Students
MGSM860 – Strategic Management
2019 – MGSM Term 4 City
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer (Block)
Roger Moser
By appointment
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
4
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MBA and 32cp including (MGSM820 and MGSM835 and MGSM850)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Strategic Management is a capstone unit that builds on MGSM850 Strategic Frameworks and the other core management disciplines studied in MGSM MBA units. The purpose of this unit is to help you develop your own viewpoint on the most appropriate methods for effectively executing corporate strategy in 21st Century organisations. You will learn how to think and act to help develop, achieve and maintain the competitive advantage of an organisation.
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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:
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Participation | 15% | No | Assessed from session 2 to 10 |
| Group REPORT | 20% | Yes | To be announced on Ilearn |
| Group PRESENTATION | 25% | No | To be announced on Ilearn |
| Final Examination | 40% | No | to be confirmed |
Individual Participation
Due: Assessed from session 2 to 10
Weighting: 15%
We will develop and conduct an online Delphi Study (Expert Panel) in which you are expected to provide your expertise and experience as well as find participants to contribute to the Delphi Study. You can in addition use the Discussion Board to discuss more general issues in relation to the course content BUT in such cases I would like you to focus your questions and contributions on specific decisions that you or your peers (might) have to make in your/their professional context or with respect to the group work you are facing.
You will be marked both on the quantity and quality of your contributions to the Delphi study exercise across the duration of the course and your contributions to the Discussion Board in the context of the strategic challenges that we discuss in the papers as well the classroom.
Statement of Expectations
Your contributions can include asking your colleagues for suggestions on a particular Delphi Expert statement, providing your own expertise & experience as well as motivating others to join in order to create valuable input for the strategic analyses (exercises) of your and other groups in the class. In addition, you can raise issues that might be of general nature to the class through the Discussion Board with respect to insights for the strategic thinking skills that we focus on during the class.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Group REPORT
Due: To be announced on Ilearn
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
Group REPORT: Assignment Task
This is a written group assignment. As a group you are assigned to an industry & company combination that will be specified by the lecturer (to be announced on the class iLearn webpage) in charge as a basis for a professionally written report that evaluates the company’s strategic direction in relation to the main strategic challenges and opportunities it currently faces.
For this assignment, you will need to work in syndicate groups and assign ONE person in your group to e-mail the lecturer in charge the full names and student numbers of each of the members after week 1 (Block student arrangements to be announced on iLearn).
Statement of Expectations
The focus of this group assignment is to generate and continue strategic insights for your industry & company combination by applying relevant course materials (unit readings, key concepts and discussions from the lectures, group exercises results & input from peers) to describe your future strategic positioning, consequences for the business model and especially implications for the functions and their resources in the company (core capabilities). It is expected that your group will collect and analyze additional information relevant to the chosen industry & company combination using reliable sources.
The report needs to be professionally written, following a clear structure with an executive summary, introduction, and conclusion. It is expected that your report will cover all questions listed on iLearn in relation to your assigned industry & company combination in a way that demonstrates your group’s best efforts at applying the course materials and prior group work. Please use the Harvard Referencing Format for sources that you use in the text. If you need to make assumptions due to missing data, make sure to make this explicit in your report. Finally, it is extremely important that your conclusions are clearly focused, and logically supported by the analyses you present and discuss.
Overall assessment of presentations will be based on a group mark component (50%) and an individual mark component (50%).
- The group mark component: The group as a whole will be marked according to the quality of the written report.
- The individual mark component: Each group member will be marked based on group member’s rating of the contribution of other members of the group.
As part of the submission, the group is also required to provide, on one page, (1) a statement of exactly what each member did for this task and (2) The group’s agreed-to percentage split of the marks (e.g., should all members receive equal marks? if not, how much more or less should each person receive, and why?). These two documents must be physically signed off by each member of the group and submitted via email to the lecturer up to 24 hours after the submission deadline of the group report. Please note that this information is provided only as input to the lecturer, who makes the final determination.
More details on the GROUP REPORT assignment, questions relating to each case, and marking criteria will be published on the class iLearn webpage.
Length of the Report
The report should not exceed the maximum 2,000 words including title, headers, footnotes, tables, and/or graphs, but excluding your reference list. Anything beyond the 2,000-word limit other than your reference list will not be marked, including appendices.
Submission Details
One person from each group will submit 1 x soft-copy of the group essay on or before the due date as listed above. The soft-copy submission will be submitted to Turnitin via the class iLearn page, a program used to ensure that originality of the work undertaken by the submitter.
