MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module will introduce the students to the contemporary theories, research and practices of judgement and decision making. The core aims of the module are to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the processes that influence choice and behaviour, and to better understand how judgements and decisions can shape organisational life and the world we live in. This module will draw upon material from a wide range of disciplines that include social psychology, cognitive psychology, organisational behaviour and managerial cognition, and will cover topics such as intuitive decision making, expert judgement, and risk-taking behaviour. The students will be encouraged to examine how the characteristics of the decision-maker and the immediate environment can help or hinder judgements and decisions, and to develop an informed understanding of the ability of individuals, including themselves, to make good decisions. A key feature of this module will be the emphasis placed upon helping students to recognise and discuss the relationship between theoretical perspectives and organisational practices.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

MARTIN Rose (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Introduction to Decision Making and Cognition


• Normative and Descriptive Decision Making 


• Emotional, Intuitive and Analytical Decision Making


• Heuristic Decision Making


• Creative Decision Making


• Moral/Ethical Decision Making


• Expert Decision Making


• Committing to Decisions


• Human Resource and Career Decision Making


• Top Management Decision Making


• Group Decision Making 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical perspectives of decision making to real life organisational practices through undertaking two essay assignments.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• The first essay assignment requires critical analysis of a question relating to issues around a personal experience of decision making and judgement.
  The assignment contributes 50% towards the module mark, and requires students to research and identify the practical implications of key theories and findings; and to demonstrate their critical thinking skills and the articulation of complex ideas in writing.


• The second essay assignment contributes towards 50% of the overall module mark as is based on a provided case study. The essay will test students’ knowledge and understanding of the module concepts by requiring them to relate the theoretical concepts to real-world situations and events. This is intended to ensure that students are able to apply the concepts of judgement and decision making in organisational contexts.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will be given formative feedback in lectures through a variety of interactive activities including small group work. These will involve discussions with students and review of lecture content to check their level of understanding and provide feedback. Additionally, two workshops will be delivered: first one mid-way through the semester and second one at the final lecture of the semester, aimed at helping students to prepare for the assignments.

Module aims

• To provide an understanding of key theoretical frameworks in organisational behaviour, more specifically in judgement and decision making
• To encourage an awareness and critical thinking of the differing perspectives in the field to evaluate managerial decisions and actions
• To give students the opportunity to develop key skills in decision making
• To enable students to appreciate the challenges involved in the decision making behaviour in organisational practices

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy:

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to promote learning from lectures and interactive seminars, as well as from individual reading and research. Participation in interactive sessions and group discussions is an important part of the learning strategy. Students are held responsible for their own learning process; the lectures provide perspectives on the course content, thus giving an opportunity for students to engage with the course material in greater depth in and out of class.

The learning and teaching methods:

The teaching and learning methods include the use of two one-hour lectures to illustrate the module topics (including their associated theories, models and empirical findings). These lectures are followed by a one-hour interactive seminar which will involve the practical application of module topics to career and managerial decisions. PowerPoint presentations and supplemental resources will be made available in SurreyLearn.

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN3118

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.