Diploma in Management and Leadership

Course description

This qualification has been designed to let you develop the managerial and technical knowledge required to effectively manage people, processes and performance within an operational area of responsibility. The qualification is suitable for you if you work in, or want to work in management and leadership roles such as Manager, Area Manager, Business Manager, Quality Manager and Business Improvement Manager.

Upon successful completion of this Diploma, students would be given a number of exemptions should they decide to further their studies with us towards an HND (Higher National Diploma) qualification or BSc (Hons) degree in Business & Management.

What you will study

You will study modules such as:

• Principle of Management and Leadership in Organisations

In this unit you will learn about management and leadership in organisations and how to interpret and use the key terms such as levels, leadership, management, responsibility and accountability, vision and values. You will also gain an understanding of how organisations develop managerial effectiveness through delegation and various methods of leadership development. You will go on to find out how workplace performance is managed through formal performance management schemes and also through coaching and mentoring and the use of effective communication.

Effective management and leadership ensures that all employees’ efforts are working together and contributing to future success of the organisation.

• Business Performance Measurement and Improvement

In this unit you will learn why and how business performance is measured. You will explore a range of both financial and non-financial performance measures and find out what they mean and why an organisation might choose those measures. You will consider different frameworks used in performance measurement such as including the Balanced Scorecard and Total Quality Management.

Underpinning all business performance systems are management information systems and you will learn the key role they play in enabling business performance measurement to take place.

• Principles of Innovation and Change Management

In this unit you will learn about the need for innovation and change in businesses. Many, such as aerospace and pharmaceutical firms actively seek to innovate by investing in research and development activity. Businesses want to offer more profitable products and services, customers want cheaper and better products and services and regulators impose legal requirements on markets. So, for example, aircraft are made from lighter materials, use fuel efficient engines so that they can carry more passengers further while at the same time complying with environmental protection requirements. Businesses need to develop a culture that supports and promotes innovation and the consequential changes that are required.

You will learn how employees can be encouraged and supported to innovate and change by seeing such developments as opportunities rather than as threats. Consideration will be given to how change may have some negative impact but that the aim is to ensure that this is outweighed by the beneficial impact. Discount retailers take trade away from established retailers who may have to close branches but an established retailer may then move into multichannel retailing with an online store and develop convenience stores and station outlets. Change requires all stakeholders to be kept informed and engaged but it underpins businesses’ drive to maintain their competitive advantage and to achieve their goals.

• Managing Personal and Professional Development

Success as a manager requires both the development of professional and personal skills that support working effectively in the interests of the business. If you continuously develop your skills and knowledge then this will help you to be fully prepared to achieve goals or to approach changes in the workplace.

In this unit you will learn about the trends and developments that are currently influencing the need for the development of personal and professional skills. This unit will provide the opportunity for you to explore the importance of ensuring that your personal professional development plan reflects your personal values and goals as well as those of your employer. You will also consider how to use professional networks and professional bodies to assist your development as well as how to set development objectives and devise a plan to achieve the targets you have set yourself. You will go on to explore the value of constructive feedback, and how to review and monitor your progress as you implement your personal professional development plan.

• Operational and Human Resource Planning and Management

In this unit you will learn the principles of operational planning and how to use some of the common tools and techniques. You will consider ways of managing physical resources and how to undertake workforce planning and talent management.

Health and safety is crucially important when planning operations and in this unit you will learn about the legal principles and how these are applied within an organisation through the use of health and safety policies and procedures and risk assessments.

• Principles of Building Respectful and Productive Working Relationships in Organisations

In this unit you will learn the principles of communicating effectively in the workplace and how giving and receiving feedback helps to improve performance and increase the speed of learning as well as support the development of a positive open culture. You will explore the sources of conflict in the workplace and the strategies that can be used to resolve and manage conflict so that it is constructive rather than disruptive.

You will consider the importance of creating a fair and supportive working environment and how to do this while recognising the achievements of your colleagues or staff.

Staff wellbeing makes for a productive and happy workforce and you will explore what can be done to promote this and how the effectiveness of well-being initiatives such as healthcare, childcare, health education and caring for the work-life balance can be evaluated.

Finally, you will consider how organisations can create a learning and innovation culture through measures such as enhancing learning opportunities and reducing the blame culture, and why this is important for the future success of any organisation and its staff.

How you will learn

This diploma is delivered with a flexible classroom-based method, through a variety of course materials, case studies, discussions, presentations, enquiry-based learning and problem-solving activities. We provide you with key reading and research activities, and you will make the most of our own teaching portal.

Method of Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to ensure that effective learning has taken place of the content of each unit. Evidence of this learning, or the application of the learning, is required for each unit. The assessment of the evidence relates directly to the assessment criteria for each unit. The grading of this qualification is at the unit and the qualification level.

Assessment is carried out through home-based assignments, which means you will have plenty of time to dedicate to each criteria. By having small groups, you will have more time for discussions where you can share your experiences at your place of work.

Each successfully completed unit will be graded as a pass.

Entry requirements

• Relevant qualification at MQF/EQF Level 4; OR
• A relevant industry certification; OR
• Relevant experience
• If English is not your first language, you will need IELTS 5.5 or equivalent

Exemptions from providing evidence of English language proficiency may arise if you have studied your previous qualification in English.

Students should produce copies of certificates, full CV preferably in EuroFormat and passport-size photo.

Get Qualified

Refund through Get Qualified Scheme: €1,540*

Net Amount: €660*

*Terms and Conditions Apply