Asia Pacific Business and Management

The importance of the Asia Pacific region to the global economy is widely acknowledged and continues to grow. This course explores development, trade and investment in the region as a whole as well as focusing on specific countries, including Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and the South-East Asian nations. It also addresses issues such as multinational enterprise, human resources, finance, business strategy, entrepreneurship, managerial organisation, ownership and corporate governance, technology, culture and the role of national governments.

The School of Management has extensive links throughout the region and chief executives from major Asia Pacific firms are involved in the course through guest lectures and research projects. Our staff have also been involved with leading universities in Japan, Korea and China and we welcome visiting academics from the region.

This MA will enable you to improve your communication, teamworking, technical and research skills and to gain a solid understanding of management in the Asia Pacific. It is of particular relevance to students looking to work or conduct business within this region and those seeking a career within an Asia Pacific multinational.

You will study six core units over the autumn and spring terms. In the summer term, you will complete a dissertation analysing an issue or case in depth.

Core course units:

Management of Asia Pacific Multinationals

You will gain a critical understanding of the nature of Asia Pacific business overseas, and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of these firms compared to host competitors. The unit will also explore the practical application of business strategy, competitor analysis, foreign direct investment, and multinational enterprise. High profile speakers will give lectures, seminars and presentations during the unit; participating firms have included Toyota, Huawei, Samsung Electronics, Daiwa Securities, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sanyo, Hitachi, TECO Group, LG Electronics,

Chinaand the International Economy

You will explore the causes of economic growth and reform in mainland China and the nature of its business organisation, management, business networks and political economy. You will analyse the role of overseas multinationals and international joint ventures, the growing economic integration of the region and the impact of Chinese exports and overseas operations.

Economic Development in the Asia Pacific

This unit considers the economic development of Asia Pacific nations and will introduce you to the key characteristics of management in individual national economies and across the region as a whole. It relates ideas about economic growth and change such as the use of technology or the nature of entrepreneurship - to the emergence of markets ,business structures, management and labour.

Human Resources in the Asia Pacific

You will develop a systematic understanding of Human Resource Management in the Asia Pacific region. You will critically assess the varying influences of the firm, the state, trade unions and employers. It locates the development of Human Resource Management, as influenced by national and global factors, and considers the practical problems faced by firms in the region.

Strategic Issues in Asia Pacific Business

You will gain an understanding of the strategic issues facing business in Asia Pacific through:

* the nature of business strategy in the national institutional and international contexts of the Asia Pacific region
* theories and analytical tools to assess strategic issues
* exploring the strategic issues associated with value chains and outsourcing,entrepreneurship, diversification, marketing and branding, gender, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility in the Asia Pacific

Dissertation Preparation and Research Methods

This unit helps prepare you for your dissertation. You will recognise and critically evaluate approaches to management research and the assumptions upon which they are based. This will equip you to make justified choices as to appropriate quantitative/qualitative research methods for data collection and subsequent analysis. You will then be able to conduct research, and evaluate primary and secondary data sources in a systematic and critically reflective manner.

You will also evaluate potential limitations to research investigation and applications and develop a coherent and appropriate research proposal, recognising the ethical implications of research investigations and their impact upon findings.

Dissertation

Your dissertation is an excellent opportunity to analyse a management or business issue in depth. By the end of the dissertation, you will be able to plan and manage a project, define aims and objectives, identify appropriate data sources and collection methods be aware of and deal with potential pitfalls, execute a dissertation plan, and construct an effective argument.

Foundations of Modern Management (Induction week course only)

You will be introduced to salient aspects of management in an integrative manner by identifying five elements important to the commercial success of an organisation: customers, shareholders, employees, numbers, and technology. The course accentuates historical roots to help you gain a better appreciation of current practice with regard to the first three elements; it also discusses how the remaining two can influence management decision-making.

On completion of the course graduates will have:

* an understanding of Asia Pacific business and management at an advanced level
* the capacity to form and communicate independent conclusions about the Asia Pacific economies
* the ability to undertake self-motivated and high quality research into management studies, the Asia Pacific, and international and comparative business
* the knowledge and skills to evaluate effectively business strategies and organisations in the Asia Pacific and in business generally
* improved inter-personal skills such as effective listening, negotiating, persuasion, presentation and team-work
* enhanced, transferable management and organisational skills including working to deadlines, prioritising tasks and organising work-time.

* UK Upper Second Class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent. * Other qualifications and relevant work experience will be assessed individually. * IELTS and TOEFL scores for non-native English speaking applicants. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test: 88 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.