About this course: The aim of this course is to give you a practical guide to managing people at work. It does not matter whether you are a first time manager in a shop or a middle manager in an office environment; the same skills apply to every work place. In the course you will engage with some HR theories and then see how they translate into every day working life. At the end of the course we hope you will be better equipped to choose a suitable employee, to motivate and appraise your team, to manage conflict in the work place and to lead and make decision on a day to day basis.
Created by: University of London, Birkbeck, University of London
Taught by: Dr Chris Dewberry, Lecturer and Course Director - University of London International Programmes
Birkbeck
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 1-3 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction
The first week gives you a chance to do some preparatory reading which will give you a good general overview of the subject area before the teaching starts in week 2.
2 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Introduction part 2
- Reading: Introductory Readings
- Reading: Optional Viewing
WEEK 2
Interviews
This week we will be focusing on the role of the interview, how to conduct a good interview as well as looking at options to the interview and discussing whether it is the best method of selecting new members of staff.
5 videos, 1 reading, 5 practice quizzes
- Reading: Recommended Readings
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: The structured interview
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: The unstructured interview
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Alternative to Interviews: tests and assessment centres
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Other Varieties: Panels, Boards, telephone and virtual interviews
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
Graded: Final Assessment
WEEK 3
Leadership and Decision making
This week we are looking at the role of the leader in the organization and how we can improve our to improve our decision making.
6 videos, 3 readings, 5 practice quizzes
- Reading: A review of Leadership Theory and Competency Frameworks
- Video: Leadership session 2
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Reading: How can decision making be improved?
- Video: Components of choice
- Practice Quiz: Session quiz
- Video: Expected utility theory
- Practice Quiz: Session quiz
- Video: How we actually make choices
- Practice Quiz: Session quiz
- Video: How to improve decision making
- Practice Quiz: Session quiz
- Reading: Further readings
Graded: Assessment for Leadership & Decision Making
WEEK 4
Performance Management
This week we are looking at how a well designed performance management system can help both the employee and the organization.
5 videos, 8 readings, 5 practice quizzes
- Reading: Appraisal of performance and potential
- Reading: Performance management and appraisal
- Reading: PowerPoint Slides
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: The Performance Management cycle
- Reading: SMART Goals- practice sheet
- Reading: PowerPoint slides
- Peer Review: Setting SMART Goals
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Performance Appraisal
- Reading: PowerPoint Slides
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Ways to evaluate individual performance
- Reading: PowerPoint Slides
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Designing a Performance Management system
- Reading: PowerPoint Slides
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
Graded: Performance Management
WEEK 5
Pay as a motivator
This week we are looking at how important pay is as a motivator and the implications of this. Could it be that it may actually achieve the opposite?
6 videos, 2 readings, 6 practice quizzes
- Reading: Chapter on Pay
- Reading: Powerpoint Slides for Lectures
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Just how important is pay as a motivator
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Paying for Performance
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Pay to Attract and Pay to Retain
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: The Impact of Individual and Situational Characteristics on the Impact of Pay as a Motivator
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Can Pay Demotivate Employees?
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
Graded: Assessment for Pay as a motivator
WEEK 6
Managing conflict at work
Is conflict always bad? This week we are looking at the causes of conflict and how to manage it for a positive outcome.
4 videos, 3 readings, 4 practice quizzes
- Reading: Readings
- Reading: PowerPoint slides
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Introduction to managing conflicts at work
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Organisational culture and knowledge
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Video: Team level and the Individual level
- Practice Quiz: Session Quiz
- Reading: Further Reading
Graded: Assessment for managing conflict at work
FAQs
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Coursework
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Creators
University of London
The University of London is a federal University which includes 18 world leading Colleges. Our distance learning programmes were founded in 1858 and have enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality University of London degrees wherever our students are across the globe. Our alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners. Today, we are a global leader in distance and flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 50,000 students in over 180 countries. To find out more about studying for one of our degrees where you are, visit www.london.ac.uk
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck is a world-class research and teaching institution, a vibrant centre of academic excellence and London's only specialist provider of evening higher education – which means students can balance studying with work, family and other commitments.
Birkbeck was founded in 1823 and joined the University of London in 1920. Because Birkbeck lectures are in the evening, many students work, intern or volunteer during the day, making them better placed to get ahead in a competitive job market.
Ratings and Reviews
Love the course, I've learnt a lot from it. Like the way that it has consisted of videos, reading of articles, and the quiz. So I would be forced to think about the concepts learnt several times during the course, which would help me in understanding fully and remembering the concepts learnt. Thank you very much for setting up the course, it is very useful for me, as being a manager of a team of 10 in the financial sector.
Cool
Excellent course with relevant and useful material.
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