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Course syllabus - Business Analysis

Scope

7.5 credits

Course code

FOA157

Valid from

Spring semester 2020

Education level

First cycle

Progressive Specialisation

G1F (First cycle, has less than 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements).

Main area(s)

Business Administration

School

School of Business, Society and Engineering

Ratified

2019-06-28

Status

This syllabus is not current and will not be given any more

Literature lists

Course literature is preliminary up to 8 weeks before course start. Course literature can be valid over several semesters.

    • Ratified date: 2019-12-20
    • Latest update: 2019-12-20

    Literature

    Breen, R. L.

    A practical guide to focus-group research

    Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 30(3), 463-475. DOI: 10.1080/03098260600927575, 2006

    Burns, J; Quinn, M; Warren, L; Oliveira, J

    Management Accounting

    McGraw-Hill Education: Berkshire, 2013

    Cadle, J; Paul, D; Turner, P

    Business analysis techniques: 99 essential tools for success

    (2nd ed.), 2014

    Chambers, J. C; Mullick, S. K; Smith, D. D

    How to Choose the right Forecasting Technique

    Harvard business review, 49(4), 45, (1971)

    Dahlin, P

    Basics of Applied Analysis

    Working paper, 2020

    Duhiggfeb, C

    How Companies Learn Your Secrets

    The New York Times Magazine, 2012

    URL: Link

    Holsapple, C; Lee-Post, A; Pakath, R

    A unified foundation for business analytics

    Decision Support Systems, 64, 2014

    130-141

    Kahneman, D

    Maps of Bounded Rationality: A Perspective on Intuitive Judgment and Choice

    Prize Lecture, 2002

    URL: PDF at:

    King, A.A.

    Think Critically About the Wisdome of Experts

    MIT Sloan Management Review. 60(2), 2018

    URL: Link

    Marin, A; Wellman, B

    Social network analysis: An introduction

    The SAGE handbook of social network analysis, 11., 2014

    Pigni, F., Piccoli, G., & Watson, R.

    Digital Data Streams: Creating Value from the Real-Time Flow of Big Data

    California Management Review, 58(3), 5–25., 2016

    URL: Link

    Simon, H. A

    Making management decisions: The role of intuition and emotion

    Academy of Management Perspectives, 1(1), 57-64, 1987

    URL: Link

    Smith, B., & Linden, G

    Two decades of recommender systems at Amazon. com

    Ieee internet computing, 21(3), 12-18, 2017

Objectives

The course gives a basic understanding of methods and tools for business analysis, as well as the needs and effects of such analyses. Through theory as well as practical assignments, different types of business relevant analysis are introduced, thereby training the analytical skills of the student to evaluate and understand markets and businesses.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. Identify and formulate analytical possibilities
2. Develop analytical inquires suitable for analysis
3. Identify and exemplify analytical assumptions
4. Compare and select appropriate analytic method
5. Plan and execute different types of analysis
6. Reflect upon analyses' strengths and weaknesses
7. Be able to discuss and reflect on the relevance and applicability of the analysis for decision making.

Course content

This course dedicates its attention towards predicative analyses that serve as platforms for decision making. The course therefore includes several analytical models, methods and tools.  The course includes sessions that develop students' ability to both formulate analytical inquires and select between analytical possibilities. A central aspect of the content is exercises that improve students' ability to critical assess assumptions, validity, limitations, and shortcomings. The content in this course is therefore build upon both practical and theoretical parts which together stimulate the development of the students' analytical capabilities.

Tuition

Lectures, exercises, and seminars

Specific requirements

Business 30 credits, at least 22.5 credits must be completed at the beginning of the course. In addition English course B/English course 6 is required.

Examination

Project (PRO1), 1,5 credit,  grades Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E), Insufficient, complementary work possible (Fx), Insufficient (F) (learning outcome 5)

Seminar (SEM1), 2 credits,  grades Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E), Insufficient, complementary work possible (Fx), Insufficient (F) (learning outcomes 1-7)

Examination (TEN1), 3 credits,  grades Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E), Insufficient, complementary work possible (Fx), Insufficient (F) learning outcomes1-7)

Assignment (INL1), 1 credit,  grades Excellent (A), Very good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Sufficient (E), Insufficient, complementary work possible (Fx), Insufficient (F) (learning outcomel 5)

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

Excellent, Very good, Good, Satisfactory, Sufficient, Insufficient, complementary work possible, Insufficient

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

Overlap with FOA149.