The module provides you with the opportunity to develop and learn about managing and marketing in relation to your working life and personal practice. As an aspiring organisational decision-maker, you'll gain the knowledge and tools necessary to successfully take advantage of cutting-edge theories of management and human resource management. This will be linked to the values of collective responsibility, aesthetics and ethics. You'll become empowered to create responsible growth across a range of private sector, public and not-for-profit organisations while critically reflecting on your potential in leadership and management practice. In addition, you'll explore the ways in which marketing can be used to more effectively help organisations to be both successful and forward-thinking in a business environment that is quickly moving beyond traditional geographic, cultural and organisational boundaries.
The module offers a developmental route appropriate for the first module of an MBA, which builds on and consolidates knowledge through a series of activities and texts. You'll learn new concepts and how to question, reflect and apply these throughout the module so that you learn to be challenging, discerning and critical practitioners in the changing workplace. The starting point is learning about core concepts of management in relation to historical (past) and contemporary (present) practices. Some concepts are illustrated through international examples while also harnessing and applying your own experiences and practices. However, most importantly, the module prompts and encourages you to imagine alternative possibilities for what managing (as a verb) might look like. This is particularly salient in the context of current predictions suggesting that our working lives could change dramatically in the near to mid future.
Three themes provide a coherent and strong conceptual narrative to the module. These overarching themes provide a way of relating different and disparate knowledge to a conceptually organised framework. The first theme is Representations and Realities, which deals primarily with ambivalence, ambiguity and the conflicted tensions/struggles that might result from the everyday practice of managing. Representations could be theories, discourse, or the taken-for-granted common sense understandings of a topic, that sharply contrast with what happens in practice/our lived experience of everyday work. The second theme, Traditional and Contemporary, provides an opportunity to show how the world of work and academic ideas are constantly reshaping. This theme complements representations and realities, allowing you to imagine new realities and alternatives for the future, but also challenges those that have been dominant for some time. The third theme, Unitarism and Pluralism, challenges the idea that there is one best way and the assumption that when we speak of ‘an organisation’, we are talking about one harmonious and homogenous entity.
The module comprises 21 study sessions, each of which represents a week of study. You will be required to study between 12 and 15 hours per week for six months. Satisfactory participation at the compulsory residential school is required. The residential school is offered in face-to-face and online options. In the intensive face-to-face and online school, you should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours a day on tasks and activities, while if you opt for the less intensive online version, you should expect to spend about 1 to 2 hours per day on tasks and activities.
Please note that if you start this module in November, the school is likely to be towards the end of the following February/early March. If you start in May, the school will likely be towards the end of August/early September. (Dates are subject to change.)
The module is designed for professionals from a wide range of contexts and backgrounds who need to actively engage with the challenges of contemporary management, develop their management skills and knowledge of management frameworks, theories and tools and use these appropriately in order to make a real difference in their practice.
Your learning takes place within a tutor-facilitated group of approximately 20 students. Your tutor provides individual tuition, professional advice and support, mentoring, assessment and regular feedback on your performance throughout the module. You'll learn by working with your group and individually online in structured activities. These are supported by a wide range of resources, including specially designed books and a world-class online library. Activities generally require online participation over two to six week periods and contribute to your reflective practice and assessment.
We aim to provide online tutorials, and recordings will typically be made available. While you’re not obliged to attend any of these tutorial events, you are strongly encouraged to take part.
Course work includes:
You’ll be provided with three printed module books, each covering one unit of study, and have access to a module website, which includes:
You can only study this module as part of specific Open University qualifications.
B870 is a compulsory module in our:
B870 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Managing in a changing world starts twice a year, in May and November.
This page describes the module that will start in November 2025 and May 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in November 2026.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
This module is the first in The Open University Business School Masters degree programme. You'll be eligible to register for this module by satisfying the following academic, work experience and language requirements.
Academic requirements
There are three ways to meet the academic requirements:
1: Bachelors degree with honours
You'll need to have a bachelors degree with honours awarded by a UK university or equivalent.
2: Bachelors degree without honours
You'll need to have a bachelors degree without honours awarded by a UK university or equivalent, and you'll need to have completed either:
3: No Bachelors degree
If you don’t have a bachelors degree, you'll need to have completed either:
*See our Microcredentials page for further information.
Work experience requirement
You’ll need to have gained a minimum of three years’ experience in a managerial, technical or professional role.
Language requirement
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 6.5 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.
Elements of this module are delivered online and include the use of real-time online discussions and an interactive whiteboard space, so time spent using a computer and the internet will be extensive. If you use assistive technology or have a hearing or speech impairment and have concerns about accessing this type of virtual environment and materials, you can visit the system provider's website for information and contact The Open University to discuss it further before registering.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|
| 02 May 2026 | 31 Oct 2026 | 16 Apr 2026 | £3,670 |
| 07 Nov 2026 | 30 Apr 2027 | 15 Oct 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information in late March 2026. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
This module has a residential school. There’s no additional cost for the school, but you'll need to pay for your travel.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.
You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:
Joint loan applications
If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.
As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average, the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.
Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
