LEADING AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides the human resource management (HRM), organizational behaviour (OB) and leadership elements of the MBA programme.  The module will cover the fundamentals of HRM theory and practice and leadership theory and practice, hence the module supports the MBA programme’s aim of changing the way managers and leaders think ‘through the interplay of theory and practice'.  The inputs from guest speakers the module will enable students to engage with industry practitioners.  The module will forge interdisciplinary connections to areas such as business strategy through its emphasis on strategic human resource management (SHRM) and leadership by top management teams (TMTs).  The module will offer a behavioral science perspective on key organizational issues such as vision, ethics, responsibility and sustainability.  The focus will be on cultivating an adaptable and agile mindset that will support students in leading and managing people and organizations in a dynamic and rapidly changing business world in ways that create value for stakeholders. 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

SADLER-SMITH Eugene (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The module will be organized into three Blocks (1-3) and sub-ordinate Units (e.g. 1.1) where each Unit corresponds to a three-and-a-half hour teaching and learning session and where each block is led by a member of the module team. The indicative content is as below: 1 Strategic Context 1.1 HRM Strategy 1.2 Strategic Reward (key models and practices) 2 Micro-aspects of Organizational Behaviour 2.1 Identity and Psychological Contract 2.2 Group Processes 2.3 Motivation 2.4 Managerial Cognition and Decision-Making 3 Leading and Learning 3.1 Learning and Development in Organizations 3.2 Leadership and Power 3.3 Inclusive Leadership 3.4 Hubristic Leadership NOTE: The module will also include Guest Speakers at appropriate points in the progra

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

NA

Assessment Strategy

The summative assessment is:

• Case Study analysis

The assignment will require students to analyse the Case Study issued in Session 1, provide a potential solution to the Case Study, and to present key lessons from the Case Study anchored in relevant concepts , models and theory from organizational behaviour (OB) and human resource management (HRM).

Formative Assessment and Feedback:

Students will engage in formative work on the Case Study throughout the course of the module and be given informal feedback in Session 12.

Module aims

• Introduce students to key of theoretical frameworks which underpin the ways in which organisations manage the employment relationship through the deployment of HRM strategy and policy
• Introduce students to a variety of concepts, models and theories from the behavioural sciences and related fields that may be used to explain the dynamics of individual, group and organizational processes in organizations
• Provide students with the knowledge, skills and analytical capabilities needed to manage, lead and develop people and organizations

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the relevant theory and business practices and problems which are pertinent to the field of managing and leading people in organizations.

The learning and teaching methods are likely to include delivery of tutor-led classes and group work .

Whilst the lectures are mainly designed to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and models, in the group work students will have the opportunity to explore concepts, models and theories in more depth and with reference to case study analyses.

Prior to attending the classes students are expected to undertake the essential readings for the sessions.

The teaching and learning format is designed to emphasize critical understanding and evaluation of contemporary issues in the management and leadership of people in organizations.

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: MANM496

Other information

The module supports the following ‘pillars’: 

1. Sustainability through its emphasis on the ethical aspects of ‘living well’ in the community of a business organization and beyond. 

2. Global and cultural capabilities through the cultivation of critical thinking skills as they pertain to leading and developing people and organizations across cultures. 

3. Digital capabilities through a consideration of the effects of technology and the information age on the working lives of employees and the future of work. 

4. Employability through the cultivation of vital sills related to leading and developing people and organizations. 

5. Resourcefulness and resilience through the use of a module design that focuses on scaffolding of knowledge, systematic thinking and an emphasis on learning as a sustainable source of competitive advantage. 

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 2025/6 academic year.