BE885-7-SU-CO:
Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

The details
2026/27
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Summer
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 26 April 2027
Friday 02 July 2027
10
06 March 2026

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

MBA N20012 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20E24 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20E36 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20EJS The Essex MBA

Module description

This module is critical for MBA students as it familiarises learners with contemporary technological changes in organisations, and the innovations, business, managerial, social, historical, design, policy, environmental, and ethical ramifications of such changes. Specifically, the module explores the areas of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in organisation, and how they have come to be core aspects of organisational change, innovation, new products and services, and critical debates that today impact organisations internally, and other stakeholder groups externally.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To equip participants with knowledge, skills, and sensitivities around Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in contemporary organisational settings.

  • To enable students to contribute to the design, management, implementation and evaluation of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence initiatives in organisations.

  • To strengthen participants communication skills on Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in organisations, particularly team collaboration skills and the ability to translate complex knowledge into accessible language for use diverse professional audiences.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Understand what Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence are in terms of their history, models, technologies, policy implications, and diverse perspectives on them.

  2. Contribute to the design, management and implementation of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence change efforts in organisations.

  3. Evaluate Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence change efforts in terms of their innovative potential, post-implementation success and failures, policy and regulatory implications, and critical social or environmental limitations.

Module information

Indicative Content:


Date 1000-1300 1400-1700


Monday Interactive Lecture 1



  • Introduction to the Module

  • Organisational Change History

  • Contemporary Models of Digital Transformation.


Seminar Discussion 1



  • Case Discussion


Interactive Lecture 2



  • Key factors for Digital Transformation:


Group Work Session 1



  • Setting up a Digital Transformation / AI Presentation and Pitch


Tuesday Interactive Lecture 3



  • Innovation & Resistance and Socio- Digital Change

  • Perspectives on Digital Transformation


Seminar Discussion 2



  • Digital Transformation at a University


Interactive Lecture 4



  • Evaluating Transformations, Metrics & Multiple Stakeholders

  • Applying AI in Learning, Reading, Assessment


Group Work Session 2



  • Market & Knowledge research; Designing the Prototype for the Presentation Pitch


Wednesday Reading and presentation preparation


Thursday Interactive Lecture 5



  • The History of AI and Models of Labour & Work

  • AI and Workforce Enhancement / Optimisation


Seminar Discussion 3:



  • AI and Work


Interactive Lecture 6



  • AI, Surveillance and Quantification


Group Work Session 3



  • Maturing the Design for the Presentation Pitch


Friday Interactive Lecture 7



  • AI Policy and Regulation

  • AI Autonomy, Data Protection & Compliance 


Seminar Discussion 4



  • AI Policy and Compliance

  • Assessment 1: Presentation Pitch


Presentations, Q&A, Initial Feedback


Following Week 1-hour online support session Optional Support Day/Time TBC


Assignment 2 Preparation Class after main module to help students prepare their Assignment 2 Report. Session will be recorded and shared on Moodle / Panopto.

Learning and teaching methods

This module is taught in Week 33 of the summer term. The following learning and teaching methods will be used to inform the pedagogic structure of the module:

  • Lectures with interactive discussion, reflection, and Q&A themes
  • Seminar-style discussions / debates / scenarios
  • Discussion of organisation cases.
  • Discussion of book/journal article/industry reports
  • Group work featuring participant collaboration and negotiation
  • Facilitator consultations with groups
  • Facilitator personal guidance for individual participants
  • Signposting to module resources, Moodle, Reading List, external resources

The lectures will be developed around the key concepts featured in the indicative schedule and will use a range of resources, examples and cases from business practice to demonstrate the application of theoretical concepts. Lectures will be used to identify, organise, and develop key knowledge, perspectives, and awareness of important design and impact sensitivity skills in students.

The seminar-style discussions will focus extensively on organisational cases, situations, innovations, and dilemmas, and may make use of existing studies, design-fiction simulations, current events, newspaper reports and/or journal articles. The seminar-style discussions will provide students with opportunities to listen to and assess different viewpoints, cases, situations and dilemmas, and to apply relevant concepts to their own work experience and career journey.

Group work will be used to help develop management, collaboration, creativity, decision making, and negotiation skills. Groups will also act as venues for students to try out new ideas, test their own interpretations of materials they are learning about, and to learn from peers with different forms of relevant expertise. Group consultation will aid in this process, scaffold and help guide group work. Personal guidance, and Office Hour meetings, will assist students in developing specific knowledge and skills relative to their individual academic work, personal interests, and career journeys.

Module facilitators will offer Office Hours meetings for one-to-one discussion upon request.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non - essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Group case study presentation    25% 
Coursework   2,500 word essay    75% 

Additional coursework information

  • An individual 2,500 case- or work-based assignment.

The assignment invites students to analyse the management of innovation in an organisational setting. The emphasis will be on the use and application of analytic frameworks and diagnostic tools taught on the module. The analysis will also highlight the strategic choices available to those responsible for the management of innovation and ‘change management’ projects.

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

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Martin Harris, email: martinh@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Martin Harris & Dr Pasi Ahonen
ebsmba@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Essex Business School

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