Management and Human Resource Management MSc

• Dr Chia-Yu Kou-Barrett

Organisations are run by and for people, and the success or failure of an organisation depends on the people in that organisation. 

It is rarely an absence of planning that causes organisational difficulties; rather it is the failure of management in understanding and managing complex personal and interpersonal systems that can lead to significant problems.

Similarly an acute and critical understanding of these dynamic relationships can lead to profound and enduring success and benefit for the individual, the team, the organisation and wider society.

In this module students will be introduced to various aspects of people and organisations.  This module combines models, theories and ideas from organisational behaviour, psychology, and sociology in order to provide students with a basic understanding in recognising, understanding and utilising what has been termed the "human factor" in organisations; including ways of conceptualising organisations and how people behave within them.  We shall consider the impact of the external environment; and address notions of organisational change.

This module is necessarily an introduction; further suggestions of reading and of consequent activities will be provided. 

It may also be that students will wish to undertake a project in this area; several of the faculty involved will be pleased to discuss this with you.

• Culture
• Development
• Diversity
• Emotional Intelligence
• Individual and Organisational Change
• Individual differences
• Introduction to People and Organisations
• Leadership
• Learning
• Motivation
• Negotiation, influence & persuasion
• Performance Management
• Personality
• Politics
• Self Awareness
• Stress, Resilience, Well-being
• The Individual and the Team
• Values

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Apply a number of different ways of conceptualising people in organisations, including communication, culture, diversity, leadership, politics, management and change.
2. Assess the importance of relationships at work, group dynamics, effective teams and leadership, and propose different approaches to work effectively with others accordingly.
3. Apply theories, models, and ideas from the module to examine the evidence of the focal context and issues in order to enhance personal capability, including identification of gaps in knowledge, skills, and competence, and propose directions regarding one’s personal and professional development agenda.

• Dr Matthias Nnadi

The aim of the Accounting and Finance module is to introduce a number of traditional and contemporary accounting approaches that will increase the visibility of financial information and support management decision making.

• Interpretation of financial statements;
• Exploring the relationship between accounting information, management decision making, financial strategies, and financial performance;
• Applying traditional and contemporary accounting tools and techniques, which can be applied to support business management decisions;
• Exploring the many cost trade-offs between business processes (Make v Buy).

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. To judge the effect of decisions, transactions and events on financial performance;
2. To create simple sets of accounts from basic information.
3. To understand the main variables affecting working capital management;
4. To interpret financial statements to support decision making, planning and control;
5. To apply an appropriate costing approaches to solve a range of business issues;
6. To apply a number of financial tools and techniques to appraise alternative capital investment opportunities;
7. To use financial information to make informed management decisions

• Dr Mengyi Xu

This module is concerned with managing the organisation’s key resource – the people who work for it. It aims to help learners understand how effective people management can contribute to develop and sustain organisations. The module aims to develop an insight into the complexities of managing people in a changing environment. The focus of the module is to help learners understand the relationship between people management and organisational performance, including managerial roles and responsibilities, especially the crucial role of line managers.

The module will provide an introduction to the main activities associated with resourcing, developing and day–to-day management of people in organisations. It is not the intention of the module to develop human resource management specialist, but rather to provide a general introduction to the people management issues that concern all managers.

The module will draw on key academic contributions in the broad field of people management, including current research being carried out by faculty in the School of Management. Throughout the module, sessions will be highly interactive in order to develop critical insight and core skills in the people management field.

• Strategic People Management
• The Changing World of Work
• Talent Sourcing
• Talent Development and Succession Planning
• Managing Performance
• Rewards and Remuneration
• Employment Relations
• Employment Law
• Building a People Strategy

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Evaluate the contribution people resources make to developing and sustaining organisations.
2. Have a critical appreciation of the role, responsibility and scope of people management activities.
3. Apply and evaluate a complex range of established models and factors which influence choices made in people management.
4. Undertake critical analyses of a range of people management issues and be able to make considered, informed proposals to address them.
5. Design people management strategies and critically explore their relationship with business strategies.

• Professor Catarina Figueira

To introduce the concepts and techniques associated with Managerial Economics, i.e. Microeconomics (e.g. market analysis, price theory, rationality) and Macroeconomics (e.g. inflation, exchange rates and interest rates).

