WM198-15 Introduction to Organisations
Introductory description
To gain competitive advantage, organisations need "T" people - stakeholders who have both a broad skill set and specific expertise. Apprentices can become "T" people by broadening their understanding of organisations. Exposing apprentices to organisational theories and concepts, we enable them to develop skills in areas including management, solution delivery, and leadership. This module seeks to address themes in business related to theories in management and leadership while giving apprentices insight and skills suitable for the organisational landscape.
Module aims
The module seeks to offer an Introduction to Organisations.
Organisations use technology to become and remain commercially successful. The context that businesses operate in is complex, requiring a breadth of knowledge that technical apprentices must master, in order to engage with a milieu of stakeholders that they may encounter in organisations. Businesses seek to deliver products and/or services, and they can vary in size from sole traders to multinational corporations, taking variety of legal forms.
The aim of this module is to provide apprentices with a vocabulary and skills in requirements management and strategic business change. Apprentices will gain an appreciation of the needs and constraints involved with working in technology and business environments.
The module considers innovation as a driver for business change and offers strategies for gaining competitive advantage from digital technology solutions. Apprentices will consider the importance of sound management and leadership while learning to identify business needs, processes and roles. Apprentices will begin to understand the systems thinking necessary to address these challenges. Ways in which inputs are transformed into outputs will be explored and compared. By completing the module, apprentices will be able to identify the key roles and systems involved in organisational change. Apprentices will use business analysis techniques and work with basic risk analysis, offering their own well-researched options and approaches to deliver strategic business change using sustainable approaches.
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.
Syllabus: Introduction to Organisations
Innovation drives business change. The module begins from this perspective and offers themes including:
Organisations, Strategy and Management
Introduction to Business Concepts
-Economics 101 covering supply and demand, competition, and comparative advantage.
-Defining Corporate Strategy
-Strategic Decisioning
-Introduction to Operations Management
-Supply Chains
-Lean Manufacturing and lean manufacturing principles in business.
Mangement, Leadership and Culture
-Defining Management
-Understanding the difference between leadership and management
-Understanding management culture and theories of management,
-Stakeholder analysis
-Leadership and theories in leadership
-Application of Sustainable Management Functions in an industrial context.
-Roles in Digital Technologies
Value Chain Introduction.
-Value Chain and Quality (difference between value and quality)
-Introduction to Value Stream Mapping
-Organizing production
-Quality
-Sustainability
Change Management:
-Drivers for change
-Decision-making models
-Stages in Change
-Requirements and benefits elicitation
-Risk
Concepts will be introduced and exercises used to reinforce the practical application of key ideas.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Describe organizational use of digital technology to gain operational advantage considering sustainable approaches in organizations. [(AHEP: C4, C8, C12, C14) (CITP 2.1.3, 2.1.6, 2.1.8)]
- Identify different roles and options involved in the development and implemention of digital solutions. [(AHEP: C4, C12) (CITP: 2.2.6, 2.3.2 )]
- Demonstrate understanding of the risks and opportunities related to the implemention an information system solution. [(AHEP: C4, C6, C11, C12) (CITP 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.1.10, 2.2.3, 2.2.6, 2.3.2)]
- Apply business concepts to recommend options for enhanced workplace practies in the leadership and management context. [(AHEP: C4, C5, C6, C11) (CITP 2.1.4, 2.1.3. 2.2.6, 2.3.2)]
- Apply relevant organizational theories and research to digital technology solutions using strategic change principles. [(AHEP: C4, C5, C12, C14) (CITP 2.1.4, 2.1.6, 2.2.6, 2.3.2)]
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Specific reading list for the module
Subject specific skills
S1: Analyse a business problem to identify the role of digital and technology solutions.
S3: Analyse a business problem in order to specify an appropriate digital and technology solution.
S7: Work effectively within teams, leading on appropriate digital technology solution activities.
S8: Apply relevant organisational theories. For example, change management principles, marketing approaches, strategic practice, and IT service management to a digital and technology solutions project.
S13: Report effectively to colleagues and stakeholders using the appropriate language and style, to meet the needs of the audience concerned.
S15: Apply relevant legal, ethical, social and professional standards to a digital and technology solution.
Transferable skills
Communication skills; Concise presentation of data; Task sequencing; role recognition;Estimating the risks and opportunities of digital and technology solutions; management techniques and theories; teamworking; robust research
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 21 sessions of 1 hour (13%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Work-based learning | 44 sessions of 1 hour (28%) |
| Online learning (independent) | 16 sessions of 1 hour (10%) |
| Assessment | 66 hours (42%) |
| Total | 156 hours |
Private study description
No private study requirements defined for this module.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Poster Assessment for Business Meeting | 60% | 36 hours | Yes (extension) |
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Poster Assessment - Apprentices will work in teams to develop a case study organisation, but will individually apply their knowledge by identifying and analysing organisational roles, operations, activities and flows. They will discuss the poster at a business meeting. |
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Reassessment component |
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| Business Meeting Presentation | No | ||
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Poster Assessment - Apprentices will individually apply their knowledge by anaalysing organisational roles, operations, activities and flows in a business case that will be provided. They will discuss the poster at a business meeting. |
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Assessment component |
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| Management and Leadership Assessment | 40% | 30 hours | Yes (extension) |
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Apprentices will engage in a reflection of their workplace (theory), producing a six minute individual video comparing the key modern themes of leadership and management from course materials and research, seeing which apply in their workplace so that they can demonstrate their understanding of workplace structure, management and processes. Apprentices will identify best practice from research, and demonstrate an understanding of the required skills to progress through leadership. |
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Reassessment component |
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| Management and Leadership Resit | No | ||
|
Apprentices will engage in a reflection of their workplace (theory), producing a six minute individual video comparing the key modern themes of leadership and management from course materials and research, seeing which apply in their workplace so that they can demonstrate their understanding of workplace structure, management and processes. Apprentices will identify best practice from research, and demonstrate an understanding of the required skills to progress through leadership. |
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Feedback on assessment
Feedback will be given as appropriate to the assessment type:
- Verbal individual and group feedback during lectures, seminar sessions, and on in class assessments
- Written and verbal cohort-level feedback on in-class assessments
- Written individual summative feedback on in-class and post module assessment.
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Quizzes are marked automatically by Moodle and are formative
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of DWMS-H655 Undergraduate Digital and Technology Solutions (Cyber) (Degree Apprenticeship)
- Year 1 of DWMS-H652 Undergraduate Digital and Technology Solutions (Data Analytics) (Degree Apprenticeship)
- Year 1 of DWMS-H653 Undergraduate Digital and Technology Solutions (Network Engineering) (Degree Apprenticeship)
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DWMS-H654 Undergraduate Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering) (Degree Apprenticeship)
- Year 1 of H654 Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering) (Degree Apprenticeship)
- Year 1 of H654 Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering) (Degree Apprenticeship)