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Unit of Study MNG10728 - Fundamentals of Management Theory (2014)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

The purpose of the unit is to introduce students to the fundamental streams of management theory in Australia and place them within various contexts: global, historical, social and economic. The core objectives are to facilitate reflection on the nature of management as a function within organisations, and to encourage students to adopt a coherent conception of management that will inform their study of other, more specialised business units. The unit also aims to develop a grasp of the nature of sound research and theory-building in management as a foundation for more intensive study of different aspects of management in subsequent management units.

Unit content

Topic 1 The evolution of management as a profession in capitalist societies and the roles and responsibilities of managers 
Topic 2 Alternatives to capitalist models of management Not-for-profit organisations and collectives Public sector organisations Non-capitalist societies 
Topic 3 The rationalist model of managing Neo-classical economic theory and management Bounded rationality Great managerial train wrecks 
Topic 4 Alternatives to the rationalist model Management as social class Management as ideology Postmodern conceptions of management 
Topic 5 Foundation management scholars and their legacies 1: Taylor, Fayol and the rationalists 
Topic 6 Foundation management scholars and their legacies 2: Mayo and the social psychologists 
Topic 7 Foundation management scholars and their legacies 3: Deming, convergence and divergence 
Topic 8 Foundation management scholars and their legacies 4: Porter and the Harvard Business School Drucker The European v US traditions 
Topic 9 Studying management: Research methodologies and theory building Validity and reliability in management theory Introduction to critical management theory 
Topic 10 Can management be outsourced? Core management concepts and functions Resource allocation Leadership Negotiation and conflict resolution

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2014

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 Demonstrate understanding of the evolution of management ideas in different scholarly traditions.
2 Demonstrate understanding of the role that manager's play in contemporary organisations
3 Discuss alternative conceptions of management and explain their conceptual strengths and weaknesses.
4 Critically evaluate the validity and reliability of findings reported in scholarly management literature
5 Propose and critically evaluate a coherent conception of the function of management in 21st century organisations.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate understanding of the evolution of management ideas in different scholarly traditions.
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  2. Demonstrate understanding of the role that manager's play in contemporary organisations
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  3. Discuss alternative conceptions of management and explain their conceptual strengths and weaknesses.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  4. Critically evaluate the validity and reliability of findings reported in scholarly management literature
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  5. Propose and critically evaluate a coherent conception of the function of management in 21st century organisations.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA7: