MB122 Management Skills Assignment 3 Summary of Assessment| WIT

MB122 Assessment Details

Individual Students will select a management theorist from those discussed in the first lessons (or a similar management theorist according to the guidelines we discussed in class) and make a deep investigation of that person to understand who they are, how they became interested in management theory, what we can learn from them and how their work might be done better.
A suggested approach:

1) Choose a management theorist
2) Make a deep investigation of that person to understand

• who they are,
• how they became interested in management theory,
• find one (more than one is OK) of their key (most important) theories,
• search for academic critiques (journal articles) of that theory (ie, people who disagreed, commented, offered alternatives)
• Think about specifically what we can learn from the person, and how their work might be done better.

3) After your ‘deep dive’ into understanding the person and their theories, think “how can we use this knowledge to be better managers”? This is the focus of your assignment!

4) Quickly (this is of minor importance), have a look at the ‘ADDIE’ model for training/teaching (just get some ideas from it, you don’t need a heavy theoretical understanding).

5) Write your paper in a way that helps others learn about the theory and how to use it to be a better manager.

Your Report May Have the Following Structure:

Introduction to the person: (100-150 words)

A very quick (1-2 sentence) ‘compact’ description of the person, who they are, their key influences, etc.

• The introductory sentences from biographical Wikipedia entries are a good example of how to do this.

Perhaps mention:

• dates of birth and death (if they're already dead!)
• Where were they born?
• early life (rich, poor, location, influences)
• education
• employment history/profession/specialities

How they Became Interested in Management Theory: (100-150 words)

(Maybe you already did this in the previous intro sentences.)

• Where did they study (any higher education? what?)
• Who influenced them (teachers, scholars, peers)
• What research did they do? (at university, at work)
• Why did they become interested in their field? 

What We Can Learn From Them: (~700 words) 

(What this person teaches us)

• What theories are they best known for?
• How did they develop the theories?
• Explain the theories
• Explain how the theories are relevant to this subject

How Their Work Might be Done Better: (~700 words) 

(What others said about this person’s work)

• Who agreed with their theories? how/why?
• Who disagreed with their theories? how/why?
• Are there any conflicting theories?
• Are the theories still valid?

Summary: (200-400)

• Recount the key parts of your findings about the person you are presenting
• Key theories – those are the most important things. Summarise what you said about key theories, the usefulness (or not) of those theories and how (if?) our understanding of management has changed since that time.
• Consider what additional points are important about this person.

Transmit Knowledge (~400 words)

The words ‘transmit knowledge’ are from the AQF at level 9: a Master's graduate can teach others, expert and non-expert, about their knowledge.
In this section:

• Write (in a clear, direct way) about the key theory or theories in a way that helps others to understand what they mean
• Explain any criticism/critique/debate (ie, any different perspectives or ideas about the theory)
• Tell your ‘audience’ how to decide which is the best way
• Explain to your ‘audience’ how they can use this knowledge to be a better manager

Conclusion (~200 words)

Write a short conclusion section that summarises your key points and the outcomes you hope to achieve by ‘transmitting’ your knowledge to others.

You should give references for your answers to each of these parts and sub-parts.

Wikipedia is a good place to start, but it is not a scholarly source. Take care when referencing Wikipedia; in many cases, the better references are at the bottom of Wikipedia pages (use those to find sources to first read and then reference).

Assessment Addresses SLOs

C: Understand the key principles and theoretical underpinnings of behavioural skill learning as a platform for ongoing skill development.

D: Understand the conceptual (theory/research-based) dimensions of intra- and interpersonal competency and skill practice.

E: Understand both the interpersonal and structural aspects of managing conflict, teams and organisational change.

Marking Criteria

Individual Students will select a management theorist from those discussed in the first lessons (or a similar management theorist according to the guidelines we discussed in class) and make a deep investigation of that person to understand who they are, how they became interested in management theory, what we can learn from them and how their work might be done better.

6) Choose a management theorist

• Make a deep investigation of that person to understand
• who they are,
• how they became interested in management theory,
• What we can learn from them and how their work might be done better.

Learn about the person

Wikipedia is a good place to start, but it is not a scholarly source. Do not reference Wikipedia.
Use the reference list at the bottom of Wikipedia pages to find sources to first read and then reference.
Your report may have the following structure: