BSc Management

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme.

The Manchester Bursary is available to UK students registered on an undergraduate degree course at Alliance MBS who have had a full financial assessment carried out by Student Finance England. 

In addition, Alliance MBS will award a range of Social Responsibility Scholarships to UK and international/EU students.

These awards are worth £2,000 per year across three years of study. You must achieve AAA at A-level (or equivalent qualification) and be able to demonstrate a significant contribution and commitment to social responsibility.

The School will also award a number of International Stellar Scholarships to international students achieving AAA at A-level (or equivalent qualification). Applicants who exceed AAA and/or have supplementary qualifications (such as EPQ) will receive additional consideration.

Additional eligibility criteria apply - please see our scholarship pages for full details.

Semester one covers the historical background to US economy and society, featuring issues such as: US political structure; history of the colonies; Civil War and slavery; the Civil Rights movement; gender relations in US; and the development of the modern US corporation. Semester two covers contemporary trends in US economy and society, including discussions of an increasingly partisan and dysfunctional Congress, labour market changes; the rise of inequality and urban poverty; the ‘War on Drugs’, organizational restructuring of the modern corporation; historical and contemporary foreign policy developments; the rise of ‘counter knowledge’, ‘post-truth’ and conspiracy theories; and current debate around ethics in business and ethics in business schools.

Core for IMABS. Option for Mgt/Mgt Specialism & IM.

Core for IMABS. Option for Mgt/Mgt Specialism & IM.

The purpose of this course is twofold: Firstly it aims to introduce students to the historical fundamentals of American society, based on broad historical, cultural, political and economic perspectives. Secondly, the course aims to provide an overview of contemporary trends in US economy and society, taking a similarly broad approach.

At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the roots and dimensions of American history, culture, and ‘way of life’, the fundaments of the US political and economic system, and be able to understand and interpret ongoing socio-economic developments. Students should be able to develop a critical and informed position on several important contemporary debates, such as equal opportunities and affirmative action, attempts to tackle poverty, crime and social deprivation, the contours of US foreign policy, the restructuring of US firms and employment, and debates around the ethical and moral value or US business school education.

Expected outcome

The course is designed to provide students with a very detailed overview of the political, economic, social, and organizational foundations of the USA. These details should be helpful for students in terms of building their understanding of the complexity and diversity of this vitally important nation and its arguably dominant role in the ‘global’ economy. In-depth historical and contemporary knowledge of this society should also prepare them well for overseas exchange study in North America (where relevant), and for future study and/or employment. The course should inspire students to continue to follow global debate about the role of US business and government and should help encourage them to become critically- and politically- informed about current events, particularly as they relate to how government and business interact, often in controversial ways (such as corporate lobbying, media framing, and campaign finance).  

Semester 1

Course introduction and familiarizing with course aims and learning objectives and how the course studies the US. An outline of course assessment will be given.

The Presidency: Constructing ‘power’, ‘weakness’, ‘success’ and ‘failure’

Further exploration of US history from native Americans, European colonisation, slavery, creation of the USA, US exceptionalism, the civil war through to the emancipation of the slaves.

‘A More Perfect Union?’ The basis of the U.S. Political System- some emphasis on Black Civil rights movement

Whose United States?  Independence, Civil War & Emancipation.  

 

Exploring the US political system and its history.  

Considering the evolution of the presidency and presidents and their effectiveness.

The American Century in retrospect: What can the military, business and political issues

Economic growth, Depression and the New Deal

 

The development of the US as a major industrial power and mass industrialism across the second half of 19th and early part of 20th century.  

Foundations of the US Business and Health

 

Including Robber barons + early industrial relations at Ford

‘Pay any Price, Bear any Burden?’: Exploring the Cold War Mentality

The Great Depression and the New Deal  

Considering Eleanor Roosevelt as a servant leader.  

Economic Growth and Health reform

Civil Rights in America (2): Ethnic minority rights

World War Two and the Cold War  

Oppression, civil rights, struggle and liberation

Civil Rights in America (3): The Women’s movement and rights plus LGBT plus rights

 

Semester 2

Public disaffection with the US political system and the rise of populism

Race and ethnicity in the US: Recent development and controversies

Rethinking business ethics: Can US business be made more ethical?

Contemporary US Foreign Policy: Soft power, hard power and blowback

Review of Doctor Strange love- prep for assessment  

Structural shifts in US labour markets - Wealth generation, hourglass economy, good jobs and inequality

Classic and contemporary US management theory

Exploring Troupe and other forms of analysis or American persona- exploring PEST

 

Methods of delivery - 2 hour lecture slot which includes one hour lecture followed by a multi-format workshop structure containing discussion questions, workshop tasks, and film viewings.

