Accessibility statement

People, Management and Professional Development - MAN00034C

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

The module is designed to enhance students’ academic and pre-professional development through learning and teaching methods which integrate knowledge and understanding of management theory and its applied relevance to practice.

The module has four interrelated aims and intended learning outcomes: to support students’ academic and pre-professional skill development through interactive learning and teaching methods; to accelerate students’ early career planning through career development learning activities and workshops , in collaboration with specialist School and University student career development services; to enable students to understand how academic, pre-professional and interpersonal skill-development is achieved from academic skill-sets that are key to successful academic study at university, and both professional career development and life-long learning upon graduation.

perspectives of people and management in organisations within this module, the professional practice strand provides opportunities for students to understand what business organisations expect university graduates to know, and to be able to do, in professional roles in today’s workplace(s) to be effective people managers and business leaders. Through assessed and non-assessed interactive seminar activities and workshops students have an opportunity to build and apply management skills in action, assess their strengths and capabilities, and their academic and professional and development needs as a platform for self-reflexive learning, during their degree, and professional and personal self-development in their chosen careers.

Module learning outcomes

  • Identify the different functional areas of management in organisations. challenges involved in managing operational and human resources.

  • Recognise the applied relevance of theories on management to business and management practice.

  • Demonstrate how management theory and research can be used to identify, diagnose and solve organisation and business management problems.

  • Evaluate the foundational and current theories of management, and new and emerging themes and perspectives in contemporary management studies.

  • Understand, develop and demonstrate professional management skills used to address organisational , human resourcing and employee-relations issues and challenges.

  • Apply self-reflexive and self-appraisal learning techniques to identify personal and professional career development needs, and the professional development needs of others.

Module content

This module demonstrates how effective management depends upon employees feeling they are valued and empowered in the roles they perform, and the extent to which they perceive their efforts, performance, results and achievements are recognised and rewarded. How conditions of employment, job-design and job-content, methods of control, and management conduct have a determining effect on employee satisfaction, motivation and commitment, employee loyalty, and employee-retention. Enable students to develop professional and interpersonal skills, qualities and attributes that today’s career managers need to harness employee capabilities, shape organisational planning and decision-making, determine effective business and management outcomes, and foster equitable moral and ethical organisational norms and values.

Module Lecture Content:

  1. Classical Management Theory and Methods of Control (Fordism, Taylorism and Fayol).

  2. The Human Relations Movement (Motivation Theory and Behaviour in Organisations).

  3. Organisations in their Environments (Systems Theory and Institutional Work Behaviour).

  4. Organisational Structure and Design (Management Authority and Communication).

  5. Social Psychology at Work (Social, Cognitive and Emotional Workplace Behaviour).

  6. Organisational Cultures, Climates and Characters (Norms, Values and Beliefs at Work).

  7. Industrial Relations to Employee Relations (The Quality of Working Life Movement).

  8. New Organisational Forms (Economic Crisis, Globalisation and the Rise of post-Fordism).

  9. The Excellence Movement (Teams, Flexibility, Empowerment and Quality Management).

  10. Leadership in Theory and Practice (Enhancing Workplace and Workforce Capabilities).

  11. Responsible Management (Employee and Organisational Wellbeing in Theory and Practice).

Academic and graduate skills

On completion of this module students will be able to:

  • Apply the module learning and teaching content to successful undergraduate study, professional skill development, and lifelong learning.

  • Use logical reasoning, critical analysis, argumentation and judgement in undergraduate self-directed learning and research inquiry.

  • Develop and apply integrated and critical thinking skills as tools for analysing people-management theory and research.

  • Understand, develop and demonstrate professional management skills relating to human resourcing, people-management, and employee-relations.

  • Adopt self-reflexive and self-appraisal techniques to identify personal and professional career development needs, and the professional development needs of others.

  • Learn effective presentation skills.

  • Operate effectively as part of a team.

  • Carry out research and critically assess sources of information.

  • Acquire and demonstrate a critical understanding of teams and team role.

Other learning outcomes (if applicable)

  • Apply critical self-awareness and self-appraisal in personal and professional development planning.

  • Identify personal and professional skill-development needs and aims through module learning activities (assessed and non-assessed group and individual seminar class discussion, presentations, assessments and independent study)

  • Analyse and apply the requisite skill-sets for successful study and professional development in advance of graduation.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 70
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 30

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 70
Essay/coursework 30

Module feedback

Feedback will be given in accordance with the University Policy on feedback in the Guide to Assessment as well as in line with the School policy.

Indicative reading

Module Academic Textbook:

Christine Cross and Ronan Carbery (2017) Organisational Behaviour: an introduction. Macmillan Publishers.

https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/organisational-behaviour-christine-cross/?sf1=barcode&st1=9781137429445

Module Skill Development Text

Jean Brick, Nick Wilson, Deanna Wong and Maria Herke. (2018). Academic Success:

https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/Academic-Success/?K=9781352002621

Further Reading

Ackroyd, S. and Thompson, P. (1999). Organisational Misbehaviour. London: Sage.

Arnold, J and Randall, R. (2015). Work Psychology: understanding human behaviour at work. Pearson Education Publications.

Burnes, B. (2017). Managing Change. London: Pearson Education.

Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D. (2013). Organisational Behaviour. London: Pearson Publications

Knights, D and Willmott, H. (2018). Introducing Organisational Behaviour and Management. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2nd Edition.

Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. and Saunders, M. (2003). Employee Relations: Understanding the Employment Relationship. London: Pearson Education.

Morgan, G. (2000). Images of Organisations. London: Sage.

Mullins, L. (2016). Management and Organisational Behaviour. London: Pearson Publications, 11th Edition.

Robbins, S. and Judge, T. (2016). Organisational Behaviour. London: Pearson Publications

Watson, T. (2012). Organising and Managing Work. Harlow: Prentice Hall.

Thompson, P. and McHugh, D. (2009). Organisations: A Critical Approach. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.