ULMS863: ORGANISATIONAL THEORY: BEHAVIOUR, POWER AND POLITICS AT WORK

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Assessment Strategy

This module will be assessed in the following way:
 
Individual Assignment (100%)
 
Question:
Please select and elaborate on one of the weekly themes, discuss and critically evaluate why it may be an important aspect in management and organizational context. Illustrate your ideas with an empirical case from contemporary organizations.
 
N.B. This question is written in such a way as to give you a wide degree of choice over how it is to be answered. Your empirical case can be an actual organization; or an organizational setting; or a specific management problem to be solved; or a specific industry. Your choice of empirical case will be assessed by how well it helps illustrations of theories.
 
N.N.B. You will have opportunity to discuss your chosen approach with the module leader in person and there will also be a designated assignment preparation tutorial.
 
Word count: 3,000 words
Type(s) of assessment: See module specification: Section 4, Assessments
 
Submission deadlines and date of return of work to students:
 
Submission Deadline: 12 noon on 20th/April/2020
Date of feedback return: 12 noon on 11th/May/2020
 
How to submit your work:
 
This coursework requires online submission only.  You do not need to submit a hard copy of the coursework. You should submit your coursework via Turnitin, which is a plagiarism and collusion detection system. If you do not submit to Turnitin your work will not be marked.
 
To submit via Turnitin, you go to the assessment area for the module on VITAL and you will find a link for the coursework. Click on View/Complete and then on the “submit” icon for the paper. You are then prompted to submit a title for the paper. Use the “browse” button to locate the file you want to submit, then click “submit”. You will then be asked to confirm that you want to submit by clicking the “Yes, submit” button.”
Maximum length of coursework elements: See module specification: Section 4, Assessments
 
Students are asked to note that the word count is the absolute upper limit. There is no leeway over this, i.e. you will be penalised if you submit work that exceeds the word limit (the suggestion that you may exceed the word count by 10% is a myth!)
The following are not included in word counts:
 
Reference lists/bibliographies and question titles
Appendices/footnotes – provided these have been used only when necessary. If appendices or footnotes are used excessively, or contain material which should clearly be included in the main body of the essay/report, it is at the markers’ discretion to include these in the word count.
Tables/graphs – provided these have been imported from elsewhere (correctly referenced) and not produced by the student.
Contents pages and front pages of reports
As well as the essay/report itself, the following are included in word counts:
Citations/quotations – this includes the material paraphrased/quoted itself as well as the name, date and page information.
Tables and graphs – if they have been produced by the student.
Executive summaries in reports – unless otherwise stated.
 
Will feedback on draft coursework be given?
 
Feedback on draft assignment should be less than 2 pages and the turnaround time for feedback is 5 working days.
 
Weighting of the assessment components: See module specification: Section 4, Assessments
 
 
Policies for the below can be found via:
 
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/intranet/management-school/assessment/
 
Re-sits
Penalties – presentation, use of Wikipedia, late submission
Referencing work
Marking criteria
ULMS group work policy
Requests for extensions
 
 

Feedback to Students

Assignment feedback will be provided as follows:
Within three weeks of submission; individual feedback on coursework provided online through the Turnitin Grademark facility; face-to-face feedback available by appointment

How can I feed back my views on this module?

 
Your feedback on the module is welcome at any time. You will be given an opportunity to provide early module feedback informally, and then formally at the end of the module via the formal module evaluation process. The sooner you alert us to any issues you might have the quicker we can resolve them. Please don’t leave it to the end of the module to tell us if you are struggling!
Please be reminded of the ULMS Guidance on Providing Feedback (see your student handbook). Giving constructive feedback is a skill that you will need to develop in the workplace. We welcome feedback that is constructive and specific (it helps us improve), but please remain polite and be aware of the right of every staff member to Dignity at Work. There is lots of evidence of unconscious bias in module evaluation – based on gender, age, race, etc. – so please be aware of this and try to be fair to all staff.

Lecture Programme:

 
 

Week Date
 		 Topic Lead
 
1
 		  
27/01/2020		  
Introduction to the module:
How do we understand organisations?
 		  
