Management Perspectives

Unit 102

Overview

This unit introduces you to the art and science of management. It provides an overview of the principal skills and activities of management and the challenges which face managers today. It aims to be a practical unit, providing you with theories, ideas and techniques which can be applied to your day-to-day work in your organisation. This course covers different aspects of management, including:

• management skills and capabilities such as communicating, leading and motivating
• management functions such as managing change, planning and making decisions
• areas of management activity including managing teams, developing strategy and ethics.

Aims

After studying this unit you should be able to:

• describe the roles and functions that managers perform and identify the skills and knowledge required to do this effectively
• identify the challenges, risks and problems which managers have to address in contemporary organisations
• describe the nature of organisational change and evaluate the effectiveness of different change management processes
• outline factors in the external environment which managers should monitor, analyse and react to
• assess and adapt to different organisational and national cultures
• adopt an ethical response to management situations
• explain how strategic and operational planning can enhance organisational performance
• identify how the structure and characteristics of organisations can influence and constrain managers and management decision making
• identify the range of organisational stakeholders and explain how managers can productively manage relationships with them
• evaluate the different methods used to motivate, manage and lead others in a range of organisational contexts
• evaluate the different techniques and strategies managers can use to improve communication in contemporary organisations
• outline the processes for acquiring and developing an effective workforce.

Topics

• An introduction to management
• Managing change and innovation
• Understanding the organisational environment and culture
• Managerial ethics and social responsibility
• Strategic management and organisational structure
• Plans, decisions and measures
• Leadership
• Motivation and teams
• Communication
• Human resources management (HRM)

Unit Chair

Mark Johnson

Study Guide Author

Neil Hardie

Student Reviews

• Mark was interactive and a great mentor, as he encouraged our thinking in line with the concepts.
• I did enjoy the unit as I could relate most topics to my work. Overall the unit gave me a better understanding behind how a large organisation works (such as Boeing) and as a result I could reassess my view on different issues within the Company.