Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2018-2019 (archived)

Module BUSI46V15: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (TAUGHT)

Department: Business School (Business)

BUSI46V15: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (TAUGHT)

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Available in 2018/19 Module Cap
Tied to N2K307
Tied to N5K107
Tied to N6K107
Tied to N1KY07
Tied to N2K507
Tied to N5K407
Tied to N1N107
Tied to N6K207
Tied to N5K507

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • Organisational Behaviour (Online)

Aims

  • This module aims to cover key issues concerning the behaviour of individuals in organisations.

Content

  • Introduction to organisation behaviour.
  • Individual differences: personal and mental ability.
  • Management of attitudes and work motivation.
  • Leading others.
  • Organisational culture.
  • Managing group dynamics and teamwork.
  • Decision-making in organisations.
  • Trust within organisations.
  • An introduction to the management of change.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • By the end of the module students should:
  • Have a critical understanding of why employees display different attitudes and patterns of behaviour in the organisational environment.
  • Have a critical understanding of how individual-level processes (e.g. personality) and group-level processes (e.g. culture) interact to produce organisational level outcomes.
  • Have a critical understanding of the link of major processes, such as leadership, motivation and trust, with individual and organisational outcomes.
  • Have a critical understanding of the importance of careful and informed planning and preparation for the success of human resource interventions.
  • Have a critical awareness of the fact that appropriate design must be accompanied by careful implementation for the success of a human resource system.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • By the end of the module students should:
  • Be able to use key organisational behaviour techniques (e.g. goal setting theory of motivation) to design human resource systems that improve individual (e.g. productivity, well-being) and unit (e.g. team cohesion) outcomes.
  • Be able to evaluate the merit of academic and professional publications from both a scientific and a practitioner’s point of view.
Key Skills:
  • Written communication;
  • planning, organising and time management;
  • problem solving and analysis;
  • using initiative;
  • computer literacy.

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

  • Learning outcomes will be met through a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion, supported by guided reading and specially-written self-study material. 
  • The summative assessment of the module is designed to test the acquisition and articulation of knowledge and critical understanding, and skills of application and interpretation within the business context.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Workshops (a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion), timetabled in blocks 24
Preparation and reading 126
Total 150

Summative Assessment

Component: Assignment Component Weighting: 100%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Individual written essay 3,000 words 100% Same

Formative Assessment:

Group-based discussions and case study exercises.


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