The Real World Management Assignment | Online Assignment

The Real World of Management

Individual Assignment (100% of the module assessment)

The assignment requirements

Kurt Lewin proposed that “there is nothing so practical as a good theory” (Lewin 1951). It is with this in mind the purpose of this module is to critically explore and evaluate academic theories and concepts within a real-world context.

This will be accomplished by the on-going development of a critical portfolio in which participants compare, contrast and critically evaluate the potential linkages, tensions and contradictions between a chosen academic conceptual framework and its lived experience.

The module takes an ‘action oriented’ approach encouraging students to engage and reflect on their own learning and development, in terms of both knowledge and self. Participants have the opportunity to develop key employability skills by critically exploring, at both a theoretical and practical level, concepts such as leadership, followership, cultural awareness, creating and sustaining relationships / networks, problem solving, decision making, and enterprise / entrepreneurship.

This portfolio will be an individual piece of work, with a 3,000 word count (+/- 10%) of critical commentary.
Please note this assignment must be seen as a distinct piece assessment, and should not be based on any assignments currently or previously submitted for assessment.

The Portfolio A ‘Portfolio’ is a ‘collection of work’. Your portfolio should draw on your individual research into people’s views, experience and stories and also draw on a range of theory from appropriate academic literature. Secondary research data can also be used to support and enhance the critical discussion.

From past experience the portfolios achieving the higher marks were built on an on-going basis through researching and gathering appropriate evidence to support analysis and evaluation of the concept(s), emerging themes and their application to the real world of management and organisations.
It is your responsibility as a researcher to ensure that permission has been requested and given from individual participants before adding the data material to the portfolio.

Although it is possible to work with secondary sources care should be taken to ensure that these are not simply used in a descriptive manner and that they are utilised to develop a critical discussion based on the focus established. The stronger portfolios will also identify and demonstrate an understanding of theoretical perspectives drawn from a range of academic literature selected as relevant to your portfolio’s focus and emerging themes.

The stronger portfolios will use the literature and data / evidence to thoughtfully work through a series of coherent phases of analysis and evaluation discussion from which reasoned conclusions are then drawn.

As with all of your assignments you should seek to make effective use of all available resources to help develop the portfolio.

Your portfolio should have an introductory page which clearly sets out your focus i.e. key questions / issues you will you be focusing on through the research project. What factors have led you to choose the focus – your rationale?

The stronger portfolios will draw their research from a range of sources to introduce different perspectives. However, what tends to make these portfolios are the more thoughtful and unique ways to introduce peoples’ lived experience. Secondary research can be used to compare and contrast these experiences.

Format of the report

This assignment is to be submitted as printed A4 sized hardcopy.

Include a title page on your Portfolio, including: the name of the assessment (Individual Portfolio), your name, your student id, module name (The Real World of Management), module code (MAN6006), your lecturer, and your submission date. Following this, you are to include – Introduction, including your rationale for the research Benefits and limitations the findings of secondary research in a real-world context Application and use of appropriate research approaches, tools and techniques to academic / organisational contexts From primary research, critically evaluate the role of managers as researchers Draw on research, experience and appropriate literature to evidence depth and breadth of learning and development through an on-going Critical Learning Portfolio References page Appendices of evidence of primary data collection
Final suggestions – The assignment should be word processed and 1.5 line spaced. Do not (ever) use bullet points (except on PowerPoint slides!) – Use Arial size 12 point (this font and size) for your assignments. – State the word count used in the Portfolio – On each sheet, ensure you have page numbers in the format ‘Page x of y’ – see the footer in this assignment brief for an example. – All work, including the References pages should be referenced in Harvard style format – there are hand-outs available on-line via Moodle and at the Library website if you are unsure about this. – Do not use Wikipedia, Google, Googlebooks or Yahoo – the former is not peer assessed and the work is unreliable and the latter are search engines. – Do use contemporary academic text books and academic journal articles (newspapers are not articles); use post-year 2010 academic work.

University Regulations The word limit is for your coursework assignment, and does not cover material which is submitted as an appendix. Material submitted as an appendix provides background for your coursework, but it will not be marked unless specified in the brief. Also, it is important that you cross-refer between the main text of your assignment and any appendices, in order to demonstrate the linkage, and that the Appendices do not constitute additional material unrelated to that included in the body of your assignment. If you do not refer to this work in the Appendix, then this included work in the Appendices are not marked.

