Module Descriptions
Bachelor of Commerce
Below is all the Module Descriptions for Bachelor of Commerce 2024.
Year One
This module develops the skills needed for successful tertiary study, particularly listening and reading for comprehension, critical thinking in sourcing and evaluating academic material, structuring academic papers, writing clearly and logically, and referencing sources used. Students develop these essential skills through readings and talks and practise them in a supportive environment with detailed feedback.
Through this module, students will learn to use a computer for emails, internet, word processing, spreadsheet development and electronic presentation suites. This will enable students to access the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) known as Funda, which is used by Cornerstone for communication with lecturers and administrative purposes, as well as research and submission of assignments.
This module introduces the student to the theory of business strategy, planning and business models. Students will learn about importance of organizing, aligning, decision-making and managing business performance. Students will understand the fundamentals of enterprise systems and technologies and the importance of supply chain alignment, risk management and business improvement systems. Students will also become aware of global conventions, core legislation and international standards that impact a business. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to evaluate the impact of the changing global landscape, digital transformation and new innovations on business strategy.
This module enables students to gain a solid understanding of the basic principles and concepts of accounting as they navigate the financial aspects of the world of business. Students will learn about the purpose and conceptual framework of accounting, business transactions, financial statements, internal controls, ethical considerations, and the various types of legal entities. Students will be able to record, classify and interpret business transactions accurately and be able to prepare basic financial statements, specifically, the statement of comprehensive income, statement of financial position and statement of equity.
This module provides an overview of the management of people in the modern organisation. Students will learn about key elements of managing and building human capital including leadership, talent acquisition and optimisation, employee experience development, recognition & reward, diversity and organisational culture. At the conclusion of the module students will be able to manage and support people to achieve optimally within dynamic, globally excellent companies.
This module explores the history, theory and processes of communication, and examines the importance of effective communication in the workplace and more broadly. Students will analyse different types of communication understand the essence of effective workplace communication including making presentations effective participation in meetings. The module further explores communications in multicultural environments and the new challenges brought about through digital communication technologies and social media. At the conclusion of the module students will have a sound understanding of communication best practices and will be enabled to communicate effectively with their managers and colleagues in the workplace.
This module is designed to help the student build an ethical framework that considers a holistic understanding of the human person (head, heart and hands). Students are exposed to ethical theories that enable them to reflect on ways in which to respond to current moral, intellectual and social questions. Students work to integrate ethical theory into their experience of life and explore how this contributes to the good of the world.
This module introduces students to the basic concepts in economics including demand, supply, trade-offs, production and allocation of resources. Students will acquire an understanding of different market structures, pricing, money, interest rates and exchange rates and how these relate to economic policy, international economic relations and economic growth . Students will also gain an understanding of inflation, unemployment, poverty and inequality. Students will, through understanding these concepts and the South African reality, be challenged to think critically and practically about the distribution of wealth and the role of individuals, organisations and government in the economy.
This module introduces students to marketing theory and practices. Students will understand how to analyse the competitive landscape, identify the core competencies within a business, recognise opportunities and assess risks, which are the building blocks of every marketing strategy. Students will further explore up-to-date marketing thinking in respect of the development and management of value-based customer relationships. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to create a marketing plan; position their brand and products; as well as apply a marketing mix to be the preferred choice of customers.
This module introduces students to the basic concepts of business statistics. Students will learn about the role and importance of statistics in solving business problems, the categories of analytics, types of data, data collection methods, descriptive statistics, data visualisation, and probability. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to select and apply appropriate statistical techniques, apply these techniques and interpret these results making appropriate inferences.
This module introduces students the development of entrepreneurship and its role in the economy in South Africa and internationally. Students will understand the drivers behind entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation theory, the development of entrepreneurial strategy as well as the challenges of business start-ups and franchising. At the end of the module students will be able to formulate a business plan for an enterprise whilst understanding the legal requirements that need to be considered.
Year Two
This module enables students to gain a solid understanding of the basic principles and concepts of accounting as they navigate the financial aspects of the world of business. Students will learn about the purpose and conceptual framework of accounting, business transactions, financial statements, internal controls, ethical considerations, and the various types of legal entities. Students will be able to record, classify and interpret business transactions accurately and be able to prepare basic financial statements, specifically, the statement of comprehensive income, statement of financial position and statement of equity.
This module takes students through concepts of self-leadership and theories about self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-confidence. Students will learn about the levers for self-regulation and will be able to explain the role of personal values, ethics, empathy and emotional intelligence in self-leadership outcomes. At the end of the module students will be able to set effective goals and to build and sustain a motivated mindset.
This module provides students with an introduction to Customer Experience and the management thereof on a business’s journey towards customer-centricity. Students will understand the fundamental practices, concepts, and frameworks of CX and gain a deeper understanding of ‘the customer’ so that they can build real value for a business. At the conclusion of the module students will be able to define and apply components of the CX eco-system, specify a business’s customer value proposition, describe the various components of CX and create empathy and customer journey maps for targeted customers. Students will also be able to apply and interpret key CX and operations metrics.
