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MN30270: Virtual organising

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2012/3
Follow this link for further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Follow this link for further information on credits Credits: 6
Follow this link for further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Follow this link for further information on period slots Period: Semester 2
Follow this link for further information on unit assessment Assessment: CW 30%, EX 70%
Follow this link for further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Follow this link for further information on unit rules Requisites:
Follow this link for further information on unit content Description: Aims:
In today's digital world, organizations rely increasingly on collaboration and seek the advantages of flexibility to facilitate innovation. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are widespread and their use enables new organizational structures to emerge. Employees collaborate electronically with co-workers they may never meet or with employees of other companies. Dramatic changes in work environment are evident as boundaries of time, space, and even organization are transcended. The word 'virtual' has become a compelling catchphrase to describe these changes.
This course aims to explore the key features of virtuality, then will go on to examine some essential business processes that characterise the operation of virtual organizations, and finally deal with the issues involved in successfully developing and managing collaborative virtual work arrangements. Special emphasis will be given on how ICTs enable intra- and inter- virtual organizational forms to emerge.
Participants will gain a set of frameworks, insights and practical tools better enabling them to understand how IT-enabled communication can work effectively in a virtual workspace.

Learning Outcomes:

* To deepen students' understanding of how information technologies enable organizations to become virtual and what is required of managers to have an effective influence in this environment
* To develop students' ability to build teams and collaborations with people in dispersed locations
* To enable students to thoughtfully assess new business communication technologies and when and how to use them
* To increase students' engagement with the topic of 'virtual organizing', with the learning process and with their fellow students in a friendly and supportive environment.

Skills:
To develop in students a range of personal transferable skills appropriate to final year undergraduate students. Through diverse methods of implementation (case study analysis, presentations and interactive discussions) it will foster interpersonal, communication, critical and analytical skills.

Content:
Core content will include:
* Virtual Organization as an IT-enabled workplace strategy
* Models for Virtual Organizations
* Knowledge-based strategies for virtual organizations
* The use of Computer-mediated Communication
* Virtual Team Management.
Follow this link for further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN30270 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Computer Science
  • USCM-AFB11 : BSc (hons) Computer Information Systems (Full-time) - Year 3
  • USCM-AKB12 : BSc (hons) Computer Information Systems (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 4
  • USCM-AAB12 : BSc (hons) Computer Information Systems with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 4

MN30270 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Computer Science
  • USCM-AFB01 : BSc Computing (Full-time) - Year 3
  • USCM-AKB01 : BSc Computing (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 4
  • USCM-AFB09 : BSc (hons) Computer Science with Business (Full-time) - Year 3
  • USCM-AKB10 : BSc (hons) Computer Science with Business (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 4
  • USCM-AAB10 : BSc (hons) Computer Science with Business with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 4
School of Management
  • UMMN-ANB01 : BSc (hons) Business Administration (Full-time with Thin Sandwich Placements) - Year 4
  • TMMN-AFM03 : MSc Management (Full-time) - Year 1
  • TMMN-AFM08 : MSc Management with Finance (Full-time) - Year 1
  • TMMN-AFM06 : MSc Management with Human Resource Management (Full-time) - Year 1
  • TMMN-AFM07 : MSc Management with Marketing (Full-time) - Year 1
Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • UXXX-AYB05 : BSc (hons) International Management and Modern Languages (French) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 4
  • UXXX-AYB04 : BSc (hons) International Management and Modern Languages (German) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 4
  • UXXX-AYB06 : BSc (hons) International Management and Modern Languages (Spanish) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 4

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2012/13 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2013/14 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2012/13.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.