MSc Business Analysis and Strategic Management / Course details

The course challenges students to analyse the interrelationships between individual, group, organizational and societal processes that impact upon organizations and their abilities to achieve their strategic objectives. It examines these issues from an international perspective.

BMAN72231 Programme Req: BMAN72231 is only available as a core unit to students on MSc BASM

Specific objectives include:

•       Developing students’ ability to analyse and reflect upon organization theory and practice,

•       Enabling students to understand, diagnose, and respond to current and emergent organizational needs and problems,

•       Enhancing participants’ ability to engage with a variety of theoretical constructs by assessing case examples to investigate organizational factors that influence the ability of organizations to realize their goals.

 

Knowledge and understanding

The unit focuses on developing the students’ following knowledge and skills, so that they can:

1. Recognize different organizational designs

2. Understand how different organizational designs influence how organizations operate

3. Understand how factors both internal and external to any particular organization make some organizational designs more appropriate than others

4. Understand why managers may seek to change organizational structures

5. Understand the various influences on senior managers within organizations that can make organizational change easier or harder.

Intellectual skills

1. Apply key concepts and theories to analyse how the design of specific organizations influences their ability to achieve their objectives

2. Diagnose organizational problems by examining the organization’s structure

3. Propose appropriate solutions that would change an organization’s design to remedy any identified problems

4. Analyse unstructured and often ambiguous pieces of information

5. Use theories and concepts as analytical tools rather than solutions to problems

6. Explicate the links between different pieces of information cogently

7. Demonstrate an ability to conduct independent analysis and to think logically and critically.

Practical skills

1. Work effectively in a group and independently

2. Use concepts and ideas to present recommendations to solve organizations' problems, both orally and in writing

3. Present coherent and convincing analyses  of organizations

4. Provide well-structured presentations of post-graduate sophistication and answer exam questions in a coherent and well-focused manner; and

5. Prioritize their activities appropriately and manage their time effectively.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

1. Write effectively for different audiences

2. Be an effective team player

3. Put forward suggestions and criticisms in a constructive and positive way

4. Demonstrate self-awareness, exercise initiative and take personal responsibility

Group assignment (35%)

Exam (65%)

Informal advice and discussion during lectures and seminars.

Response to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via online discussion forum.

Specific course related feedback sessions.

Written and/or verbal comments on assessed or non-assessed coursework.

Written and/or verbal comments after students have given a group or individual presentation.

Generic feedback posted on Blackboard regarding overall examination performance.

Core text:

Daft, R., Murphy, J. and Willmott, H. (2017), Organization Theory and Design: An International Perspective, London: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Handy, C. (1993), Understanding Organizations, London: Penguin Books.

Other Useful Texts:

Child, J. (2015), Organization:  Contemporary Principles and Practice,
Oxford: Blackwell.

Galbraith, J. R., Downey, D. and Kates, A. (2001), Designing Dynamic Organizations: A Hands-on Guide for Leaders at All Levels, Amacom.

Grey. C. J. (2012), A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Organizations, London: Sage.

Roberts, J. (2007), The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for
Performance and Growth, Oxford: OUP.

Stanford, N. (2015), The Economist Guide to Organisation Design: Creating High Performance And Adaptable Enterprises, London: Profile Books.

Thompson, P. and McHugh, D. (2001), Work Organisations, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Other material, including journal articles, will be referred to during the course. Case studies will be provided to the participants.

Informal contact methods

Office hours

Drop in surgeries (extra help sessions for students on material they may be struggling with)