Harlow

Online resources:
 www.prospects.ac.uk (careers information)
 http://targetjobs.co.uk (careers information)
 skills4study (2011) Structured Reflection [Online] Palgrave MacMillan Available: www.palgrave.com/skills4study/pdp/structured - Accessed 20/5/2011
 http://bookboon.com

Journals:
 Academy of Management Perspectives
 Academy of Management journal 
 Management & marketing consultancy in the United Kingdom
 Management decision
 Management development review 
 Management for strategic business ideas 
 Management international review 
 Management today