Course Title: History of Management Thought

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: History of Management Thought

Credit Points: 12


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BUSM4093

City Campus

Undergraduate

650T TAFE Business

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2011

Course Coordinator: Zlatko Muhvic

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5440

Course Coordinator Email:zlatko.muhvic@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 108.13.09


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.


Course Description

The course will examine the development of theories and approaches to management in a historical context. It will acquaint you with the political, economic and social contexts within which ideas about management developed historically. The course will also address the contribution of individual theorists to the development of management ideas, the nature of that contribution and the way these ideas might be used in contemporary organisations.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course will develop your ability to:

  • Contribute to decisions within diverse political, economic, environmental and social contexts
  • Pursue continuous personal development of knowledge and skills related to a management career
  • Communicate ideas, intentions and outcomes clearly to a variety of audiences


At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify major theories of management and discuss their elements clearly and coherently;
  • Understand and explain the historical context to current management theories and practice
  • Understand and discuss cultural factors which give rise to particular management theories at a particular time and how those theories evolve over time
  • Develop the basic structure of a conceptual framework to enable you to integrate your studies of management
  • Write clearly, present a logical argument, and use conventional academic referencing schemes


Overview of Learning Activities

Students are expected to attend the lectures and the tutorial sessions having read the material assigned for that week and prepared to participate in class discussion.


Overview of Learning Resources

Your learning will occur through lectures, tutorials and self-directed learning.
Activities will include tutorial discussions of the ideas of key management writers, from the origins of the modern organisation to contemporary practice, review of the assumptions and objectives of different schools of management thought, and the implications of application of their ideas to today’s organisations. You will also be asked to do activities that develop and support your learning skills.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment:

Assessment in this course is designed to enable you to develop knowledge and skills which will be useful as you continue your studies and in your employment. For example, written assignments enable you to learn, demonstrate, and improve your ability to synthesize and present ideas in a coherent and concise manner; examinations enable you to develop, demonstrate, and improve your ability to work under pressure, communicate ideas concisely within a fixed time frame, and reinforce the knowledge learned in this course which will be a foundation for later courses in your degree program. Assessment in this course will allow you to develop, demonstrate, and improve your skills in logical thinking, coherent communication, and critical analysis.

Assessment Tasks may include:
Group presentation where students assess the contribution of a leading management theorist.
Research essay where students choose from a range of four topics in the history of management thought .
Final Exam where all topics covered in the course may be examined.


Please consult myRMIT Course for more information.