This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
MGT B813W
Business Concepts and Practices for Legal Professionals I
Introduction |
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Welcome to MGT B813W Business Concepts and Practices for Legal Professionals I, an elective course in the Master's degree programme in Chinese Business Law (Business Applications). This course discusses basic business concepts and their applications with an emphasis on marketing concepts and applications. The course carries five credits and will take you one semester to complete.
Although MGT B813W Business Concepts and Practices for Legal Professionals I is a course developed with business and organizational executives in mind, it is suitable for any student who is interested in more exposure to business concepts. The emphasis of this course is on marketing, which is sensitive to changes in the business environment, especially consumer demand. Accordingly, the course starts out by analysing the marketplace, by first introducing the concepts relating to the purchasing behaviour of consumers, their needs and special considerations, to be followed by discussions on the analyses of market conditions, market segmentation, marketing competition and the relationship to purchasing behaviour. In this course, both the conceptual background and practical applications are equally stressed. Relevant contemporary cases from the business world as well as the legal profession are provided to reinforce learning and provide insights into conceptual applications.
Purpose of this Course Guide
This Course Guide tells you briefly what the course is about and outlines the aims and learning outcomes of the course. It also gives you information about the course materials and how you can work your way through the materials. It suggests the amount of time you will need to spend to complete the course and the units. Finally, it gives you information about tutorial assistance and a general idea of when your tutor-marked assignments are due.
Course aims
MGT B813W aims to help you acquire knowledge of basic business concepts and apply them in business practice. The topics to be discussed include consumers, firms, the marketing environment, market segmentation, marketing competition and purchasing behaviour.
Learning outcomes
On completing this course, you should be able to:
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Illustrate the basic concepts in marketing.
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Apply analytical techniques and identify major environmental factors affecting marketing.
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Perform simple market segmentation studies, devise a target marketing purpose and implement a target marketing methodology.
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Identify the characteristics of the competitive environment and examine how firms or organizations compete successfully.
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Analyse the consumer purchasing process and the various special features and decisions involved.
Course materials |
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As MGT B813W is an online course, all the study units and most of the supplementary readings will be provided in the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You are required to have access to the Internet through a personal computer equipped with a webcam to take part in the e-learning activities. The following are the minimum requirements for this course:
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a personal computer with a Pentium or more powerful CPU
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64MB RAM or above
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a broadband connection to the Internet
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Windows XP or a newer version of the MS Windows platform
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an earphone and a microphone
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a USB webcam
- a printer connected to your computer for printing online course content.
For further details, please refer to the following webpage:
http://ecentre.ouhk.edu.hk/e-online-equip.htm.
Online study units
There are five study units in MGT B813W Business Concepts and Practices for Legal Professionals I. Each unit consists of approximately four weeks' worth of part-time work. The study units outline the objectives of each section, summarize key issues, explain the relevant theories and practices, and comment on related readings and case studies. Each unit contains self-tests and activities to reinforce your assimilation of the issues under discussion. The following table gives you an overview of the study units and each key topic, the time taken to complete each unit and the assignments that assess the units.
Units |
Titles |
Study time (weeks) |
Assignments |
1 |
Consumer behaviour and marketing |
4 |
|
2 |
Market environment analysis |
4 |
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3 |
Market segmentation and positioning |
4 |
TMA 1 |
4 |
Competition and market |
4 |
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5 |
Consumer purchasing behaviour |
4 |
TMA 2 |
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Revision |
2 |
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Total |
22 |
2 |
In addition to the online study units, you will be expected to make use of other materials from time to time as stipulated below.
Printed materials
Although you will not be provided with printed copies of the Course Guide and the five study units, PDF versions of the study units will be available on the website if you prefer a printable option.
Supplementary readings
There is no set textbook for MGT B813W.
As you study the course, you may be directed in the units to read specific pages excerpted from relevant textbooks, or other readings. Copies of the required supplementary readings will either be available online or provided as hard copies.
Course assessment |
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All students are expected to complete the provided self-tests, which serve as a formative means for you to self-evaluate whether you have attained an adequate grasp of the course content and the reasoning involved. You will be assessed summatively based on the marks of two tutor-marked assignments (TMAs), your participation in the online discussion forum and a final examination. The purpose of the final examination is to ascertain the extent of your ability to clearly and logically apply the knowledge learned from studying the course materials.
Tutor marked assignments
Two TMAs are required, representing 40% of the total course marks:
TMA 1 |
Consumer behaviour and marketing, analysis of the market environment, and market segmentation and positioning (Units 1, 2 and 3) (20%) |
TMA 2 |
Competition and market, and consumer purchasing behaviour (Units 4 and 5) (20%) |
TMA submission extension policy
The assignment policy of the University as stated in the Student Handbook should be observed. You are required to submit assignments for this course in accordance with the dates communicated by your Course Coordinator. You may apply for a submission extension on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances.
Applications for extensions of up to seven days should be submitted to the tutor. The tutor shall consider valid and unexpected emergencies on an individual basis. Normally, documented proof of the extenuating circumstances is not required for extensions of up to seven days. The tutor shall decide and advise you of the revised date for submission.
