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This module enables students to develop their own appreciation of the key theories which underpin how organisations work in the context of firms working in the construction ecosystem and the wider built environment sector.

This module introduces key concepts, theories and cases on the general study of the management of people and organisations, focusing on firms in the construction industry. This approach gives students a good working understanding of ideas from business management literature and how organisations work, both internally and within a wider environment. It begins to build the theoretical knowledge as well the critical analytical skills that will help students reflect on management practices and change and lead construction firms in the future.

Lectures and discussions in class, as well as software training, are informed by selected reading tasks. Guest lecturers from the industry provide opportunities for the class to discuss how theories work (or not) in real firms and project examples.

Students are required to submit an outline and then a term paper at the end of the module. The module leader provides formative feedback on a referencing exercise, and students gain training and experience of organising reading and references using Mendeley – an important academic skills development opportunity.

Aims:

To provide students with a basic working understanding of:
1. the organisation – its purpose, people, structure and life-cycle;
2. the environment or ecosystem around the organisation;
3. how the above concepts manifest themselves within firms in the construction industry;
4. current debates about management practices and the challenges that managers need toÌýaddress.

NB: the development of construction project management as a discipline and as a profession isÌýcovered elsewhere in the Year One syllabus, principally in the module: Introduction to the
Construction Profession. It is developed further in Year Two, in Introduction to Project Management.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Describe the purpose and structure of organisations, including the roles of people, leadershipÌýand culture.
• Appreciate the nature of dysfunctions and challenges that organisations experience throughÌýtheir-life-cycle.
• Explain how construction firms are typically configured (i.e. contracting firms and professionalÌýservices firms) and managed.
• Outline the characteristics of the business environment around organisations and discussÌýhow firms interact within an ecosystem, including with clients, customers and suppliers.
• Discuss in brief the wider external issues that influence (and are influenced by) managementÌýpractices and organisations, including aspects of corporate social responsibility.
• Apply this knowledge to produce a critical review of literature and relate this to theÌýconstruction industry setting – accompanied by accurate referencing and citations.

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