Management Theories and Philosophies

Assessment 2011/12

This assessment is in two main parts. Please see the instructions for completion set out below.

Part One

This part of the assessment is based on the application of the history of management theory to a case study organisation and builds on the tutorial activities undertaken in the first three weeks of the module. The title of part one of the assessment is as follows:

“With reference to appropriate literature on both the ‘classical’ and ‘human relations’ approaches to management theory, critically evaluate how these are applied to a case study organisation of your choice.”

The following points should be noted for this part of the assessment:

• The case study should be a well known organization that can be readily researched through their website resources. Firms known only to the student are not acceptable. If in doubt please speak to your tutor.

• Organizations used for discussion in tutorials are permissible.

• This is an individual assessment, not a group task.

• Literature should be sourced from a range of journal articles and textbooks. A limited range of readings will be made available.

• Evidence should be presented in the form of information researched from the organization. This information should be referenced to reports and other relevant documents to allow tutors to access it.

• The word count is 3000 words +/- 10%. This does not include the reference list but does include any appendices.

• Referencing will be the Harvard system as per University regulation

Part Two
Part two of the assessment is based on one of the topics in the second part of the module. The word count will be 3000 words. Details to follow.
Management Theories and Philosophies
Assessment Part Two
You should attempt one of the following questions for part two of the coursework.

Question One:
With reference to appropriate academic literature, together with organisational examples, critically evaluate the relative importance of the influence of international culture and organisational culture on organisational practice.

Question Two:
In 1995 Ohmae defined globalization as “…the absence of borders and barriers to trade between nations”.
Critically evaluate whether this definition adequately captures the range of drivers behind globalization today and the complexity of the ongoing debates in the field of global business.
Reference: Ohmae, K. (1995) The End of The Nation State. Harper Collins, London.

Instructions for the completion of assessment part two.

• Make sure you choose one question only.
• These questions are deliberately broad. Students are therefore encouraged to focus their answers on the field in which their course is based. This will aid the search for literature and examples through offering appropriate boundaries to your work.
• Both parts of the assessment are due on the same day. Please ensure that they are on the same document but with parts one and two clearly separated. Each part should have its own reference list. Please do not lump all the references for both parts into one list at the end.
• Please familiarise yourself with the regulations on late submission. Last minute accidents involving the loss of data sticks, corrupted files, faulty laptops and so on can be guarded against by backing your work up thoroughly and regularly.
• Do not put your name on the assessment – use your student number for identification only.
• The maximum word count for part two of this assessment is 3,000 words, +/- 10%. This word count includes any appendices (which you will not need in this essay in any case) but excludes the words in the reference list. This word count must be adhered to.
• This is an essay not a report, so you should avoid the use of bullet points and lists. This is an essay question which is effectively asking you to complete a critical evaluation of the literature on the topics as well as providing examples of practice wh

• Accurate referencing of sources is crucial in this coursework. There are resources available in the Learning Resource Centre and via the student advice shops to help. The referencing system used on this module is the Harvard system. Please make sure you are familiar with this. Marks will be deducted for inaccurate referencing.