Description:
This course deals with how managers and executives lead organizations in government and non- profit organizations. The course aims to help students to think like managers or executives and to develop the analysis and concepts needed to manage in modern organizations or to understand how to work with managers.
This course has a unique focus which is designed for students at the beginning to the mid- point in their careers. It will be of particular value to:
- Students who are about to enter the work environment and would like to know more about how organizations work, to determine if an organization is well managed or has a good work environment and the challenges the realities of management in the workplace.
- Students who have several years experience in government or non- profit organizations who want to understand better the challenges they face as managers, potential managers or as staff working with managers.
- Students who have a strong policy interest and want to understand the management realities that shape policy development in public organizations.
The concepts and approach to the course aims to complement other courses in the program that focus on functional areas of expertise or policy, by providing an opportunity to deal with the jagged realities that managers face.
The core focus of this course is: what does it take for managers to be effective in their jobs?. It deals with the complex, dynamic and often disorganized world that managers face, and how they must deal with these realities. This course will enable students to work on some real practical management issues and challenges and to reflect on their own experiences in management.
Five methods are used to achieve the course objectives:
- the use of specific analytical and diagnostic skills in analyzing the external and organizational environment; power mapping;
- the development of knowledge of key concepts involving how managers make choices within the context of multiple roles, agendas and deal with pressures and conflicts (these concepts are drawn from readings in the public and private sectors;
- the assessment of management and operating styles of managers and how this can impact on their effectiveness as executives; and the assessment of management styles or work experiences of students
- the application of these concepts and skills to the discussion and analysis of cases and management issues or specific managerial jobs in government and non- profit organizations.
- the integration of the case experiences and key course concepts with the experiences and challenges faced by individual students in organizational environments.
The best way to learn to "think like a manager" is to discuss the choices that managers can make in diverse management situations and organizations.
For this reason, this course covers different management challenges in government, business associations and not for profit organizations.