MAN4036 Insights into Management Assessment Brief 2026 | BCU

MAN4036 Assessment Information

Assessment Task (with genre/type) 

For this assignment, you will undertake research to evaluate the role and skills of managers in managing individual behaviour, employee interactions, and the principles and practices that support organisational success. You will also demonstrate how management theories apply to real-world scenarios. You need to:

Prepare a set of questions in advance to guide the interview. Identify a manager at any level (strategic, functional, or operational) in an organisation of your choice. Conduct an interview with this manager to understand his/her role, the skills they utilise, and his/her approach to managing individual behaviour and employee interactions. 

Based on the interview and additional research, create one of the following:

Option 1: 2000-word Report
Option 2: 10-minute Recorded Presentation

Things to Include

Whether you conducted your own interview or are using the panel interview transcript, you should focus on analysing the responses of one manager only. You are not expected to compare or contrast managers. If you conducted your own interview, you must anonymise the manager’s identity and briefly describe their management level and organisational context. If you are using the panel interview, identify the manager by their role and the context provided in the transcript (e.g. "Panel Manager A, operational level").

Introduction (150 words or 1 min)

• In this section, state whether you conducted your own interview or used the panel interview transcript. Provide a summary of the organisation and the manager’s role, and clearly indicate their level of management (strategic, functional, or operational). You should also outline the key themes of your analysis.

Interview Analysis (1400 words or 6 mins)

• In this section, you will demonstrate your understanding of the role of managers in managing individual behaviour, how managers support employee interactions, and how their practices contribute to organisational success. Your analysis must be structured around your interview questions or key themes. Follow instruction provided in the transcripts.
• For each section, begin by identifying the key theme it addresses (e.g., leadership, management, motivation, organisational culture). Then summarise the manager’s response and apply at least one relevant theory, concept, or model introduced in the module for each key theme. The chosen theory(s) must be clearly linked to the theme of the question and should help explain the manager’s behaviour, approach, or decision-making.
• As you analyse each response, show how the manager’s practices influence individual behaviour in the workplace, support effective employee interactions, or align with broader principles of successful management. Your discussion should go beyond description by making meaningful theoretical connections and considering their practical implications. You must support your analysis with appropriate academic references, at least 10 references in total.

Managerial Insight in Practice (300 words or 2 mins)

• Drawing from the interview analysis. This should communicate a valuable piece of management learning to an audience of junior or early-career managers.

Conclusion (150 words or 1 min)

• In this section, briefly summarise your key findings and propose practical recommendations for how the manager could further improve their approach. Avoid repeating earlier content. Your recommendations should link to the themes discussed and show a clear understanding of effective management practice.

References (this is not included in the word count or time limit)

• Use the BCU Harvard referencing system. Include a full reference list (or reference slide in your presentation) with appropriate in-text citations. Referencing is essential, and marks will be deducted for missing or inaccurate citations.

Failure to include appropriate in-text citations and references will result in a loss of marks.

Appendices (this is not included in the word count or time limit)

All submissions must include:

• Your interview question list (5 to 7 questions)
• If you conducted your own interview: a transcript or summary, and a signed consent form.
• If you used the panel interview, no consent form is required, but you should clearly state that the transcript was provided.
• If you used generative AI during your preparation, include a declaration outlining why and how it was used, which tool was used, and any relevant prompts or screenshots.

Failure to include any required appendices relevant to your work will result in a loss of marks.

Completion of this assessment will address the following learning outcomes: 

• Understand the role of managers in managing individual behaviour in the workplace.
• Explain employee interactions in the work environment.
• Understand management principles and practices that support organisational success.
• Communicate effectively utilising an appropriate range of media across a variety of contexts.
  

Submit this coursework assessment task via Cadmus for a written report or Moodle for a recorded presentation.  

Option 1: 2000-word Report

• If you exceed the stipulated word count by more than 10%, nothing further will be marked. The marker will not consider any work after the +10% word count tolerance has been reached within the allocation of marks.
• Students may be penalised for a failure to be concise and for failing to conclude their work within the specified word count.

Option 2: 10-minute Presentation (Recorded)

• Your first slide should include: Full name and student ID number.
• Although there is no specific guide on the number of slides, ensure that your presentation and content fit within the prescribed timeframe.
• You are responsible for the sound and quality of the recording.
• Your face should be visible throughout the presentation.
• Lack of voice clarity or poor visual quality will impact your grade.
• Ensure that your presentation is of a professional standard (look, tone of voice, and vocabulary).
• You are required to include your reference slide(s) in the recording, ensuring that the text is clear and legible. However, a voiceover for the reference slide(s) is not required.

Level 4 Descriptor

This level descriptor describes what is required for a student to pass at the minimum threshold of this academic level.

Students will have a narrow but competent knowledge base of key course themes and will be able to communicate/present ideas accurately in a logical manner. They will be able to apply the principles of critical thinking to evaluate key course themes to formulate sound and valid conclusions. With the support of module teams, students will be able to recognise the relevance, be able to search and access key texts and use this literature to communicate knowledge to their area of study.