General provisions

The course is offered within the Bachelor Program in Business and Economics and as a single subject course.

Entry requirements

Completed courses in Business Studies: passed on 30 credits Basic Courses ("A") and registered on 30 credits Intermediate Courses ("B") of which a minimum of 15 credits must be passed.

Learning outcomes

This course aims at providing students who are interested in working with management issues in general, or with the many different aspects of control, with a broad understanding of these issues but also with some practical experience.

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

• present and discuss central issues in business studies
• have an understanding of how owners and principals, other stakeholders as well as norms in society influence organisations, in particular issues regarding management and control
• understand and be able to discuss concepts and perspectives related to theories of management control and organisation theory, and critically reflect upon these
• understand the foundations and origins of strategies, methods and techniques of management and control
• use interdisciplinary insights and perspectives from theories of management control and organisation theory when analysing and solving problems in organisations
• understand and be able to discuss ethical dilemmas of management and control in an organisational and societal setting
• analyse practical problems in organisations using scientific methods and techniques, and to communicate, orally and in writing, his/her results and conclusions.

Content

This course consists of two parts, 1) “Central issues in Business Studies” and 2) “Management and Control”.

The first part, “Central issues in Business Studies” presents a broad overview of central issues in business studies, covering sub-disciplines like accounting, corporate finance, management control, organisation, marketing and international business, thus helping the students to gain a better insight and understanding of some central issues facing business studies.

Another purpose of this part is to help students find and formulate an interesting and relevant topic for their Bachelor's thesis.

The second part, “Management and Control”, covers issues concerned with the management and control of an organisation. Members and participants – whether managers or co-workers – in all types of organisations face a number of problems, challenges and dilemmas connected to the effective management and control of an organisation, whether a business firm, a public authority or a voluntary association.

The challenges of management have two main sources:'

• the external environment of stakeholders (customers, suppliers, principals, media etc.)
• the internal organisational operations, activities and processes

These, often conflicting, expectations and demands from within and without the organisation make up a complex reality that confronts managers every day. They shape the restrictions on what forms of management and control that can be applied in different situations and settings, but offer also possibilities for success.

During the course students will be confronted with typical managerial problems, and will be guided in how to solve these problems from a sound theoretical base of knowledge.

The issues of this course are central to the fields of Management Control and Management and Organisation respectively. In this main part of the course, findings and insights from these two fields are combined into one course, focussing on central issues of management and control. The course is divided evenly between the subdisciplines of Management Control and Management and Organisation.

Instruction

The first part of the course is based on a series of lectures held by senior lecturers. The students will be given the tasks related to these lectures.

The second part of the course, “Management and Control”, takes a problem-based learning approach and it builds on central concepts and issues within the field of management and control. Based on student input, a combination of lectures/guest lectures, seminars/web seminars with student-based activities as well as problem-based assignments and written reports will be used to further develop the students’ understanding of the topics raised. Students will work in study groups, and active participation is required.

The language of instruction is English.

Assessment

Students will be assessed on basis of both individual and group assignments and tests. The final grade is based on an assessment of all the parts of the examination. Grading criteria are presented in the study guide provided at the start of the course.

Grades will be given in accordance with the Swedish grading system. The grades VG (pass with distinction), G (pass) and U (fail) will be used.

Assignments and exams handed in late will not be graded except in special circumstances.

Required supplemental work, if any, must be completed and handed in within two weeks after the end of the course, otherwise the entire course (all assignments included) must be redone a following semester, provided there is space in the course.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating and plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Disciplinary Committee of the University, which may issue a formal warning to the student or expel the student from the university for six months.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Transitional provisions

The course substitutes/overlaps among others Management Consulting 2FE406, Management and Organisation 2FE958, Management Control and Strategies (Ekonomistyrning och strategier) 2FE959.