Foundations of Management Thought (PG)

Subject Code:

MGT803

Subject Aim:

The aim of the subject is to provide you with various lenses of understanding that will enable you to analyse better the concepts that you have studied at ICMS and that you are supposed to apply as managers. This will be achieved through: An overview of the origin of the main management and organisation theories; Critical discussion of the idea that management is or should be a science; A focus on psychology, as this discipline is having an ever-increasing influence in management theory and practice, be it through the fields of Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources Management or Marketing; and, A critical analysis of management language; An analysis of the role of power, authority and freedom in organisations.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Critically analyse mainstream management concepts in their respective historical and intellectual contexts.
2. Recognise contradictions that lie at the heart of important management theories and how these flow into present day managerial practices.
3. Evaluate and analyse management language.
4. Discuss the cultural factors which initially gave rise to management theories, and analyse how those theories evolved over time.
5. Explore, analyse, and critique various approaches to thinking about and ‘doing’ management.
6. Exhibit critical thinking, objective learning, and communication skills, and integrate persuasive arguments based on a comprehensive reading of the applicable literature.

Student Assessment:

Exams will take place in weeks 15 & 16. Please refer to the official Exam Timetable for further information.

See details instructions on the Moodle site.