82179 - Management Skills

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

The following topics will be discussed in this course:

1. Introduction to the course and presentation of the theoretical framework;
2. The happiness advantage at work;
3. Discovering one’s strength and understanding the power of emotional intelligence;
4. Managing teams to favour innovation and creativity;
5. Giving feedback in a non-violent way;
6. Managing conflict and negotiation;
7. Implementing organisational change;
8. Managing a diverse workforce;
9. Becoming a family supportive supervisor;
10. Wrap-up and presentation of personal experience and takeaways.

Readings/Bibliography

Hands-out will be distributed in class;

Main book for the course:

Achor, S. (2010). The happiness advantage. Crown Publishing Group. 

Teaching methods

Teaching method will be a mix of lecturing, role plays, simulation and case studies. I use inductive teaching method to help students having a more active role into the class.

Assessment methods

The final evaluation of this course will depend on the following assignment (for students who will participate in the course).

1. Individual assignment: gratitude journal (40%). Students will be invited to complete for two weeks a gratitude journal each evening and then write a gratitude essay where they will explain the process and describe the benefits experienced during these two weeks. The individual assignment is due at the end of the November.

2. Final Exam (60%). Students are required to read the Happiness Advantage book and write a report of it and focusing in particular on one specific chapter that they need to illustrate in more details. The final essay will be evaluated along these criteria: creativity, depth of the essay, connections with personal anecdotes, clarity and originality of the essay. Each of these five criteria will receive a max of 6 points. 

Students not participating to the course will need to pass a regular exam composed of 15 multiple choice questions based on all the chapters of the Happiness Advantage book.

 

 

Teaching tools

Slide and articles in support of the teaching will be uploaded on the "Insegnamenti Online Platform"

Office hours

See the website of Marcello Russo