Undergraduate Teaching 2024-25

Engineering Tripos Part IIA, 3E6: Organisational Behaviour, 2017-18

Engineering Tripos Part IIA, 3E6: Organisational Behaviour, 2017-18

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Module Leader

Dr J Stollberger

Lecturer

Dr J Stollberger

Lab Leader

Dr J Stollberger

Timing and Structure

Lent term. 16 lectures.

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

  • Provide students with a broad and critical understanding of the key issues and concepts in Organisational Behavior.
  • Stimulate both appreciation and critical consideration of current Organisational Behaviour theory and research.
  • Allow students to reflect on their own experience, extrapolate and develop better people skills.
  • Facilitate understanding of organizational change and its management.
  • Prepare students for future roles in which they need to work with individuals and groups in organisations.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Understand the central issues in work organizations.
  • Understand how these issues have changed over time.
  • Understand how these link to practical situations.
  • Understand the nature and problems of organizational change.

Content

The philosophy behind the course is that academic concepts can be used as an ‘intellectual tool kit’ - a collection of frameworks and ideas that can be used to critically analyse organizational situations, thereby gaining a better understanding of ‘what is going on’ in order to take appropriate action.  The course will consider: Classical Perspectives on Organisational Behaviour (OB); Micro-Perspectives on OB; Macro-Perspectives on OB; Organizational Change.

  • Weber and the Theory of Bureaucracy
  • Taylor and Scientific Management
  • Human Relations Theory
  • Motivation and Job Satisfaction
  • Leadership
  • Groups in Organisations
  • Emotion in Organisations
  • Organisational Structure
  • Contemporary Management Theory
  • Organisational Culture
  • Post-Bureaucratic Organisations
  • Models of Organisational Change
  • Power, Politics and change
  • Change: Consequences and concerns

Coursework

There is no Full Technical Report (FTR) associated with this module.

Students may choose between the coursework topics motivation, teamwork, or change in organisations. 

Learning objectives: After completing this coursework, students should be able to:

  • Apply knowledge of relevant lecture material and related literature of your chosen topic
  • Reflect upon your personal experience regarding your chosen topic
  • Gain an awareness of how organisational behavior theory and research can help manage workplace situations

Practical information:

  • Sessions will *provisionally* take place in Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street Site, Lecture Room 12, on Mondays, 2-4pm.

Full Technical Report:

Students won't have the option to submit a Full Technical Report.

Booklists

Please see the Booklist for Part IIA Courses for references for this module.

Examination Guidelines

Please refer to Form & conduct of the examinations.

UK-SPEC

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

GT1

Develop transferable skills that will be of value in a wide range of situations. These are exemplified by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Higher Level Key Skills and include problem solving, communication, and working with others, as well as the effective use of general IT facilities and information retrieval skills. They also include planning self-learning and improving performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD.

IA1

Apply appropriate quantitative science and engineering tools to the analysis of problems.

KU1

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, theories and principles of their engineering discipline, and its underpinning science and mathematics.

KU2

Have an appreciation of the wider multidisciplinary engineering context and its underlying principles.

S1

The ability to make general evaluations of commercial risks through some understanding of the basis of such risks.

S2

Extensive knowledge and understanding of management and business practices, and their limitations, and how these may be applied appropriately to strategic and tactical issues.

P3

Understanding of contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied (e.g. operations and management, technology, development, etc).

 
Last modified: 27/09/2017 10:14