MG439      Half Unit
Organisational Behaviour for Master's in Management

This information is for the 2021/22 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Shoshana Dobrow 4.14

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Management (1 Year Programme). This course is not available as an outside option.

This course is a core course for the one year MiM.

Course content

This course is about the people side of business. Although skills in finance, accounting, marketing and operations are crucial for organisational success, the ability to manage and understand an organisation, its groups, and its individuals is equally crucial. Technical skills may help you land a job, but people skills are likely to determine whether or not you keep it, and how much you can accomplish in your career.

In this course, we will explore a variety of perspectives and theories that explain the dynamics of individual, interpersonal, group, and organisational processes. Learning about these ideas will help you develop and apply insights about human behaviour in organisational settings. The course material will be useful in planning careers, managing relationships with other people, making complex decisions, designing jobs, becoming a leader, and making sense of today’s – and tomorrow’s – corporate world. This course will also help you understand some of the challenges involved in both managing and being managed. Ultimately, the tools and skills developed in this course should equip you to become more effective contributors to the organisations that you join. Much of our learning in this course will be through case studies, exercises, and class discussions.

Teaching

30 hours of lectures and 3 hours of classes in the LT.

The format of the course is highly participatory and interactive and will involve a combination of case studies, interactive exercises, discussions and readings. Students are expected to attend course sessions and to participate actively in the discussions. Students’ learning in this course is directly related to their willingness to expose their ideas and conclusions to the critical judgement of the class, and to their efforts to build on and evaluate the comments of classmates.

Full preparation for each session is essential. Students are to complete readings prior to the session for which they are assigned.



Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy

Formative coursework

Students will be expected to produce 1 project in the LT.

The formative assignment will be to complete a Self-Reflection Exercise. Details of the assignment will be provided during the teaching term.

Indicative reading

There is no set text for this course. The following are examples of articles that will be assigned: Harvard Business School case studies, academic journal articles, Harvard Business Review articles. Students will be given electronic access to cases, texts and articles during the teaching term. 

Assessment

Project (40%), case analysis (30%) and continuous assessment (30%) in the LT.

Final Project (40%). This is a term-long individual paper, due the final week of Lent Term, further details will be provided in the teaching term.

Mid-Term Assessment (30%). This will be a written case analysis; further details will be provided in the teaching term. This will be a timed 48-hour assessment and issued during week 7 of Lent Term.

Continuous Assessment (30%). The format of the course is highly participatory and interactive, and will involve a combination of case studies, interactive exercises, discussions and readings. Details will be provided in the teaching term.

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2021/22 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the differing needs of students in attendance on campus and those who might be studying online. For example, this may involve changes to the mode of teaching delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.

Key facts

Department: Management

Total students 2020/21: 74

Average class size 2020/21: 37

Controlled access 2020/21: Yes

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Leadership
  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Commercial awareness
  • Specialist skills