Bachelor of Commerce in Management Marketing

Purpose

Management and marketing are essential elements of commerce. The purpose of the qualification is to ensure that learners are equipped with the knowledge, theory and methodology of the important disciplines in management and marketing. The knowledge and skills will enable learners to demonstrate initiative and responsibility in a professional or academic context. The qualification covers the major functional specialisations and provides a broad, integrated, strategic context for learners on issues in business, management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, branding, public relations, ethics, logistics, supply chain, projects, research, human behavioural theories, diversity and culture.

The breadth and depth of learning achieved by learners would facilitate access to the world of work and promote critical and analytical citizenship. This qualification forms part of the development of learners in a rapidly evolving and growing nation with higher order capabilities to grow the economy, to advance social transformation, and to remain regionally relevant and globally competitive.

Rationale

The Bachelor of Commerce: Management Marketing is a response to the workplace need for competent managers across all economic sectors. The current and future need for competent middle and senior managers has been expressed by employers and employees. The skills, knowledge, attitudes and values required by managers are captured in this qualification. The qualification is, to a certain degree, a generalist rather than a specialist one for the field of marketing practice, as it offers important management and marketing topics, combined with appropriate occupational and professional depth, for its intended purpose. The qualification should equip learners for career opportunities in the fields of business, management and marketing, for example:

• Store, Department, Business Unit or General Manager.
• Marketing and/or Brand Manager.
• Customer Relationship, Key Account or Public Relations Representative or Manager.
• Marketing, Brand and/or Product Researcher and/or Analyst.
• Service, Sales or Product Representative and/or Manager.
• Business, Marketing, Brand or Public Relations Advisor.
• Media and/or Advertising Consultant.

In the increasingly competitive, sophisticated and changing world of work, the continued development of higher order applied knowledge is essential. The qualification has been designed to give learners the skills required for managing life-long learning to build successful careers and to remain productive and responsible citizens. The qualification provides learning in fields that are broadly enabling in relation to career pathways in a range of sectors while providing specialist knowledge in marketing and for further studies through vertical and/or horizontal articulation in, for example:

• Specialised studies in new ventures or e-commerce.
• Postgraduate studies in business administration.
• Honours Degree studies in advanced strategic management or marketing.

It is assumed that learners are competent in

• Communication at NQF Level 4.
• Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 4.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Learners may provide evidence of prior learning for which they may receive credit towards the qualification by means of portfolios or other forms of appropriate evidence which may include, verified accounts of previous relevant work done and performance records and which evidence is in accordance with the requirements of the relevant Quality Council.

Learners not meeting the minimum entry requirements may be granted admission through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Access to the Qualification

• A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with English as one of the subjects passed and which grants admission to Bachelor Degree study.

Or

• A National Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) with English as one of the subjects passed and which grants admission to Bachelor Degree study, NQF Level 4.

Learners are to complete all the compulsory modules and one of the two elective modules as listed below

Compulsory modules totalling 362 Credits

Modules at NQF Level 5 (90 Credits)

• Business Management, 16 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship, 16 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 8 Credits.
• Brand Management, 8 Credits.
• Industrial Psychology, 8 Credits.
• Economics, 16 Credits.
• Company Law, 8 Credits.
• Computer Literacy, 10 Credits.

Modules at NQF Level 6 (154 Credits)

• Business Management, 32 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Financial Management, 40 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 18 Credits.
• Brand Management, 10 Credits.
• Industrial Psychology, 10 Credits.
• Project Management, 12 Credits.
• Company Law, 8 Credits.
• Computer Literacy, 14 Credits.

Modules at NQF Level 7 (130 Credits)

• Business Management, 36 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship, 12 Credits.
• Financial Management, 10 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 24 Credits.
• Project Management, 14 Credits.
• Marketing Research, 8 Credits.
• Experiential Learning, 14 Credits.

Elective modules at NQF Level 7

• Industrial Psychology, 12 Credits.

Or

• Brand Management, 12 Credits.

1. Apply general business principles to real life situations and interpret economic realities of local and global communities.
2. Manage financial, marketing and technology resources in organisations.
3. Analyse financial and brand information.
4. Demonstrate entrepreneurial and project management skills.
5. Identify the socio-economic needs of society and display cultural sensitivity within organisations.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

The Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are embedded in the qualification and will be assessed appropriately within the context of distance learning and the modules that constitute the qualification.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate an understanding of the business management function and scope according to the fundamental general management practices.
• Apply the core general management practices in a business context.
• Comply with relevant ethical practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply basic financial accounting practices, financial management principles, e-commerce and securities principles in own work context.
• Apply fundamentals of marketing communication strategy in own organisation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the digital marketing context, strategy and its management.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of marketing research and consumer behaviour.
• Discuss the marketing mix in relation to a marketing context and campaign.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Discuss brand management, with a particular emphasis on the principles and methodologies associated with brand building strategies, brand management and brand equity, and the measurement of brand value.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the scope of brand management and the core brand management practices.
• Apply practices associated with building brands.
• Compare brand management practices and apply one that is relevant to own work context.
• Manage and interpret information and research data for branding and marketing purposes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Apply the knowledge and skills that are associated with entrepreneurship in a commercial context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the project management scope by initiating, planning and explaining the overall conduct of a project through to the closure of the project.
• Plan and manage a project and show proficiency in project control, evaluation and scoping operational plans.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate a critical grasp of advertising, Integrated Brand Promotion, and consumer behaviour and explain their inter-relationship.
• Discuss integrated communication practice and theory and the role of public relations (and public relations research and practice) with an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment is essential to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved in relation to the occupational focus carried by the qualifier and in terms of its propositional and declarative knowledge, vocational relevance, reflexive competency and Critical Cross-Field Outcomes.

Successful learners will have undertaken an extensive process in which assessments progressively build the learner's integrated competency to a point where the learner is able to express - through a range of mechanisms measured against valid, reliable and transparent criteria - that they can operate effectively in an entry level occupational position within the knowledge system specified by the qualification (management marketing).

Formative assessment integrates the cycle of teaching and learning, and assessment. Study guides and texts contain self-assessment exercises. The scheme of work includes formal assessments in the form of tests and/or assignments based on the learning material and students are graded and provided written feedback. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and limited in the number of outcomes assessed.

Summative assessments are in the form of supervised examinations, or equivalent assessment such as a research report which assesses a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed in the formative stage. Summative assessment also tests the student's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a full course.