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MN50590: Management practicum

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2014/5
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Further information on credits Credits: 24
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Dissertation period
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Case Poster (CW 20%)
  • Case Report (CW 30%)
  • Project Presentation (CW 20%)
  • Project Report (CW 30%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this unit you must take MN50166 and in taking this unit you cannot take MN50178
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The unit is intended to allow students to conduct research based projects applying the skills, concepts, and techniques acquired in the taught programme to practice based business scenarios, including (1) a case study involving an actual management problem, and (2) a self-managed project. First, the students will be presented with a current business problem for which they will conduct appropriate research, analyse data and present a viable solution. Second, the students will be required to run a real project of their own, with set targets of time and budget. Thus the unit not only encourages students to conduct research and think about real business problems through a cross-functional lens but also encourages reflection on common managerial issues such as group dynamics and project management.
The unit aims to allow students to develop further their abilities to:
* Analyse data
* Make informed methodological choices
* Present findings of their investigation and analyses.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the unit, students will be able to:
* Plan and conduct a research project on practice based business issues
* Understand and critically assess the particular challenges confronting actual businesses
* Evaluate the need for and sources of relevant data
* Support their arguments with relevant empirical evidence
* Interpret the significance of findings from relevant sources of quantitative and/ or qualitative evidence to inform decision making.
* Develop viable alternatives and how they would contribute to management solutions
* Take initiative to act on perceived opportunities while considering various risk factors
* Create a plan for an activity.
* Carry out a plan, acting on any deviations from the intended outcomes.
* Reflect on the outcomes of an activity and the processes that led to those outcomes
* Present reflections in written and oral form.

Skills:

* Ability to select, analyse and present numerical or non-numerical data (F; A).
* Ability to synthesise multidisciplinary perspectives on the same problem (F; A).
* Reflective practice (F; A)
* Action research (F; A)
* Project Management (F; A)
* Management of teams/groups (F; A)
* Decision making skills (F; A)
* Presentation skills (F; A)
* Writing skills (F; A)

Content:
Case analysis
Based on the nature of the case study under consideration, a list of activities could be as below. Additional content will be provided based on the subject matter of the case study.
Group formation (self-selected);
Briefing on case - this is intended to be a "live" session with presentation of a business problem describing an actual management challenge, and with academic expectations made clear to students. Assessing a `live¿ business situation will require a multi-dimensional view of business, an appreciation of integrative firm activities and a cross-functional approach.
Case development workshop.
Poster presentations.
Write-up

Self-managed project
Based on the project selection for each group, the content may take different forms, however it is expected that the following steps would be common to all proects:
Group formation (self-selected); Identification of suitable project; project briefing (including academic expectations);
Conduct of self-managed project - students will be provided with the necessary resources to manage the project well. Part of the requirement will be for students to have a record-keeping mechanism to keep track of progress and to ensure project learning for later reporting.
Presenting findings back to peer group and lecturer - students will be given guidance regarding the criteria for a good project presentation.
Writing up findings and reporting
Students will learn about other areas in ways which will vary from one project to another depending on the objectives of the project and the circumstances of the team.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN50590 is Optional on the following programmes:

School of Management
Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2014/15 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2015/16 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2014/15.
* 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.