This module provides students with a theoretically grounded insight into change management best practice and their application in the modern world of work. Students will learn about change models, how individuals respond to change and how to support others through change, regardless of their level within the organisational hierarchy. Students will explore the realities of the new world of work with its constant fluidity and disruption and how to thrive therein. At the conclusion of the module students will be able to interpret their own and others’ responses to change and how to shape and influence the direction of change.
This module prepares students for the challenges of a constantly changing world by focusing on the micro-economic behaviour of individuals, households, and firms in the economic system. Students will learn about consumer choice, firm and market structure, factor markets, externalities, public goods and welfare, as well as general equilibrium and market efficiency. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to critically analyse and interpret microeconomic behaviour, evaluate economic issues and make informed decisions in real-world situations, based on microeconomic principles.
This module introduces students to operations management and the manufacturing of products and services. Students will learn about manufacturing strategies, operational performance, planning, processes, designs, inventory and quality management. Students will explore how continuous improvement, risk management and Industry 4.0 digital technologies are applied to optimise and sustain manufacturing processes and performance. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to recognise and interpret issues and challenges in manufacturing and know how to develop and apply various solutions so that manufacturing organisations achieve their strategic objectives and remain constantly competitive.
This module explores the concepts of strategic management and innovation within the context of today’s rapidly changing environments in business organisations. Students will learn how strategic management relates to business planning, modelling, analysis, decision-making and influencing others. Students will also learn about an organisation’s vision, mission, and values, and the aligned business strategies to best utilise the organisation’s resources. Students will develop an understanding of strategic decisions and leadership with a strong focus on ethical and innovation considerations. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to apply strategic management concepts and techniques in case studies which helps develop skills to solve real-world business challenges.
This module introduces the student to the fundamental elements of project management. Students will learn about the role of the project manager, the project management office, project management techniques, project communication, risk management and stakeholder engagement, as well as managing the constraints of budgets, timelines and quality. Students will also be introduced to agile project management and to the common features of project management software. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to set up a project and apply various project management techniques to ensure that the project is delivered on time and in scope with full appreciation for cost and risk.
This module explores the concepts of strategic management and innovation within the context of today’s rapidly changing environments in business organisations. Students will learn how strategic management relates to business planning, modelling, analysis, decision-making and influencing others. Students will also learn about an organisation’s vision, mission, and values, and the aligned business strategies to best utilise the organisation’s resources. Students will develop an understanding of strategic decisions and leadership with a strong focus on ethical and innovation considerations. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to apply strategic management concepts and techniques in case studies which helps develop skills to solve real-world business challenges.
This module takes students through defining a brand’s unique value proposition, positioning, and personality, aligning it with the target audience’s needs and desires. Students will understand brand identity and brand architecture as well as integrated communications across a range of channels including advertising, PR, social media, and content marketing. Students will revisit elements of customer experience (CX) and will explore consistent messaging across all communication channels to reinforce the brand’s core values and mission. By thoroughly exploring market differentiation students will be able to strategically position a brand so that it is set apart from competitors and resonates with the target audience. By the end of the module students will be able to track brand performance and to focus on sustainable brand growth by continually adapting strategies to changing market dynamics and customer preferences.
This module provides students with a deep dive into the theory and practices of talent development including the elements of diversity, equity and inclusion. Students will consider macro and micro trends impacting on talent development and relevant legislation in the SA environment. Learning theories, models and styles will be explored as well as talent development processes such as needs assessments, skills mapping, training content selection/development, training methods and assessment approaches. By the end of the module students will be able to present a talent development programme with associated reporting, tracking and analytics to meet the demands of the new world of work.
This module provides a study of aggregate economics. Students will learn about total production, income and expenditure, economic growth, aggregate employment, general price level and changes in inflation. Students will understand different models, simplified versions of the real world, which provide insights into the interactions between different components in the economy. In particular, the effect of interest rate changes on spending and unemployment, and the IS-LM and AS-AD models are discussed in depth. By the conclusion of the module, student will be able to analyse and explain short-run macroeconomic questions in an open economy model and apply economic principles to real-world problems and propose solutions.
This module introduces the student to the critical components and concepts of supply chain management. Students will learn about supply chain strategy and performance, demand planning, procurement, supplier relationship management, production planning, inventory management, warehousing, transportation, customer relationship management as well as the importance of collaboration, coordination and integration to drive processes. Students will also learn how supply chain digitalisation enables and sustains supply chain processes and performance. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to recognise and interpret issues and challenges found in supply chain and how supply chain managers can assist an organisation in creating a competitive advantage.
