COURSE SPECIFICATION FORM
for new course proposals and course amendments
Department/School:
Management
Academic Session:
Course Value:
2010-2011
Course Title:
Managing beyond profit
(UG courses = unit value,
PG courses = notional learning
hours)
1.0
Course Code:
MN3501 (Replacing MN346 and
MN347)
Course JACS Code:
Availability:
(Please contact Data
Management for advice)
Status:
(Please state which teaching
terms)
Autumn and spring
Pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
MN2201
Dr. Mark Exworthy
Dr. Mark Exworthy, Dr. Eivor Oborn and others
Co-ordinator:
Course Staff:
Aims:
(i.e.: Core, Core PR,
Compulsory, Optional)
Optional
MN3301
1. To introduce students to ideas about the management of organisations which
are not oriented around the profit motive
2. To provide students with knowledge about the management of public
services, whether delivered by public or private agencies
3. To place this learning within an international context
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. describe and explain the role on public service and non-profit organisations
within modern economies
2. identify and account for management practices within and between different
types of organisations and national systems
3. explore the theory and practice of public management by examining core
topics in public management (including governance, managing change, policy
process etc.)
Course Content:
4. apply theory to understand specific cases
A typical lecture programme will take the following form:
Lecture themes
Context:
1. Introduction: key themes in the course
2. Managing beyond profit: public services in the modern economy
3. Governance
4. Understanding public management: from administration to management
5. Not-for-profit organisations: social enterprises, charities & 3rd sector
organisations
6. Public policy
Key tasks and functions:
7. Human resource management in public services (unions and managers)
8. Professionals and public service delivery
9. Collaboration and partnerships in public services
Current challenges
10. Reform of central government
11. E-government
12. Organisational change and restructuring in the public sector
13. The private sector in public services
14. Decentralisation in the public sector
15. Measuring the performance of public services
International and sector case-studies
16. International public management institutions (World Bank, OECD etc)
17. International public management - national case-study x2
18. Sector case-study x 2 (eg. managing museums and universities)
Workshop themes (and linked to lecture, where applicable)
i. In the news: media stories about “beyond profit” (#1)
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ii. Who runs public agencies? Student presentation (formative) (#2)
iii. Journal article discussion: (eg) Buchanan, DA. et al (2007) `Nobody in
charge: distributed change agency in healthcare.’ Human Relations, 60, 7,
pp.1065-1090. (#8)
iv. Debate: “The private sector should be encouraged to deliver public services.”
(#13)
v. Rationing services in practice (individual task assignment)
vi. Performance: measures, rankings & league tables (#15)
vii. External speaker talks: Personnel officer, RHUL (#7)
viii. External speaker talk: GMB officer, RHUL (#7)
ix. Evaluating partnerships: individual task assignment (#9)
x. International case-study (eg.health-care) (#16/17)
xi. Sector case-study (eg. museums) (#18)
xii. Governance - case-study: addressing the social determinants of health
xiii. The policy process: case-studies of policy failure (#6)
xiv. Case-study of organisational change: video (Can Gerry fix the NHS?) (#12)
xv. Student presentations (assessed): (example) Transition from planned to
market economy – case-studies of China and Russia. The presentations
might extend into a 2nd workshop
Teaching & Learning
Methods:
20 weeks with lectures and workshops. The latter will involve student
presentations, debates, videos, small group work, worked examples, structured
discussion and all using a variety of audio-visual material
Details of teaching
resources on
Moodle:
Lecture and workshop powerpoints
Key Bibliography:
Course book: Bovaird, T. and Loffler, E. (eds)(2009) Public management and
governance. Routledge. 2nd edition
Links to audio & video, and websites

Bevir, M., Rhodes, R. et al. (2003) `Traditions of governance: Interpreting the
changing role of the public sector.’ Public Administration, 81, 1, pp.1-17

Buchanan, DA. et al (2007) `Nobody in charge: distributed change agency in
healthcare.’ Human Relations, 60, 7, pp.1065-1090
Currie, G., Boyett, I. et al. (2005) `Transformational leadership within
secondary schools in England. A panacea for organizational ills?’ Public
Administration, 83, 2, pp.265-96.
Cutler, T. and Waine, B. (2005) `Not so seamless? Performance related pay
and financial control in English schools.’ Public Money and Management,
January, pp.67-71.
Exworthy M, Powell, M. & Mohan J. (1999). "The NHS: Quasi-market, quasihierarchy and quasi-network?" Public Money and Management Oct-Dec: 1522.
Exworthy, M. and Halford, S. (eds) (1999) Professionals and the new
mangerialism in the public sector. Buckingham; Open UP
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Ferlie, E., Ashburner, L. et al. (1996). The New Public Management in Action.
Oxford, Oxford University Press
Ferlie, E., Lynn, LE. and Pollitt, C. (2005) (eds) The Oxford handbook of
public management. Oxford; Oxford UP.
Hood, C. (1991) `A public management for all seasons?’ Public
Administration, 69, spring, pp.3-19
McLaughlin, K., Osborne, S. & Ferlie, E. (eds) (2002) The new public
management: current: trends and future prospects. Oxford; Oxford UP.
Newman, J. and McKee, B. (2005) Beyond the new public management?
Public investment and the social investment state.’ Policy and Politics, 33, 4,
pp.657-674
Pollitt, C. & Bouckaert, G. (2004) Public management reform: a comparative
analysis. Oxford; Oxford UP.
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
Walshe, K. and Rundall, TG. (2001) Evidence-based management: from
theory to practice in healthcare. Milbank Quarterly, 79, 3, pp.429-457.
Formative
Assessment &
Feedback:
Sample questions relating to lecture/course content will be posted on Moodle up
to 4 times during the course. These questions will be optional; students who
choose to respond will be given individual feedback on their answers via
individual emails. This formative assessment has worked well on previous
courses, delivered by the course staff
Summative
Assessment:
Exam (70%) 3-hours unseen examination paper
Coursework (30%) Small group case-study (in the spring term). This would
involve a presentation (15%) and a short report (15%)
Deadlines for coursework: end of spring term
Version: ME - Nov09
The information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication, but may be subject to change as part of the Department’s
policy of continuous improvement and development. Every effort will be made to notify you of any such changes.
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