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IB9NW-15 Foundations of Management and Organisational Research

Department
Warwick Business School
Level
Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader
Marianna Fotaki
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

This module aims to provide doctoral students an appreciation of classic management and organisation publications. It will enable students to understand the origins of influential theories across management and organisation studies. The core objective of the module is to enable students to build a theoretical platform allowing them to embark on doctoral research, and become aware of plural alternative approaches within management and organisational research.

Module aims

Understand the core foundations of management and organisation studies.
Compare, contrast, and critically appraise different and alternative perspectives.
Appreciate the type of research conducted at Warwick and meet the WBS staff.
Equip them with the theoretical training as management researchers, through understanding key premises of foundational texts even if they are not planning to use them.

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.

Introduction: Tracing origins and contrasting perspectives in management research
Bureaucracy (Max Weber)
Organization of labour and technology (from Marx to Taylor and beyond)
Culture (from Mary Douglas to Peters and Waterman)
Institutions (from institutional economics to neo-institutionalism)
Diversity, equity and inclusion (from Acker to Butler)
Identity and identification (from Goffman to Albert & Whetten)
Organizational power and politics (Crozier and beyond)
Professions (from Follett to Abbott)
Transaction Cost Economics (Coase and Williamson)

Learning outcomes

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

  • Understand key concepts in the field of economics, social psychology, sociology, gender studies, anthropology and social analysis and how they can be applied to the study of business and management phenomena.
  • Compare, contrast and recognize connections and tensions between different approaches and concepts.
  • Identify the gaps and develop ideas about expanding these theories and frameworks through their own research

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

Understand the different paradigms that can be used to address business and management phenomena.
Expand the range of theories and approaches used in the PhD project.
Understand key concepts in the field of economics, social psychology, sociology, gender studies, anthropology and social analysis and how they can be applied to the study of business and management phenomena.
Compare, contrast and recognize connections and tensions between different approaches and concepts.
Identify the gaps and develop ideas about expanding these theories and frameworks through their own research.

Transferable skills

Appropriately utilize and mobilize concepts from different perspectives.
Cite the thought leaders in each of the theories and frameworks.
Demonstrate an enhanced ability to reflect on the basic assumptions of the disciplinary tradition students will adopt in their PhD and critically compare it with those of others.
Analytical skills.
Critical thinking.
Communication skills.
Ability to engage with foundational social science texts to deploy these in their own researc

Study time

Type Required
Seminars 10 sessions of 3 hours (38%)
Private study 48 hours (62%)
Total 78 hours

Private study description

Self study and reflective learning.

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 A
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
Individual assignment 80% 58 hours Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
Individual presentation 20% 14 hours Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

MOdule leader feedback.

Pre-requisites

To take this module, you must have passed:

Post-requisite modules

If you pass this module, you can take:

  • IB9PU-15 Contemporal Issues in Management and Organisational Research

There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.