Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2013-2014 (archived)

Module BUSI45G15: Management into Action

Department: Business School (Business)

BUSI45G15: Management into Action

Type	Tied	Level	4	Credits	15	Availability	Available in 2013/14	Module Cap	None.

Tied to	N2P109 MSc Management

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

BUSI45J15 Consulting

Aims

To develop an understanding of the nature of management and the role of the manager, and how individuals add value in the workplace.
To reflect on the relationship between theory and practice and how new ideas and practices are introduced into an organisation to improve performance.
To challenge students to develop their self-awareness, criticality and skills of self-reflection.
To develop sound foundations for lifelong learning.

Content

Perspectives on the role of the manager;
Individual and organisational learning;
Developing management competences;
The management toolkit;
Values and ethics;
Thinking about careers and employability;
The reflective practitioner.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

By the end of the module students should:
Be able to critically assess the role and competences of a manager in the workplace;
Have a critical understanding of issues affecting the gap between theory and practice and which may act as barriers to performance improvement in an organisation;
Have a critical understanding of the concept of the reflective practitioner.

Subject-specific Skills:

By the end of the module students should:
Be able to reflect critically on their own practice in managing their work as a way of learning and improving.

Key Skills:

Ability to communicate effectively: listening; communicating complex ideas orally and in writing; using a range of media which are widely used in business, such as business reports;

Ability to think critically and creatively and to argue coherently;

Skills of self-reflection and criticality including self-awareness, openness and sensitivity to diversity in terms of people, cultures, business and management issues;

Skills of â€˜learning to learnâ€™ and developing a continuing appetite for learning: reflective, adaptive and collaborative learning.

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

The module combines a number of approaches to learning. Firstly, through lectures and seminars, including input from guest speakers, students are introduced to key ideas. Secondly, two longer â€˜block seminarsâ€™ are used to give students the opportunity to learn by doing from simulated â€˜real worldâ€™ activities.
The summative assessment fits with the learning design. The 2,500-word reflective paper will draw on the student's Personal Development Plan and include a reflective journal, tracking their efforts to address a perceived area for improvement in their management skills and to link theory with both practice and their individual development over the course of the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Lectures	8	Weekly	2 hour	16
Seminars	3		1 hour	3	■
Block seminars	2	N/A	3 hour	6	■
Preparation & Reading				125
Total				150

Summative Assessment

Component: Individual written assignment		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Learning log/personal development plan addressing areas for improvement in their own management capability	2500 words (maximum)	100%	same

Formative Assessment:

Group presentation at first block seminar; individual paper reflecting on lessons learned from first block seminar; peer and tutor feedback on PDP.

■ 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