Understanding management
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| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Most of us, at one time or another, encounter management. It is one of the dominant features of modern working life. Sometimes our experience is one of being managed and at other times we are required to manage, whether we have a formal title or not. But have you ever wondered what ‘management’ really means? What kinds of ideas and activities make up ‘management’? What or who makes a good manager? Or a bad one? And how you can get involved and manage better? This introductory course will help you make sense of management and answer some of these questions for yourself.
Course content
Understanding management is firstly about the role and behaviours of people who manage part or all of a working organisation. That doesn’t mean we assume that you are a manager, but if you are, the course represents a positive first step in your own professional development. Secondly, it is about how all of us can learn to better manage the various challenges we face in our work lives. These may be tasks or roles we are asked to perform in our place of work, or they may be to do with balancing the work and non-work aspects of our lives. And thirdly, the course is about getting you to clarify what you would like to accomplish in your future work life and to reflect on the possible ways you could manage it.
The course has four themes. The first considers the different experiences of management we may have, beginning with an examination of your own experiences of management compared to those of others, explored through a variety of case studies. We explore the work of managers and some of the ideas which can influence their approach to the job. The second theme is organisation. Here we explore both how the organisation of people is an important management activity and how the organisations we find ourselves working in provide a context for how we all manage our work. The third theme is self-management. We provide explanations of a number of techniques and ideas which can be used to help you manage in a wide variety of situations. The fourth and final theme is about how the management knowledge you have gained can be used for planning and assessing your future personal development related to work.
The course materials have been prepared with the needs of new learners in mind. They assume no special knowledge and no experience of studying. Taking examples from everyday life, they enable you to start from your general knowledge and interests and gradually build up to degree-level study. Learning skills are key to the course, and skills such as time management, note taking, reading for study purposes and reflection on your own learning are explored.
Entry
There are no entry requirements. The course is designed for students who have not studied before or who may have studied a long time ago.
If Understanding management makes you realise the value of your own experience as a manager, you could go on to study Managing 1: organisations and people (B628). It’s the first part of an OU-accredited programme of management development designed for those with at least two years experience in a management role.
Alternatively, Understanding management is an excellent preparation course for An introduction to business studies (B120) or Professional communication skills for business studies (LB160).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
Y159 is an optional course in our
- Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54)
- Foundation Degree in Financial Services (G16)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The printed course material is available in comb-bound format. Written transcripts are available for any audio components. The course units and supplementary material are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The text is provided and, where available, a real voice recording. You will need your usual interface to access the material, e.g. a screen reader with synthetic speech output, screen enlargement software or Braille facilities. Large print versions of the printed course material can be provided on request. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books and a DVD
You will need
Access to a telephone (preferably a landline) for contact with your tutor; and the equipment to play and watch a video DVD e.g. a television and DVD player or a personal computer with DVD-ROM.
A computer is not essential to study an Openings course. However, if you wish to send and receive emails and use our online service, you will need access to both the internet and a computer.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will keep in touch by telephone. There are no face-to-face tutorials: all tutorials are conducted by telephone. Your tutor will help you to plan your work and to think about the ideas explored in the course. Your tutor will also comment on and help you with your written work. At the end of the course you will discuss your progress with your tutor, and you will work together to produce a review of your study plans.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with the Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
You will be asked to submit an end-of-course assessment (ECA) as well as a learning plan and review. If you submit at least one TMA and achieve the appropriate standard in the ECA you will gain 10 credit points at Level 1 that can count towards a degree.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts four times a year, in March, June, September and November. Each course lasts a maximum of 20 weeks, although you can take less time if you want to.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Business and Management.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
I really enjoyed this course. The course book is excellent at relating management theories and ideas to everyday situations which ...
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A nice easy course to start off with. As someone who is interested in business and management I found this ...
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