Management and Work in a Global Context MSc

What you'll study

The modules on our Management and Work in a Global Context MSc programme are designed to deliver a high quality educational experience that develops and sustains your knowledge, skills and aspirations in the further advancement of your career within the business and management sector.

• Compulsory
• Optional

Management in a Diverse World

Management in a Diverse World

This topical module will enable you to make informed assessments of the idiosyncrasies of national economic systems. You will uncover the key elements of national economic systems and how they differ through an in-depth investigation of how they have evolved over time

As a group, we will assess the challenges facing companies that manage across nationally distinct systems, and will take account for the pressures towards convergence and divergence in the nature of managerial work.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, you should be able to:

• Appreciate the ways in which economic activity is embedded in particular national contexts
• Understand the nature and causes of national variations in the way that ostensibly similar processes are undertaken
• Critically evaluate a range of aspects of the behaviour of multinational companies
• Identify which features of organisations are becoming more similar across nations and which continue to differ
• Develop an approach to comparing phenomena across countries that is sensitive to the ways in which economic activity is embedded in institutional context
• Evaluate the ways in which comparative analysis is soundly carried out
• Demonstrate an effective understanding of recommendations for policy and practice underpinned by comparative analysis

Assessment

• Coursework (100%)

International Human Resource Management

International Human Resource Management

By the end of this module you will be able to make informed assessments of the impact of national institutions on HRM. We will uncover the key elements of national traditions of HRM and why they differ through a careful analysis of how they have evolved over time. We will take a number of case studies to understand the challenges facing companies that manage people across nationally distinct systems, and will assess the current trends in international HRM, including whether patterns of work are converging or diverging.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module you should be able to:

• Compare the impact of national institutions on HRM, with special reference to industrial relations systems and labour market regulations
• Evaluate cross cultural differences in international management with regard to leadership, worker motivation, communication and negotiation
• Evaluate the effectiveness of particular HRM policies and practices in different national and organisational settings
• Evaluate the roles of alternative international HRM strategies and practices on the success of multinational companies
• Evaluate the influence of multinational corporations’ HRM policies on the quality of work within their global value chains
• Develop an approach to understanding how HRM differs across countries that is sensitive to the ways in which the practices of firms are embedded in institutional context
• Evaluate the ways in which those practicing international HRM can be effective in their roles

Assessment

• Coursework (100%)

Comparative Political Economy

Comparative Political Economy

This module takes the widely influential varieties of capitalism approach to comparative political economy as a starting point in order to highlight the distinctiveness of a broad family of alternative theoretical approaches.

Varieties of capitalism theory speak of rational choice, largely power and conflict free, ahistorical, ‘firm-centred’ and methodologically nationalist concepts. In contrast, the family of approaches covered in this class will (mostly) emphasise the importance of competing rationalities and norm-driven behaviour, power and conflict, historical change, states and labour unions, and regional and global levels of analysis.

This module thus leans heavily on sociological contributions, although it also covers approaches based in political science, heterodox economics and geography. It primarily emphasises social embeddedness and social constructionist approaches (as opposed to rational choice and incentive-oriented approaches). In terms of geographical focus, the emphasis is on the advanced capitalist economies of Western Europe and North America, although some time is dedicated to the Chinese economy.

This module will provide you with business awareness regarding:

• How businesses and other economic actors are influenced by sectoral, national and global institutions
• The different institutional trajectories along which regional and national economics develop

The module will examine the relationship between markets, institutions, business strategy and macroeconomic outcomes regarding slow growth, inequality and crisis. It will also provide and introduction to alternative theoretical approaches to understanding capitalism.

