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MN-2509
Management Consulting
The module is designed to develop an awareness and a detailed understanding of approaches to tactical and strategic management consulting including large scale transformation of business processes.
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MN-3023
Lean Operations
This module provides a practically focused course on lean (Japanese) approaches to operations management.
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MN-8002
Introduction to Applied Doctoral Research
This module is designed to introduce DBA research students to the expectations of the Doctor of Business Administration and doctoral research more broadly. It is based on developing the initial research proposal through which the student applied for the programme.
Students embarking upon a DBA face the challenge of applying established and cutting-edge theory to a practical organisational context. At the same time, they will be expected to manage their doctoral progress, supported by the structure of the programme and their supervisory team. This module is intended to equip students for these challenges.
The main content will be taught through a blend of didactic and discussion-based delivery, focusing in part on exemplars and featuring guest sessions with experienced academics. Students will be guided through an outline of the main components of the thesis. This will include introductory work on scoping out the practical and theoretical contexts of the research, as well as an introduction to the range of research methods that might be used.
Students will have prepared a presentation on their research which will be delivered to the teaching team for the module. They will then be supported and guided in refining their research. Support will also be given on matters such as doctoral authoring skills and a practical session on using the online library facilities.
The assessment paper for this module will include a clear statement of the intended research question, the practical context for the research, a summary of the relevant literature, and an outline of the proposed methodology, including proposals for how data will be accessed. A full briefing on the assessment requirements will be provided by the module coordinator.
The assessment for this module will also form the basis for the Confirmation of Candidature requirements of the PGR regulations.
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MN-8005
The Presentation and Analysis of Data
This module presents an in-depth exploration of methods of data analysis and presentation, building on Module Three of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).
Students undertaking this module will be expected to have already developed an increased appreciation of the practical and theoretical context of their research, and having studied Module Three will be expected to have established their methodological position, overall research design and methods of data collection.
The core of the module is a three-day workshop, supported by preparatory material and online resources. The workshop will critically evaluate a variety of techniques of data analysis, examining both qualitative and quantitative methods. Guest talks from a variety of staff will examine their current research projects and methods of data analysis and presentation they use, offering a variety of perspectives. Precise content will be tailored to the requirements of the DBA cohort.
This module will result in an assessment paper that addresses how the data analysis and presentation will be undertaken. This should be based on a pilot data set, for example a small number of questionnaires or interviews. Supervisory teams will ensure that their students have collected sufficient pilot data to be able to be clear about how they intend to analyse and present this data.
The assessment for this module will present and analyse the pilot data collected by the students. At this stage, students are not expected to discuss their findings in relation to their conceptual frame but will be required to critically reflect upon and defend their methods of presentation and analysis.
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MN-8006
Developing Your Impact on Theory and Practice
The fundamental importance of contributing to theoretical knowledge and the impact on practice or policy will be explored through this module.
The content for the in-person three-day teaching block will include guidance on, and exemplars of what constitutes a contribution to knowledge, in terms of theory, practice and (less commonly) method. Students will undertake workshops on structuring their proposed contribution into a thesis, and the importance of conceptual framing will be re-visited to provide a theoretical context for the findings.
The assessment paper for this module will represent a synthesis between the findings of the data analysis and the contextual work conducted earlier in the project through the setting out of the practical basis and theoretical framing of the research. It will be crucial for students to show that they can form a logical argument to support a proposed contribution.
The assessment will contain two principle components. Firstly, there should be a proposed or anticipated contribution to theoretical knowledge based on the work undertaken so far. Secondly there should be a clear statement of potential impact on the practice of the student and to the organisational context underpinning the research.
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MN-M614
Sustainable Operations in Sport
This module offers professionals working in sporting organisations, including current and retired athletes, an in-depth understanding of contemporary business operations both within and beyond the sports industry. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical tools, students will explore critical topics such as sustainable operations, international standards, and asset management, with an emphasis on enhancing organisational efficiency, sustainability, and overall performance.
In the dynamic landscape of sports organisations, the efficient management of resources is essential for delivering exceptional experiences and services. Operations management plays a crucial role in equipping sports management professionals (be that nationally, internationally or locally, including grass root sports) with the necessary techniques to effectively and sustainably manage operations.
This module serves as an introduction to fundamental principles, conceptual tools, and both qualitative and quantitative techniques that can be adapted and applied across various organisational contexts within the sports industry.
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MN-MAH7P
Complex Systems: Principles
Health and care provision is one of the most complex management and organizational settings. This complexity can be very daunting when multiple organizations are involved in delivering care services (even for comparatively simple patient pathways). Making effective changes to such systems, in the absence of understanding the principles and schools of thought that concern complexity management, means changes are fraught with many dangers and can generate dysfunctional behavior that results in even poorer performance. This course aims to equip students with the knowledge of systems complexity thinking to analyze and enact more effective and sustainable changes to health and care processes. This module provides the student with insight and the deep understanding needed to understand health and care systems and their performance. Such insight will include a traditional systems approach to the modern complex adaptive systems frameworks.
