| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Dalbir Ahlawat
Convener
Dalbir Ahlawat
Contact via By email
Room 319, Level 3, 25 B Wally's Walk
By appointment
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
50cp at 2000 level or above and admission to BSecStudMCTerrorism or BSecStudMCrim or BSecStudMCyberSecAnalysis or BSecStudMIntell or BSecStudMSecStrategicStud
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
PICT8000 In person-scheduled-infrequent
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Strategy and decision making are the key to how organizations and nations survive. Those that do it well, thrive. Those that do it poorly, fail. While leaders are entrusted to make the "right" decisions at the right times, strategy is that underlying thought process that supports decision making. Through this unit we aim to help you prepare for future senior decision-making positions in government and the private sector. To achieve this, students will first gain a deep theoretical and conceptual understanding of strategic planning, leadership and decision-making. We will explore various perspectives on strategy, leadership and examine several cases of strategic decision making - as well as take a detailed look at biases that confound and stunt solid decision-making. In addition, we will invite senior leaders and decision-makers to speak to the unit (e.g. from government, academia, business, media, or think-tank communities). Students will be provided with ample time to ask questions and learn directly from the guest's experiences and lessons learnt. Finally, students will undertake several independent research and writing projects where they will combine the theoretical and practical elements of strategy, leadership and decision making. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leader Op-Ed | 30% | No | End of Week 7 |
| Guest Leader Profile | 20% | No | End of Week 12 |
| Leader Analysis Group Project (Paper & Presentation) | 50% | No | End of Week 13 |
Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: End of Week 7
Weighting: 30%
Students will write a compelling and well-informed Op-Ed essay which assesses a particular decision by a different leader than the one for their leadership focus project. Typically, an "op-ed" is an essay - usually found in a newspaper or magazine - that gives the opinion of the writer and that is written by someone who is not employed by the newspaper or magazine. Op-ed stands for opposite editorial. Op-Eds are sometimes referred to as Opinions and/or Commentaries.
The Op-Ed should assess a critical and/or controversial decision made by your chosen leader by providing a critique of that decision and by you making the case for an alternative decision (or decisions). You may complete the Op-Ed in groups of 1, 2 or 3.
The paper should be word processed/typed, double spaced font size Times New Roman 11 or 12 (or equivalent), 2.54 cm margins all round and include page numbers. Aim for 500 words (+/- 10%), no more. A distinct reference section including references that are appropriately used in the text. Students should refer to the rubric for this assignment and the Sage-Harvard format for references documents posted under General Assessment Resources.
Further structural requirements for the paper will be provided on iLearn.
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: End of Week 12
Weighting: 20%
This assignment asks you to develop a concise profile for a given leader. After all guest speakers have spoken, students will choose one of the guest speakers and will create a leadership profile for that individual. You may complete the Profile in groups of 1, 2 or 3.
The paper should be word processed/typed, double spaced font size Times New Roman 11 or 12 (or equivalent), 2.54 cm margins all round and include page numbers. Aim for 500 words (+/- 10%), no more. A distinct reference section including references that are appropriately used in the text. Students should refer to the rubric for this assignment and the Sage-Harvard format for references documents posted under General Assessment Resources.
Further structural requirements for the paper will be provided on iLearn.
Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 41 hours
Due: End of Week 13
Weighting: 50%
In week 1, in class students will be formed into groups and each group will be allocated a book about a given leader/leadership. Each group will be asked to develop both a jointly prepared research presentation for the rest of the class as well as critical research essay.
The paper should be word processed/typed, double spaced font size Times New Roman 11 or 12 (or equivalent), 2.54 cm margins all round and include page numbers. Aim for 3000 words (+/- 10%), no more. A distinct reference section including references that are appropriately used in the text. Students should refer to the rubric for this assignment and the Sage-Harvard format for references documents posted under General Assessment Resources.
Further structural requirements for the presentation and the paper will be provided on iLearn.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS
• You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.
• Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.
• In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.
REQUIRED READINGS
• The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site. Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.
TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED
• Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.
• This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/
• Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
• Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at http://students.mq.ed u.au/it_services/
SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS
• All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically. This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.
• Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.
• Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
• The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.
This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/ exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS
• Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.
• Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.
• If the number of words deviates from the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words deviation from the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).
• The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.
REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER
• Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
• In accordance with the Grade Appeal Policy, individual works are not subject to regrading.
STAFF AVAILABILITY
• Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.
• Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
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.
Unit information based on version 2025.01R of the Handbook