Year Three
This module introduces the fundamentals of marketing research and its proper place in managerial decision making. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the language of market research to either conduct research or to guide teams that provide professional marketing research services. At the conclusion of this module, students will be able to define marketing problems and apply research tools to structurally execute, analyse and derive meaningful information from marketing research.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
Employee relations are an integral part of everyday business management in South Africa and the global marketplace The objective of this module is to familiarise students with the field of labour relations and to expose them to the different role players in the South African labour relations system. Various theoretical perspectives of conflict will act as a basis for developing the learner’s framework of thought when studying the dynamic nature of the tripartite relationship, roles and responsibilities between the state, employer and employee. The Module also covers ethics in industrial relations and phases of global industrial development
This module introduces students to the theories and underpinnings of teamwork with particular reference to the business environment. Students will consider team roles, team behaviours, team effectiveness, team measurement and different forms of team leadership. Special attention is paid to the opportunities and challenges of online teamwork. At the end of the module students will be able to assess organisational cultures which will be conducive to teamwork and, in particular, will be able to apply team improvement processes in both physical and online environments to optimise team effectiveness and to enable the achievement of defined performance outcomes.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
This module prepares students for the challenges created by the continuous changes in the global financial markets by acquiring skills in acquisition, interpretation and application of knowledge relating to international and financial markets. Students will learn about global trade patterns, trade policies and agreements, international production, exchange rates, international monetary systems, and international growth and development. At the conclusion of the module, students will have a deep understanding of the global economic system, international trade dynamics, and the factors influencing international economic relations, and will be able to analyse and interpret key aspects in the global economic system and international trade.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
In this module students will revisit the fundamental tenets of Human Capital referring to the collective skills, knowledge, experience, and attributes of an organization’s employees that contribute to its overall productivity and success. New HC technologies will be explored which enable increasing self-service and that empower employees to manage their own requirements, enabling HR teams to focus on more strategic initiatives including improved data driven decision making. New HC areas such as mergers and acquisitions, circular economy and growth mindsets, are explored as are new forms of work organisation to drive employee empowerments and to enhance workforce agility. By the end of the module students will have a deep understanding of the growing importance of Human Capital where HC Executives are now essential to business strategic decision-making and where it is recognised that HC has a fundamental impact on the bottom line and can contribute in a major way to competitive differentiation and organisational sustainability.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
In this module students will be exposed to organizations that have fully embraced a customer-centric culture by actively seeking continuous feedback and relentlessly improving the customer journey while internally ensuring that they foster a positive work environment, empowering employees to deliver exceptional customer experiences and become brand advocates. Students will explore integrated marketing approaches utilizing the latest marketing technologies to implement data-driven strategies across various channels for personalized and consistent messaging. Students will also be exposed to a range of ethical marketing practices and core sustainability practices from social responsibility through to eco-friendly processes, responsible sourcing and waste reduction. Ultimately students should be able to build ethical supply chain practices with partners who share a long-term vison based on the understanding that long-term success is intertwined with ethical practices and responsible decision-making.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
In this module students will revisit the fundamental tenets of Human Capital referring to the collective skills, knowledge, experience, and attributes of an organization’s employees that contribute to its overall productivity and success. New HC technologies will be explored which enable increasing self-service and that empower employees to manage their own requirements, enabling HR teams to focus on more strategic initiatives including improved data driven decision making. New HC areas such as mergers and acquisitions, circular economy and growth mindsets, are explored as are new forms of work organisation to drive employee empowerments and to enhance workforce agility. By the end of the module students will have a deep understanding of the growing importance of Human Capital where HC Executives are now essential to business strategic decision-making and where it is recognised that HC has a fundamental impact on the bottom line and can contribute in a major way to competitive differentiation and organisational sustainability.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
This module covers the economic theory, policy issues and latest research relating to the problems and prospects of developing countries. Students will acquire a range of knowledge, skills, and perspectives related to understanding and addressing the complexities of economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development challenges. Students will learn about economic development theories, models, strategies and policies, as well as global economic systems and institutions, sustainable development and development indicators, for example. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to identify the common barriers to economic development and be able to apply the concepts and principles in dealing with these challenges in the South African context.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.
Students will learn about continuous improvement principles and concepts in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Total Quality Management (TQM), and process improvement in driving efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity in organisations. Students will acquire skills in performance measurement, data analysis, root cause analysis, data-driven thinking and problem-solving, for example, and will gain key insights into implementing continuous improvement initiatives, in integrating continuous improvement into business strategy, and the importance of change management, teamwork, collaboration and personal development in promoting a continuous improvement culture. At the conclusion of the module, students will be able to enhance business processes, drive positive change, enhance efficiency, and contribute to the overall success of an organisation.
This module is based on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, positioned at level 2 in terms of the WIL categorisation by the Council for Higher Education. As such, problem-based or problem-orientated learning constitutes a core part of the module. This involves acquiring an integrated knowledge base which can be applied to the analysis and solution of problems, constituting real world scenarios. The module aims to help students gain practical skills in building integrated theoretical knowledge and combining this with data gathered through fieldwork experience in a selected setting. Students will be given an opportunity to then apply their integrated theoretical knowledge with their data from the field to solve a set of practical problems of relevance to the new world of work.