Markets, Risk and Corporate Reputation

Module code: MN3180

This module explores how individuals and firms operate in various markets.  We focus on disruption, crisis, risk, harm and the way in which firms and companies navigate these.  By looking at practices such as gig work, and in industries such gambling and fast fashion, we will investigate the economic, legal and ethical implications of how firms and individuals operate in markets.  We will examine how corporate strategies, government regulation and public perception intersect to shape the legitimacy and reputation of firms of other organisations.  As part of this, we will also explore corporate communication and how business and management are represented in products of popular culture, considering how such depictions influence public trust and corporate image.

You will assess how disruption, crisis and risk in markets affect not just firms, but also workers, consumers and society at large - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.  Case studies from the UK and global contexts will support you in developing nuanced, evidence-based arguments about the tension between market innovation and disruption, regulatory control and corporate responsibility.

By the end of this module, you will be able to critically analyse the dynamics of markets, evaluate the ways in which disruption, crisis, harm and risk to markets have broader implications, and apply theoretical and empirical tools to assess how businesses and other organisations deal with complex challenges regarding their legitimacy, reputation and societal impact.