By Katie Bryant, BA Business Management
Out of all the modules that I’ve studied in my two years at Sheffield, one has stood out as being my favourite – Business Challenges. This is an optional module in first year, and is available to all undergraduate Management School students, whether you’re on Business Management, International Business Management or Accounting and Financial Management. Here’s why I think you should choose it!
What was this module?
This is a very different module as it has only one lecture and one seminar with a presentation. The rest of the seminars are mainly for students to meet, collaborate with their team members and successfully carry out a 10 weeks project work. Tutors will be present in all the seminars to help you with your queries but there will be no formal teaching. This is a very practical module where you learn by doing and there is very limited teaching involved.
Our Business Challenge
The Business Management Experience simulation is based on a realistic but fictional business, where you and your team members act as a board of directors. The simulation allowed my team and I to run a business over a period of time and to make decisions that made an impact on how much profit the business makes.
Our aim was to make as much profit as possible. We were also responsible for maintaining customer satisfaction and deciding on out investment strategy, especially in R&D (research and development), throughout the time we ran the business.
How the module was assessed
The assessment for this module consisted of a ten-week team project which was a PowerPoint with a voice over, critically analysing our groups performance throughout the project. We had to complete one reflective essay as a group and two individual reflective essays. It was great to have such a varied method of assessment throughout the module.
Why this was my favourite module?
- I loved working in a group. Group work is great as you all bounce ideas off of each other in order to create the best possible outcomes. It is great to bond with people and work well as part of a team and ultimately produce a really good piece of coursework.
- I found it brilliant that we could be creative within our module. Every week as a team we could decide how much money to invest into which part of the business and what to set the selling price of the products at. It was really interesting to be part of such a realistic simulation.
- It was amazing to have freedom within the module. We could decide how we presented our final group project. The fact that we didn’t have lectures meant everything was down to us. We had to decide when we were meeting and get the work done without the reminder or help of lectures. It was great to essentially self-lead a module.
- This was such a unique module, which gave me opportunities to learn that other modules didn’t. Business challenges allowed me to develop many of my skills including teamwork, communication, thinking on the spot and analytical skills.
I really recommend that you choose this module as it is the best module I have completed so far at university!