• The initial few sessions are spent on discussion of the main concepts that serve the basis for the understanding of Economics and the business environment.
• There is extensive discussion about the properties associated with different market structures and levels of competition.
• The students are then introduced to important elements regarding the interplay between management and the firm’s objectives and this is followed by a comprehensive discussion about business strategy that builds on what was previously delivered and, as a consequence, the investigation of economic implications for a firm.
• One important element of the corporate strategy relates to decisions about pricing and this is discussed in great detail.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Employ economic reasoning when making choices in the use of resources.
• Evaluate the importance of marginal analysis and diminishing returns in the context of business and consumer decisions.
• Assess the various objectives which different firms may pursue and the consequent impact on managerial decisions, including those relating to price and output levels.
• Analyse both the external environment and the internal capabilities of a firm and understand the forces shaping the firm’s competitive environment.
• Critically evaluate the importance of developments in the macro economy and explore their impact on management and business performance.

• Dr Monica Franco-Santos

This is an integrative module allowing students to develop management consulting skills and apply their learning in a practical manner. It will use the insights generated through the Effective Cross-Cultural Management module to explore the cultural nuances of the company/national culture relevant to the case company. Students will work in their consulting teams and will role-play as a management consulting team, competing against the other teams. All teams will address the same business challenge: a genuine business issue in a particular company. Students will have a set of taught sessions on the ‘art and craft’ of management consulting. In parallel, they will work with their consulting teams to address the case company business challenge. They will engage with the problem; gather the relevant data; use appropriate tools/frameworks and propose innovative, pragmatic and achievable solutions.

This module comprises conceptual knowledge about the foundations of management consulting and practical knowledge developed through a consulting project for a real organization which every year is chosen by the module leader. The module includes teaching and feedback sessions focused on the following:

Consulting skills

• Listening and questioning
• Communication
• Persuasion
• Evidence-based problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Teamworking

Consulting process

• Diagnostic phase
• Data collection and analysis phase
• Design phase
• Implementation phase
• Education phase 

This module is intended to enable students to develop critical management consulting skills and apply them in the context of a real-life business problem. By the end of this module students should be able to:

1. Identify and critically examine managerial problems and provide innovative ideas based on evidence to address them
2. Explain and critically assess relevant processes, concepts and methods involved in management consulting projects.
3. Practice critical thinking to diagnose problems and design potential solutions.
4. Present ideas effectively to an audience of business executives.

• Dr Monica Franco-Santos

The enabling of people’s motivation and performance at work is a critical function of HR professionals. Organisations invest a lot of money, time and energy developing policies, procedures and interventions that influence what people do and how well they do it. Performance management is often associated with performance appraisals, but it also includes goal setting, performance measuring, performance reviewing, performance development and rewards. This module aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to be able to critically assess the role, value and effectiveness of people performance management and rewards.

Specifically, the module covers the following topics:

Performance Management

• Performance management in context
• Theories explaining peoples’ performance
• Different approaches to managing peoples’ performance
• Performance management elements and process
• Performance management biases
• Performance review skills: goal-setting, feedback and feedforward
• The link between performance management and rewards
• Evaluating the effectiveness of performance management systems



Rewards Management

• Organisational reward challenges
• People motivation and well-being
• Factors influencing the design and implementation of Total Reward packages
• Rewards’ guiding principles
• Reward strategies
• Evaluating the effectiveness of reward systems

1. Analyse the core motivational and organizational theories underpinning performance management and reward systems
2. Evaluate the role of internal and external context in the development of a performance management and reward systems
3. Appraise and justify the different approaches to performance management and rewards that organisations can adopt depending on their circumstances
4. Assess the various elements of performance management and reward systems
5. Evaluate the extent to which a performance management and reward systems are ‘fit for purpose’ in different organisations.

• Professor Michael Dickmann

In essence this module is concerned with how organisations attract, select and manage the careers of ‘talent’.

It aims to help participants understand how effective talent sourcing and career management can contribute to developing and sustaining organisations. The focus of the module will be concerned with helping participants understand the role of sourcing and career management in ensuring that organisations acquire the ‘talent’ they need to be successful. The module aims to develop an insight into the complexities of sourcing talent and managing careers in a changing environment.

The module will draw on key academic contributions in the broad field of talent and career management, including current research being carried out by faculty in the School of Management.



View video: An introduction to the Talent Sourcing and Career Management module

• Talent planning: defining ‘talent’; examining talent requirements and resourcing gaps; developing a resourcing strategy 
• Internal talent strategies: succession planning; identifying existing talent; talent and management systems 
• External talent strategies: recruitment frameworks & recruitment channels; developing an employee value proposition 
• Designing selection methods: competency–based selection and interviewing; and interviewing; reliability, validity and fairness) 
• Organisational Career Management and Talent Development Systems 
• Designing learning and development interventions (including technological approaches) 
• Developing international careers: managing national and international talent on assignments
• Considering motivations for career development and success

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the role and scope of talent sourcing and career management activities
2. Assess the complex range of established models and factors which influence choices made in the sourcing of talent and the management of careers
3. Undertake critical analyses of a range of talent sourcing and career management issues and make considered, informed proposals to address them
4. Design and implement talent sourcing and career coaching approaches.

For many organisations the nature and quality of the relationships it has with its people is crucial to success. The aim of this module is to explore the nature of this relationship, the factors which influence how it operates and how it can be managed effectively to maximise mutual benefit. The module will also examine relevant legislation and policy recommendations.

• The nature of the employment relationship
• New forms of work relationships outside of employment
• Sources of conflict in the employment relationship
• Employee Voice
• Managing employment and work relationships
• Employee Engagement enablers and outcomes
• The legal context of employment relations
• International aspects of employment relations

1. Understand the nature of contemporary work and employment relationships in order to be able to evaluate the implications of these for managers
2. Evaluate the role of employee voice and be able to propose suitable approaches to facilitating voice in varying circumstances and contexts
3. Assess the significance of employee engagement and appraise the factors that build engagement
4. Understand the legal provisions concerning employment relations in order to identify and design practices which are consistent with the requirements and spirit of the law.

• Dr Joshua Haist

The module is primarily designed to provide students with an understanding of what is required to conduct research in business contexts considering that todays’ managers

• are paid to make decisions
• are expected to make ‘informed’ decisions (i.e. based on evidence)
• are evaluated on the basis of the outcomes from their decisions. 

Therefore, understanding the process of producing evidence will ensure students to have the core skills to inform management decisions.

Introduction to evidence-based management

• The elements of evidence-based management



Conducting research in management

• Defining management problems
• Reviewing the literature



Using qualitative research methods

• Interviews and focus groups in qualitative research
• Qualitative data analysis: using NVivo



Using quantitative research methods

• Designing questionnaires and conducting surveys
• Quantitative data analysis: using IBM SPSS statistics



Presenting research evidence

• Translating data into information to support management decisions

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate evidence in order to inform management decisions.
2. Assess and select appropriate methods of qualitative and quantitative data collection to gather a varied range of evidence to support decision.
3. Choose and apply appropriate methods of qualitative and quantitative data analysis to gain insights from data and explore the implications of decisions.
4. Utilise quantitative and qualitative analysis software.
5. Access different sources of evidence to gain a comprehensive and critically reflective understanding of organisational issues.

• Professor Richard Kwiatkowski

In an ever fast-changing environment, developing a positive organisational culture is key to organisational success. This module is primarily designed to respond to the need for organisations to build organisational cultures that are agile, foster inclusion, ethical approaches and collaboration among the members of the organisation. This module will also support students in understanding approaches to managing change and organisational transformation in relation to driving cultural change.

• The role of diverse organisational stakeholders (and their interests) as part of the organisational decision making process.
• Approaches to change management and the importance of organisational culture in these.
• Ethics in organisational choices and the implications of ethical and unethical decisions for organisations.
• Approaches to managing diversity and inclusion in organisations.
• Learning from others in a collaborative-learning environment.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Appraise the diversity of organisational stakeholders and the importance of building a culture that promotes collaboration between these.
2. Design appropriate strategies to enhance diversity and inclusion through all levels of the organisation.
3. Apply appropriate change management approaches to support organisational transformations.
4. Critically evaluate the risks and ethical implications of organisational decisions.
5. Argue for the importance of peer-learning and develop approaches to promote a learning organisation.

• Professor Emma Parry

The module will review and analyse the current and future challenges that organisations face in line with the latest changes/trends affecting the workplace.

The module will discuss the crucial role played by HR in supporting organisations towards the achievement of their strategic goals and the importance of leveraging on the latest technological developments to adopt more efficient people management approaches.

The module will draw on key contributions in the field of e-HRM and new ways of organising, including current research being carried out by faculty in the School of Management.

