Management tools and techniques

This course introduces you to a broad range of Management tools, theories and techniques that will be invaluable to you whether you are a seasoned executive or a student of business.

We begin by exploring Change Management, knowledge of which is now almost mandatory for anyone who wants to be taken seriously in business. We reflect on the accelerating pace of change in society and at work, and study Change management principles.

Then we look at Cloud Technology, let me clarify what that is.

Cloud computing is an information technology paradigm that enables ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system resources and higher-level services that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort, often over the Internet. Wikipedia

Do you know why new entrants to a sector are often “disruptive” to that sector? How can they overtake people who are established in a sector?

Because with rapidly changing technologies, new entrants can leverage technology, often by using Cloud services. This gives them an advantage over established companies, working with traditional on- premises systems, and with significant investments in non-cloud business processes.

One of the most powerful weapons at the disposal of business people today is the ability to conduct research on the internet. There are many reasons why you might want to carry out research -maybe you want to look for a job, check out the competition, or understand the market for a product. As with all weapons, the better informed you are about it, the more effectively you can deploy it.

So we offer you search tips, and show you how to bookmark sites, and search using keywords. We will also show you how to avoid plagiarism by referencing your sources correctly.

Then we look at Organisational Psychology, Organisational Development and Organisational Politics. These are unrelated topics, but I have had many enquiries about the similarities and differences between them

Organisational psychology is a branch of psychology, also known as Industrial or occupational psychology.

Organisational development is a logical approach to building and improving organisational performance and effectiveness.

Organisational or Workplace Politics describes the actions used by people or groups to pursue their own interests, as opposed to those of the organization.

Theory X and Theory Y addresses motivation and management style, and the theory can be used to help develop a positive management style.

Nudge Theory holds that, by understanding how people think, it is possible to influence their choices. Perhaps everything you see, hear and read is not entirely unbiased, and is intended to positively reinforce and influence how you make choices. Find out more!

KPI’s are Key Performance Indicators. This is an important management tool which involves developing quantifiable measures that can be used to assess performance against agreed targets. They measure the progress of a company, team or individual towards a goal.

There are a bonus 5 quizzes included in this module, to help you test and check your new-found knowledge.