BUSI1702 Organisational Decision Making Module Handbook 2025-26 | UOG

 

Contents

1. Welcome message from your Module Leader
2. Key contacts (academic queries)
3. Enquiry-Based Learning and Research-Led Teaching
4. Module details and learning outcomes
5. Employability
6. Key Dates
7. Schedule of teaching and learning activities
8. Assessment
9. Resit assessments
10. Resource recommendations
11. Ethical Compliance for Research on Taught Courses
12. Additional module information
13. Digital Student Centre (non-academic queries)
14. Changes to the module

1.Welcome message from your Module Leader     

Welcome to the BUSI1702 Module on Organisational Decision Making! 

Have you noticed how many decisions you take during a day? Have you thought how your decisions can have an impact on yourself, others, and the wider ecosystem? 

Decision making is a fundamental component of human behaviour that determines the present and the future of individuals, and organisations. 

This Module aims to help you establish a fundamental understanding of the complex nature of organisational decision-making by introducing you to different types of decision-making focussing on rational, evidence-based and behavioural aspects. 

You will also examine contextual factors that determine the decision-making process and reflect upon some common decision-making biases that can affect people with and without decision-making power in organisations, including ethical dilemmas leaders face.  
  
This is a 15-credit Module, and you are expected to dedicate a minimum of 12.5 hours per week to the learning activities and to successfully pass the Module’s assessment. We recommend the following weekly breakdown for your time dedicate to this Module, to make the most of your learning experience.

• Timetabled teaching and learning (2hrs): weekly lectures (1hr), weekly tutorials (1hr)
• Guided independent study (10.5hrs): class preparation, revision, and assessment preparation. 

Example activities include reading and taking notes, watching lecture recordings, conducting independent research on the assessment subject, assessment writing, active and creative engagement with content from lectures, and tutorials, panel discussions with industry representatives, analysis of case studies, teamwork, and presentations inside tutorials, and developing critical reading and writing skills. 

Activity	Weekly hours	Overall hours of total	Overall percentage of total
Scheduled teaching	2	24	16%
Guided Independent Study	10.5	126	84%
			100%

2.Enquiry-Based Learning and Research-Led Teaching

Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL)

Defined as ‘an approach based on self-directed enquiry or investigation in which the student is actively engaged in the process of enquiry facilitated by a teacher. EBL uses real life scenarios (for example, from case studies, company visits, and project work) and students investigate topics of relevance that foster the skills of experimental design, data collection, critical analysis and problem-solving’. 

The enquiry-based approach to learning in this Module is manifested with the adoption of (i) ‘live’ and relevant business case studies that focus on on-going organisational decisions to spark conversation and student engagement; (ii) the self-directed nature of choosing an organisational decision for the assessment; (iii) teamwork that encourages students to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills; (iv) interactive nature of lectures and tutorials through hands-on activities related to real-life organisational decisions. 

Research-Led Teaching (RLT)

An element of Enquiry Based Learning links to RLT, which involves faculty introducing students to their own research where it is relevant to the curriculum being taught as well as drawing on their own knowledge of research developments in the field, introducing them to the work of other researchers. RLT sees students as active participants in the research process, not just as an audience. This is achieved by discussing such developments in lectures and classes, and setting reading lists including recent research publications at the frontier of the field. The definition of a diverse assessment regime at the programme level (incorporating an expectation of familiarity with, and use of, such publications in assignments) and the inclusion of projects at every level of the programme is also fundamental to achieving these objectives.

The teaching of this Module is research-led based on both classic conceptual academic articles and recent empirical publications, including the Module leader’s own research. The teaching and learning materials are in line with the inclusive curriculum design with organisational contexts that are relatively easy to grasp and identify with. 

3.Module details and learning outcomes

Host faculty: Business  
Host school: BOS 
Number of credits: 15 
Term(s) of delivery: Term 1
Site(s) of delivery: Greenwich 

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this Module a student will be able to: 

1.Apply an evidence-based approach to decision making in organisational and managerial contexts;
2.Identify, evaluate, and interpret the consequences of organisational and managerial decision-making on different stakeholders using the three-attribute salience model;  
3.Diagnose and address the impact of judgemental errors and biases on organisational and managerial decision-making. 

4.Employability

By undertaking this Module students will develop these employability skills and competences:

• Cognitive skills: student will be exposed to critical perspectives of management issues and learn to make reasoned managerial judgements by taking into account different views.
• Generic competencies: students will develop generic competencies of being a manager at a basic level, such as communication with others in a professional manner and managing a small team.
• Practical and professional elements: students will develop fundamental professional skills through practising problem-solving in a variety of managerial contexts.

You can find out more about the Greenwich Employability Passport at: Greenwich Employability Passport for students.

Information about the Career Centre is available at: Employability and Careers | University of Greenwich. You can also use LinkedIn Learning to gain access to thousands of expert-led courses to support your ongoing personal development. More information can be found at: LinkedIn learning | IT and library services.

5.Key Dates

Please note that dates may differ depending on when you start your programme of study, and where you are studying. 

Please refer to Term Dates for full details, and details of University closure dates.

No.	Week beginning on	Lecture topic & learning outcome	Key concepts/theories	Relevance to assessment
Introduction
1	22.09.25	Introduction to organisational decision making	Three types of decision making: strategic, tactical, and operational decision Perspectives & dilemmas in organisational decision making Different paradigms of decision making for managers Six steps in the managerial decision making process	Introduction: (1) the organisational decision of your choice should be a major decision that falls within strategic or tactical decision making. Recommendation: Suggest good practices based on your understanding of different perspectives/ways of decision making Essential Readings: Chapter 9 on Managerial Decision Making (pp. 271-299) in Daft, R., and Benson, A. (2016) Management, Cengage Learning. 11th edition.

6.Schedule of teaching and learning activities

The schedule you’ll see below outlines the lecture topics. Please note that tutorials will always run one week behind the lectures. This way, you’ll have time to catch up on the reading, reflect on the content, and come prepared to engage meaningfully in the tutorial discussions.

2

29.09.25

Problem framing and definition Understand the importance of defining an organisational problem clearly and the assumptions that underpin a step-by-step approach to decision making

Organisational problem definition Rational choice theory

Problem framing: you should provide a clear description of an organisational problem(s) Decision considerations: articulate whether the organisational decision reflects the assumptions that underpin rational choice theory, if you choose to apply this theory