Course Catalogue

Liverpool Business School

To equip students with the conceptual frameworks, learning, skills and confidence to perform successfully as business scholarly practitioners at masters level. This includes an ability to engage with the concepts relevant to a critical examination of the impact of organisational context on leadership and professional learning. The module is designed to give students a critical insight into the nature of scholarly business learning at masters level. It starts by examining what is meant by studying and learning at masters level and goes on to examine the skills and knowledge required to perform successfully at this level as a scholarly business practitioner. The context for this learning is a critical examination of organisational context and its impact on leadership, knowledge, and professional learning. Scholarly business practice is developed through an exploration of the major arguments surrounding the nature of leading and the diverse views on how professionals learn within their occupational contexts. At a time of increasing public debate about the nature of executive behaviour and in particular the area of leadership, it is important to engage with the arguments about the nature of what we do as professionals including the complex social, political, economic and ethical practices which are at the heart of organisations and leadership behaviour. This will be of particular value to students in their professional practice and in their transition into scholarly-practitioners. Highlighting and making explicit the nature of masters level learning in the context of scholarly business practice provides a sound foundation for the MBA. The content and learning processes in this module are intrinsic to the conceptual frameworks and learning approaches underpinning the MBA programme design

Outline Syllabus:The Significance of Context on Practice: The module content is a critical response to the argument that leadership does not take place in a vacuum, it is not acontextual, not ahistorical, not astructural, not apolitical, not aprocesural. Therefore, a critical response to leadership must include these factors. The core skills outlined will be developed through a consideration of the significance of context on business practice. • Introduction and overview of module. Learning at Masters level and becoming a scholarly practitioner. • Power and authority in organisations and the significance of context. • Critical analysis of organisational influences. Reading academic journal articles deliberately and critically, in business contexts. • Writing a critical annotated reference. • Models of professional learning including reflective practise, informed reflective practice, the scholarly practitioner. • The significance of formal organisational structures and cultures on leadership practice. Critical overview of student’s organisational structure and culture. Identify tensions between formal and informal structures and cultures. • Power and influence in business organisations. • Is there a place for bureaucracy? The learner as a professionalised bureaucrat and significance to leadership practice. • Writing a critical response to an academic journal article. • Review of module and preparation for the assessment tasks.

Module Overview:
You will gain a critical insight into the nature of scholarly business learning and applying practice at masters level. You will learn how to apply conceptual frameworks to learning, gaining skills and confidence in studying at masters level. You will learn to critically examine organisational situations and the impact this can.

Additional Information:Modules forms part of the MBA. For Students on the Apprenticeship (SLMDA - 36518) the following standards are covered - A1 Knows how to shape organisational vision, culture and values A2/A3/A4/A5/A6/A7 Understands organisational structures; business modelling, diversity, global perspectives, governance and accountability; the external environment, social, technological and policy implications A8 Understands new market strategies, changing customer demands and trend analysis E1/E2 Uses personal presence and 'storytelling' to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies; demonstrates clarity in thinking and uses inspirational communication H5 Professional