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MN-MAH9P
Complex Systems: Applications and Improvement
Enacting change in a complex environment requires a new set of skills which are typically not taught to clinicians or managers and this course was designed to allow students to take a broad and holistic approach to visualizing complex care systems and using good theory to establish why a system is not performing well. The course focuses on understanding healthcare complexity, the models that allow analysis of such systems and the application of the most effective interventions to restore system stability. The course will explore the contradictions and dysfunctions of current systems designs and the problems of not using a complexity approach to design new or modify existing ways of working. The course is ideally suited to any student that aspires to work as a consultant to design new care processes or improve existing ones. This course is unique and is based on Swansea School of Management research including contemporary case materials and our network of professional experts.
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MN-MB05P
Creating Sustainable Value
The module combines case-based teaching with an introduction to the key MBA fields of technology management, operations management and marketing. The module takes an integrated approach to managing key aspects of technology, operations and marketing activities within an organisation. Rather than proceeding along conventional MBA disciplinary lines, as this method can often obscure the fundamental connections between them, the module takes a holistic approach to the way value is perceived and realized.
This is a case-based module, organised around the evaluation of management and business practices for enabling sustainable competitive advantage. Recognising that sustainable development in all its forms is a dilemma beyond the capacity of any single organization, business or state to meet, this module draws on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide a flexible and topical curriculum that can keep pace with international news. We will give students an experience where the various perspectives that derive from their own professional experience, cultural and national diversity and traditional MBA fields are brought to bear on cases of the challenges of economic and social sustainability.
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MN-MBA05
Creating Sustainable Value
The module combines case-based teaching with an introduction to the key MBA fields of technology management, operations management and marketing. The module takes an integrated approach to managing key aspects of technology, operations and marketing activities within an organisation. Rather than proceeding along conventional MBA disciplinary lines, as this method can often obscure the fundamental connections between them, the module takes a holistic approach to the way value is perceived and realized.
This is a case-based module, organised around the evaluation of management and business practices for enabling sustainable competitive advantage. Recognising that sustainable development in all its forms is a dilemma beyond the capacity of any single organization, business or state to meet, this module draws on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide a flexible and topical curriculum that can keep pace with international news. We will give students an experience where the various perspectives that derive from their own professional experience, cultural and national diversity and traditional MBA fields are brought to bear on cases of the challenges of economic and social sustainability.
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MN-N00
DBA Research placeholder
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MN-N01
DBA Research Placeholder
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MNBD004P
Research in Practice (Part 2)
This module is the 60-credit research module across all MSc Advanced Management Pathways.
The module introduces students to the principles and practice of management research, with a focus on application in health and care contexts. Students will explore philosophical foundations of research, approaches to project management, and a range of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods techniques.
Through case studies, guest speakers, and applied seminars, students will develop skills in research design, literature review, data analysis and visualisation, and the critical appraisal of research methodologies. The module also examines consultancy skills and reflective practice, preparing students to manage work-based research projects and translate research findings into actionable organisational insights with impact potential.
Emphasis is placed on developing the ability to connect theory with practice, navigate methodological choices, and deliver evidence-based solutions in complex, real-world environments.
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MNBM045P
Complexity and Managing Improvement Processes
This module covers organisational forms (the context of change and the operating environment) with the means for change and the methods (to diagnose and enact change to the National Health Service (NHS) and associated services in health and social care settings. This module examines the complexity of organisational forms and the challenges of managing improvement processes in health and social care contexts. Students will explore the dynamic operating environments in which services are delivered, drawing on key theories of organisational design, contingency, systems and social and-technical perspectives to understand how organisations adapt and fit to purpose.
Through a critical review of scientific management, behavioural theories, and governance principles, the module introduces the foundations of change and improvement, including Total Quality Management, Lean methodologies, and the concept of learning organisations. Students will also engage with highly reliable organisational theory and psychological safety as core components of managing safety-critical complexity. Building on these theoretical foundations, the module focuses on practical methods for diagnosing and enacting change in health and care services. This includes service design tools, flow mapping and visualisation, problem-solving approaches, supply chain design, and approaches to reducing error, waste and failure demand.
The module emphasises systems-level thinking and complex adaptive systems, preparing students to coordinate and sustain change across organisations and supply chains. Through case studies, applied exercises and policy deployment frameworks, students will develop the skills to analyse service challenges, design effective improvements, and lead high-performance, resilient health and care organisations.
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MNBM046P
Sustainable Operations in Sport
This module offers professionals working in sporting organisations, including current and retired athletes, an in depth understanding of contemporary business operations both within and beyond the sports industry. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical tools, students will explore critical topics such as sustainable operations, international standards, and asset management, with an emphasis on enhancing organisational efficiency, sustainability, and overall performance. In the dynamic landscape of sports organisations, the efficient management of resources is essential for delivering exceptional experiences and services. Operations management plays a crucial role in equipping sports management professionals (be that nationally, internationally or locally, including grass root sports) with the necessary techniques to effectively and sustainably manage operations. This module serves as an introduction to fundamental principles, conceptual tools, and both qualitative and quantitative techniques that can be adapted and applied across various organisational contexts within the sports industry.