Dr. Yihan Liu
 
 
2		  
03/02/2020		 Building on the principles of evidence-based management
 
 
 
 		 Prof. Yves Guillaume
 
 
3		  
10/02/2020		 Work-life balance and diversity
 
 		 Prof. Rory Donnelly
 
 
 
 
4		  
17/02/2020		 A paradigm shift: Critical Management Studies Dr. Yihan Liu
 
5		  
24/02/2020		 Culture, diversity and organisation Dr. Huadong Yang
 
 
 
6		  
02/03/2020		 Organisation, space and history
 		 Dr. Kathleen Stephenson
 
7  
09/03/2020		  
Organisations in a state of flux		  
Prof. Mike Zundel
8  
16/03/2020		 Conclusion and assignment
preparation
 		 Dr. Yihan Liu
Easter Vacation
Assignment Submission Date: 20th/April/2020

 
*The titles for each topic are working titles and, as such, they may vary, and may be subject to change due to guest speaker availability
 

Seminar Sessions:

 
Your seminar leaders for the ULMS863 will be Scott Baker and Thomas Davis. They are very experienced, supportive and approachable Graduate Teaching Assistants with extensive knowledge of organisation theory. The seminars will be managed in an innovative, flexible way. We are pleased to say that the exact format will likely vary each session because the lectures are delivered by invited expert speakers who will decide on the most appropriate seminar format for their session. Having a degree of variation in approach will help keep things fresh, interesting and stimulating.
 
 

Core and Recommended Reading

 
Core: King, D. and Lawley, S. (2017) Organisational Behaviour (2nd Edition). Oxford: OUP.
 
 
Please take your time to read a wide selection of articles on organisation theory. The list below is a very small snapshot of the relevant literature and, therefore, should not be considered definitive. Also, each session delivered by the guest speakers will likely include additional reading suggestions. It is important that you explore this material, and the wide variety of other literature available, because doing so will aid your learning generally, increasing your confidence, and help you prepare well for the assessments.
 
An important feature of the module is the focus on original texts setting out the key arguments considered. Reading a generic text (such as King and Lawley, 2017 – details below) summarising those ideas can be very helpful but considering ideas in the original is usually much more illuminating, not least because there is more detail and also because the original includes the author’s own articulation of ideas and her/his choice of illustrative examples.
 
Books
If you want a general text examining many of the themes discussed during the module, please start with King and Lawley (2017). Multiple copies of this book are held in the Sydney Jones library. However, you should keep in mind that no single book can cover everything required and, therefore, you will need to read beyond this text.
 
Casey, C. (1996) Work, Self and Society: After Industrialism. London: Routledge.

Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage.
Gatrell, C., & Swan, E. (2008). Gender and diversity in management: A concise introduction. Sage.

Giddens, A. (1991) Modernity and Self-Identity: self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: Penguin
Hofsetede, G. (2003) Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions and Organisations across Nations. London: Sage.
Knights, D. and Willmott, H. (1999) Management Lives: Power and Identity in Work Organisations. London: Sage.
Morgan, G. (2006) Images of Organisation. London: Sage.
Parker, M. (2000) Organisational Culture and Identity. London: Sage.
Rose, N. (1990). Governing the soul: the shaping of the private self. Taylor & Frances/Routledge.
Scott, J. C. (1998) Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition have Failed. Yale: Yale University Press.
Sennett, R. (1998) The Corrosion of Character: Personal Consequences of Work in the new Capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton and Co.
 
Journal Articles

The journal articles listed below are a small sample of those likely to be helpful during the course of the module. As mentioned above, there will be others recommended by the weekly speakers and you should also conduct extended research on relevant journal articles.
 
Collinson, D. L. (1999). Surviving the rigs’: Safety and surveillance on North Sea oil installations. Organization studies, 20:4, 579-600.
Gatrell, C. J. (2013). Maternal body work: How women managers and professionals negotiate pregnancy and new motherhood at work. Human Relations, 66:5, 621-644.
McSweeney, B. (2002) ‘Hofstede’s model of national cultural differences and their consequences: a triumph of faith – a failure of analysis’. Human Relations, 55:1, pp89-118.
Scholarios, D. And Marks, A. (2004) ‘Work-life balance and the software worker’. Human Resource Management Journal, 14:2, pp54-74.

 
The library aims to provide a minimum ratio of one book per ten students for essential texts. But if more copies are needed and funds permit, it can purchase extra copies. The Library needs to find out which books are in greatest demand and you can help by taking these steps:
1) Place a reservation on the book. Once you have the book details on the library catalogue screen, click Request. This means as soon as a copy is returned, you will be notified and can borrow it. It also means that library staff are notified of the demand on the book.
2) Fill in a book suggestion form, talk to staff at the library’s information support desks or contact your Liaison Librarian to let us know more copies are needed. The current Liaison Librarian for the Management School is Nicola Gregory, nicola.gregory@liverpool.ac.uk
 

Electronic Resources

The University website at http://www.liv.ac.uk/library/ provides you with access to a number of relevant electronic journals and databases. A helpful first step is to search on a topic of interest using the library’s ‘Discover’ search facility.
 
