HI6005 Management and Organisations in a Global Environment

This is a group assignment with specific individual components

Groups choose from the list of topics that are based on the lectures.  However, in this assignment you must do better than recycle the lecture.  You are to research your topic in  more depth providing evidence of independent research. 

The set of topics will be provided from which your group must choose on a ‘first-come, first-served basis’.   

Note that each topic has a group component to which each group member must  contribute.  However there are also specific individual components which have been defined.   

When researching the topic:

The work on the general framework is the responsibility of each team member

The work on the individual components is the responsibility of the individual choosing that component. However, that individual can be helped by other group members who in turn also can help other team members      

Topic

The Time-line of Development of Management Theories: Relative or Absolute

General Framework

The study of management theories has been criticised by some people as a waste of time because old ideas are discarded if they are found to be out of tune with today’s business context. For instance, time-and-motion studies have fallen out of favour these days. On the other hand some writers have argued that the timeline for the development of management theories is not an absolute scale but is, in fact, a relative scale. This means that what we think is an old idea may be a new idea in a different context. In this paper you are to discuss and argue these different points of view citing evidence from your research.

Individual components

Each individual member can argue for or against the topic. Use examples to illustrate your point. For example:

• Taylorism: could it be relevant in an emerging economy today?

• Weber’s bureaucracy: could it be helpful in an emerging economy today?

• Empowerment: does it make sense in an emerging economy today?