| Unit name | Data Analysis in Business Contexts |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MGRCM0054 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Shin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
"Data Analysis in Business Contexts" is crucial for understanding how data influences real-world business decision-making, strategy and operations. This unit allows you to explore how companies use data to solve practical problems and make strategic decisions. Guest lecturers will share their experiences dealing with data to use management decision-making and engage in discussions that simulate actual business scenarios. This will develop your ability to identify relevant data, evaluate its appropriateness, and use it to formulate solutions. This unit will prepare you to understand how the actual data can be utilised in actual situations and think critically about data and its role in addressing business challenges, equipping you with the skills to make data-driven decisions in your future careers.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will be a fundamental part of the programme, MSc Data Science for Business, enhancing your ability to apply analytical thinking to business contexts. This unit establishes key competencies in problem-solving and decision-making using case studies and data used. By reflecting on an interdisciplinary nature, this unit complements other subjects by providing practical insights into the role of data in various business functions and situations. It will allow you to understand the intersection of data and business strategy, making it a valuable addition to your academic journey. This unit will provide practical insights in using data to inform business decisions, before advancing to more specialised topics.
An overview of content
This unit, "Data Analysis in the Business Context," delves into how businesses use data to drive decision-making and solve real-world problems. You will engage with case studies and practical exercises that reflect some challenges faced by businesses. You will learn to identify and evaluate the types of data needed to address specific business questions, what data is used, why the data is suited to answer questions, how to analyse the data effectively, and how to draw actionable insights. Topics covered include data collection methods, data quality assessment, data visualisation, and the ethical considerations of data usage. By the end of the unit, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the role of data in business strategy and operations.
How will students, personally, be different as results of the unit
Upon completing this unit, you will have developed a data-driven mindset, enhancing your ability to think critically about business problems and solutions. You will gain confidence in evaluating data sources, assessing data quality, and determining the appropriateness of data for specific business questions. You will also improve your problem-solving skills by practising how to frame research questions, design data collection strategies, and interpret data to inform decision-making. These skills will not only enhance academic performance but also prepare you for real-world business challenges, making you more competitive in the job market.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing this unit, you will be able to:
ILO1 – create the necessary data to answer business questions.
ILO2 – identify relevant data sources and evaluate their quality and appropriateness for addressing specific business problems.
ILO3 – formulate research questions and design appropriate data collection strategies, preparing you for roles that require strategic thinking and problem-solving.
ILO4 – critically evaluate the ethical implications of data collection and analysis, ensuring you can responsibly manage data in professional settings.
The teaching method will be centred around a 3-hour lectorial session each week for ten weeks. The lectorial contains a combination of lectures, seminars, and tutorials with case study analysis.
Lectures will introduce cases of how managers solve business questions with data. These sessions will also feature guest speakers from the industry who will present real-world examples of data analysis applications and provide discussion questions for further exploration.
Tutorials will focus on interactive and problem-based learning. During these sessions, students will engage in case studies where students will analyse real-world business scenarios, identify data needs, evaluate data quality, and propose data-driven solutions. Tutorials will also include student-centred projects that require students to work individually or in groups to solve specific business problems.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
If you do not pass the unit in aggregating across four assessments, you will be eligible for reassessment. The reassessment format will align with the intended learning outcomes of the original assessment but may differ in structure:
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MGRCM0054).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
