Module Identifier MBM9260  
Module Title MANAGERIAL REPORTS  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Mr Elton A W St George  
Semester Semester 3 (Summer)  
Mutually Exclusive MBM9160  
Course delivery Other   workshop + ongoing contact during the programme  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment One written Company report not in excess of 10,000 words on a specific company or issue within a company covering one or more of the key subject areas: Economics, HRM/OB, Financial Management/Management Accounting, Marketing and Strategy.70%
Semester Assessment One related Management report, not in excess of 4,000 words on the subject of Leadership and Managerial skills, utilising the knowledge and experience gained during the program activitites as well as research. A personal reflection (500 words) may be appropriate.30%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:








Brief description

This module will use a series of activities and workshops, delivered during the programme, as points of reference on which to base two written reports. These two reports are distinct and related:

The Company Report (10,000 words, 70%) will offer the opportunity for students to gain specific in-depth knowledge in a particular subject area encompassing each (or a selecton of) four key areas of business (Financial Management/Management Accounting, Human Resource Management/Organisational Behaviour, Marketing and Strategy). Students will be required to research their chosen subject/topic with relevance to a particular company, sector, organisation or instiution prior to the production of a management style report, no less than 7,000 words and not in excess of 10,000 words (plus appendices).

The Management Report (40,000 words, 30%) will cover the subject of Leadership and Managerial Skills which are related to the company report. Students will be required to research their chosen subject/topic with relevance to a particular form of Leadership or Management style or issue related to the Company Report, no less than 2,500 words and not in excess of 4,000 words (plus appendices). They may reflect on their own management style (500 words) but this is not essential.

The Reports together should not simply describe the company/organisation/institution (although aspects of the Report will inevitably provide some description of, for instance, financial data and product-market strategy); examiners will seek to specifically award grades to students that address the following:
1. Critical analysis of the company/organisational/institutional situation
2. Demonstrate the use of tools, techniques, frameworks and analytical approaches to diagnose the company/organisational/institutional situation
3. Demonstrate an appreciation of 'time' illustrating the dynamic elements involved in strategic and organisational evolution (students are strongly recommended to consider the longitudinal issues over time rather than purely adopt a static viewpoint of the issues today).   
4. Use appropriate referencing (both managerial and academic sources) so as to anchor analyses to literature rather than make the project self-opinion-based.   

Students should appreciate that this assignment is deliberately broad. There is no definitive structure and the scope given in the brief above is designed as integral to the assessment process. This latitude provides an opportunity for students to compile the most incisive report that analyses the company/organisational/institutional situation. An implicit part of the assessment is that students devise the structure that they feel is most appropriate to their critical analysis.

Aims

The main aims of the module are to:

AND

Investigated the theory and practice of the specific management issue, event or problem selected using the existing professional, academic and prescriptive literature in each (or a selection of) the following business sub-disciplines:
1. Marketing
2. Strategy
3. Human Resource Management / Organisational Behaviour
4. Managerial Economics
5. Financial Management / Organisational Behaviour

Content

Transferable skills

Module Skills

Reading Lists

Books
A D Jankowicz (2000) Business Research Projects Thomson, Business Press
J Adair (1997) Effective Team Building Macmillan
J Adair (1986) Effective Team Building Macmillan
M R Belbin (1981) Management Teams: Why they succeed or fail Butterworth Heineman
R M Stogdill (1974) Handbook of Leadership: A survey of theory and research New York: Free Press, London: Collier Macmillan
J Adair (1988) Effective Leadership Pan Books
W David Rees The Skills of Management Thomson Business Press
Andrew St George (2002) How to Buy a Business @www.christie.com
Clive T Goodworth (1991) The Secrets of Successful Business Report Writing Oxford
Charles Leadbeater (1999) Living on Thin Air Penguin
Shirley Kuiper (1999) Contemporary Business Report Writing London
A D Jankowicz (2000) Business Research Projects Thomson
Charles Handy (1989) The Age of Unreason Arrow
Michael Doherty (1998) Write for Business: Skills for effective report writing in English Longman
Andrew St George (1995) Clear English Bloomsbury
Dorothy M Stewart Handbook of Management Skills Gower
Edward De Bono (1985) Six Thinking Hats Penguin
Strunk & White (1959) Elements of Style Macmillan
Style Guides from: The New York Times (1976), The Economist (1986), The Times (1992), The Financial Times (1993)
Students will be expected to research material relevant to their chosen subject area via electronic and other sources
Paul Myners The Myners Report (2001) to H M Treasury (download 2001pp from www.treasury.gov.uk) and consultation documents

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7