Business Administration and Management

The module teaches the essential aspects of business administration along the operational functions and deals with the following basic topics:

• Business administration as a science
• Subject matter, concepts and fundamentals of business administration
• Companies and corporate management
• Marketing
• Procurement
• Production
• Accounting and controlling
• Investment and financing
• Organisation and personnel

The course focuses on the following topics:

• Accounting basics
• Systematics of accounting
• Postings in the important functional areas of a company
• Preparation of a balance sheet and a profit and loss account and closing entries
• Annual financial statements with balance sheet analysis

• Introduction to logic
• Set theory and numbers,
• Equations and inequalities,
• Sums and products,
• linear systems of equations and linear optimisation,
• Relations and functions, properties and graphs,
• Sequences and series,
• simple interest, annuity and amortisation calculations
• simple differential and integral calculus,
• non-linear optimisation
• numerical methods from the various teaching contents described above

The content of this module is divided into two areas. Firstly, the specific topics and specialised vocabulary of the business world and secondly, the basic language skills. Each subject area looks at typical business vocabulary, phrases and idioms. Certain subject areas are particularly suitable for practising the grammatical facets of the language. The teaching of the two sections can be combined in this way and the language level is improved from chapter to chapter.

Students are taught various fundamental aspects of logistics. The course focuses on the following topics:

• Fundamentals of logistics: the concept of logistics and its development, business fundamentals of logistics
• Order processing
• Transport, handling and storage systems
• Logistical subsystems and processes: Procurement, production and distribution logistics
• Fundamentals of logistics services
• Supply chain management
• Logistics and the environment
• Logistics and IT

• Introduction to law: brief legal history, laws, areas of law, court system, European law
• Persons: natural persons, legal entities, representation
• Merchants: merchant characteristics, commercial register, company principles, excursus on company law
• Property law: objects (physical, non-physical), possession, ownership, other rights
• Legal transactions (RG): unilateral RG, multilateral RG, formation, disruptions, contracts, obligatory and disposable transactions, grounds for nullity, avoidance, contractual ancillary provisions and general terms and conditions
• Statutory obligations
• Excursus: Competition law
• Excursus: Patent law
• Excursus: Trade mark law
• Excursus: Copyright law

• Knowledge, science and scientific work
• Work steps of academic work (e.g. finding a topic, defining an objective, searching for/analysing/interpreting/critiquing sources, preparing a synopsis)
• Organisation of academic work (e.g. time management, dealing with stress/anxiety, types of work and learning)
• Working techniques of academic work (e.g. excerpts, citation, list of sources, outline, academic writing)
• Forms of academic work (e.g. texts, presentations, posters)

1. Descriptive statistics
   • Samples
   • Distributions and graphical representations
   • Key figures
   • Correlation and regression
2. Classical probability theory
   • Combinatorics
   • Plausibility of axiomatics
   • Laplace measure, frequency measure according to Mises
   • Independence
   • conditional probabilities, Bayes' theorem
3. Random variables and a priori distributions
   • exemplary discrete and continuous distributions, measures and moments
   • Estimates and inequalities, weak and strong law of large numbers
4. Inductive statistics (inference)
   • typical test distributions
   • Point estimates
   • Interval estimation methods
   • Alternative hypothesis testing
   • Analysis of variance/ANOVA

Based on the necessary definitions of terms, which should enable a "common technical language", the basics of national accounts, the representation and implications of market forms and pricing on these markets, models of optimisation under economic constraints are developed. This also includes the appropriate choice of mathematical, graphical and verbal methods of analysis.
Economic understanding and problem awareness are trained in the process.

• Accounting systems
• Cost element accounting
• Cost centre accounting
• Cost unit accounting, including trade costing and activity-based costing
• Cost unit time accounting
• Partial cost accounting
• Standard costing

Students are taught the basic concepts and terms of marketing and sales. The course therefore focuses on the following topics, among others:

Marketing

• Strategic analysis
• Marketing objectives
• Marketing strategy
• Pricing policy
• Communication policy

Distribution

• Design of the sales system
• Sales organisation
• Sales information system
• Customer management
• Sales meetings

• Structure, functions and operation of ERP systems and practical exercises using the example of SAP
• Modelling of information systems using the example of ARIS
• Business process modelling (EPK, UML)
• Data modelling, database systems, SQL, data warehousing, data mining, OLAP, data analysis
• current developments and examples

1. Financing
   • Corporate finance and financial markets
   • Sources and forms of financing
   • Financial products for organising investment and financing risks
   • Financial decisions in the face of uncertainty
2. Investment
   • Fundamentals of investment theory
   • Links to neighbouring economic disciplines
   • Investment planning procedures: Choice decisions: static and dynamic procedures and investment programme planning procedures
   • Investment decisions with uncertain expectations
   • Investment decisions under consideration of taxes
   • Special problems of investment appraisal

• Personnel planning
• Recruitment
• Personnel deployment
• Personnel appraisal
• Personnel development
• Behavioural science basics
• Remuneration
• Work organisation
• Leadership
• Staff release

• Organisation and leadership as management tasks
• Designing the structural and process organisation
• Special features of organisational design in production and administration
• Leadership as a process of influence
• Leadership styles and instruments
• Leadership in (project) teams
• Virtual organisation and leadership

• Fields of application of qualitative methods and dovetailing with quantitative methods
• Forms of qualitative methods (e.g. in-depth interviews, group discussions, Delphi method, observations) and their critical methodological categorisation
• Selection, implementation, evaluation and documentation of suitable qualitative methods in relation to defined problems
• Application of selected methods of prescriptive decision theory as an aid to making "sensible decisions"
• "Simulation" as a quantitative method: potential & challenges
• Operations research approaches: differentiation and categorisation of exact and heuristic methods for preparing decisions and identifying the ideal optimal alternative course of action

• Fundamentals of sustainable economic development
• Corporate concepts of economic sustainability
• Corporate concepts of ecological sustainability
• Corporate concepts of social sustainability
• Sustainability reporting
• Sustainability and regional economics

In addition, selected case studies are analysed and discussed.

You choose this module according to your interests from the wide range of programmes offered by Ostfalia. The compulsory elective modules allow you to set individual specialisations and acquire practical skills that will open up a wide range of career prospects for you after graduation and provide targeted support for your career path.

• Fundamentals of tax law: definitions, tax laws, categorisation of tax types, tax revenue sovereignty, taxation procedures
• Income tax: tax liability, types of income, tax exemptions, income-related expenses, special expenses, extraordinary expenses, favourable tax treatment, taxable income, assessment, tax rate, tax assessment, loss carryforward and loss carryback
• Corporation tax: tax liability, tax rate, calculation of taxable income, tax return and tax assessment notice, actual tax burden, losses, tax avoidance
• Trade tax: Taxation procedure, relationships to other taxes, financial significance of trade tax, trade tax disputes
• Value added tax: concept and basic principles, taxable transactions, tax exemptions, tax base, tax rate, input tax deduction, small businesses, taxation procedure, tax revenue
• Other taxes: real estate transfer tax, property tax, inheritance and gift tax, transport and excise duties, customs duties

The atomistic and holistic perspectives as well as all internationalisation theories are presented and discussed as a basis for scientific theory.
International management theory is systematically analysed and deepened in group discussions. From international corporate policy to international methods of analysis and multinational strategies are developed, evaluated and their implementation discussed (simulated). The latest theories and models such as the transnational company and its coordination mechanisms are emphasised. 
The international sub-policies of marketing, human resources, procurement, sales, production and controlling are worked on sequentially and then brought together to form an overall model. Due to current events, international financing topics may be included.
In Intercultural Management, four different approaches to comparative cultural management research are presented and discussed using practical examples. Students also familiarise themselves in depth with different cultures.

Building on various controlling definitions, the theoretical background is developed, particularly from the financial sector, e.g. the principal-agent problem, the Modigliani-Miller theorem and the shareholder value approach.

