Principles of management/PMAN101/About

Work in progress, expect frequent changes. Help and feedback is welcome. See discussion page.

(: Please check link to PMAN100 and the course metrics, especially credential section. Check 3rd paragraph of prerequisite section)

Introduction to management (PMAN101) is the first, and introductory level, of three micro courses for the Principles of management (PMAN 100) course.

Course Metrics

• Course: One of three micro courses for Principles of management
• Level: 1st year Bachelor Degree
• Notional learning hours: 40 hours
• Duration: 3 weeks, 10 hours per week (depending on prior knowledge in management studies)
• Assessment: 10 Hours
• Micro credential option: Digital certificate for assessed learning from Edubits

• Formal Credit Option:
  • 1 North American credit of a 3-credit course at Thomas Edison State University
  • 4 OERu credits towards 12 OERu transcript credits for the Principles of Management course at Otago Polytechnic
  • Complete three micro-courses and the TECEP examination for 12 OERu credits (i.e. the equivalent of 3 US credits) for the Principles of Management course at Thomas Edison State University.

• Credential: The following articulation pathways are available:
  • Associate in Science in Business Administration degree (TESU)
  • Certificate of Higher Education in Business (OERu) conferred by the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, UK.
  • Undergraduate Certificate in First Year Foundations conferred by Thomas Edison State University, USA.

Note: Some universities may accept transfer credit for this course. You should consult the respective university regulations for specified or unspecified transcript credit.

What's it about?

In this course, you will begin your exploration of the various functions of management by first learning that management involves not only coordination, but also planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. You will then turn your attention to the exploration of various theories of management throughout history, paying close attention to Frederick Winslow Taylor's scientific management theory, as well as more contemporary, 21st-century approaches to management, which have evolved to deal with the complexities of "knowledge based" work. You will close your look at the historical development of management by begining to situate current management practices in a global setting. Finally you will conclude with an exploration of business ethics in the modern-day workplace environment; an organization and its managers have duties - including legal and ethical responsibilities - that they must uphold as part of their service to their stakeholders, including investors, vendors, employees, and the communities in which the organization operates.

What will I learn?

In this micro-course, you will learn to:

• Define the functions of managers as well as analyzing the purpose of management.
• Describe the history of management theory to show how current theories have developed.
• Demonstrate an understanding of globalization on management, as well as analyze it's impact.
• Demonstrate an understanding and be able to analyze the challenges of growing a business in the global environment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role that cultural factors play in the workplace, as well as examine how diversity can enhance the work enviroment.
• Describe and apply the essential concepts of ethical practices in business.

What’s involved?

Participants will join an international community of learners interested in gaining understanding and mastery of the fundamentals of the Principles of Management. Largely self-directed and self-paced, the course will, if learners wish, lead to credits from an affiliated institution.

The PMAN 101 micro-course, coupled with PMAN102 and PMAN103, is part of a larger Principles of management (PMAN100) course of study. PMAN101 will introduce learners to the field of management and organizations, PMAN102 will focus on leading and managing people within organizations, and PMAN103 will delve deeper and cover specific activities in the organization such as planning and decision-making. PMAN101 is comprised of five learning pathways with a number of learning activities and resources. The learning pathways are:

• Overarching principles of management
• Functions of Management
• Future skills of management
• Soft skills in management
• Culture and ethics in management

What prerequisites should I have, if any?

Anyone is free to participate in this course. An internet connection and basic web browsing skills are required with the ability to create a blog and microblog account (instructions and self-study tutorials provided.)

Learners aiming to submit assessments for formal academic credit will need to meet the normal university admission requirements of the conferring institution (e.g., language proficiency and school leaving certificates).

Learners aiming for the 1st Bachelor level are advised to have completed the majority of their 1st level subjects to have sufficient capability and experience for preparing assignments for the 1st year level of Bachelor study.

Each micro-course can be studied independently but may rely on some knowledge and skills gained in related micro courses which can be accessed and consulted freely online.