SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION

MSc PORTFOLIO [CONSTRUCTION]

ACADEMIC SESSION: 2010/2011.

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT [BUSI 1442]

ASSESSMENT.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ASSESSMENT FOR THIS COURSE COMPRISES TWO
EQUALLY WEIGHTED PIECES OF WORK. BOTH OF THESE PIECES OF WORK
BE COMPLETED.

OVERALL RATIONALE:
Management is a continually evolving and developing subject that has grown at a rapid rate,
especially since the end of the Second World War, and continues to evolve in a constantly, and
often rapidly, changing world. Management is a vast subject and consequently in this course we
can only hope to provide the foundations upon which you will build your management
knowledge and abilities, particularly through practice..

Being a manager is both personal and individual, because each manager brings to their role their
own personality, perceptions and characteristics; their own strengths and weaknesses. Hence
different managers will perceive the same situation in different ways and implement different
solutions. This does not mean that one of them is right and the others are wrong, because for
any management situation, there is rarely one right answer. There are likely to be a number of
possible and different solutions, and it is up to the individual manager to decide which is the most
appropriate and effective in a particular situation, taking into account the multitude of factors that
influence it.
Management is a vast subject and comprises a wide range of diverse but interrelated subjects. In
the time available, this course can only provide you with the foundations upon which you will
build you management knowledge and abilities, especially through practice. You do however need
to take an integrated approach to the subject and also to have an in-depth knowledge of the variety
of approaches and theories and applications, and this has to come from comprehensively reading
around the subject.
TASK 1. ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
RATIONALE.
We live in an organisational world whether it is to do with home, work, religion, voluntary
organisations, sport or whatever. All managers work within a context that both supports and
constrains them. Their effectiveness, and that of the organisation for which they work, will depend
upon how well and how accurately they understand, interpret and interact with that context. Each
organisation is unique, so they interact with their environment differently. Consequently, those that
can accurately identify the relevant environmental forces that impact upon them and how to
interact with them and even mould them, will be more successful than those who cannot.
Early approaches to management saw the emphasis on either task [Scientific/Classical Approach]
or the workers [Human Relations Approach]. However in the 1970s, it became apparent that with
less predictable environments, an alternative approach was required. Systems theory was looked at
by management researchers to explore if and how it could be applied to organisations. It was an
attempt to bring together the apparently diverse theories of the classical and human relations
approaches to management. Organisations as a whole and each of their major functional
components were described to operate as systems and to interact with each other and their
environment as open or semi-open systems, analogous to biological systems.
Hence managers must acknowledge that:

 Decisions and actions in one area of the organisation will affect the others
 The organisation is not self contained and has to rely on the environment for essential
inputs and also as outlets to absorb its products and services.

This shows that it is a continuous process. However, this concept can be expanded further as each
system can be considered as part of a chain so that the output from one organisation is the input to
another, such as with a car components being produced for a major car manufacturer. This helps to
underline that no organisation exists in a vacuum but in fact is an integral part of a larger system. It
also highlights the fact that the success of any one organisation is inextricably linked to success of
others.

LEARNING OUCOMES:

At the end of this task you should be able to:

 Deve
lop a full appreciation of the organisation as an open system.
 Under
stand the implications of the open system especially in respect that organisations are an integral
part of their environment and have to interact with it in a dynamic way.
 Achie
ve a detailed appreciation of what constitutes the organisational environment and the ways that
the environment can impact upon and influence organisations.
 Under
stand the additional dimension of the interactions between the internal and external environments
and also within individual elements of each of these.
 Furth
er develop skills of undertaking wide ranging and in-depth but focused research.
 Furthe
r develop the skills of presenting a logical and structured argument which is fully justified.

TASK 1.

Critically discuss environmental influences and how these can impact on organisations.
You are expected to use appropriate examples to illustrate your discussion.

SUBMISSION:

Hand out date: Monday 11th October 2010.

Hand in date: Monday 8th November 2010.

The work must be word processed on A4 paper using double line spacing. The word content must
not exceed 2000 words. The work should be appropriately referenced using the Harvard System.
The completed assignment should be handed in to the Architecture and Construction School Office
on or before the designated date with the Header Sheet firmly attached at the front. The assignment
will NOT be accepted unless the appropriate Header Sheet is attached. The Header Sheet number
for this assignment is:173750

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA.

Understanding of an organisation as an open system 15%

Understanding of environmental influences: 25%
Critical evaluation: 40%
Referencing: 10%
Presentation: 10%

TASK 2. ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY.

RATIONALE:

Corporate strategy is a vast subject and is also a fascinating subject that has developed particularly
in the last forty years. In the first fifty years or so of the twentieth century, the external
environment for most organizations tended to be both largely stable and mostly predictable. From
the 1970s onwards, the developments in information technology and communication systems
spawned a new era and facilitated the development of the global network, communications and
economies and inevitably global organizations. These dramatic developments caused the
environment to become increasingly dynamic and complex and consequently more unpredictable.
In a stable and predictable environment organisations had little need to plan far ahead, but in the
latter years of the twentieth century, and now in the twenty first century, forward planning is
essential for the effective performance and survival of any thinking organization. Any organisation
that fails to plan is effectively planning to fail.

The term used for this assignment is ‘corporate strategy’. However, depending on which source
you use or read you will find many different terms that are used synonymously such as
organisational strategy, strategic management, business policy, competitive strategy etc. The term
corporate strategy is used here as it encompasses every type of organisation; large, small; public,
non-profit and privately owned. The term also encompasses all the different levels of strategy,
including the lower levels, which exist within an organisation.
Strategy is complex because organisations are complex. However it has become increasingly clear
since the 1980s that where organisations have been successful, it cannot be said to be due to the
condition of the markets or the state of the industry but rather due to the development of effective
strategies. The formulation of strategic policy ahs to be a holistic approach and cannot be
undertaken in isolation by top management alone. Managers throughout the organisation are the
ones in touch with how the organisation is functioning, how it is dealing with its environment and
the opportunities and threats that exist for the organisation. It is appropriate therefore that these
managers are involved in shaping the strategic management policies of the organisation. Strategic
management is a key function of management and is responsible to a large extent for the success,
failure and/or survival of an organisation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES.

At the end of this task you should be able to:

 Appreciate the concept and nature of corporate strategy.

 Understand the different ways in which strategy can develop.
 Appreciate the impact of environmental influences on strategic development.
 Further develop skills of undertaking wide ranging and in-depth but focused research
 Further develop the skills of presenting a logical and structured argument which is fully
justified.

TASK 2.

Critically discuss planned and emergent strategies and evaluate their application and
appropriateness in a time of economic uncertainty.

SUBMISSION:

Hand out date: Monday 11th October 2010.

Hand in date: Monday 13th December 2010.

The work must be word processed on A4 paper using double line spacing. The word content must
not exceed 2000 words. The work should be appropriately referenced using the Harvard System.
The completed assignment should be handed in to the Architecture and Construction School Office
on or before the designated date with the Header Sheet firmly attached at the front. The assignment
will NOT be accepted unless the appropriate Header Sheet is attached. The Header Sheet number
for this assignment is:173751

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA.

Understanding the concept and nature of strategy. 20%

Understanding of how strategies develop i.e. emergent and planned. 20%
Critical discussion and evaluation 40%
Referencing: 10%
Presentation: 10%