BMGT 18015 · Year 1 course unit

Principles of Management

5 credits5 units · 23 topicsFinal examination

Prep tip

Learn every theory with its author and one Sri Lankan example, because attributions are easy marks to lose. Draw the management cycle, the decision and control processes, and give leadership and motivation theories as neat comparison tables.

Suggested order: Unit I, then II, then III, then IV, and V last.

Units

Unit I0 of 5 read

Introduction to management and the organizational environment

5 sheets · about 45 min reading

Management: meaning, nature, scope and process8 min Managers: levels, skills and roles7 min Evolution of management thought and Fayol's principles11 min The organizational environment, scanning and PESTEL8 min Analysing the environment: Porter's five forces, McKinsey 7S and SWOT11 min

Unit II0 of 4 read

Planning and decision making

4 sheets · about 34 min reading

Planning: meaning, purpose and main concepts8 min Levels and types of plans, and the planning process8 min Decision making: process, types, conditions and models10 min Trends, problems and challenges in planning and decision making8 min

Unit III0 of 5 read

Organizing: structure, human resources, groups and teams

5 sheets · about 46 min reading

Organizing and the six elements of organizational design10 min Traditional and contemporary organizational designs9 min Managing human resources: importance, HRM process and current issues10 min Groups: types, stages of development and group performance9 min Work teams: groups vs teams, effective teams and global teams8 min

Unit IV0 of 5 read

Directing: behaviour, leadership, motivation and communication

5 sheets · about 52 min reading

Directing and individual behaviour: goals, determinants and attitudes9 min Personality theories, values and emotions9 min Leadership: early, contingency and contemporary theories12 min Motivation: classical and contemporary theories12 min Managing communication: nature, process, types and barriers10 min

Unit V0 of 4 read

Controlling and contemporary issues

4 sheets · about 36 min reading

Controlling: meaning, importance, main concepts and types8 min The control process and its phases9 min Methods of control, and trends, problems and challenges in controlling10 min Management trends and contemporary issues9 min

The exam

Graded A+ (85-100) to E (0-24) on a 12-step scale; GPA is credit-weighted (5 credits per course unit).

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