Semester 1 

Unit(s) of Assessment 

Weighting towards Module Mark (%)

Case study examination.  End of module. 1.5hr; 5 short answer questions; 1 essay question.  Annotated case study brief allowed.  Questions unseen.  Students will be provided with the case study brief in advance and will be guided to research background detail as the module progresses (see below).  The assessment will evaluate grasp of key constructs (short answer questions) and the ability to evaluate applications in a business context. 

70%

Enquiry Report.  Individual report, 800 words max, to be submitted in week 6 of module; report format.  Summarises background research into a choice of theories relevant to the case study that will be used as the final assessment.  Emphasis is on encouraging enquiry-based learning via independent research and evaluation of data. 

30%

Qualifying Condition(s) 

This module builds on level 1 OBA, and introduces students to the processes and practices through which people in organisations are managed. It covers the areas on Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, and Comparative Analysis. Students will be introduced to the main approaches used in these areas and encouraged to develop an awareness of the political, ethical and economic difficulties and dilemmas that such approaches encounter in practice. The module will enable students to bring a ‘people perspective’ to other modules, and prepare them for their placement/employment experience. 

OBA 

·        To introduce students to the range of approaches encountered in the management of people. 
·        To enable students to appreciate the challenges involved in the management of people. 
·        To prepare students for the practical challenges they will face in managing and being managed. 

On completion of the module, students will be able to: 
·        demonstrate understanding of different ways in which people can be managed (K, C);
·        demonstrate the ability critically to evaluate competing ideas/evidence at the level of theoretical robustness and methodological rigour (K, C, T); 
·        appreciate the relevance of the skills (negotiation, judgement, fairness) associated with people management (P, T); 
·        demonstrate critical knowledge of the legal and institutional frameworks surrounding people management (K, P); 
·        demonstrate proficiency in the practice of inquiry-based learning (C, P, T) 

·        Industrial relations: underpinning constructs; institutional context; collective processes; disputes and resolutions. 
·        Human Resource Management: historical legacy; contemporary developments; HR practices; critical HRM.
·        Comparative studies: international IR; international 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, guest speakers, and individual reflection.  There will be a structured programme of enquiry-based learning designed to build on that introduced in OBA.
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 
A range of journals and other electronic resources will be made available through ULearn.  These will include: 
Academy of Management Journal 
Academy of Management Review 
British Journal of Industrial Relations 
British Journal of Management 
European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology 
HR Review 
HRM Journal 
Human Performance 
Human Relations 
Industrial Relations Journal 
International Journal of HRM 
Journal of Managerial Psychology 
Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology 
People Management 
Background Reading