MG302      Half Unit
Topics in Management Research

This information is for the 2021/22 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Diane Reyniers NAB 5.22

Availability

This course is available on the BSc in Business Mathematics and Statistics, BSc in Management, International Exchange (1 Term) and International Exchange (Full Year). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

 This course is not capped, any student that requests a place will be given one.

Pre-requisites

Third year only. 

Course content

This course addresses various interesting topics which will be used to encourage creative and logical thinking, structuring of clear arguments and critical assessment of evidence. The focus is on interpretation of findings rather than statistical or econometric techniques.

The intellectual backbone of the course is applied and empirical economics (including behavioural economics) and finance but, wherever appropriate contributions from the psychology, sociology and management literature will be discussed. We will mainly deal with issues which are amenable to rigorous empirical investigation. The course is designed around a set of empirical research papers. Examples of questions considered are whether pain killers are more effective when they are expensive, whether creative people cheat more, whether people overvalue their own ideas.

The main objective of the course is to enable students to comprehend and critically assess the management literature, to evaluate statements in terms of evidence and to detect false reasoning or logic.

Topics vary each year (based on student feedback) but examples are racial discrimination, negotiation and gender, people management skills, leadership, optimism and entrepreneurship. 

Teaching

Teaching hours in the MT will be commensurate with a usual half unit undergraduate course but note that teaching may take a different format and/or structure in 2021/22.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy.

Formative coursework

Two take-home mock exam papers.

Indicative reading

A reading list will be available on Moodle.

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Teachers' comment

Please watch the following video to find out more about this course:

https://echo360.org.uk/media/b724a1cb-48eb-4198-abdb-786be177f6fd/public

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2021/22 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the differing needs of students in attendance on campus and those who might be studying online. For example, this may involve changes to the mode of teaching delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.

Key facts

Department: Management

Total students 2020/21: 32

Average class size 2020/21: 16

Capped 2020/21: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Problem solving
  • Communication