Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Business Management

Purpose

This qualification is an extension of the Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management. It is designed to expose learners to broad theoretical perspectives in all aspects of Business Management as an academic discipline and seminal writings in the research literature. It will include training inappropriate concepts and research methods. It will also prepare learners for further study, locally or internationally, at Masters or Doctoral level in Business Management or a related subject area. Learners will develop competent management and research skills with advanced applied fundamental and generic cross-functional technical knowledge and skill to steer growth and development both in the public and private sectors of the economy in the most appropriate direction.

Rationale

Political, economic, sociological, technological, environmental and legal factors are affecting every sector of business and every area of governmental and industrial administration. The qualification is workplace oriented and is tailored to specific management needs. It will provide the body of knowledge needed for managerial and transformational development. This qualification will prepare learners to assume the responsibility of management in business and other organisations within society. Over and above, graduates will qualify as self-employed in the highly demanding multi-cultural corporate world. This will increase the number of a competent cadre of management scientists in South Africa who can contribute to enquiry and establishment of effective management practices in our multi-cultural business environment as well as at our institutions.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Is the process through which the prior knowledge and skills and or work experience of a person are made visible and assessed for alternative access admission into a required qualification. RPL for access: If a learner does not meet the formal entry requirements for admission into a qualification, RPL can be applied. The applications will be considered according to the RPL policy of the institution. For formal prior learning, the law currently requires Learners to have formal qualifications for admission to the institution. The learners' prior accredited learning at higher institution level in relevant domains, which constitute credit-bearing units, is considered. In a non-formal and informal prior experiential learning, the learner must submit a written motivation of not more than two pages requesting recognition and admission by the department. The department will take into consideration the relevant work-based experience of the learner and their technical capabilities that are deemed necessary by the department. Learners who have not achieved Strategic Management III may enrol for a Short Learning Programme in Advanced Strategic Management for access.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management, NQF level 7.

Or

• Advanced Diploma in Management, NQF level 7.

Or

• Cognate Advanced Diploma, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 8,120 Credits

• Strategic Management, 15 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 15 Credits.
• Advanced Financial Management, 15 Credits.
• Project Management, 15 Credits.
• Research Project, 30 Credits.
• Supply Chain Management, 15 Credits.
• Human Resources Management, 15 Credits.

1. Demonstrate advanced theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to perform effectively in a career in the field of Business Management.
2. Demonstrate an appropriate knowledge base as preparation for further learning in Business management.
3. Manage the stock and logistics of a retail business following current industry practices for ethics and corporate governance.
4. Conduct relevant research on a selected topic in the field.
5. Identify and solve complex management and supply chain problems critically and creatively.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Independently apply discipline-based knowledge and practices to an understanding of conceptual and practical problems related to Business Management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Capacity for studying aspects of the discipline in depth which indicate the ability to undertake further postgraduate study in the discipline is demonstrated.
• Appropriate moral values of intellectual honesty and intellectual humility relating to the acquisition, dissemination and application of knowledge with particular reference to the world of business management are reflected.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• An appropriate strategic stock and logistics plan, which will demonstrate knowledge of the logistics function is developed for a business.
• Stock and logistics of retail business including useful stock and logistic objectives, policies, strategies, action plans and a logistics budget are adequately planned for a year.
• An active stock control system is designed.
• A supplier specification policy is compiled to ensure the right supply of prescribed products at the required conditions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Ability to communicate research results/findings conclusively is demonstrated.
• Ability to plan, analyse and reach decisions regarding business cases/opportunities is demonstrated.
• Manage advanced and technically specialised aspects of public and development sector organisations effectively and efficiently in their pursuance of the public interest.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome5

• Ability to manage business organisations effectively and efficiently at advanced and technically specialised levels, in order to maximise profits is demonstrated.
• Manage advanced and technically specialised utilisation of human resources of organisations effectively and efficiently to improve the human capital of such organisations.
• Participate in the advanced and technically specialised management of the supply chain in organisations.

Integrated Assessment

Learners will be assessed through formative and summative procedures in both coursework modules and mini-dissertation.

Research Paper/Project Assessment

Successful learners for this qualification, in addition to being examined in different subjects in the coursework are also required to write a mini dissertation. In this mini-dissertation, the learner identifies a suitable research topic and explore it independently, demonstrating its relevance to either the advancement of academic knowledge or to the resolution of a problem in an area of practical concern. The mini dissertation entails a piece of supervised research work, which should be capable of being published in an academic journal. Formatively, the dissertation will be presented in seminars (both Departmental and Faculty level) for approval of topics as well as in local and national conferences. In the Summative assessment, the project will be submitted to one external supervisor for marking and grade scoring.

Coursework/module Assessment

With formative assessment, usually, there are three or more compulsory semester tasks done that count towards the semester mark. Depending on the nature of the modules, the tasks may include one written test, submission of an assignment and a class presentation. Only the best 2 out of 3 or more tasks will be recognised in consideration to the learner's semester mark. The semester mark must be average and above for the learner to qualify to write the final examination. The summative coursework examination mark will contribute towards the final mark. The learner must achieve at least an above-average mark in the examination irrespective of what the semester is. If the learner has achieved below average in the examination the learner will be awarded a non-achievement sub-minimum irrespective of what the semester is. The final mark is obtained by adding the examination mark and semester mark and dividing the figure by two. The learner must have an average final mark order to achieve the module. The learner who achieves a final mark that is below average will qualify for a supplementary examination.