Your References page will not be included in the word count, but where you quote within the assignment (e.g. Smith and Jones (2010) identified that…) will be included in the word count.

Since your work is submitted in hardcopy format, you are required to declare the number of words used in your assignment. Your work will not be marked without this declaration. All coursework will be checked for adherence to the word limit. If you produce less than or exceed the word limit by up to 10%, no action will be taken, though you may receive adverse feedback. If you produce less than or exceed the stipulated word count by more than 10%, a deduction of the mark awarded will be made to reflect that you have not met the assessment requirements.

Avoiding issues of academic misconduct Please note this is an individual piece of assessment and you should ensure you have read and understood the University’s guidance on avoiding issues of alleged plagiarism and collusion

07/02/2020
1
Real World of Management
Research which set up opportunities to critically
examine and evaluate…
Through your critical commentary
07/02/2020
2
A critical portfolio in which you research,
compare, contrast and critically evaluate the
potential linkages, tensions and contradictions
between a chosen academic conceptual
framework and its lived experience.
Demonstrating criticality through your
research?
How?
Drawing on a framework from Thomas – in
‘Controversies in Management’
07/02/2020
3
“…aim of critical thinking is to unearth …hidden
assumptions, to check their validity or
plausibility, and to modify them if they are
found wanting.” (Thomas, 2003)
Key purpose of the TRWM module!!
Assumptions that may exist within theory and
practice?
“…the social, political and historical circumstances
of the times in which we live conditions our ideas
and assumptions.” (Thomas, 2003)
Opportunities for developing an appreciation and
significance of context through the research…
Comparison and contrast of context –
organisational, global…
07/02/2020
4
“Contextual awareness opens up possibilities of
identifying or imagining different contexts in
which things are done differently….” (Thomas, 2003)
Identifying and examining alternatives
generated through your research?
How we and others experience organisations?
Future of organisations?
“Accepted ideas and practices are not regarded
as inevitable, necessary or above
questioning…” (Thomas, 2003)
Questioning attitude
Recognizing limitations of much of what passes
for knowledge
Knowing how to evaluate knowledge claims
07/02/2020
5
“… is the kind in which we accept commonsense
assumptions at face value without systematically
checking their validity, deny or ignore the
significance of context for influencing beliefs and
practices, fail to seek out and evaluate alternatives
and cling rigidly and unquestioningly to dogmas and
authoritative pronouncements.” (Thomas, 2003)
What issues may we face in demonstrating the
‘quality’ of our research?
As distinct from many positivist approaches
there is often much more concern about how to
assure and demonstrate the achievements of
interpretivist research designs
Why?
What claims are often cited in positivist type
research to help justify their research findings?
How may we consider using terms such as
‘valid’, ‘reliable’ ‘generalisable’?
07/02/2020
6
Research Philosophy
Positivism Interpretivism
• Objectivity
• Researcher is independent
• Deductive
• Identify and test hypothesis
• Quantitative
• Large sample sizes
• Generalisable
• Subjectivity
• Researcher interacts with
research
• Inductive
• Data generates theory/insight
• Qualitative
• Considers ‘richness’ of data
from key stakeholders
• Context bound
INFLUENCES CHOICE OF DATA COLLECTION TOOLS
Surveys, statistical metrics,
questionnaires
In-depth interviews, focus groups,
stories, diaries, rich pictures
YOUR RESEARCH PARADIGM
IMPLICATIONS FOR DOING RESEARCH IN ORGANISATIONS?
Interpretivist positions are founded on the belief that
reality is ‘socially constructed’ and fluid. Thus, what
we know is always negotiated and interpreted
within cultures, social settings, interactions and
relationships with other people.
From this perspective, validity and reliability cannot
be grounded in an “objective reality.”
How consider ‘validity etc. from interpretivist
perspectives
Can we also work with other terms to ‘evaluate’ our
research?
07/02/2020
7
Credibility involves establishing that the results
of qualitative research are credible, believable,
or trustworthy …
Who can judge? How make judgements?
Evidence of participants involved in the research
Their perspectives, ‘voices’
Involving participants in the research, analysis,
interpretation etc.
‘Playing back’ the data, findings etc. to
participants
Transparency of the research process
Shaping your research focus (questioning, challenging?)
Approaches adopted? – paradigms working from?
When gathering/generating your data
Type of data? – quality? Richness?
Who to gather data from? – stakeholders, different
perspectives, triangulation…
How to gather? – appropriateness of methods
Sensemaking, analysis and interpretation
Ethically ‘valid’?
Through appropriate use of academic literature – to
introduce and consider other perspectives?
When drawing ‘conclusions’ from your critical analysis,
claiming learning from the research.
07/02/2020
8
Progress made?
Issues being faced within the research
process?
Action plan for the forthcoming weeks
Forthcoming sessions will provide
opportunities for you to discuss a position
statement on your research
Questions for Tutors
Preparing the portfolio, Review workshop,
working with your questions arising from
your individual reviews, and your research.

