Organisations are composed of people. The study of organisational culture is, therefore, fundamental to understanding how organisations work. The primary purpose of this unit is to enable you to learn how people relate to each other and work together in organisations through theoretical perspectives on, and practical approaches to human relations and organisational behaviour. The unit will draw upon current concepts from critical management and organisation studies – a field of research engages with a range of disciplinary perspectives including: philosophy, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science and economics). Hence, you will benefit from a contemporary research-informed approach to the study of human relations and organisational behaviour.
The topics in the study schedule are divided into three modules, each of which build on the previous module. The first module begins with a focus on understanding how individuals make sense of their experiences in organisations by examining theories and everyday examples of organisational situations and sense-making, individual identities, personalities and emotions. The second module investigates conceptual and practical approaches to the analysis of human relations at the group or team level, including culture, power and influence, leadership and motivation. Finally, the third module draws on theories and practices of how organisational communications, knowledge, bureaucracy, change and design influence peoples’ relationships with each other and with their organisations.
Through your active participation in this unit, you will understand, integrate, and apply knowledge on how and why people act the way they do in organisations and learn how this knowledge can be used to improve everyday approaches to managing people and organisations.