Journals
Academy of Management Journal
Academy of Management Perspectives
Academic of Management Proceedings
Human Relations
International Journal of Management Reviews
Journal of Management Studies
Organizational Studies
Organization
Sociology
Work, Employment and Society
 
 

Sign-off

Document last revised on 30th December 2019 by Dr. Yihan Liu
 
 
 

THE ULMS GRADUATE – LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

 
 
The ULMS Graduate is:
 
Flexible and adaptable
Our graduates understand that the business world develops and changes quickly, and ULMS will provide them with opportunities to develop the skills needed to be open to the challenges this brings.
 
A problem solver
Our graduates are provided with opportunities to develop their critical and analytical skills from the day they join the School. By learning to think creatively, to persevere with an issue and to draw on the resources available to them, our graduates approach difficult situations confident that they can reach a successful outcome and make a difference.
 
Numerate
Maths is an essential element of all of our programmes and our graduates are confident and competent when using numbers to analyse situations, solve problems and make decisions.
 
Commercially aware
The teaching at ULMS is drawn from the latest business and management research, ensuring that our graduates understand the environment in which they begin their careers.
 
A team player
Our graduates understand the importance of contributing to a team. By contributing to group work our students understand the dynamics of a team and the importance of individual roles and how each can make a difference to achieving a result.
 
Organised and able to work under pressure
ULMS graduates learn to manage their time carefully during their studies. Our graduates are motivated to learn outside the classroom and are adept at managing deadlines and dealing with conflicting demands upon their time.
 
An excellent communicator
The ULMS syllabus requires students to demonstrate their aptitude for communicating throughout their studies. Their skills include writing essays, business reports and case studies, giving presentations, listening to and questioning guest speakers and using negotiating and persuasion skills to argue a point during a class debate. Our graduates understand the difference that effective communication can make to a situation.
 
IT literate
Our graduates understand the importance of IT in the modern business environment and ensure that their digital literacy skills are up-to-date in order to use it successfully. They understand how to prepare and analyse spreadsheets, can write reports and use IT to enhance presentations. They are confident users of electronic databases and are skilled at finding and evaluating appropriate and relevant information from electronic sources.
 
Internationally aware
The ULMS teaching and research community is drawn from around the world and our students are exposed to business ideas and cultures from beyond the UK. Many graduates make the most of international opportunities available to them, from participating in overseas exchanges to participating in international inter-university business games.
 
A lifelong learner
ULMS graduates understand that the end of their degree programme does not mean the end of their learning journey. Our students understand the importance of continually building skills and knowledge in order to maintain commercial awareness, to be able to follow a flexible career path and to continue to make a difference throughout their working lives.
 
Ethically aware
The ULMS teaching, learning and assessment strategy ensures that all graduates are exposed to ideas of business ethics whilst studying and that they have an understanding of the difference business can make in the wider community and across the world.
 
A leader
We instil our graduates with the confidence to lead others by providing opportunities within the curriculum to debate ideas, present research, solve problems and make difficult decisions.
 
 
           
 
 

 
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BHO0034 Cross Cultural Studies

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Learning Outcomes
 
This assessment task addresses the following learning outcomes from the module specification
1.             Outline and explain the concept of national culture and how it influences behaviours in the workplace
2.             Critically comment upon the implications of the link between national culture and behaviour for organisations.
7.          Critically appraise the various cultural issues that operate within a business environment.
9.           Identify and reflect upon their culture of origin.
 
 
Assessment brief
This assignment consists of an individual academic blog composed of 5 posts; the format of an academic post resembles that of a mini-essay. This means you are required to originally elaborate on existing academic literature.
 
Each post should:
1.    Refer to a specific topic (of your choice) covered during one of the lectures; the assignment should consist of 1 individual reflective comments, 1-2 topic from Term 1 and 2-3 topics from Term 2 (Five posts in total);
2.    Present an original title (which you elaborate);
3.    Present 3 keywords for each topic;
4.    Elaborate on the topic you choose in 500 words maximum (excluding title, keywords and references);
5.    Present a clear structure, with a couple of introductory sentences stating what the post is about and why the topic is important. A couple of conclusive sentences, summing up the main points are also expected;
6.    Present 4 references at least: 2 of them should be academic journals or scholarly books (please take inspiration from our reading list and literature presented during the lectures, but conduct your own search as well).
 