For extensions of over seven days, you should note the following:
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If you require an extension of more than seven days on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances, they are required to complete an 'Application Form for Assignment Extension over seven days' and submit it to the Course Coordinator.
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Supporting documents must be submitted along with the application for extension of over seven days to justify the claim.
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Applications for extension should normally be lodged before or on the due date.
- Applications are considered by:
- the Course Coordinator for extensions of 8 to 21 days; and
- the Dean for extensions of over 21 days.
If the assignment is posted to the tutor, it is your responsibility to check that the assignment has successfully arrived (see Assignment File). Extension applications without supporting documents on the grounds of postal loss will not be accepted. The University cannot accept any responsibility for assignments that are not received by your tutor due to problems with the post. As a precaution, you are advised to keep a copy of each assignment you submit and obtain a certificate of posting from the post office when you post your assignment.
According to the University's policy, there is no extension of the cut-off date for the final TMA.
Participation in the online discussion forum
Students are required to take part in online discussions at least one time per unit. Apart from answering the specified questions, you are also encouraged to give replies to or comments on the opinions of other students. This will account for 10% of the course's overall assessment.
Final examination
The final examination is a written examination lasting three hours, representing the other 50% of the total course marks.
Assessment summary
Assessment type |
Marks |
Assignments |
40% |
Online discussion forum |
10% |
Final examination |
50% |
Total |
100% |
As specified in the Student Handbook, learners' final result in this course depends on their performance in both the continuous assessment (TMAs) and the examination. In order to pass the course, learners need to pass both the continuous assessment and the examination. For more information on the University's policies on assignments and examinations, please refer to the section 'Assignments and examinations' in the OUHK Student Handbook.
Tutors and online support |
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Tutors
Your tutor will mark and comment on your assignments, keep a close watch on your progress, provide advice on any difficulties you might encounter, and generally assist you during the course.
You will be notified of the name and contact details of your tutor as soon as you are allocated to a tutorial group (shortly after the start of the course).
Do not hesitate to contact your tutor by telephone or email if you need help. The following might be some typical circumstances in which you would find help necessary. Contact your tutor if:
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you do not understand any part of the study units or the assigned readings;
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you have any difficulty with the self-tests; or
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you have a question or problem with assignments, or with your tutor's comments on or grading of an assignment.
It is a good idea to keep copies of all TMAs you submit for reference during any telephone conversations with your tutor. Remember that TMAs should be submitted in accordance with the due dates indicated. Your tutor will mark and return them to you as soon as possible.
Online support
In this course, you have the opportunity to interact with tutors and fellow students via the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You will at times be referred to the course discussion board to exchange views with other students on particular issues, or you may like to post your own questions and invite feedback from others. Five one-hour real-time online lectures and five real-time one-hour online tutorials will also be provided. The tutorials are designed to help you address any problems you are experiencing with the course material and to further your understanding of the concepts discussed in the course. You are strongly advised to participate in these online tutorial and lecture sessions to enhance your understanding of the course.
Summary |
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MGT B813W Business Concepts and Practices for Legal Professionals I is a one-semester course which presents an introduction to basic business concepts and their application in a legal context, with a particular emphasis on marketing. Topics include consumers, firms, the marketing environment, market segmentation, marketing competition and purchasing behaviour. Case studies and examples will be used to illustrate course concepts.
As you work through the five units of the course, you will be supported through interaction with your tutor and your coursemates. You will be assessed on your participation on the discussion board as well as your performance in the tutor-marked assignments and the final examination.
Enjoy your study of MGT B813W!
A note about the course developers |
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Professor Alan Au is the Marketing, Management and Decision Science Strand Leader of the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, the Open University of Hong Kong. His portfolio includes managing the BBA (Hons) in China Business, BBA (Hons) in Corporate Administration, BBA (Hons) in Management, Bachelor of Electronic Commerce, Bachelor of Hospitality Management, Master of Business Administration, Master of Corporate Governance, Master of Human Resource Management, Master of Electronic Commerce and Doctor of Business Administration programmes. Before joining the OUHK, Prof. Au had served in various academic positions in Hong Kong and New Zealand. Prof. Au currently serves in the Council of Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries. He is also a member of the Professional Standards Committee of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. He has published widely in international refereed journals, covering areas such as business ethics, global management and marketing. He is a Guest Editor for Cross-Cultural Management Journal and has undertaken associate editorships with two international journals.
Samuel Chan is Managing Consultant of an international consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs. Mr Chan received his MBA from California State University, Hayward, having taken the Financial Engineering Program from Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. He is a tutor at the Open University of Hong Kong.
Deferment of studies |
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If you wish to defer your studies of this course until a later date, you should apply for deferment of studies. For the regulations governing deferment of studies, please refer to Section 14, 'Regulations for Admission, Registration and Maintenance of Status', in your Student Handbook. If you have applied for deferment of studies you should continue with your studies of this course and submit the required assignments until formal approval is given by the University. Should you have difficulties in submitting an assignment, you are advised to liaise with your Course Coordinator and apply for a TMA extension. Students who have been granted deferment of studies will not be allowed to submit TMAs due before the date that their application for deferment of studies is received by Registry.
About the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration |
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Click here and view the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration.