BE437-6-SP-CO:
Perspectives on Technology, Organisation and Society
2024/25
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
13 August 2024
Requisites for this module
BE411
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module covers a range of theoretical perspectives on technology, organization and society. Taking a social process view of technology and the human prospect the module will begin by showing how particular technologies are shaped by a range of non-technical factors. We then move on to show how the social process view can be applied in a range of organizational settings.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide an understanding of the theory and practice of innovation and technological change.
- To situate innovation and technological change in its broader socio-economic and historical context.
- To develop reasoning skills for the analysis of technological problems and opportunities.
- Through class discussion and participation, to develop the students' critical reading skills and enable them to present a clear case analysis with reference to academic theory and empirical evidence.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Understand the theory and practice of innovation and technological change.
- Develop, through discussion and debate, reasoning skills applicable to a range of technological issues in organisations.
- Critically analyse both academic theories and dominant managerial practices of innovation and technological change.
Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)
- Academic/cognitive skills; Synthesis and bringing together concepts and ideas; Critical thinking
- Evaluation of empirical research evidence; Creative problem solving
Recognise rival conceptual ideas; Analysing quantitative data; Analysing qualitative data
- Soft skills; Teamwork; Demonstrating personal initiative; Demonstrating motivation to succeed; Expressing research findings in report or slide deck; Understanding how to present ideas and analyses successfully/confidently; Argumentation / Essay writing skills
- Core IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Identifying suitable theoretical frameworks and models; Understanding how research material can be applied
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via:
- Lectures, workshops, intensive groupwork.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Coursework |
Essay 1 |
14/02/2025 |
50% |
Coursework |
Essay 2 |
07/04/2025 |
50% |
Additional coursework information
The module is assessed through two pieces of coursework. Coursework 1 (comprising 50% of the overall mark) is an essay that carries a maximum wordcount of 1200 words. Coursework 2 (accounting for 50% of the overall mark) carries a maximum wordcount of 2500 words.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Malu Villela, email: malu.villela@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Martin Harris and Yingqin Zheng
martinh@essex.ac.uk
No
Yes
No
Dr Christopher David Land
Available via Moodle
Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.