Overall the blog should not be more than 2500 words longer (excluding cover page, titles, keywords and references), and should be formatted following the layout attached (please see below).
 
 
 
COVER PAGE
BHO0034 – CROSS CULTURAL STUDIES 2019/20
 
MODULE CONVENOR: Dr. Lianghui Lei
 
ACADEMIC BLOG by
 
STUDENT NAME
STUDENT NUMBER
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BLOG POST 1 [please insert title of your post]
 
BLOG POST 2 [please insert title of your post]
 
BLOG POST 3 [please insert title of your post]
 
BLOG POST 4 [please insert title of your post]
 
BLOG POST 5 [please insert title of your post]
 
 
 

BLOG POST 1 [please insert title of your post]

 
from Lecture [include lecture’s title and date]
 
 
Keywords: keyword 1, keyword 2, keyword 3
 
 
Text [max 500 words]
 
 
References
 
[please include 4 at least: 2 of them should be academic journals or scholarly books]
 
 
PLEASE REPLICATE THIS SAME STRUCTURE FOR THE NEXT 4 POSTS!
 
 
 
 
You are advised to:      
 
  • Avoid description of the content of material referred to – critical evaluation is required where specified.

·         Work should be referenced in APA 6th style.  The link below is to the library guidance on referencing and it is recommended you use these resources to ensure your references are in the correct format.
 
·         http://www.hud.ac.uk/library/finding-info/informationskills/evaluation/referencing/
 
Note that poorly referenced material will lose you marks (make sure you consult the Learning Development Group Tutors on level 1 of the Business School for any additional help needed). You can access APA 6th via Brightspace by clicking on the Library button to access the easy to use online guide.

  • Read widely from textbooks, journals and authoritative commentaries in forming your views. 
  • Refer back to your tutorial work and notes where you have covered key issues and developed critical argument that is relevant to the requirement of this assessment.
  • Pay close attention to the Assessment Criteria at the end of this document – this lists general assessment criteria and specific criteria to the requirements of this assignment.  These criteria will be used to inform your electronic feedback on your marked assignment.
  • Do not exceed the word limit. A 5% mark penalty applies for work exceeding the word limit.

 
 
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BHO0255 The Psychology of Work and Organisations

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Learning Outcomes
This assessment task addresses the following learning outcomes from the
module specification
Knowledge and Understanding Outcomes
• Have acquired a clear understanding of the role of psychology in organisational settings.
• Have developed a critical appreciation of current research trends and findings, research
methodologies employed presently and historically, and the contribution these make to the
understanding of organisational behaviour.
• Be able to critically evaluate the underpinning issues and assumptions of the theories and
principles of psychology within an organisational context through reflecting upon the application of
theory at work.
• Be able to critically assess the current status of the discipline and prospective future directions.
Ability Outcomes
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of psychology in organisational settings.
• Critically appraise the issues and assumptions of the theories and principles of psychology within
an organisational context.
• Assess the main contributors to the discipline and understand the development of the field and its
value in business and in psychology.
• Evaluate advanced theoretical knowledge showing how organisations engage with psychologists to
resolve issues presented by businesses, people and their resources.
Assessment brief
Case study task:
Drawing on research in work and organisational psychology (measuring talent/identifying
talent and developing talent) make recommendations for how Google can improve their
approach to measuring/identifying talent and developing talent and critically address the
potential strengths and weaknesses of your recommendations.
2
Your answer MUST be based on the Google Case study provided on pages 3-6 of
this document.
Your essay should include the following sections:
1. Introduction (Approximately 100 words)
In the introduction, you should also briefly outline what you will cover in the main body of
your essay.
2. Theoretical background (Approximately 650 words)
In the theoretical background you are expected to Introduce the reader to the relevant
psychological literature (Measuring Talent/Identifying Talent and Developing talent).
3. Recommendations (Approximately 650 words)
Based on the literature presented in your theoretical background, make recommendations
for how Google can improve their approach to measuring/identifying and developing talent
and critically address the potential strengths and weaknesses of your recommendations.
5. Conclusion (Approximately 100 words)
Summarise the main points covered in the main body of your essay.
You are advised to:
• Avoid merely describing theories/methods and concepts. Whilst descriptive
accounts are an important way to demonstrate your understanding of the
module content, you must also critically evaluate/discuss them. A critical
approach to essay writing is essential at this level of academic study.
• Work should be written/cited/referenced in APA 6th edition style. You can
access APA 6th edition via Brightspace by clicking on the Library button to
access the easy to use online guide.
• Read widely from textbooks and academic journals to inform your
points/arguments. Please DO NOT refer to lecture slides in your essay.
• Pay close attention to the Assessment Criteria at the end of this document –
this lists general assessment criteria and specific criteria to the
requirements of this assignment. These criteria will be used to inform your
electronic feedback on your marked assignment.
• Finally, do not show or send your work to anyone on your course

