|
|
|
|
Work, Industry and Society Third year course delivered at Manchester School of Management, UMIST Course Adminstration and Details Course Coordinator : Professor Hugh Willmott MSM E33 x 3412
Course Seminar Leaders : Ms Alessia Contu MSM C2 x 3529 : Mr Damian O'Doherty msm E37 x3489
Lectures : Wednesdays 11.15-13.00 in B8 Seminars :
Thursday 11am in E21 (Alessia Contu)
Click on back button to return to this list. Assessed essay titles for Semester 1 Assessed essay titles for Semester 2
Pre-requisites : Nil. Credit Rating : 24
Course Objectives : The course takes as its focus the context in which work is organized by drawing upon a diverse range of literatures - from novels to case studies - that explore the human dimension of working in modern organizations. The course aims to 1. Highlight and explore the significance of knowledge and learning
in modern organizations. 2. Familiarise students with theories of interaction relevant for
understanding the organization of work. 3. Introduce and apply the interrelated concepts of identity, insecurity, power and inequality for analysing the dynamics of social and organizational life. Learning Objectives :
2. To develop a capacity to the relevance and applicability of
`micro’ (e.g. identity, insecurity) and `macro’ concepts (e.g. insecurity,
power) for managing and transforming social and economic organization. 3. To understand the complex relationships between culture and
control and their relevance for the management of human resources within modern
organizations. Module Content and Structure
: The course explores different aspects of the human condition and their relevance for learning; considers the significance of the social construction of reality ; and explores the wider institutional context of work organization. Elements of the course are experiential and are designed to encourage a deeper and more meaningful appreciation of the core concepts. In Semester 1, the core concepts are introduced and illustrated before undertaking an experiential exercise and relating this to processes of organization and management. In Semester 2, ideas about freedom, control and resistance are examined in relationship to the core concepts, the experiential exercise and the nature of work organization. The course has three sections :
In broad outline, the order of topics for Semesters 1 and 2 is listed in the following table.
Lectures will take an interactive form and include an experiential component Participation in lectures as well as seminars facilitates a more meaningful relationship to the course material. It also develops communication and presentation skills. The seminars will comprise a combination of traditional discussions based upon readings, experiential sessions and teamwork activity. Learning Style : Lectures.The lectures are interactive and use a variety of
media (e.g. extracts from novels and video clips) to encourage and facilitate
participation. Not all of the topics listed below will necessarily be covered in the
lectures or the seminars. When provided, lecture notes should be supplemented with
personal notes and reading. Seminars. The purpose of seminars is to explore further issues introduced in the lectures and raised by the directed readings. Where student presentations are made, they should : a) summarise the main points of the reading or exercise; and b) identify issues and problems for further discussion. The presentation should raise questions which will provide points of departure for discussion within the group. All members of the seminar are expected to come prepared to contribute to the learning process.
Reading List : Students receive a detailed reading list for each topic. This is also available on the course. Click here to go to Reading List. Method of Assessment : 50% examination and 50% coursework
Coursework : comprises 2 essays (one individual and one individual or group) and one piece of group work.
Essay length : 2,000-2,500 words max. Group work project report : 1, 250 words max. Additional guidelines are given to students. Examination. The examination is at the end of end of the course. It is a three hour exam comprising at least ten questions from which candidates are required to attempt three. Equal question carries the same number of marks. Examples of previous years papers can be found by clicking here. Assessment Essay Titles Semester 1 Tips for preparing your assessed essays can be found by clicking here. You are advised to work on the preparation of this essay early in Semester 1 1. How do the four core concepts illuminate everyday life. Draw upon
your own experience to illustrate your answer. 2. Apply at least two of the four key concepts to examine the theory
and practice of teamwork. Where relevant, give examples drawn from your own experience to
illustrate your answer. 3. The reality of learning is socially constructed. Critically
evaluate the meaning and significance of this statement by reference to your experience.
the theory and practice of WIS? 4. Our sense of identity is mediated by relations of power and feelings of insecurity. Discuss. Work on this piece of assessed work will be concentrated during the second half of Semester 1. Students will work in teams to produce a docudrama based upon one of the novels. Each team will produce a report of their work comprising four sections: Rationale, Process, Outcome and Evaluation. Each section is required to be a minimum of 200 words. Assessment Essay Titles Semester 2 You are advised to work on the preparation of this essay early in Semester 1 1. How are the four key concepts of the course relevant for
analysing labour processes? 2. How do diverse conceptualisations of power shed light upon
managerial work. Draw upon your own experience as `managers' or `managed' to illustrate
your answer. 3. Critically evaluate the claim that ideas of 'culture’ and
`symbolism' are relevant for making sense of work organizations. 4. How might the key concepts of WIS be deployed to shed light upon
the theory and practice of HRM? 5. Draw upon ideas explored in WIS to examine and evaluate recent efforts to resist the power of consumption. Compare and contrast these with the efforts of organized labour to resist the power of production.
Assessed Work Requirements and Guidelines: Essay 1 and Groupwork Wednesday 13th December 2000 Essay 2 Friday 30th March. 2001 Coursework must be handed in to, and logged by, the Receptionist in the Atrium of the MSM building. It is the responsibility of students to ensure the security of their essays. Students are advised to photocopy their essays prior to submission. Penalty for late coursework: Work submitted after dates indicated above will not be marked unless late submission has been arranged with the examiner concerned or there are strong mitigating circumstances (e.g. illness supported by doctor's note). Assessed Work: Essays will not be returned to students. For this reason, you are advised to retain a photocopy of your assessed work. You will be notified of the mark awarded for assessed work. You will also receive feedback on the essays. Pass Mark: Pass mark : 40%. Feedback from students: Students are invited to give oral feedback on the course following each lecture. Written feedback may also be provided directly to the course organizer. Module Evaluation: Oral and written feedback in seminars and on coursework. Questionnaire evaluation of course delivery. Reading List : A full reading list together with much other information about the course and on-line reading materials can be found by clicking here
Click here to return to the top of this
page This site was constructed by Hugh Willmott and was last updated on 21/01/01
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
