In this section you are asked to undertake a case study analysis in the area of learning and development of the individual manager or the organisation. The case study can be the analysis of a single real organisational situation with which you are familiar OR taken from secondary sources such as books, journals, corporate documentation, newspapers or the internet.
The purpose of the analysis is to provide you with an opportunity to:
– apply some of the ideas and concepts in MD to a specific work situation
– undertake accurate and insightful diagnosis
– critically analyse issues in terms of policy and professional practice
– demonstrate an ability to persuade through the quality and depth of your argumentation
The report should also include a short self -learningaudit (see below).
A case study report:
It is up to the student to find an appropriate case study (ie: which is ‘developmental’ and ‘managerial’ in theme, rather than concerned with some functional aspect of management, organisational analysis, corporate strategy issues etc). It also has to be about the development of managers not other groups, so a general training case study won’t do.
Take pains to make sure the case study is relevant. We are aware that every year students try to pass off work done in other modules as relevant to MD. Do not be tempted to follow this path.
The case study also needs to be of sufficient length and ‘texture’ to allow some depth of analysis. So, in practical terms, a workable case study would probably be no less than 3/4 sides but no longer than about 12 sides.
If you elect to attempt this option don’t forget to include the published case study as an appendix.
The Self Learning Audit:
Given the self learning ethos of this module, it is appropriate that part of the assessment should test your skills as a reflective practitioner. This should be the ‘end piece’ to both assignments. It might address issues such as:
• What skills and insights have you developed from carrying out the exercise?
• If you were doing the assignment with the benefit of hindsight, how would you do things differently?
Here we are obviously looking for honesty and depth of self insight.
The self -learning audit should not be more than one side (or 250 words) for EACH assignment. The learning audit is included in the overall word limit. The learning audit accounts for 10% of the marks.
ORGANISATION OF THE ASSIGNMENTS:
The purpose of the two assessment methods- the essay and the case study- is to allow students to demonstrate an analytical approach to Management Development. These are opportunities to demonstrate your ability to apply ideas in the literature to a convincing analysis of issues.
In terms of the work report/case study, tutors will be looking for:
a) Definition of the ‘problem’. What issues are you going to examine in the case study?
b) Examination of the situation with the aid of suitable concepts, models, perspectives and theories, showing their relevance to the situation under examination (this is what we mean by the jargon: ‘a critical literature review’).
c) Thoughtful analysis/exploration of the situation. How does your analysis allow you to go beyond the obvious? How sophisticated is your working of the material? Is it conceptually coherent and insightful? Does it suggest new directions for investigation and thinking?