Introduction to Business Administration

BUD1 Introduction to Business Administration

Autumn 2024

  • Topics

    BUD1 Introduction to Business Administration is taught in the first semester, where an overall aim is to give the student an introduction to the firm and the role of technology in business. BUD1 gives a basic understanding of what a firm is, as well as an introduction to central managerial concepts and tools, and how to use these when making business decisions. Addressing the concept of sustainability, the course introduces the student to the triple bottom-line (People Planet and Profit). BUD1 is an important steppingstone for later BUD-courses in accounting and finance. BUD1 will also be relevant for other BEDS courses taught in the first semester. 

    Some of the questions we ask in BUD1, are:

    How does the firm earn money? Which products or services drives the profitability of the firm?

    What are the relevant costs and incomes that needs to be considered, when making decisions regarding production and pricing? How can new technologies influence the firms’ costs and revenues?

    To investigate such questions, we introduce basic concepts from cost-theory and accounting, using a combination of lectures, flipped classroom and workshops.

    BUD1 is structured around 5 modules:

    Module 1: Introduction to the firm and management accounting for business

    Module 2: Information for decision-making

    Module 3: Cost assignment

    Module 4: Information for planning, control and performance measurement

    Module 5: Strategic performance and cost management, value creation and future challenges

  • Learning outcome

    After completing the course, the student will be able to:

    Knowledge

    • Explain different cost concepts.
    • Discuss the importance of cost variability.
    • Explain reasons for allocation of costs from cost category to cost centre.
    • Describe and discuss various decision-making problems in business including sustainability considerations related to the triple bottom line concept.
    • Explain the value of data and information for making decisions.

    Skills

    • Identify costs and revenues that are relevant to decisions and solve different decision-making problems.
    • Prepare cost calculations based on full cost, contribution.
    • Prepare profit & loss budgets, cash flow budgets and balance sheet budgets.

    General competence

    • Communicate about how management accounting techniques and methods may support problem-solving in business
    • Apply management accounting insight to solve practical problems in business (cases)

  • Teaching

    • Plenary lectures
    • Flipped classroom
    • Workshops (Solving problems/tasks)

  • Required prerequisites

    None.

  • Compulsory Activity

    • Two approved assignments (3-4 students in assigned groups)
    • Participation in two workshops

  • Assessment

    4-hour written digital school exam with access to Excel The exam answer must be written in English.

  • Grading Scale

    A-F

  • Literature

    Drury, Colin; Tayles, Mike, 2021. Management Accounting for Business, 8th edition. Cengage learning.

  • Permitted Support Material

    Calculator

    One bilingual dictionary (Category I)

    All in accordance with Supplementary provisions to the Regulations for Full-time Study Programmes at the Norwegian School of Economics Ch.4 Permitted support material https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/ (copy url)

    and

    https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/(copy url)

  • Retake

    BUD1 is offered in the autumn semester. Retake is offered early in the non-teaching semester, first time in January/February 2025 for student who were registered for the exam in BUD1 at the time of the exam in the teaching semester, and that do not have at passing grade.

Overview

ECTS Credits
7.5
Teaching language
English
Semester

Autumn. Offered autumn 2024.

Course responsible

Associate Professor Lars Ivar Oppedal Bergen, Department of Accounting, Auditing and Law