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Module Catalogue

IB381-15 Critical Issues in Management

Department
Warwick Business School
Level
Undergraduate Level 3
Module leader
Innan Sasaki
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
Multiple
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

N/A.

Module web page

Module aims

The core themes of the module are critical issues in management and the analytical structuring of unstructured problems. The learning methods are student-centred, requiring students to work in small syndicates (of 5-6 members) and to present and discuss their work in small seminar groups (of twenty to twenty-five). The module material requires consideration of case studies, key management and organization theories and problem solving and creative approaches. The case studies themselves constitute the most significant element of the module. They represent complex, real-world management issues that are of pressing concern to current organizations and managers. A critical analysis requires problematising the context, identifying issues, imagining alternatives, ranking preferences, resolving dilemmas, and considering recommendations and processes for managing change, all of which are crucial in today’s world of business.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

  • Applied theory, (demonstrated critical thinking, evaluated options, developed recommendations etc.
  • Managing (in) organisations.
  • Leadership & Followership.
  • Accountability & Responsibility.
  • Power & Resistance.
  • Culture.
  • Ethics.
Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Understand key issues in management as multidisciplinary and multifaceted phenomena [Bloom's taxonomy: understand].
  • Analyse complex, ill-structured management problems with no 'right answer' [Bloom's taxonomy: analyse].
  • Independently research, synthesize and critically elaborate on complex, ill-structured problems (both oral and written).
Indicative reading list

Buchanan, D. A. and Huczynski, A. (2019) Organizational behaviour. 10 edition. Harlow, England: Pearson.
Cunliffe, A. L. (2014a) A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about management. Second edition. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Dugan, J. P. (2017) Leadership theory: cultivating critical perspectives. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Grint, Keith (no date) ‘Problems, problems, problems: The social construction of “leadership”’, Human Relations, 58(11), pp. 1467–1494.
Hoffman, W. M., Frederick, R. and Schwartz, M. S. (eds) (2014) Business ethics: readings and cases in corporate morality. Fifth edition. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
Hunter, D. A. (2014) A practical guide to critical thinking: deciding what to do and believe. Second edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Learmonth, M. and Morrell, K. (2019) Critical perspectives on leadership: the language of corporate power. New York, NY: Routledge.
Lukes, S. (2005) Power: a radical view. 2nd ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Thompson, P. and McHugh, D. (2002) Work organisations: a critical introduction. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Watson, T. J. (2017) Sociology, work and organisation. Seventh edition. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Subject specific skills

See the big picture, as well as the local detail, of management issues [attitudinal learning outcome].
Work in team-based settings bringing diverse specialist skills together [skill learning outcome].
Independently research, synthesize and critically elaborate on complex, ill-structured problems (both oral and written) [skill learning outcome].

Transferable skills

Work in team-based settings bringing diverse specialist skills together.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 10 sessions of 2 hours (13%)
Seminars 4 sessions of 2 hours (5%)
Other activity 1 hour (1%)
Private study 48 hours (32%)
Assessment 73 hours (49%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

Private Study.

Other activity description

Week 2 - 1 x 1 hour Seminar.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group D
Weighting Study time
Group Presentation (15 CATS) 25% 18 hours

Case Study Presentation, slides and speaker notes (max 2500 words) (case study).
Group Research Notes (15 CATS) 5% 4 hours

Group - Marked Collectively.
Online Examination 70% 51 hours

~Platforms - AEP

  • Online examination: No Answerbook required
Assessment group R
Weighting Study time
Individual Assignment (15 CATS) 30%
Online Examination - Resit 70%

~Platforms - AEP

  • Online examination: No Answerbook required
Feedback on assessment

Feedback provided via my.wbs.

Past exam papers for IB381

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • UIBA-N20B BSc in Management
    • Year 3 of N20B Management
    • Year 3 of N20B Management
    • Year 3 of N23K Management with Accounting
    • Year 3 of N234 Management with Digital Innovation
    • Year 3 of N235 Management with Entrepreneurship
    • Year 3 of N232 Management with Finance
    • Year 3 of N252 Management with Marketing
    • Year 3 of N23L Management with Strategy and Organisation
  • Year 3 of UIBA-N400 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance
  • UIBA-N404 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year and Placement/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 5 of N404 Accounting and Finance (Foundation Year and Placement)
    • Year 5 of N405 Accounting and Finance (Foundation Year and UPP)
    • Year 5 of N403 Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)
  • Year 4 of UIBA-N403 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)
  • UIBA-N401 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 4 of N401 Accounting and Finance (Placement)
    • Year 4 of N402 Accounting and Finance (Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
  • Year 4 of UIBA-N1RA Undergraduate International Business with French
  • Year 4 of UIBA-N1RB Undergraduate International Business with German
  • Year 4 of UIBA-N1RC Undergraduate International Business with Italian
  • Year 4 of UIBA-N1RD Undergraduate International Business with Spanish
  • UIBA-N20F Undergraduate International Management
    • Year 4 of N20F International Management
    • Year 4 of N20F International Management
    • Year 4 of N20S International Management (with Accounting)
    • Year 4 of N20T International Management (with Chinese)
    • Year 4 of N20N International Management (with Digital Innovation)
    • Year 4 of N20P International Management (with Entrepreneurship)
    • Year 4 of N20M International Management (with Finance)
    • Year 4 of N20U International Management (with French)
    • Year 4 of N20L International Management (with Marketing)
    • Year 4 of N20V International Management (with Spanish)
    • Year 4 of N20W International Management (with Strategy and Organisation)
    • Year 4 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N234 Management with Digital Innovation
  • UIBA-N20G Undergraduate Management (with Foundation Year and Intercalated Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 5 of N20G Management (Foundation Year and Intercalated)
    • Year 5 of N20H Management (Foundation Year and UPP)
    • Year 5 of N23B Management with Finance (with Foundation Year and Intercalated Year)
    • Year 5 of N23C Management with Finance (with Foundation Year and Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 5 of N25B Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year and Intercalated Year)
    • Year 5 of N25C Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year and Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
  • UIBA-N20E Undergraduate Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N23N Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N23M Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N23E Management with Digital Innovation (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N23F Management with Entrepreneurship (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N23D Management with Finance (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N254 Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 4 of N23P Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Foundation Year)
  • UIBA-N20C Undergraduate Management (with Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 4 of N20B Management
    • Year 4 of N20D Management (Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 4 of N20C Management (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N20Q Management with Accounting (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N236 Management with Digital Innovation (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N237 Management with Entrepreneurship (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N233 Management with Finance (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N253 Management with Marketing (with Placement Year)
    • Year 4 of N20R Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Placement Year)