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Explain how market economies vary in terms of work organisation and employment relations, corporate governance & financial systems, inter-firm relations& forms of competition, state-society relations
• Identify the similar and distinct pressures facing managers, workers and policy makers across advanced capitalist economics
• Assess the causes of contemporary economic problems including slow growth, rising inequality and recurring economic crises
• Critically evaluate alternative theoretical approaches to economic analysis including historical institutionalist, regulation theory, embeddedness theory and social constructionist theory
• Critically analyse variations in how national capitalist economies are configured, the causes of strong and weak economic growth, high or low inequality and economic stability and crisis
• Critically evaluate key theories in the areas of comparative political economy and institutional theory
• Identify the role of institutions and politics in the functioning of the economy
• Critically evaluate macroeconomic policies and corporate policies and strategies.
• Assess the pressures facing policy makers and corporate managers.

Assessment

• Coursework (80%)
• Group Presentation (20%)

International and Comparative Employment Relations

International and Comparative Employment Relations

This module will introduce you to the study of industrial and employment relations in international and comparative institutional perspective. We will explore various industrial relations systems and institutions especially those of the UK, Continental Europe, USA and China.

We will discuss the role of the state, employers, trade unions and workers when discussing matters affecting employment and industrial relations. We will address systems of collective bargaining, the employment relationship, worker participation, regulation and the role of international institutions such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and global union federations.

The module also explores contemporary issues in the development of transnational structures and processes including the development of International Framework Agreements, international labour standards, transnational works councils and social dialogue.

The module will introduce students to the field of employment relations as an academic and policy oriented discipline, including various theoretical approaches and traditions, provide students with a comparative analysis of national industrial relations systems, focuses on the UK, Europe USA and China and provide in-depth analysis of key actors in employment relations, including employers, trade unions and the state.

On completion of this module students should be able to:

• Explain key concepts in contemporary industrial and employment relations in comparative and international perspective
• Identify the global, national and sectoral institutional contexts of industrial relations
• Assess aspects of diversity and change in industrial relations in the countries and sectors studied
• Critically analyse national / sectoral variations in employment relations systems and their interaction with transnational structures and processes
• Critically evaluate key theories in the areas of employment relations and comparative institutional analysis
• Assess industrial relations systems in comparative and international perspectives
• Critically evaluate the functions, problems and benefits of collective bargaining, worker participation, regulation and international institutions
• Reflect critically on practices of and relations between employers, workers, trade unions, the state and international institutions

Assessment

• Coursework 100%

Sociology of Work

Sociology of Work

This module draws on the sociology of work to provide a systematic explanation of these and other important questions regarding the types, content, and contexts of work as well as broader issues regarding employment relations and the labour market within the economy. The approach will be historical and comparative, providing a sociological, critical and labour-oriented approach to work, markets, corporations and capitalism. Topics include an introduction to sociological theory, the history of capitalist work and employment, gender and race in the labour market, deskilling, upskilling, and skill polarization, the roles of unions, Fordism and post-Fordism, professions, low-wage occupations and non-standard work and bad jobs.

The module will familiarise students with key concepts in sociology and the sociological study of work and employment, provide a historical and comparative perspective on the development of work and labour markets since the industrial revolution, explore the various economic, political and cultural forces shaping the organisation of work and labour markets and understand the factors contributing to job quality.

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify the evolution of work organisation & employment relations over time and how they vary within and across national economies
• Assess the competitive and institutional pressures facing HR managers and corporate managers and how these vary over time and across national economies
• Identify the sources of variation in job quality and labour market dynamics, including why many advanced capitalist economies are increasingly experiencing a growth of bad jobs
• Have a basic understanding of sociological theories including social constructionism, embeddedness and theory and theories of social class and power
• Critically analyse the sources of job quality, the sources of gender and racial discrimination in the labour market, roles of trade unions, the differences between sectors and occupations, and trends in skill development
• Critically evaluate theories of seeking to explain job quality, skill development and inequality
• Explain the role of institutions and power in the economy
• Critically evaluate strategies and models of work organisation, including scientific management, socio-technical systems and lean production
• Identify the effects of standardisation, autonomy and employee involvement in shaping organisational performance

Assessment

• Coursework (80%)
• Group Presentation (20%)

The Collaborative Project

The Collaborative Project

With a multi-talented group of students, you will work on a brief from a real company looking to solve a real social or business problem.