Total study hours: 200 hours split between lectures, classes, self study and preparation for classes, coursework and examinations.

Informal Contact Methods
1. Office Hours
2. Online Learning Activities (discussion area on blackboard)
3. E-mail contact.

Initiative:

Analyse key social and economic developments within the context of American society, applying independent research and critical thinking to assess historical and contemporary trends.

Self-awareness:

Reflect critically on personal perspectives and biases in relation to American social and economic structures, recognising their impact on interpretations of historical and contemporary issues.

Independence:

Develop independent analytical perspectives on American social and economic issues, using research and critical reasoning to form well-supported arguments.  

Ethical Appreciation:

Assess the ethical implications of social and economic policies in the context of American society, considering their impact on diverse communities and historical justice.

 

Critical thinking:

Critically analyse key social and economic structures within American society, evaluating their historical development and contemporary impact through evidence-based reasoning.

Problem Solving:

Apply analytical and research skills to address social and economic challenges in American society, proposing evidence-based solutions grounded in historical and contemporary contexts.  

Critical reflection and evaluation:

Evaluate social and economic theories in the context of American society, reflecting on their implications through historical and contemporary perspectives.

 

Planning and executing independent research:

Plan and execute independent research on social and economic policies in American society

Using reporting skills:

Communicate social and economic analyses effectively using appropriate reporting skills. 
 

Information retrieval:

Retrieve and analyse relevant social and economic data from credible sources, applying them to discussions on historical and contemporary American society.

Literacy:

Interpret and analyse texts, data, and policies relevant to American society, demonstrating literacy in social and economic concepts.

Research:

Conduct independent research on social and economic issues in American society, using appropriate methodologies and credible sources to support analysis.

Applying Subject Knowledge:

Apply subject-specific knowledge to analyse social and economic structures, evaluating their development and impact within American society.

 

40% Song Analysis

60% Film Analysis

 

Generic feedback will be given on second semester exam performance. Detailed individual feedback on the first semester essays will be given to each student. Informal feedback about contribution in class will be ongoing, and informal feedback will also briefly be provided after each group presentation in the seminars.

Students can arrange individual meetings with Dr Benson if they wish to further discuss any element of the course, including feedback.

 

Core Text: Foner, E. (2020) Give me Liberty! New York, 6th edition: WW Norton.

Foner is excellent but expensive, however there are several copies in the library.

Supplementary texts including general textbooks  

The texts below are handy to consult on a general basis throughout the course. This short list below ranges in chronological order from historical to contemporary periods of US history. There are several copies in the library, but it may also be a good idea to purchase one or two of these if possible. There are lots of 2nd hand copies available through Amazon or similar websites.

 

Rosenblum and Brinkley is an excellent reference guide. Breidlid is a unique anthology of famous writings, and is similarly useful for reference. Zinn is great for a critical/ radical edge on these debates. The PBS digital series Crash Course (US History and US Government and Politics) are also quite helpful as basic resources and are freely available on the internet for viewing.

 

Zinn, H., (2005) A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present, New York: Harper Perennial

Brogan, H., (2001) The Penguin History of the United States, London: Penguin  

[prior editions are The Longman History of the United States, 1985, 1999]

Rosenbaum, R.A., and Brinkley, D., eds., (2003) The Penguin Encyclopaedia of American History, London: Penguin

Breidlid, A, et al, eds,(2008) American Culture: An Anthology of Civilization Texts, 2ND edition, London: Routledge

Mauk, D., and Oakland, J., (2014) American Civilization: An Introduction, 6th Edition ,Abingdon: Routledge

Hodgson, G, (2005) America in Our Time, from World War II to Nixon, New York: Vintage  

Hodgson, G, (2004) More Equal than Others: America from Nixon to the New Century, Princeton University Press

Sitkoff, H., ed, (2001) Perspectives on Modern America, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Langran R and Schnitzer M, (2007) Government, Business and the American Economy, 2nd edition,Prentice Hall, New Jersey.  

Singh, R., (2003) Governing America: The Politics of a Divided Democracy, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Perrucci, R., and Perrucci, C.C., (2009) America at Risk: The Collapse of Hope, Trust, and Caring, London: Rowman and Littlefield 

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Dependent courses: N/A

Programme Restrictions: core for IMABS. Option for IM and Management.

For Academic Year 2025/26

Updated: March 2025

Approved by: March UG Committee