| Unit name | The Practice of Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIM30007 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Ms. Ballard |
| 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 |
The Practice of Management is designed to make the transition from abstract theory to applied management practice. Students integrate and extend analytical and critical thinking skills developed throughout the two years through the study of applied issues and challenges faced by managers. The practical challenges are derived from case studies, from practical experiences offered through the unit, from interviews with a variety of ‘expert’ managers representing diverse industrial sectors and from students’ own work experiences. Key practical ideas and skills include team-working, personality profiling, decision‐making, managing stress in the workplace and managing change. By the end of the unit, students will be able to relate theory to practice and will have a broad insight into the role of the manager and the challenges of management.
The unit aims to:
Integrate learning from earlier units so students become conversant in the issues and challenges regarding the management role in organisations today.
Develop new knowledge and skills in analysis, option generation and decision making in applied situations to help make the transition from theory to practice.
Extend students’ knowledge of concepts of particular importance for practising managers, including
psychometrics, stress in the workplace, leading in contemporary organisations, understanding change management, writing a business case, presentations, interviewing, and team‐working.
By the end of the unit students will be able to:
10 x 3 hour teaching sessions in which a variety of teaching methods are employed including short lectures, seminars and case classes. Students will work in a variety of ways including reflection, pairs work and syndicate groups in which they will practice a number of management skills including organising workloads, delefation, decision-making under pressure, group leadership, team-working and presentation skills.
Group assessment (30%)
Students will work in small groups to respond to a case study. This will involve analysing the situation from different perspectives and then presenting appropriate options including a consideration of the context, the strategic environment, management approach, style, leadership etc. Outputs include a formal presentation and a written report.
Two-hour closed book examination (70%)
These assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes.
Given the breadth of the unit there is no textbook. Indicative reading includes relevant chapters from a selection of the following text books:
Mullins, L. J. “Management and Organisational Behaviour”
McKenna, E. “Business Psychology and Organisational Behaviour”
Robbins, S. P. and Judge, T. A., “Organizational Behaviour” (15th edition) Pearson
Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A. (7th edition or latest one available) “Organizational Behaviour: An
introductory Text” FT Prentice Hall
Martin, J. “Organisational Behaviour and Management”
Chmiel, N. “An introduction to work and organisational psychology: a European perspective” 2nd Ed
Also:
Barringer, B.R. & Ireland, R.D. 2006, “Entrepreneurship – Successfully Launching New Ventures”,
Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ
Rasiel, E. and Friga, P. The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem‐Solving
Tools and Management Techniques of the World's Top Strategic Consulting Firm
