School of Management, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
MN50350 Integration |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
| In taking this unit you cannot take MN50287 |
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Only available to part-time MBA students.
Aims: Students will be given the opportunity to bring together some of the concepts and theoretical approaches covered in Year One of the course. The aim is to encourage them to experience the essential interrelationships between the focused studies experienced so far on the course and the need for a broader approach to management challenges in a variety of "real world" based settings. These will be derived from case studies and debates about current business and economic affairs.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module the students should be better able to understand the interdependent nature of disciplines, departments and divisions of an organisation handling operational and strategic activities. Leaving problems in the hands of a specialist department may not produce a satisfactory set of outcomes. They will also have the opportunity to further develop their capacity for gathering, synthesising and analysing data against the backdrop of a large case study. In so doing they will bring together a variety of specialist inputs, allocate to them appropriately weighted priorities and from the outputs to distil apposite solutions to business problems. They will also consider some aspects of the generalist approaches to management and its relationship to "systems" management. They will gain experience of using some of the frameworks that purport to help general managers to take a balanced and, where appropriate, a rational view of problem situations. Also they will revisit the issues and practices of working in multi-disciplinary, ad hoc teams. Skills: Data searching, (F)(A) Gaining an understanding of what senior level practitioners do when facing management challenges beset by complexity, ambiguity and paradox. (F)(A) Consideration of case studies and references to current industrial developments as reported in the business press. (F) Self help group work is encouraged and feedback is given. Communication and presentation skills. (F)(A). Content: Key topics covered include some of the frameworks associated with taking a broad and balanced view of a business or the task of a NFP or public sector organisation. These include the 7 S framework and Balanced Scorecard. Due attention will be paid to not only building on the subjects taught in Stage One but also the developing knowledge gained by the students as Stage Two progresses. |