 
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BHS0035 Module Title: Strategy in Context

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                        Criteria EXPLANATION
Case Study Content
Your case study answers the questions set out in the assignment brief. The assignment asks you to explain why a particular organisation made a particular strategic decision. Your completed case study should focus on this explanation. Simply describing the decision, providing an external and/or internal analysis of the organisation, or evaluating the quality of the decision will not answer the assignment question.
The discussion in the case study is informed by relevant theory. Your explanations of why your chosen organisation made the decision must be grounded in theory. In other words, when searching for explanations, you must consider factors set out in the various theoretical perspectives we discussed in this module. You are expected to use a minimum of three or four different theoretical perspectives.
Please avoid exclusively relying on basic planning models such as PESTLE and SWOT. Using basic planning models only will result in a basic pass mark at best.
Your writing demonstrates a solid understanding of the theoretical perspectives you are using. Please make sure that you understand the theoretical perspectives and models you use very well – e.g. what they are intended for, how they work and how they are related to other perspectives.
You are not required to explain in your case study the theoretical perspectives you use. However, the way you use concepts and ideas from those perspectives will provide an indication of your understanding.
Your case study is based on thorough research of your organisation’s decision, the organisation itself and the situation within which the decision was made. You are expected to use a variety of sources to obtain information about your chosen organisation, about the decision that you are analysing and about any relevant circumstantial factors (e.g. various aspects of the external and internal environment, important stakeholders, organisational processes, etc.). Relying on just one or two sources will most likely not be enough.
Please also be aware of potential biases – e.g. your organisation’s own accounts of how the decision was made may not be objective.
Your case study should address the power dimension of organisational decision-making. In your analysis, you should consider how the various forces both in the internal and external environment of the organisation forced or encouraged the organisation to make the decision. These forces may have exerted a direct coercive impact on the organisation (e.g. stakeholder demands), facilitated the decision (e.g. existence of particular resource sets), or set out the boundaries for organisational imagination (e.g. organisational culture and structure). You should also consider the relationships between the various forces.
Case Study Structure
Your case study has a clear introduction. The introduction should provide a brief overview of the organisation that you chose and the decision that you will be explaining. It should contain a phrase such as “In this case study, I will explain how an organisation X reached the decision Y”. You can also provide a brief list of the theoretical perspectives you will use.
Your case study is a coherent narrative. You present your points/arguments in a logical sequence. The structure of the main body of the case study should support a clear communication of the results of your analysis. As this is a fairly long case study, you should split it into several sections. Each section should deal with a specific topic – e.g. background information, the description of the decision-making process, a particular influencing factor, or the discussion of the relationship between particular influencing factors.
Please do not title the main body of your case study “Main body”. The words “main body” are simply used to denote the main substantive section of a piece of writing. They are not an appropriate section title.
The case study must have a clear conclusion, summarising the findings of your analysis. In your conclusion, you should provide a clear outline the key reasons why your organisation made the decision.
Evidence and Referencing
All arguments you make must be supported by evidence, either theoretical or empirical. Your arguments and explanations should be based on thorough research and careful consideration of relevant evidence. Avoid making arguments without supporting them with relevant evidence.
All non-common-knowledge facts and arguments are referenced. You should provide a clear indication of the sources of your evidence by thoroughly referencing your writing. Please use either an APA or Harvard referencing style.
The sources used are up-to-date and appropriate for an academic work Avoid using blogs, social media, ‘yellow press’ newspapers and consultancy websites as your sources. Reputable national and regional newspapers and magazines, websites of reputable non-governmental organisations and commercial and non-profit organisations, government sources and academic journals and books are acceptable.
The references are formatted correctly both in the text and the references pages. Please use either an APA or Harvard referencing style and make sure that you use correct formatting (e.g. the sources should be listed in the reference page in an alphabetical order).
 
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