Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)

Module BUSI5G415: Professional and Personal Development

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business)

BUSI5G415: Professional and Personal Development

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Available in 2009/10 Module Cap
Tied to N1KK14
Tied to N1KD14
Tied to N1DT14

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • This modular unit will allow students to reflect on themselves and their future in their organisation. The emphasis will be on identifying future issues with which they will be faced and being able to cope with them on a personal level and in a professional way.

Content

  • The content of this module is aimed at first time managers and covers the following areas:
  • Leaders versus managers; Chairing effective meetings; Team meetings and decision making; Power and politics in organisations; Influencing your boss; Being more assertive and influential with your colleagues; Working within appropriate authority levels; Leading meetings; Preparing for and recording meetings; Team briefings and the communication of organisational decisions; Becoming an effective role model; Promoting change; Developing your own personal development plan.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
    Subject-specific Skills:
    • By the end of the module, students will be able to:
    • Differentiate between management and leadership.
    • Identify different leadership styles and apply the one appropriate for the situation.
    • Make effective use of delegation.
    • Critique their own motivations and the motivations of others and why these may be different.
    • Influentce views of their personal effectiveness to people further up the organisation.
    • Develop their skills of influence across and up the organisation.
    • Cope with the stresses that increased management responsibility is likely to bring with it.
    • Be an assertive communicator.
    • Run effective team meetings.
    • Develop meaningful personal development plans and search for the resources to satisfy these
    • Make effective decisions.
    Key Skills:

      Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

      • Lectures and seminars, supported by guided reading, will be used to introduce and explore they key concepts and theories.
      • Established questionnaires will be used to help people identify personality and preferred leadership type. These will be used in conjunction with a series of short questionnaires especially designed to allow students to assess themselves against key management skills needed now and what skills will be needed to be developed for their future success.
      • Group exercises will help them compare their own findings with that of other members of the group and design opportunities to practice areas identified for improvement.
      • A series of role play situations to allow students to test out their learning in some stressful situations.
      • Assignments and tutor support will then help them adapt and apply to the specific needs of their own organisation.
      • The summative assignment will require the student to analyse themselves now and the changes they will need to make as their career progresses. This assignment allows students to consider the practical application of the subject covered and allows them to think more about their own future development needs.
      • The personal statement that also makes up part of the summative assignment will allow the students to reflect on what they have learnt so far, the recommendations they have already made about improvements that could be made and link these to their future developmental needs.

      Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

      Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
      Lectures 9 Over a two month period 27
      Tutorials 1 Once 5 hours 5
      Action learning set 2 Twice 3 hours 6
      Preparation & Reading 112
      Total 150

      Summative Assessment

      Component: Assignment Component Weighting: 100%
      Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
      Essay 2,500 words (max.) 100%

      Formative Assessment:

      None


      Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University