MM0COM: Contemporary Organisation and Management

Module code: MM0COM

Module provider: Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting; Henley Business School

Credits: 40

Level: F

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Dan Luo, email: dan.luo@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 8 January 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module introduces students to the study of organisational behaviour in the contemporary workplace. It employs a number of social science disciplines and invites students to analyse critically the interrelation between individuals, groups and organisations and their influence on one another. 

The module introduces students to a range of important, mainstream theories as well as empirical studies in the wider field of Organisational Behaviour and International Business. Drawing particularly on insights from management and social sciences, students are invited to examine the relations between individuals, groups and the wider organisational environment.  

The module introduces students to group psychology and more advanced research on networks and their relation to outcomes at the individual, group and organisational level. It also explores strategic and cultural concerns at the macro-level. The coursework is designed to assess students’ ability to read, relate to, reflect and work with the reading list, conduct their own research, and understand the difference between theory, research, and examples while appreciating the importance of all three in relation to the above aims.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Describe and assess key theories in organisational behaviour and understand their relation to contemporary research in the field. 

2. Draw on organisational theories and research in order to analyse practical workplace concerns.  

3. Examine the relations between individuals, groups and organisations in everyday life critically. 

4. Appreciate the role of psychology and sociology in understanding organisations and our entanglement with them as workers, consumers and citizens. 

5. Demonstrate an awareness of the role of power in organisations and the ways in which organisational hierarchies maintain and perpetuate inequalities in wider society. 

6. Construct coherent and evidence-based arguments drawing on both theory and research on matters concerning the organisational interface. 

Module content

• Personality, Trait and Work Behaviour Prediction: personality and trait theories, jot-fit theory and personality test in work-behaviour prediction;   

• Meaning of Work and Motivating People: meaning of work, motivation theories, and managerial implications; 

• Emotions and Affective Commitment at Work: the role of emotions at work, emotional labour and organisational measures; 

• Working Stress and Work-Life Balance: types and sources of working stress, Stress-Strain-Outcome model and burnout; 

• Groups, Teams and Social Networks: types and process of groups and teams, team performance, and social network theories; 

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Work: inequalities in modern organisations, the role of diversity and inclusion, challenges in diversity management and inclusive leadership; 

• Leadership and Power: leadership theories, sources of power and influencing mechanism in organisations; 

• Organisational Conflict: types of organisational conflict, theories on escalation of conflict, organisational communication and management strategies;  

• Organisational Structure and Culture: definition, types and determinants of organisational structure, organisational design and contingency theory, different organisational culture types and theories; 

• Organisational Misbehaviour: deviant work place behaviour, misbehaviour and collective unethical behaviour in organisations;  

• Organisational Learning and Change Management: learning and organisational learning, process and theories of organisational learning, and change management theories.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is taught with a combination of lectures and seminars. Students are provided with a list of key readings for each week and are expected to prepare these as well as the relevant chapters of the accompanying textbook in time for lectures and class discussions. Class discussions in tutorials will take place in small groups, which also form the basis for the presentations students are required to prepare as part of the oral component of assessment.

Study hours

At least At least 50 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.  Please note that the hours listed below are indicative and for guidance purposes only. hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

A minimum of 40%

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback is available throughout the course in lectures and workshops and may take the form of response to questions and activities, feedback from marked group reflective report and presentation. Essay questions will be discussed in workshops and additional material made available for independent study. Marking guides and feedback are provided where appropriate so that students can assess their own performance. 

Reassessment

Additional costs