• The nature of contextual changes in the 21st century and how these may impact the world of work and organisational needs in relation to managing people.
• New ways of organising (e.g. virtual organisation, agile, outsourcing) and how these will impact the workforce and HRM.
• Technological advancements, including emerging technologies, and their role in people management.
• Evidence-based approaches to HRM including the use of rapid evidence assessments as a basis for people related decisions.
• Green HR and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies in organisations.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Apply evidence-based principles in order to make people-related decisions.
2. Critically evaluate contemporary ways of organising (e.g. agile, virtual organisations) and the related implications for human resource management.
3. Assess the potential for using technological advances in managing and motivating people.
4. Explain the importance of developing green HRM and CSR approaches within an organisation.

• Dr Will Lewis

Strategic Management is concerned with the direction and scope of the organisation.  This involves determining the purpose of the organisation, establishing objectives and formulating strategies to achieve the objectives. It predominantly explores how an organisation positions itself with regard to its changing environment, and in particular its competitors, in order to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This means that strategic management considers how an organisation’s internal resources and capabilities can be developed to meet the changing demands of customers, in such a way as to achieve the expectations and objectives of its stakeholders. 

An introduction to the Strategic Management module

The module begins by focusing on strategy at the strategic business unit level. It is orientated around five key questions

1) where to compete?

2) how to gain competitive advantage?

3) what capabilities are required?

4) what capabilities do we have?

5) how do we change?

The module then explores corporate level strategy and the issue of strategy implementation and change. Throughout the module a range of tools and techniques for strategic analysis and choice will be introduced.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Identify the key questions and associated challenges to be addressed in formulating an organisation’s competitive and corporate-level strategies.
• Evaluate how an organisation sustains competitive advantage though harnessing its internal resources and capabilities and reacting appropriately to changes in its external environment.
• Appraise and differentiate between corporate, competitive (business unit) and functional strategies.
• Critically apply a range of tools and techniques to illuminate the key questions of competitive strategy and corporate strategy.

• Dr Namita Shete

Global sustainability challenges are shaping the way business operates in the 21st century. Businesses are under increasing pressure from multiple stakeholders (for e.g. shareholders, customers, employees, society) to manage their positive and negative impacts with clear responsibility and strategic intent.  Leading firms are choosing to respond to these challenges by generating sustainable value propositions to ultimately drive competitive advantage. For many this has meant re-engaging at the level of purpose and re-addressing their role in wider society and for human well-being.

This module outlines the major sustainability challenges and explores the capabilities organisations require to respond positively to them. It will engage you in gaining a better understanding of how corporate action can be best configured to promote responsible and sustainable business strategies. In doing so, it will demand management students (as future business managers and leaders) to reflect on the long-standing debate about whether or not ‘the business of business, is still business?

Watch video: An introduction to the Leading Corporate Sustainability module

The content is organised around the sustainability management ‘compass’ below:

The course content is structured as follows:



Part 1: Setting the context

Context setting

• Managing corporate sustainability
• Social and environmental trends

The role of business

• The role of business
• Challenges and opportunities for business

Exploring possible futures

• Playing an interactive future sustainable scenario board game
  



Part 2: Developing the capabilities

• Setting a purpose
• Formulating and implementing strategy
• Working with stakeholders
• Innovating
• Collaborating
• Valuing
• Leading

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

1. Identify global environmental and social trends and assess how these present both challenges and opportunities to business and analyse the capabilities businesses need to manage these.
2. Classify the potential stakeholder groups businesses can work with to develop and implement their sustainability strategies and evaluate collaborative approaches.
3. Assess the role of personal leadership in an organization’s values, strategic direction and ability to execute its sustainability strategy.
4. Critically assess the content and reporting of businesses’ sustainability strategies.
5. Design and recommend a sustainability-oriented innovation for a selected business.

• Dr Marwa Tourky

This module presents a strategic perspective of marketing, whereby understanding of the needs and wants of customers is used to guide and direct the organisation. It focuses on the input of the marketing perspective across all functions hence prepares students for general management responsibilities. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed.

• Strategic marketing in context
• The strategic marketing planning process
• Mission statements and organisational objectives
• The Marketing Audit and analytical tools
• Market maps and market segmentation
• SWOT analysis
• The Directional Policy Matrix
• Marketing objectives and strategies
• Product and pricing strategy.

On completing this module, the following outcomes will have been achieved and students will be able to:

1. Understand the evolution and role of marketing and be able to evaluate the characteristics of a customer-centric organization.
2. Select and critically reflect on a series of marketing strategy tools and techniques which are applied to business opportunities and problems.
3. Have a critical understanding of the construction and evaluation of a strategic marketing plan.
4. Compose a written strategic marketing plan for a senior management audience.