MIS40640 Cultural and Political Perspectives on Managing Technology and Change

Academic Year 2023/2024

While there is a widespread acceptance that human, social and organisational issues typically tend to be more intractable and challenging than the technical, in the context of managing ICT-enabled organisational innovation, mainstream approaches to the management of IS are often ill-equipped to address these. This module will draw on social, organisational and political perspectives to provide managers with powerful, sophisticated and practical approaches to understanding and managing processes of ICT-enabled organisational change.

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completing this module students should be able to:
- Critically assess a range of theoretical perspectives on the relationship between ICT and social/organisational change.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the use of cultural and political approaches to understanding IS and organisation, and of their associated strengths and limitations.
- Critically assess the strengths and limitations of traditional approaches to IS Strategy and Evaluation, and explain the `power effects' of the associated discourses. Explain how an alternative interpretive approach might address these issues and reflect on its relative strengths and weaknesses.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the problems associated with IS Design and Development.
- Describe prominent approaches to addressing these and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated and critical understanding of the politics and ethics of IS innovation, of the difficulties associated with the management of ICT-enabled change, and of how these issues might be addressed in practice.

Indicative Module Content:

Cultural and political traditions of thought and their implications for understanding organisational life and managing digital innovation processes.
Politico-cultural perspectives on information systems strategy, evaluation, design & development, and implementation management.

Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

17

Specified Learning Activities

210

Total

227

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Student contribution throughout the term: based on short written reflections submitted each week and on contributions to discussions in class. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

25

Examination: Written examination. 2 hour End of Trimester Exam No Graded No

60

Presentation: Short oral presentation in class, based upon students' critical assessment of prescribed reading. Each student will only be required to contribute to one presentation over the course of the term. Unspecified n/a Graded No

15


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback will be provided on student presentations. General group/class feedback will be regularly provided on some of the weekly reflections submitted.

Spring
     
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 14:00 - 16:30

Discover our Rankings and Accreditations