When submitting this assignment, please ensure the following:
- Only submit as a Microsoft Word document (file extension - .docx)
- The following must be listed on the front/title page
- Group number/name
- Full names and student numbers of all members in the group
- Unit code
- Lecturer
- Report title
- Number of words used in the report (excluding front/title page)
Extensions and penalties:
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark 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:
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
Group PRESENTATION
Due: To be announced on Ilearn
Weighting: 25%
Group PRESENTATION: Assignment Task
This assignment is a group presentation and discussion. The lecturer will form eight groups of approximately equal size, depending on the number of course enrolments. Each group will be assigned one of eight live cases (Industry & Company combination) for analysis and results presentation. In real life, you will often be put in situations in which you will be asked to work with a group of people you have never worked with before. It is an important part of your MBA to learn how to effectively navigate the team dynamics that can result from people with different cultural backgrounds, areas of expertise, personalities and motivations working together on complex problems. For this reason, you will not have influence over which case study, and which fellow group members will be assigned to you. This is a capstone course that requires you to be able to integrate and apply all knowledge and capabilities you have gained and developed throughout your MBA experience, including those related to team dynamics, writing and presentations skills and critical thinking.
Statement of Expectations
The major focus of this group assignment is to generate and present strategic insights for class discussion by applying your course materials (unit readings, lectures and discussions, results from prior group work and peer input) to the assigned case. It is expected that your presentation will cover all questions relating to the assigned case listed on iLearn.
Your presentation needs to be professional with clear, high-impact slides, following a clear structure, and using a persuasive and engaging presentation style. Throughout your presentation you will need to use footnotes to reference the sources used in any particular slide. You do not need to discuss these sources in your presentation, but you may be questioned on them afterwards during the discussion. If you need to make assumptions due to missing data, make sure to make this explicit in your presentation. Finally, it is extremely important that your conclusions are clearly focused, and logically supported by the analyses you choose to present and discuss.
Overall assessment of presentations will be based on a group mark component (50%) and an individual mark component (50%).
- The group mark component: The group as a whole will be marked according to the quality of the final presentation that will be delivered in class.
- The individual mark component: Each group member will be marked according to the quality of the delivery of their oral presentation, as well as how well the group members deal with questions from both the audience and the lecturer.
As part of the submission, the group is also required to provide, on one page, (1) a statement of exactly what each member did for this task and (2) The group’s agreed-to percentage split of the marks (e.g., should all members receive equal marks? if not, how much more or less should each person receive, and why?). These two documents must be physically signed off by each member of the group and submitted via email to the lecturer up to 24 hours after the submission deadline of the presentation. Please note that this information is provided only as input to the lecturer, who makes the final determination.
More details on the live cases, questions relating to each case, and marking criteria will be published on the class iLearn webpage.
Group Presentation
Each group will have 20 minutes to cover their assigned case and should ensure their presentation fills this full period without going over time. Padding with Q&A is not allowed as a means of filling time, and groups will be politely but firmly cut off at 20 minutes. It is therefore important that you conduct a number of practice runs to get the timing and delivery right.
It is completely up to you how you want to approach your presentation in terms of approach, style, medium, etc. Creativity is strongly encouraged as long as it has impact and does not detract from the professionalism of the presentation. It is important to make your presentation engaging and interactive in order to be able to continue to hold the active attention of your audience.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
Final Examination
Due: to be confirmed
Weighting: 40%
Duration: 3 hours plus 20 minutes reading time
Format: Open book final examination
You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the MGSM examination timetable. The timetable will be available at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney-students/units/exams/
At the conclusion of the unit there will be an open book examination of 3 hours plus 20 minutes reading time. It will represent 40% of the final aggregated course mark. There will be an exam review and practice session during Session 10 of the Strategic Management unit to help you prepare for this case based exam.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Delivery and Resources
Required textbook
None. We will use our readings in iLearn instead.
Readings
A selection of readings on strategic management for each session will be made available to you on iLearn. Other current articles may be handed out in class.
Additional optional readings specific to the session’s topic will be listed on iLearn. These are for people who want to delve deeper into a particular issue we discuss in class.
For those with a strong interest in the field of strategy beyond this particular course, the following books, both classic and more contemporary, may be of interest. These texts are not required for this course..
- Afuah, A, Strategic Innovation, Routledge, New York, 2009.
- Black, R.J, Organisational Culture: Creating the Influence Needed for Strategic Success, Routledge, New York, 2003.
- De Wit, B, and Meyer, R, Strategy Synthesis, South-Western Publishing, Hampshire, 2010.
- Fleisher, CS, and Bensousson, BE, Business and Competitive Analysis, FT Press, New Jersey, 2009.
- Gamble, JE, and Thompson, AA, Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2011. Hamel, G, Leading the Revolution, McGraw Hill, 2000.
