HR 1004 Organisations, Management and

People

Week 1 Lecture 1

Introduction to the Module

Module Leader: Wilma Garvin

Overview

An overview of the structure, content and aims of the module which is to provide first year finance and accounting students with a basic insight into and understanding of the complexity and and dynamism of businesses and organisations in terms of both the internal and broader external factors which affect them.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lecture, you should have gained: 

• an understanding of the purpose and structure of the course, including content, methods of teaching and assessment

• an initial insight into the dynamic environment within which businesses operate, including their relationship with their broader environment; their internal structures, organisation and operation; and the need to ensure the most efficient and effective use of their key resource – the people they employ

I therefore want to cover three key areas   

Three key areas 

1.  The structure of the course how we propose to teach it

 2.  The methods of assessment    

3.  An overview of the basic content of the course

All available on UELPlus

The Structure of the Course

• 11 weeks of lectures, workshop and seminars• Each week consists of two hour lecture-main

principles of topic discussed – need to read recommended texts

• Lecture followed by one hour workshop and seminar – generally based on case studies which will be discussed either individually/in groups.

• Four hours in total in class but in addition you are expected to carry out independent learning – reading around texts, quality newspapers, making notes – in order to meet required standards. See reading list in handbook

Methods of Assessment – Coursework Assignment and

Group presentation• One assignment: a case study to take away

and analyse. Planned to take place between weeks 8 and 10. Word limit of 1200

• Group presentation to be held at end of semester A and consist of groups presenting orally and in written form on an organisation of their choice

• Coursework assignment = 50% • Presentation = 50%• The pass mark for both assignment and

presentation is 40% and both need to be passed to pass the unit as a whole

The Basic Content – An Overview of the Course

• Organisations/businesses both dynamic and complex: in terms of relationship with

• Far environment• Internal structure, organisation,and

operation• Need to ensure efficient/effective use of

key resource – the people they employ• Designed specifically for first year finance

and accounting students

The Main Internal and External “Environmental“ factors which impact

on and are affected by behaviour within organisations

• External factors – economic developments, the State, technology

• Internal factors – the structuring of business activities, including key operational areas such as marketing and human resource management

• The methods by which management seeks to influence the behaviour of workers in pursuit of organisational goals and aims

• The development of your knowledge and understanding of some of the key techniques, processes and procedures required to ensure optimum use and deployment of human resources

Business in Context

1.1 WHAT IS BUSINESS?

An organized effort to produce goods and services to meet the needs of society

A broad concept - manufacturing and service industry, not for profit organizations, voluntary sector and public services

The growth of the ‘business model’ in which all organizations are run as businesses

1.2 THE BUSINESS IN CONTEXT MODEL

1.3 BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

Innovation

Operations

Marketing

Human resource management

Finance and accounting

1.4 THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Goals

Structure

Ownership

Size

Organizational/corporate culture

1.5 THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

Globalization – an overriding factor

The economy

The state

Technology

Labour

Culture

1.6 THE SYSTEMS APPROACH II

1.7 THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH

Organizations and their activities are shaped by the environments in which they operate

Organizations should adapt to the prevailing environment

Most successful organizations have a ‘best fit’ with their environment

Organizations that do not adapt will fail

Features of a STEP analysis

• Sociological factors include: (1) demographics, (2) life styles and (3) the social values of a society. (shifts in population characteristics, the emergence of new life styles and changing social values.)

• Technological factors: technological progress or advances that are taking place in a society, such as new products, processes and materials, or the general level of scientific advances, and how these affect other STEP factors.

• Economic factors: set of economic factors and conditions confronting all industries in a society: a particularly significant concern for for-profit organisations within the macroenvironment.

• Political factors include: (1) political processes occurring in a society, and (2) the actions of regulatory institutions that shape codes of conduct.

(Source: adapted from Fahey and Narayanan, 1986, p. 28)

STEP

A model of the macro environment surrounding each organisation (Source: based on Fahey and Narayanan, 1986, p. 29)

CORE COMPETENCIES

Focus on those resources and activities that produce competitive advantage

Integration of knowledge, technology and activities to give customers added value (Hamel and Prahalad, 1990)

Kay (1993) identifies 3 broad components- Architecture- Reputation- Innovative ability

But how easily can they be copied? Barney (1991) VRIN/VRIS (valuable because they are rare, inimitable and not easy substitutable)