SLC 1771

This unit provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge, skills and critical thinking
in key areas of organizational activity: organizational change, the operation of organizational
cultures, leadership and the management of people. This is done via an investigation of these
issues from different perspectives and levels of the organization such as those of the
individual, the group, the manager and the organization itself.

The aims of the unit are:

1. To provide an integrated understanding of key aspects of organizing and to assess the
implications of these activities with reference to organizations, to groups and to individuals,
2. To develop the skills to manage organizational change
3. To prepare students for leadership and transformational roles in business.
4. To instil an appreciation of the HRM contribution to the attainment of strategic business
goals and develop personal skills in relation to such issues as managing diversity, leading
and managing groups/teams so that strategic managers are better place to cope in
increasingly complex, shifting, and global milieus.
5. To develop and enhance critical thinking with reference to unit material and to apply
knowledge and organizational experience to complex organizational issues in a range of
business contexts.
6. To enhance a range of communication and group working skills.

1-2 Organization structure & design

Session Aims
1. To explore developments in organizational design and structure and to locate those changes
within a wider political economy.
2. To understand the main structural forms adopted by organizations: where they are most
gainfully employed and their main disadvantages.
3. To form links with future elements of the unit such as culture, technology and groups.

1-3 Technology & the changing nature of work

Session Aims
1. To explore the interplay between technology and organizational structure and the
organization of work.
2. To assess the interplay between developments in technology and the nature of work itself
and exploring issues such as empowerment, control and the growth of teleworking.
3. To discuss the virtual organization and the ways organizations balance the online and offline
elements of their business.
4. To provide further information on the mock examination to be held in the final teaching
week and some sample examination questions.

1-4 Organizational culture

Session aims:
1. To explore the nature of organizational culture.
2. To analyse the levels of culture in work organizations as well as typologies of culture,
subcultures and counter-cultures.
1-5 Organizational culture
1. To analyse emerging perspectives on organizational culture.
2. To explore the manager’s role in reinforcing and changing culture.
3. To consider and discuss critical approaches towards organizational culture.

1-6 Organizational culture

1. To explore broader concepts of culture: national, regional and occupational.
2. To analyse cultural differences (and similarities) applied to management styles and
workplace arrangements.

1-7 Organizational change overview

1. To investigate the meanings given to change.
2. To explore the scope and nature of change as well as the plethora of reasons why
organizations might engage in this activity.
3. To analyse the main change management perspectives and to review how organizations
actually engage in change with a focus on the role of the manager as a change agent .

1-8 Quality and Excellence, Change Processes and Leadership

Session aims
1. To introduce some ideas and developments that link quality and excellence, change
processes and leadership.
2. The fundamental concepts of quality and excellence in relation to change processes and
leadership and discern a possible short-list of critical concepts in relation to change
processes.
3. The conclusions that may be drawn about the possible future context of an organisation in
addressing quality and excellence, change processes and leadership.

1-9 Groups, Teams and Change

1. To look at the reasons why groups and teams have become central to the attainment of
organizational goals.
2. To explore the role played by teams and groups in the process of change.
3. To analyse reasons why change is accomplished or blocked by group behaviour and emotion
and the options available to change agents to ensure productive outcomes are attained.