Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2021-2022 (archived)

Module BUSI4B315: QUALITY MANAGEMENT (FT)

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI4B315: QUALITY MANAGEMENT (FT)

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Not available in 2021/22
Tied to N1K017
Tied to N1KC17

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To enable students to establish the meaning of Quality within a business context. To ensure that students have an understanding of the ways quality can be managed and the reasons that quality management is necessary. The Module will highlight why Quality is the key to success in a competitive world marketplace, through examples based on current British, European, US and Japanese approaches to Quality Management.

Content

  • Definitions of Quality.
  • The Quality Gurus.
  • The Role of Quality in the Organisation.
  • Measuring and Monitoring Quality.
  • Quality Systems.
  • Total Quality Management.
  • Tools and Techniques of TQM.
  • Understanding the EFQM Excellence Model.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will:
  • have an advanced understanding of the process of managing and improving all aspects of quality in the organisation;
  • have a critical appreciation of quality management in terms of control and improvement of organisational outputs, as well as the complex processes which produce them;
  • have a critical appreciation of the requirements of various strategies, their strengths and weaknesses and the management issues associated with their implementation.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will:
  • have a critical awareness of various quality management options, from simple inspection techniques through to continuous improvement and process re-engineering strategies.
Key Skills:
  • Written communication; planning, organising and time management; problem solving and analysis; using initiative; computer literacy.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Learning outcomes will be met through a combination of lectures, groupwork, case studies and discussion, supported by guided reading. The written assignment will test students' understanding of relevant concepts and their ability to apply and interpret what they have learned to the analysis of a particular issue in depth.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Workshops (a combination of lectures, groupwork, case studies and discussion) 28
Preparation and Reading 122
Total 150

Summative Assessment

Component: Written Assignment Component Weighting: 100%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Written Assignment 4,000 words maximum 100%

Formative Assessment:

None.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University