BE495-7-SP-CO:
Social Economy Management: Theories and Perspectives
2023/24
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Future
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
20
08 August 2023
Requisites for this module
BE485
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MSC N1E212 Management (Social Economy)
This module will introduce students to the main theories and perspectives on the social economy.
It will trace out its history and the different ways it has been conceived and implemented. It will also offer an initial understanding of the core concepts and principles underpinning the social economy including commons ownership, cooperative organisations, community value creation, material security and abundance, democratic governance, and sustainable development. Key social movements, institutions and supportive organisations that have and continue to shape the future(s) of the sustainable social economy will be highlighted.
Students will also be offered cutting edge insights into how new technologies such as AI, big data, online platforms, and ICTs are being used for this purpose locally, nationally, and globally. Finally, the module will present various external "support structures" within the contemporary external business environment to successfully start, manage, and sustain a social economy enterprise.
The aims of this module are:
- To equip students with an understanding of the key concepts of the social economy.
- To introduce key approaches and benefits of the social economy.
- To examine the opportunities and challenges of managing social economy enterprises.
- To explore how new technologies can support social economy management in practice.
- To better understand the external and internal factors that can best support a social economy enterprise.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of key foundations of the social economy.
- Critically evaluate different social economy perspectives on management.
- Apply social economy theories and perspectives to diverse case studies.
- Exhibit knowledge of the external and internal factors necessary for successfully supporting a social economy enterprise.
Indicative Syllabus information
- Introduction to the Social Economy
- Commons Ownership
- Cooperative Management
- Degrowth and Postgrowth Development
- Democratic Decision-Making
- Social Values and Value Creation
- External Environment for Social Economy Enterprises
- Internal Environment for Social Economy Enterprises
- Technology and Social Economy Management
- Final Reflections
This module will be delivered via:
- One 2-hour lecture per week; and
- One 1-hour seminar per week.
Students will be able to enhance their learning through a range of supplementary learning technologies – including an online interactive meeting space with video and audio case social economy case studies for facilitating knowledge sharing and peer to peer student collaboration as well as a downloadable social economy simulation that will offer them a more experiential based learning experience. The students would also benefit from the use of a first of its kind Social Economy textbook on social economy management written by the Module Lead Professor Peter Bloom and published by De Gruyter.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
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
No
Yes
Yes
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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