82179 - Management Skills

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Economics and business (cod. 9202)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide students with the theoretical and practical framework related to the profile Staff, Competencies, Motivations and performance required to top managers and middle managers. At the end of the course students are able to: (a) understand the key issues related to the evaluation of managers and curricular components; (b) analyze the management's aspects linked to the business dimension, to the phase of life cycle and to the strategic focus in connection with the elaboration and management of business plans; (c) evaluate and use the potentialities of the networking approach in project and business networks development.

Course contents

Managing teams with respect to:

  1. Developing Self-Awareness;
  2. Managing Personal Stress;
  3. Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively;
  4. Building Relationships by Communicating Supportively;
  5. Gaining Power and Influence;
  6. Motivating Others;
  7. Managing Conflict;
  8. Empowering and Delegating;
  9. Building Effective Teams and Teamwork;
  10. Leading Positive Change.

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials are:

  • G. Fioretti: Groups and Teams. Slides available on Virtuale.
  • Whetten, D.A. and Cameron, K.S. (2011) Developing Management Skills. Boston, Prentice-Hall.

Teaching methods

On the very first lesson, students will be split into groups of 2 to 4 (ideally 3) persons who pick up one of the 10 topics listed in Whetten and Cameron's book. Two groups, but not more than two groups are allowed to pick up the same topic. Self-arrangements of groups before the course starts is very much welcome. Each group is expected to start reading and discussing their topic from the very first day.

In the ensuing lessons, the slides Groups and Teams that are available on Virtuale will be illustrated and discussed in class.

Once we will be finished with the slides, each group will illustrate their understanding of the topic they picked up, how relevant it is for their lives, and how they can possibly improve on it. In these presentations, practical examples are very much welcome.

Assessment methods

Each student will write an individual essay linking theory to practice by means of a sort of a case-study. This case-study may be drawn from one's own personal experiences, or experiences of friends or relatives, or it may have been inspired by a book or a film. Adding fictional details to real stories is allowed. Contructing a purely fictional story is also allowed but, unless one has outstanding writing abilities, purely fictional stories risk not too entail sufficiently many details. Details are crucial for a good case-study.

Essays should neither limit themselves to expounding theories and principles, nor focus on facts only. Essays should focus on empirical facts, but these facts must be interpreted in the light of general principles.

Students are invited to ask themselves the following question: "If I had not attended this course, would I have written my essay in exactly the same way?" The answer must be a clear "No." In order not to make this mistake, students are invited not to write their essays when the course is still in its beginnings.

Group presentations are good opportunities to illustrate and check the meraningfulness of ideas for individual essays. No topic is preferable to any other, and possible topics extend well beyond the chapters of Whetten and Cameron's book.

Any length between 5,000 and 20,000 characters is acceptable, spaces included, references excluded, figures, tables and captions excluded. Essays must be written in scientific style, straight to the point with a very short introduction. Appropriate references must be provided for any claim that is not being made by the author. References must be made with the same style used for theses.

Grades are awarded with the following criteria:

  • 18-22 for sufficient preparation and sufficient analytical capabilities expressed in a correct language.
  • 23-26 for a technically adequate preparation and articulate analytical capabilities expressed with the appropriate terminology.
  • 27-29 for a deep knowledge of the topics illustrated in this course, substantial capabilities of expressing critical assessments, mastery of specific terminology.
  • 30-30+honors for a particularly deep knowledge of the topics illustrated in this course, substantial capabilities of expressing critical assessments and drawing connections between issues and topics even in other courses or disciplines, mastery of specific terminology.

Students are allowed to reject their evaluation and re-take the exam any number of times. Since the grade obtained on Management Skills (4 CFU) is averaged with the grade obtained on Organization (6 CFU) to obtain one single comprehensive grade labeled Organization and Management, this comprehensive grade cannot be recorded unless both component exams have been passed. The essay and the grade obtained on Management Skills will be available until the other exam is passed.

 

Teaching tools

Blackboard, beamer, class discussions.

Office hours

See the website of Guido Fioretti

SDGs

Quality education Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.