Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook
This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)

Module BUSI1251: Managing, Behaviour and Organisations

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI1251: Managing, Behaviour and Organisations

TypeLevelCreditsAvailabilityModule CapLocation
Tied 1 20 Available in 2025/2026 None. Durham

Tied To

Pre-requisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations

  • None

Aims

  • The module aims to:
  • Provide a fundamental foundation to understand how to manage people and organisations within contemporary society. To introduce students to the concepts that underlie explanations of individual and group behaviour. Students will be encouraged to apply these concepts to a range of issues including their own experience through learning from lectures, workshops and investigative projects. 
  • Address collaborative and action mindsets.

Content

  • See Indicative Content section below.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge
  • Understand the conceptual foundations about how to manage people and organisations.
  • Review different perspectives on managing people and organisations.
  • Appreciate and apply theories, models, frameworks and basic research methods to examine issues relevant to people and organisations management.
  • Gain further knowledge and understanding of contemporary themes and issues relevant to the management of people and organisations.
Subject-specific Skills
  • Indicative Content
  • Conceptual foundations about how to manage people and organisations (e.g., introduction to psychology of individual differences, social psychology, organisational behaviour).
  • Different perspectives on people, management and organisations (e.g., perceptions, teams, roles of managers, motivation, leadership, decision-making and performance).
  • Using basic research methods from positivist, interpretist and phenomenological backgrounds to examine issues relevant to people, management and organisations (e.g., survey, interview, case study).
  • Contemporary themes and issues relevant to the management of people and organisations.
Key Skills
  • Students will develop:
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Written skills
  • Self-management skills
  • Group work skills
  • Oral Presentation skills
  • Team preparation and presentation delivery skills

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

  • Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
  • Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in workshops and assessments. Workshop preparation and activity will require students to refer to relevant academic and other sources, to conduct basic enquiries with managers, employees and others, and to apply concepts to a variety of cases, questions and situations.
  • For the formative, students undertake exercises in workshops and receive continuing feedback.
  • Summative assessment is by means of a group presentation and a group report which will involve an enquiry into real world illustrations of concepts relevant to the module content. The aim is to test knowledge, understanding, application of enquiry and other skills and appreciation of key concepts and issues. As well as developing team-working skills essential to business

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotal HoursAttendance Monitored
Lectures 10 Weekly 2 hours 20
Workshops 4 Fortnightly 2 hours 8 Yes
Preparation and Reading 172
Total 200

Summative Assessment

ComponentComponent WeightingElementLength/DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Final Team Oral Group Project Presentation 30% Presentation 15 minutes 100% 1000 word individual written assignment
Final Team Project Report 70% Report 2500 words max 100%

Formative Assessment

1) Project Proposal (500 words max) 2) Executive Summary (500 words max) 3) Ethics Form Submission


Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.