1) enhance awareness of the relevance and applicability of theoretical concepts on management practice, incl. managerialism and organizational dynamics; 2) stimulate critical reflection on assumptions/hypotheses about management; 3) familiarize students with challenging settings in which managers operate and have to deal with paradoxes, trying to balance stakeholder and shareholder interests; 4) introduce and train students in positive management and reflective practitioning.

Most of what is written about management and managers differs dramatically from the reality of everyday managerial work, as much as academic research tries to shed light on what managers do and what makes them effective. Models are not reality, the practice of managerial work is often poorly understood and it is difficult to develop insights with return- on-practice. The course provides ample opportunity for exploring the context, the paradoxes and the conundrums of management by asking relevant questions like: What is the actual contribution of management and what does the manager's job in reality look like? How do managers overall perform (ref. critical professionalism)? Which challenges do managers run into and how to build a successful career? Do they fully grasp their business models, including the ins and outs of strategic, long term sustainability? How does management relate to leadership? What about female managers (ref. glass ceiling)? Why are mostly women given critical assignments (ref. glass cliff)? Do managers practice corporate citizenship, do they opt for shared value and live up to the impact of diversity and the claim for integrity?
Academic research, professional literature and relevant news analysis will be confronted with evidence on managerial experience and practice in real life settings. While the focus of this course is on managerial practice, it requires students to exercise critical judgment in many forms. Academic articles must be scrutinized for underlying assumptions and their limitations. Professional publications need to be critically examined for the evidence behind their claims. All sources will have to be examined for the authors' purpose and the use of rhetoric. In a final paper and through a so-called e-documentary, based on studying the literature, an interview with and/or shadowing of at least one manager and the discussions in groups, students are required to demonstrate their insights into the relevance of management and managerial work. Next to that students are explicitly invited to give feedback on the course, based on their intended learning outcomes.
Note: assessment has three layers: 1. Individual academic paper, 2. A format-free team-based e-documentary and 3. Sufficient participative contribution, will constitute the final grade!

A leading, compulsory reference book will be timely announced. Next to that on average two articles per session will be prescribed to read, prepare and discuss.

Courses and workload are very demanding for all IB Master courses. Participants should have a bachelor degree with a major in Business or Economics. This also applies to exchange students. Exchange students need to major in organisation in their Master.
An advanced level of English.