Real World of Management
Individual reviews generated questions
about:
What are the ingredients for an effective
portfolio?
The processes for building collections and
the submission/uploading of the portfolio
07/02/2020
2
Is your portfolio…
designed to
critically explore
concepts in the
real world of
management?
Cultural
awareness
Leading,
Managing,
Following
Creating and
sustaining
effective
Relationships
Enterprise,
entrepreneurship
and
Intrapreneurs
Individual and
organisational
sustainability
Problem solving,
Researching,
Decision making
Power and
control in the
workplace
Ethical
management,
Corporate social
responsibility
07/02/2020
3
… from benchmark standards for degree
programmes – First class essays…
“…evidence their additional creativity and
adaptability. They bring originality, insight
and superior critical and reflective abilities to
bear upon their knowledge, and have the
capability to evaluate and integrate theory
and practice in a comprehensive range of
situations.”
Comprehension
Explaining
information
Description
Knowledge
Recalling
information
Application and
analysis
Using the literature
to examine organisation
related issues
Critical Analysis
evaluation
Questioning
Discussion
Critical
evaluation
Building critical
arguments
Synthesis
Making critical
judgments
Originality
Independent
Knowledge & understanding
Intellectual skills
40 45 48 50 55 60 65 70
Surface learning
Deep learning
07/02/2020
4
Evidence/
data
Academic
Literature
Critical
commentary
Effective opening section – setting out an
appropriate focus, and scope for the portfolio
Evidence of research into the ‘real world’ – to
generate strong opportunities for critical
analysis and evaluation
Effective use of academic literature to
enhance critical commentary
07/02/2020
5
Strong closing section – pulling together key
arguments
Strong visual impact – thoughtful, creative
design
Effective navigation through the portfolio
Distinct from other assessments
Meaning for the student …
Effective introduction
Sets the scene…
Sets out initial focus
Draws from the themes of the module
Introduces scope and structure of the portfolio
07/02/2020
6
Evidence building
On-going research and development of the portfolio
Introduces a range of sources and resources
Use of approaches, tools and techniques for
generating data/evidence
Works creatively with the material
Offers a range of views and perspectives from the real
world of management/organisations
Accurate referencing of all sources within the
portfolio
Ability to question, critically analyse and
evaluate in line with initial focus and emerging
themes…
Identifies a range of appropriate theoretical
perspectives
Uses the evidence/literature to help support on-going
analysis, discussion and critical commentary
Identifies key themes emerging from the data
Reshaping of focus, where appropriate
Establishes depth of discussion rather than reliance
on breadth
07/02/2020
7
Learning drawn from the portfolio
Evidence of reflective learning
Draws on the portfolio to establish key lessons
drawn from the research – links between theory
and practice, nature of organisations, learning for
future practice etc.
Effective communication and use of
structure
Visual impact
Develops a sense of structure and flow
Effective linkages between, and within, sections
of the portfolio
Effective and accurate use of language and
grammar
Attention to detail (proof reading/checking)
07/02/2020
8
You will be required to submit your portfolio
in Hardcopy and with CDRom or USB drive.
Submission due date: (refer to study guide)
For any questions on the submission process,
contact your lecturer prior to the submission
07/02/2020
9
Session 5 (Today) – Preparing the portfolio,
Review workshop, working with your
questions arising from your individual
reviews, and your research
Session 6 – Review, self evaluation and
discussion, Final workshop to respond to any
last questions relating to the submission of
the portfolio
Opportunities for questions from individuals
and small groups on the Module, your
research, and your portfolio
Feedback on your individual review from last
session