| Unit name | Introduction to Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIM10015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Beck |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit aims to prepare students to engage with the concept and practice of management. It aims to develop their understanding of management as a social science, with an introduction to the basic concepts, tools and analytical frameworks standard to the field. The unit starts with an introduction to the history of Management thought and the important thinkers and paradigms which form the foundations of the subject. Key issues such as the dilemmas of motivating and controlling, and decision-making, hierarchy and culture as examples. The unit aims to develop students’ critical thinking and analytical skills to prepare students to engage in the major debates in the field of management. These include an examination of the ways in which organizational culture, ethics, identity, values, leadership and cognition come to shape how management is practised. Simultaneously, we focus on the ways in which management and its practice will, in turn contribute to the shaping of issues in wider society. This leads us to consider and problematise the ways in which discourses and practices of management are increasingly salient and pervasive in everyday life. We end by speculating on how the various topics within management interact with each other in a dynamic and systemic way. Students who take this unit will gain an understanding of the basic language and concepts which will allow them to engage with the content of advanced Management units.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe a range of issues relevant to management and to the interplay between management and society
2. Explain and discuss theoretical approaches to management
3. Recognise different perspectives on management and appreciate the implications that each has both for managers and other organisational members
4. Analyse and appraise management and organisational practice through the application of relevant theory
5. Critically evaluate the theory and practice of management
Students will learn transferable skills of problem analysis, argumentation, presentation, and team working through class work.
The unit will be taught through Lectures and Classes.
Lectures (approximately two-thirds of contact hours) will have the principal purpose of introducing the content of the course, including vocabulary, concepts, theories, perspectives, practices and trends. Lectures will also expose students to critical evaluation of management theories and concepts, and to the conceptual tools and frameworks employed in undertaking such critique. Lectures will include an element of discussion and debate in order to enhance understanding.
A variety of teaching methods will be employed in the classes, including: discussions based on readings and student experiences; case study work involving analysis, problem-solving and decision-making; group and individual exercises; presentations, discussion, and debate.
Additional reading designed to develop a depth of understanding.
The unit will be assessed through one summative and one formative assignment:
Summative assessment:
Three-hour closed-book examination at the end of the relevant teaching block, worth 100% of the summative mark.
Examination questions will test understanding of management concepts and practice, and will be essay based. More specifically, questions will examine students’ knowledge and understanding of the various perspectives and constructions of management, focusing on the dilemmas of motivating and controlling, decision-making, and the adoption of management ideas or fads, as well as the interplay between management and culture, ethics, gender, sexuality, aesthetics, and emotions. The exam will therefore assess ILOs 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Formative assessment:
A 1200 word individual essay on a question similar in kind to those with which they will be presented in the exam, which will assess ILO 3.
Linstead, S., Fulop, L. and Lilley, S. (2009) Management and Organization, 2nd edition Grey, C. and Willmott, H., eds. (2005) Critical Management Studies: A reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press Tadajewski, M., Macklaran, P., Parsons, E. and Parker, M. (2011) Key Concepts in Critical Management Studies. London: Sage
Selected readings from journals including: Journal of Business Ethics Organization Human Relations Leadership