Building on this, the methods and instruments of operational and strategic controlling are presented and practised in case studies. After a brief presentation and calculation of traditional key figures (ROS, ROI etc.), the focus is placed on value-oriented key figures, in particular on the basis of the discounted cash flow method: return on capital employed (ROCE), economic value added (EVA), weighted average cost of capital (WACC) etc.

Practical budgeting problems of controlling are discussed and deepened on the basis of behavioural science approaches. Various approaches such as zero-based, beyond and better budgeting are developed as possible solutions. The financial section ends with a large Excel case study on full cost, contribution margin and process cost accounting.
As strategic controlling instruments, overhead cost analysis and the balanced scorecard are then discussed in depth. Other instruments are also addressed where appropriate.

All sub-steps are accompanied by extensive presentation slides, group discussions, case studies and Excel calculations. At the end of the course, every student should be able to apply their theoretical knowledge both theoretically and pragmatically to Excel.

Students are taught key aspects of operational procurement management in industrial and commercial companies. The course focuses on the following topics:

• Tasks of procurement management in industrial and commercial companies, functional categorisation as an operational management function, differentiation between operational and strategic procurement
• Analysing operational procurement decisions, in particular decision problems in procurement management and short-term planning
• Important methods of demand planning and control, e.g. demand forecasts or ABC article management
• "E-procurement" and digitalisation in procurement: importance, technologies and application examples
• Tools for the effective control and optimisation of inventories and orders, e.g. for the transport, receipt and storage of procurement goods or, for example, order quantities and times
• Cost aspects of operational procurement processes, in particular composition and measures to reduce costs
• Sustainable procurement: CSR; environmental protection; health protection of people, etc.

Students are taught the basic technical and methodological knowledge of project management. The course focuses on the following topics:

• Fundamentals: introduction to project management, project types, project organisation, project participants, project phases
• Tasks and instruments in the main project phases: Project definition, project planning, project implementation and project completion
• Special methods of project planning and control as well as working techniques to support project management
• Specific project management aspects: Project financing, project risks, communication in projects, the "human factor"
• Exercises to consolidate specialist and methodological knowledge (during the semester)

You choose this module according to your interests from the wide range of programmes offered by Ostfalia. The compulsory elective modules allow you to set individual specialisations and acquire practical skills that will open up a wide range of career prospects for you after graduation and provide targeted support for your career path.

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. This allows you to specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

You choose this module according to your interests from the wide range of programmes offered by Ostfalia. The compulsory elective modules allow you to set individual specialisations and acquire practical skills that will open up a wide range of career prospects for you after graduation and provide targeted support for your career path.

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. This allows you to specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. This allows you to specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. This allows you to specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

With our profile modules, you can tailor your studies to your interests and specialise. You can specialise in a specific area or flexibly combine different topics and deepen your knowledge individually. Choose your favourite module from the following areas:

Multi-channel management:

• Basics of retail and multi-channel management
• Retail and multi-channel management in practice
• Market research
• Globalisation and foreign trade
• Retail controlling

Logistics:

• Procurement and distribution logistics
• Transport management
• Process management in logistics
• Warehousing
• Digital supply chain management

Computer science:

• Introduction to programming
• Fundamentals of computer science
• IT project management
• IT security

Social management:

• Socio-political and socio-economic basics
• Fundamentals of social work sciences
• Law I
• Social space orientation
• Digitalisation

You choose this module according to your interests from the wide range of programmes offered by Ostfalia. The compulsory elective modules allow you to set individual specialisations and acquire practical skills that will open up a wide range of career prospects for you after graduation and provide targeted support for your career path.

In the practical phase, you will put your knowledge into practice and gain valuable insights into operational processes. You will work on real tasks, make contacts, expand your methodological and social skills and prepare yourself specifically for your career entry. The practical phase also offers you the opportunity to develop topics for your Bachelor's thesis directly in the company.

In the Bachelor's thesis, you will work independently on a practical question - ideally from the focus of your practical phase. You will research, analyse and apply scientific methods. You will be supported by your examiners. In this way, you demonstrate that you can apply your knowledge to current challenges and develop solutions.