Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
Alternative forms of organising surround us in our daily lives, yet we rarely recognise or acknowledge their existence, strengths and importance. Whether you are examining co-operative ventures, charities or advocacy groups, some kind of organisation and management is still required for them to function. The fact that these organisational forms are non-profit or outside the mainstream does not mean that they are irrelevant for students of management; to ignore the diversity and richness of organisational life is to impoverish our understanding of the world of work - both paid and unpaid. In this module we study these organisations through engagement with such organisations, working on solutions to challenges these organisations are currently facing. Working in groups, you will try to understand the issue, looking for innovative solutions that are underpinned with theory and for which you have considered the feasibility and practicality. You may have the opportunity to present your findings to the organisation.
Aims
The aim of this module is to broaden students' understanding of voluntary organisations, social enterprise and alternative forms of organising, with reference to key social enterprises and their different structural forms such as co-operatives, community-based organising, volunteering and the role of the third sector in providing public services. The emphasis is a practical based approach, with students working on projects provided by local voluntary/social enterprises. By the end of the module, students will have proposed a solution to a particular challenge, having researched and assessed the feasibility of their proposed solution.
Intended Learning Outcomes
demonstrate a critical understanding of the key features of social enterprise and alternative organisations: 1describe and critically evaluate current debates and empirical research on alternative forms of organising: 1assess the tensions, similarities and paradoxes in the inter-relationships between alternative organisations, for-profit businesses and the state: 1demonstrate the ability to provide a feasible solution, with justification, to a real organisational problem: 2
20h seminars40h seminar preparation35h assignment preparation35h group project preparation20h private study which includes additional reading, thinking time and discussing ideas with other students, etc.
Description of Module Assessment
1: Essay weighted 50%Individual essay of 1,000 wordsAn individual essay of 1,000 words, with students being given a choice of question from a range of topics.
2: Group Project weighted 50%Group ProjectStudents to develop and present a group assignment on a specific social enterprise or alternative organisation as agreed by the tutor. The presentation will be virtual. Each group will be expected to submit a 10-minute presentation via a channel to be decided by the Tutor.
The group will be given an overall mark which will account for 80% of the GROUP PROJECT mark, and each student will also be required to submit a reflective portfolio of not more than 500 words that will account for 20% of the mark.