Students
GMBA8004 – Become a Meaning Maker
2020 – Coursera term 3, Fully online/virtual
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Abas Mirzaei
Unit Convenor
Senia Kalfa
Teaching Assistant
Linden Misselbrook
Contact via globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
5
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to GMBA
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Faced with complex and ambiguous environments, how do leaders envision the future and instill their vision in a way that conveys its meaningfulness and drives change and innovation? This unit addresses this challenge using the lenses of leadership, vision and identity. Drawing on theories such as internal marketing, the unit explores how students, as leaders, can create a compelling vision and understand how to communicate with impact and meaning. Students will also understand how to build personal power to exert influence and how to harness the transformative power of social identity to sustain commitment to the vision. Special attention will be given to the role of identity in leading across cultures and borders. In exploring these concepts, the unit will also build an understanding of how storytelling can engage and influence people beyond traditional approaches to communication. This unit will also explore the role of brands and visual identity in organisational success. Students will develop awareness of brand identity and the role of brand in clarifying and reinforcing the vision, both within the organisation, and for partners and customers. |
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:
- ULO1: Evaluate approaches to influencing and creating meaning at work.
- ULO3: Analyse and apply approaches to meaning making that play a role in aligning employee buy-in of organisational narratives
- ULO2: Synthesise and apply concepts related to the role of visionary leadership and identity in meaning making in complex and dynamic organisational contexts
- ULO4: Create strategies to leverage meaning making through branding
- ULO5: Situate discussions of meaning making within broader social contexts and concerns
General Assessment Information
Submission
You will submit your assessment tasks via your online unit on Coursera.
For individual submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:
lastname-firstname-GMBAxxx-A1.*
lastname-firstname-GMBAxxx-A2.*
For group submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:
team-number-GMBAxxx-A1.*
team-number-GMBAxxx-A2.*
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Extensions
Please note that 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.
For any questions regarding your assignment submission or to apply for special consideration, please send an email to globalmba.support@mq.edu.au.
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Formatting instructions
These instructions pertain only to written assignments. In the case of other formats (e.g., slide decks) specific formatting instructions may apply. Written assignments should be in 11 point Arial font with 1.5 line spacing. Each page of the report should be numbered and have at minimum 2.5 cm margins from the left and right edges and top and bottom of the page. The word count is strictly enforced. The actual word length of the document, not including references or appendices, should be clearly stated on the title page of the report. Written assignments should have the following structure:
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A title page with the question, your student name and student number, word count of the text
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The body of the report structured with paragraphs and with appropriate headings and citations, with page numbers.
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Complete reference list of material cited in the text.
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Referencing
Please use the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition reference style. This means that when referring to an article or book etc, you indicate the author’s name followed by the year of publication (Jones, 1989). For multiple authors include all names (Jones, Smith, & Wilson, 1990). If you use a direct quote put the quoted words in “quotation marks” and include the page number with the reference (Jones, 1989, p. 76). A reference list should be presented in alphabetical order at the end of the paper. Further information on APA style is available at http://libguides.mq.edu.au/content.php?pid=85232&sid=634282
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Commercial in Confidence
Please note that you must not disclose any information marked ‘Commercial in Confidence’ without permission from the party who supplied it (e.g., your current or previous employer, customers, etc.).
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection and analysis | 40% | No | 19 May 2020, 11:59pm (AEST) |
| Purposeful meaning making | 60% | No | 11 June 2020, 11:59pm (AEST) |
Reflection and analysis
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 19 May 2020, 11:59pm (AEST)
Weighting: 40%
Length: max 1,000 words (excl. references)
Format: Written report
Task: You will be asked to analyse and synthesise factors that contribute to meaning and meaninglessness at work.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Evaluate approaches to influencing and creating meaning at work.
- Analyse and apply approaches to meaning making that play a role in aligning employee buy-in of organisational narratives
Purposeful meaning making
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: 11 June 2020, 11:59pm (AEST)
Weighting: 60%
Length: 2,500-3,000 words (excl. references)
Format: Written report
Task: In this task, you will be asked to identify and analyse factors that contribute the most to successful/unsuccessful higher purpose meaning making.
Please refer to the section Course Resources - Assessment Information in your online unit for detailed information on this assignment as well as the marking criteria. You will be asked to submit your completed task via the Assignment submission link in your online unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse and apply approaches to meaning making that play a role in aligning employee buy-in of organisational narratives
- Synthesise and apply concepts related to the role of visionary leadership and identity in meaning making in complex and dynamic organisational contexts
- Create strategies to leverage meaning making through branding
- Situate discussions of meaning making within broader social contexts and concerns
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Required text
There is no required textbook for this unit. Please refer to the weekly required readings in your online unit. All readings are available via the Macquarie University library and do not need to be purchased separately.
Delivery method
This unit will be delivered entirely online via the Coursera Learning Management System. Access to a personal computer is required to access the resources and learning materials on Coursera.
Unit Schedule
For this unit, Live Events (via the web conferencing software Zoom) will take place once a week starting in Week 1 and ending in Week 6. The links to the events are available via Live Events in the online unit. Students are strongly advised to attend the Live Events. Recordings of the live events will be made available within 24 hours of the event and can be accessed via Resources in the online unit.
Attending the Live Event each week is an opportunity to engage with the unit content, your Unit Convenor and classmates. Students are encouraged to complete specified Live Event preparation learning activities prior to each scheduled Live Event in order to get the most value out of these sessions.
Please note: The teaching schedule is subject to change. Please refer to your online unit for the latest schedule.
| Week | Live Events | Assessments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Webinar: Wednesday 6 May 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | |
| 2 | Webinar: Wednesday 13 May 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | |
| 3 | Webinar: Wednesday 20 May 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | A1 due: Tuesday 19 May 2020, 11:59pm (AEDT) |
| 4 | Webinar: Wednesday 27 May 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | |
| 5 | Webinar: Wednesday 3 June 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | |
| 6 | Webinar: Wednesday 10 June 2020, 6-7 pm (AEST) | A2 due: Thursday 11 June 2020, 11:59pm (AEST) |
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.)
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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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.