Together with your student team, you will research and build solutions to a business problem, supported by our project tutors, clients and staff. Previous clients include Foster + Partners, Speedo, The London Legacy Development Corporation as well as many other companies, start-ups and charities.

The Collaborative Project provides a means for you to engage in critical enquiry and to be exposed to project-based teamwork in multicultural and interdisciplinary settings. By undertaking this module, you will strengthen your cooperative and collaborative working skills and competencies, whilst raising your awareness and appreciation of cultural and disciplinary diversity and differences.

The Collaborative Project aims to provide you with a hands-on experience of identifying, framing and resolving practice-oriented and real-world based challenges and problems, using creativity and appropriate tools to achieve valuable and relevant solutions. Alongside the collaborative elements of the module, you will be provided with opportunities to network with stakeholders, organisations and corporations, which will give you the experience and skills needed to connect to relevant parties and potentially develop future employment opportunities.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Work effectively in diverse and interdisciplinary teams;
• Undertake and contribute towards a project-based development process;
• Apply critical enquiry, reflection, and creative methods to identify, frame, and resolve issues and problems at hand;
• Identify user and stakeholder needs and value creation opportunities, whilst collecting and applying evidence-based information and knowledge to develop appropriate insights, practices and solutions;
• Identify, structure, reflect on key issues and propose solutions to problems in creative ways;
• Enhance your appreciation for diversity and divergent individual and disciplinary perspectives;
• Be able to provide structured, reflective and critical feedback to peers and other stakeholders;
• Plan and execute a project plan including scope, resources and timing;
• Effectively communicate ideas, methods and results to a diverse range of stakeholders;
• Use multiple, state-of-the-art date media and technologies to communicate with collaborators;
• Make informed, critical and reflective decisions in time-limited situations.

Assessment

100% Coursework consisting of:

• 20% Group project proposal
• 20% Individual reflection
• 30% Final project report
• 30% Project deliverables to the client

Dissertation

Dissertation

The Dissertation module will equip you with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to embark on your own research project.

You will have the choice of three dissertation pathways:

1. A desk based research project that could be set by an organisation or could be a subject of the student's choice
2. A project that involves collection of primary data from within an organisation or based on lab and/or field experiments
3. An Internship within an organisation during which time students will complete a project as part of their role in agreement with the organisation (subject to a suitable placement position being obtained)

By undertaking a dissertation at master's level, you will achieve a high level of understanding in your chosen subject area and will produce a written thesis or project report which will discuss your research in more detail.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The importance of project planning;
• The importance of a clear hypothesis or research question;
• The ethical implications of research;
• The relevant empirical data and methodologies for data collection or knowledge assimilation for the subject area;
• Methods of data analysis and their suitability for the intended data;
• The areas of expertise or publications of the major individuals or organisations in the subject or business area;
• The previous research or current knowledge in the specific subject or business area;
• Theoretical perspectives relevant to your chosen topic;
• The most effective methods of presentation for data or knowledge;
• Developing a clear, coherent and original research question, hypothesis or business problem in a suitable subject area;
• Synthesising relevant sources (e.g. research literature, primary data) to construct a coherent argument in response to your research question, hypothesis or business problem;
• Analysing primary or secondary data collected by an appropriate method;
• Critically evaluating data collected in context with previously published knowledge or information;
• Engaging in critical debate and argumentation in written work;
• Applying principles of good scholarly practice to your written work;
• Performing appropriate literature searching/business information searching using library databases or other reputable sources;
• Planning a research project and producing a realistic gantt chart demonstrating your intended timelines;
• Synthesising information from appropriate sources;
• Demonstrating rational use of research method tools;
• Selecting and using appropriate investigative and research skills;
• Demonstrating effective project planning skills;
• Finding and evaluating scholarly sources;
• Engaging in critical reasoning, debate and argumentation;