Students
MGMT256 – Workforce Demography and Planning
2018 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Nick Parr
Contact via nick.parr@mq.edu.au
E4A 626
Wednesday 2:05pm –2:55pm
Salut Muhidin
Tutor
Sheruni De Alwis
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
24cp at 100 level or above
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will introduce students to some important trends in and methods of analysis of the demography of workforces in Australia and selected overseas countries. The trends will include those at the national level and case studies of particular organisations, industries and professions. The national-level trends will be related to underlying changes in the size and composition of population, as well as to changing patterns of workforce participation. Some of the simpler methods of projecting future trends will be introduced. Workforce planning issues relating to recent and projected trends will be discussed.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrating skills in accessing data and literature
- Demonstrating a knowledge of population and workforce trends both in Australia and in selected overseas countries;
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
- Demonstrating an ability to make presentations and engage in group discussion on relevant demographic and workforce planning-related topics.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 35% | No | Weeks 4, 7 and 10 |
| Presentation | 15% | No | Weeks 11 and 12 |
| Exam | 50% | No | University exam period |
Assignment
Due: Weeks 4, 7 and 10
Weighting: 35%
The assignment will be in three parts A, B and C. The various assignment parts will involve calculations and interpretation of the source data and results.
Submission method: Submit soft copy to turnitin.
Extension Requests: No extensions to timelines for submission of the assessed coursework and the assignment. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrating skills in accessing data and literature
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
Presentation
Due: Weeks 11 and 12
Weighting: 15%
Group presentations to be made in tutorials on an allocated topic. Both the individual's contribution to the presentation (5%) and the overall performance of the group (5%) will be assessed. Class participation is included in the assessment (5%). Thus 10% will be based on individual assessment and 5% on the group as a whole.
Submission Method: Presentation to be made in class. The group (individually or collectively) should also submit a transcript of the content of their presentation via turnitin.
Extension Requests: No extensions will be granted: student groups must present in class in the week allocated by the Tutor for their presentation. Groups who do not present at the allotted time will be awarded a mark of 0, except in cases where an application for Special Consideration is made and approved.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrating skills in accessing data and literature
- Demonstrating a knowledge of population and workforce trends both in Australia and in selected overseas countries;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
- Demonstrating an ability to make presentations and engage in group discussion on relevant demographic and workforce planning-related topics.
Exam
Due: University exam period
Weighting: 50%
The exam will involve performing data analysis, writing one or more short essays and answering multiple choice questions. Students will be permitted to bring a small non-programmable calculator (no text retrieval capacity) to the examination. Students will also be permitted to bring one A4-sized page (double-sided) of notes (handwritten or typed) to the examination. These notes are to be collected with exam paper at end of exam.
Submission Method:Submit to exam supervisor.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrating a knowledge of population and workforce trends both in Australia and in selected overseas countries;
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
Delivery and Resources
Required and Recommended texts and/or materials
There is no required textbook for this unit.
Students are advised that there is no one single text which is followed closely. Rather for each topic a list of additional background readings will be provided to students.
The following texts are recommended as a general backup for some topics:
- Yusuf, Farhat, Martins, J.M. and Swanson, D (2014). Methods of Demographic Analysis. Springer
- Rowland, Donald (2003) Demographic Methods and Concepts, Oxford University Press.
- Siegel, Jacob (2002) Applied Demography: Application to Business, Government, Law and Public Policy, Academic Press.
- The recommended texts are available in the Macquarie Library.
Technologies Used and Required
Course material is available on the learning management system (iLearn) http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
Students who experience technical problems accessing this page should contact Onehelp.
Students will need access to a personal computer in order to submit assessment tasks via iLearn.
Access to a microphone is not necessary.
Requirements of the Unit
The requirements of this unit consist of regular and active class participation in class, submission of the various assignment parts, delivery of a brief group presentation and report, and submission of the final examination.
Assessment will be by a 3-part assignment (relatively short exercises involving a combination of calculations, interpretations of data, and short written reports on results), a group presentation based on a specified topic (including assessment of class participation) and a final examination. The weighting given to the various assessment tasks will be:
- Assignment (3 parts) (35%)
- Presentation (Group) - Includes assessment of presentation, and class participation) (15%)
- Final Examination (50%)
In order to pass the unit, you will need to achieve a mark of at least 50% overall.
Classes
There will be 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week.This consists of a two hour lecture plus a one hour tutorial.
The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at:http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/
Unit Schedule
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Week
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Lecture Topics |
Lecturer |
Assignments |
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Given |
Due |
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1 |
Introduction to population and workforce planning. Sources of demographic and labour force data. |
NP |
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2 |
Basic descriptive measures and graphical representations applied to age and sex composition and growth of populations and workforces. |
NP |
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3 |
Patterns of workforce participation and composition in Australia and selected overseas countries.
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NP |
A |
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4 |
Workforce demographic profiling for organisations, industries, and occupations. |
NP |
Presentations |
A
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5 |
Basic measures of components of population change. Methods of population and national labour force projection and their results. |
NP |
B
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6 |
Methods of projection and planning of the future workforce demand of organisations, industries and occupations. |
NP |
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7 |
Methods of projection and planning of the workforce supply of organisations, industries and occupations. Gap and solution analysis. |
NP |
C |
B |
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Mid Semester Break April 14th-29th |
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8 |
Case studies in workforce planning. |
NP |
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9 |
Trends in education and training in Australia and overseas.
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NP |
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10 |
International migration andcultural and linguistic diversity in Australia’s population and workforces and related workforce issues. |
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C |
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11 |
Population and workforce ageing issues. |
NP |
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Presentations |
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12 |
Gender balance issues and workforce planning.
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NP |
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Presentations |
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13 |
Conclusion and unit evaluation
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NP |
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(NP) Professor Nick Parr
A, B, and C = Assignment parts A, B and C.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrating skills in accessing data and literature
- Demonstrating a knowledge of population and workforce trends both in Australia and in selected overseas countries;
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
Assessment tasks
- Assignment
- Presentation
- Exam
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrating a knowledge of population and workforce trends both in Australia and in selected overseas countries;
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
Assessment tasks
- Assignment
- Presentation
- Exam
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrating skills in accessing data and literature
- Demonstrating an awareness of and critical appreciation of the interrelationships between population trends and workforce trends;
- Demonstrating an ability to use quantitative methods to analyse population and workforce data and to prepare projections for workforce demand and supply;
Assessment tasks
- Assignment
- Exam
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Demonstrating an ability to make presentations and engage in group discussion on relevant demographic and workforce planning-related topics.
Assessment tasks
- Assignment
- Presentation
Changes from Previous Offering
Some new case studies will be used. The data presented in lectures will be updated. New material will be included on gender balance issues.
Global Perspectives and Sustainability
A global perspective will be maintained by considering the workforce demographic patterns of overseas countries, as well as Australia, and by consideration of case studies in workforce planning from overseas as well as from Australia.
The sustainability of recruitment and retention levels and of workforce size and composition are central concern of the workforce planning process.
Research and Practice
The content of the lectures is informed by research from a range of books, book chapters, and journal articles, including some by Professor Parr, together with case studies based on a range of industry reports. These sources are listed in the references lists on iLearn.