- Luthans, F, and Doh, JP, International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 8th edition, HarperCollins, New York, 2011.
- Kotler, P, and Caslione, JA, Chaotics, Amacom, New York, 2009.
- Leinwand, P, and Mainardi, C, The Essential Advantage, Harvard Press, Boston, 2011.
- Mintzberg, H, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, Prentice Hall, 1994.
- Mintzberg, H, and Quinn, JB, The Strategy Process, Prentice-Hall International, 1991. Osterwalder, A, and Pigneur, Y, Business Model Generation, Wiley, New Jersey, 2010. Taylor, WC, and LaBarre, PG, Mavericks at Work, HarperCollins, New York, 2006.
- Thompson, AA Jr, Peteraf, M, Gamble, J, and Strickland, AJ III, Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2013.
MGSM iLearn
The web page for this unit can be found at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MGSM/
Technology
Access to a personal computer is required to access resources and learning material from iLearn.
Unit Schedule
Students are required to attend all classes. Please only attend the class you are enrolled in as reflected in your e-Student account.
Class sessions are scheduled each Tuesday evening from 17th September to 19th November (The proposed program might be subject to some minor changes as the term progresses (TBA)).
Final exam week: TBA (The exam timetable will be available at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney-students/units/exams/)
Please be aware that an important part of your preparation for each session is your participation in the online Discussion Board discussions, which will be marked (see “Individual Participation” under “Assessment Tasks”.)
Session-by-session details are as follows. All case studies and readings are provided in the class iLearn page. You must be enrolled in this class to see the MGSM860 class iLearn page.
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Session DATES&TIMINGS |
Topics and cases/readings to be covered |
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1 Tuesday, 17th Sept. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Strategic Management: Introduction to the Capstone course Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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2 Tuesday, 24th Sept. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Competition I: Dealing with Dynamic & Uncertain Markets Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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3 Tuesday, 1st Oct. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Competition II: Understanding Disruptive Innovation Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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4 Tuesday, 8th Oct. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Organisation Strategy I: Connecting Structure & Core Capabilities with Strategy Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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5 Tuesday, 15th Oct. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Competition III: Value Capture vs. Value Creation Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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6 Tuesday, 22nd Oct. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Competition / Organization Strategy: From Institutional Context Change to Adapting Structures & Resources Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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7 Tuesday, 29th Oct. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Organization Strategy II: Functional Fit with Strategies vs. Operational Excellence Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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8 Tuesday, 5th Nov. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Integrated Application I: Presentation and discussion of live cases Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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9 Tuesday, 12th Nov. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Integrated Application II: Presentation and discussion of live cases Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Optional readings:
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10 Tuesday, 19th Nov. 2019, 6pm-10pm |
Review and Exam Preparation Preparation activities:
Allocated compulsory readings:
Prepare: Questions regarding course materials and/or the final exam |
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 published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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
PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
Assessment tasks
- Individual Participation
- Group REPORT
- Final Examination
PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Assessment tasks
- Group REPORT
- Group PRESENTATION
- Final Examination
PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Assessment tasks
- Individual Participation
- Group REPORT
- Final Examination
PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Develop a strategic view of an organisation as a whole as a basis for defining the issues and opportunities that are most critical.
- Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
Assessment task
- Group PRESENTATION
PG - Effective Communication
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Assessment tasks
- Individual Participation
- Group PRESENTATION
PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
- Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks
- Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
Assessment task
- Group PRESENTATION
Alignment with MGSM’s mission-driven attributes
Leadership: The unit develops judgment capability as to what is effective ethical leadership within different contexts.
Global mindset: The unit required me to make decisions from different cultural positions than my own.
Citizenship: The concepts corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and ethical decision making are core components of the unit.
Creating sustainable value: The unit demonstrated how the interrelatedness of functional business decisions connect to create value within an ethical context over the short and longer-terms.
Attendance Policy (MGSM)
The interactive environment of the classroom is central to the MGSM experience. Students are required to attend the full duration of all classes for the units in which they are enrolled. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur, such as unavoidable travel on behalf of your organization or the serious illness or injury of you or a close family member.
Special consideration may be given for a maximum of 20% non-attendance for such circumstances as long as lecturers are contacted in advance, and supporting documentation provided, to request exemption from attendance. Failure to abide by these conditions may result in automatic withdrawal, with academic and/or financial penalty. The full Student Attendance Policy is published in the MGSM Student Handbook at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/handbook.
Content Disclaimer
These unit materials and the content of this unit are provided for educational purposes only and no decision should be made based on the material without obtaining independent professional advice relating to the particular circumstances involved.