The course focuses on looking at the changing role and position of management and managers in organisations and society.

The objective of the course is to;
a) Identify trends in the changing context of management, including both the environment of the
organisation and changes at the level of the organisation;
b) Discuss management as a social process, rather than simply as a technical or rational activity;
c) Explain the ‘identity work’ that managers are involved in as part of their role, on both themselves as managers and with other employees;
d) Better understand day-to-day organisational experience as it relates to management, including such aspects as emotions, humour, resistance, and inequalities.

Therefore, I have been set two choices for essay questions with suggested reading for both. I am happy for yourself to decide on which topic question you would like to do, which ever you can do best hopefully.

1. Critically explore the contradictions and ambiguities inherent in managers’ self-identity work, in particular given the emphasis in the contemporary managerial role on creating shared meanings and identification with the organisation. Draw upon academic research into managerial identities.

OR

2. In their study of middle management, McCann et al. (2008: 365) note the “substantially transformed nature of the managerial labour process”. Critically analyse the changes within contemporary managerial work, bringing into consideration the macro politico-economic and the corporate level contexts which are involved in these transformations.