Semester 2 

Unit(s) of Assessment 

Weighting towards Module Mark (%)

Multiple choice exam: 40 questions (unseen); end of module. 1 hour.  Intention is to test knowledge and understanding of main underpinning theories introduced over semester and to provide students with timely feedback on this. 

50%  

Structured essay: 1,000 words; mid-module.  Focus on the practical application of OB /A theories and concepts within an organisational setting.  Designed to demonstrate understanding of key concepts and allow scope for individual enquiry and research into topical business issues. 

50%

The module introduces students to the principles of organisational behaviour and human resource management.  It encourages them to identify the relevance of these principles for practice in different sectors.  In particular, it will focus on the ways in which an understanding of human behaviour can help in the management of others and self.  It will examine fundamental individual and group processes and the ways in which these inform the policies and practices of people management. 

·              To provide the necessary intellectual frameworks to make sense of different ways of organising. 
·              To provide a theoretical foundation for the analysis of organisational processes within different disciplinary and sectoral contexts. 
·              To enable students to appreciate the challenges involved in the management of people. 

On completion of the module, students will be able to: 
·              Demonstrate critical understanding of different levels and dimensions of organisational analysis. 
·              Appreciate the relevance of the skills (communication, influence, awareness of others) associated with organisational life. 
·              Demonstrate awareness of the legal and institutional frameworks surrounding people management. 

·              Organisation and organising: individual, collective and institutional perspectives 
·              Organisation studies: from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy and beyond 
·              Organisational behaviour: personalities, motives, attitudes and emotions 
·              Complex processes: power; culture; leadership; groups 
·              HRM 
·              Comparative HRM 

The module will use a combination of delivery methods to promote learning. These will include conventional lectures, supplemented by sessions using electronic voting technology, web-enabled support and individual reflection.  There will be a structured programme of enquiry-based learning to develop students’ self-directed learning, particularly in relation to skills development. 
Assessment Strategy: 

Essential Reading 
This module will be using a custom-made textbook created by the module convenor in conjunction with Pearson Education. This textbook contains chapters and case studies selected for their relevance to the module content, which have been sourced from several separate books. 
Recommended Reading 
Journals, supplemented by electronic resources through ULearn: 
Academy of Management Journal 
British Journal of Industrial Relations 
British Journal of Management 
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 
HR Review
HRM Journal 
Industrial Relations Journal 
International Journal of HRM 
Journal of Managerial Psychology 
Journal of Organizational Behaviour 
People Management 
Personnel Psychology 
Background Reading