Students

MGMT8052 – Managing Performance and Rewards

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Denise Jepsen
denise.jepsen@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Room 641, Level 6, 4 Eastern Road
On request by appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MGMT6051
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The effective management of employee performance and rewards in organisations is crucial for organisational productivity, success and sustainability. This unit examines the important interactions between three critical aspects of HRM: job evaluation, performance management and employee remuneration and benefits. Drawing on theory and contemporary practice, the unit adopts a strategic perspective by examining how the purposive design of remuneration and employee performance systems can serve organisational and employee needs while meeting equity, ethics and efficiency objectives.

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: Assess the strategic challenges posed by internal and external labour markets in managing employee performance and reward systems in modern organisations.
  • ULO2: Research and critically evaluate the interplay between managing job evaluation, performance management (individual and team), and rewards.
  • ULO3: Compare the strengths and limitations of different performance management and reward systems in terms of their impact on organisations and employees.
  • ULO4: Develop the capacity to design and implement a performance management and reward system.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments)

 If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0. 

Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100. 

Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30. 

 

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date. 

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Skills development: Applied performance and rewards analysis 30% No 24/08/2026 Individual Yes Open
Professional practice: Applied reward strategy design 30% No 17/09/2026 Group No Observed
Skills development: Performance and reward system design 40% No 02/11/2026 Individual Yes Open

Skills development: Applied performance and rewards analysis

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 24/08/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding of course concepts and theories by applying them to a case study.
 
You will apply relevant Performance and Rewards theories to analyse a case scenario and formulate theoretically grounded recommendations for resolving the identified issues.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Communication skills
 
Deliverable(s): Written case study [max 1000 words]
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess the strategic challenges posed by internal and external labour markets in managing employee performance and reward systems in modern organisations.
  • Research and critically evaluate the interplay between managing job evaluation, performance management (individual and team), and rewards.

Professional practice: Applied reward strategy design

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 17/09/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is for you to apply course concepts and theory to demonstrate knowledge of how a reward & recognition can promote employee performance, engagement, and productivity. Students should be able to apply problem solving techniques to help design employee reward incentives that will deliver on organisational goals and cultural values.
 
You will examine the culture and business strategy of an organisation of your choosing, research and identify a reward and recognition platform that most appropriately aligns with the culture, business strategy, and overall context of the organisation.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Communication skills
  • Collaboration skills
  • Work readiness
 
Deliverable(s): Oral presentation (20 min max per group)
 
Group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess the strategic challenges posed by internal and external labour markets in managing employee performance and reward systems in modern organisations.
  • Research and critically evaluate the interplay between managing job evaluation, performance management (individual and team), and rewards.
  • Compare the strengths and limitations of different performance management and reward systems in terms of their impact on organisations and employees.
  • Develop the capacity to design and implement a performance management and reward system.

Skills development: Performance and reward system design

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 02/11/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to apply course concepts and theory to demonstrate knowledge of how modern organisations can design and implement performance management and reward systems that balance strategic business objectives with employee engagement and fairness.
 
You will critically compare at least two different approaches, propose a system suited to a specific organisational context, and reflect on how your understanding of effective performance and reward management has evolved through your personal experiences, values, or observations.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Communication skills
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Work readiness
 
Deliverable(s): Written report [max 1800 words]
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess the strategic challenges posed by internal and external labour markets in managing employee performance and reward systems in modern organisations.
  • Research and critically evaluate the interplay between managing job evaluation, performance management (individual and team), and rewards.
  • Develop the capacity to design and implement a performance management and reward system.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Resources will be available on iLearn

Unit Schedule

Refer to the unit's iLearn site.

Policies and Procedures

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.

Student Code of Conduct

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

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

Academic Integrity

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.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

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. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

The unit outline has been updated to reflect a shift from predominantly written assessment tasks to in-person oral assessment formats. This change is designed to strengthen authentic learning, communication skills, and academic integrity, and to better align assessment with the applied and interpersonal capabilities required in professional practice.

Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook