Course description
Title of the Teaching Unit
Management and Methodology Seminar
Code of the Teaching Unit
11UGE62
Academic year
2026 - 2027
Cycle
Number of credits
4
Number of hours
48
Quarter
1
Weighting
Site
Montgomery
Teaching language
English
Teacher in charge
CLAEYE Frederik
Objectives and contribution to the program
The primary objective of this course unit is to guide students in undertaking a critical research process related to a management topic.
This course unit contributes to the programme learning outcomes by enabling students to:
-Acquire broad disciplinary knowledge and develop the tools required for management-related professions. Students will be able to mobilise and contextualise knowledge in specific situations and apply appropriate methods and tools to implement a defined project.
-Demonstrate critical thinking with respect to business management practices. In particular, students will be able to question and analyse information, maintain a critical perspective towards sources, and assess competing viewpoints.
-Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Prerequisites and corequisites
-Language skills: The required level for proficiency in English is the B2 level in the CEFR
-Ability to analyse and synthesise information.
Interest in and awareness of current economic and business affairs, developed through regular engagement with relevant sources such as articles, podcasts, videos, and other media.
Content
Management: this course provides an introduction to the core concepts and foundations of management, placing them in the broader context of organisational design, business operations, and organisational performance.
Introduction to Scientific Approach- Methodology seminar: students will undertake a group research project focused on a management-related issue. They will be introduced to the principles of the scientific research process during the course and will progressively apply these principles through a series of intermediate assignments designed to support the development of their final project.
Teaching methods
Management: lectures delivered in an ex cathedra format.
Methodology seminar: teaching delivered through a combination of large-group lectures and small-group sessions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used at different stages of the scientific research process. For further details, please refer to the course guide/pedagogical document.
Assessment method
First session:
Management: A closed-book written examination will be held. The assessment consists primarily of multiple-choice questions. It may also include gap-fill questions, matching exercises, or diagrams to be completed. The examination is designed to assess students' knowledge and understanding of the theoretical concepts covered in the course, as well as their mastery of the various components and variables of the management function.
The use of generative AI tools is prohibited during the written examination.
Methodology seminar:
Formative Assessment
Intermediate exercises and presentations will be organized to familiarize students with the assessment criteria used for the final evaluations.
Summative Assessment
1) First Examination Session
Important: Each student must attend the first class session in order to be assigned to a project team.
Summative assessment is based on:
• The research paper;
• Several oral assessments;
• Participation in the seminar;
• Completion of all required assignments.
Student proactivity is also an important assessment criterion.
Proactivity is defined as a student's ability to take relevant initiatives, anticipate project needs, and actively contribute to progress in an autonomous and constructive manner. Examples include:
• Preparing consistently for sessions;
• Searching for high-quality and relevant sources;
• Proposing analytical or practical improvements;
• Anticipating deadlines;
• Assuming responsibility for specific team tasks;
• Communicating proactively with team members and instructors;
• Providing well-reasoned solutions to encountered challenges.
Conversely, merely completing assigned tasks without initiative or demonstrating only reactive involvement may indicate a lower level of proactivity. (Lin, Jin & Yang, 2024 ; Bateman & Crant, 1993)
Final Research paper
A single grade will generally be awarded to the team.
However, instructors reserve the right to differentiate individual grades based on criteria such as:
• Attendance;
• Active participation;
• Individual contributions to the research paper;
• Quality and relevance of individual work;
• Summaries and supporting documents.
Oral Assessments
Each student will receive an individual grade based on the quality of their argumentation and discussion.
Questions may address:
• The team's project;
• Theoretical understanding of the scientific approach;
• Team management practices;
• AI usage and critical reflection based on the AI log.
Final Grade Composition
The final grade is individual and consists of:
• Research paper: 40%
• Oral assessments: 60%
o Intermediate oral assessment: 20%
o Final oral assessment: 40%
Submission of the research paper and participation in the final oral examination are mandatory. An incomplete assessment will receive a grade of 0/20.
Failure to comply with submission requirements (deadline, format, Moodle submission procedures, etc.) may result in a grade of 0/20.
If 10% or more of sources are missing or improperly cited according to APA standards, a minimum penalty of -2/20 points will be applied.
If plagiarism is identified in all or part of the final written report, all team members will receive a grade of 0/20 and an academic reprimand, in accordance with ICHEC regulations.
Spelling and language penalties:
• More than one error per page: -1/20
• Three or more errors per page: -2/20
The Antidote proofreading software is available on ICHEC computers.
Failure to comply with the AI-related rules outlined in this course document may also result in a grade of 0/20.
2) June and September examination sessions
Specific instrictions will folow.
Calculation method
For the ICHEC department, where a teaching unit (UE) comprises several learning activities (AA), the overall grade for the UE is calculated as follows:
- If all the scores obtained for the different learning activities are greater than or equal to 10/20, the overall score will be the weighted arithmetic mean (based on the relative importance of each of the AAs in the UE) of these scores.
- If at least one of the scores obtained for an AA is less than 10/20, the overall score will then be the weighted geometric mean of the AA scores.
These modes of calculation apply when a Teaching Unit consists of several learning activities.
References
• Management :Students are expected to take notes during class sessions. The course materials (slides) draw freely on a range of sources, including the following works:
Laasch, O. (2024). Principles of business & management: Practicing ethics, responsibility, sustainability (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Lussier, R. N. (2021). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, and skill development (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Robbins, S., Coulter, M., DeCenzo, D., & Né, I. (2020). Management : L’essentiel des concepts et pratiques (11e ed.). Pearson.
• Methodology seminar : Paquet, G., Bawin, I., Schrooten, V., & Wattier, S. (2026-2027). Séminaire de méthodologie et d’initiation à la démarche scientifique [Syllabus imprimé]. ICHEC.