Students

BUS 651 – Work, Organisation and Management

2015 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Cathy Xu
cathy.xu@mq.edu.au
Contact via cathy.xu@mq.edu.au
Room 208, E4A Building
Friday 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Yang Yang
yang.yang@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCom or MBioTechMCom or MAcc(Prof)MCom
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit provides a graduate-level introduction to theories, concepts, processes and debates in the field. Students taking the unit will critically explore a range of topics which include: the changing nature of work and organisations, the development of modern labour management thought, theoretical foundations for understanding behaviour in the workplace, current trends in management methods, key management roles and functions, gender and work, interconnections between paid and unpaid work, the relationship between work and identity, technological change, and ethics and fairness in organisations.

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:

  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.
  • Demonstrate skills relevant to graduate study, including verbal and written communication, independent research, critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria and marking guides will be available on iLearn from Week 2.

If you experience disruptions that adversely affect your academic performance in assessment activities, please see the universities Disruption to Studies Policy.

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Assignment 1 10% Week 4 in class No
Group case presentation 20% Week 7 in class No
Individual Essay 30% Week 10 (15 May) No
Final examination 40% University examination period No

Assignment 1

Due: Week 4 in class
Weighting: 10%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

This individual written assignment is designed to develop not only your understanding of the unit but your writing, research and referencing skills.

A hard copy of this assignment is to be handed in during your Week 4 tutorial.

No extensions will be granted. Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% 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 – 40% penalty).

This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption of Studies is made and approved. 

Note electronic assignments will NOT be marked.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate skills relevant to graduate study, including verbal and written communication, independent research, critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Group case presentation

Due: Week 7 in class
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

This group assignment is designed to develop your case study skills through secondary research. The exercise will also allow you to gain teamwork experience and polish your verbal communication skills, both are essential in a work environment. Sharing your learning and knowledge with the class will stimulate relevant discussion and new ideas. Additionally, if applicable, you may refer to this case study in your essay to support your argument. This assessment involves two specific tasks:

  • Task 1 Case Summary (10%): A hard copy of case study summary is to be handed in prior to the presentation in Week 7 tutorial.
  • Task 2 Presentation (10%): Each group will present their case study in class in an assigned tutorial of Week 7 or 8. They will also lead class discussion on the case and answer questions from peer students.

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not presented in the scheduled class will be awarded a mark of 0 for Task 2 Presentation. Late submission of Case Summary (see Task 1 above) will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% 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 – 40% penalty).

This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption of Studies is made and approved.

Note electronic assignments will NOT be marked.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Demonstrate skills relevant to graduate study, including verbal and written communication, independent research, critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Individual Essay

Due: Week 10 (15 May)
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

Through completion of this assessment, students will learn how to:

  • Research a topic in an in-depth manner.
  • Provide a critical perspective of the literature on a topic.
  • Construct a sustained argument in response to the question.

A hard copy of the essay is to be handed in during your Week 10 tutorial; AND, a word version of the essay is to be submitted electronically to Turnitin on iLearn by 12:00noon on the due day.

No extensions will be granted. Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% 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 – 40% penalty).

This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption of Studies is made and approved.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Demonstrate skills relevant to graduate study, including verbal and written communication, independent research, critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Final examination

Due: University examination period
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

A three hour final examination for this unit will be held during the University examination period. Further details will be provided during the examination briefing. The exam is worth 40 per cent. A final examination is included as an assessment task for this unit to provide assurance that:

  1. the product belongs to the student and
  2. the student has attained the knowledge and skills tested in the exam.

If you experience disruptions that adversely affect your academic performance in assessment activities, please see the universities Disruption to Studies Policy.

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

Number and length of classes: 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week consisting; 1 x 2 hour lecture and a 1 hour tutorial

The timetable for classes can be found on the University website at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au 

 

Technology Used and Required

Technology used: iLearn. Please ensure that you have access to a personal computer so you are able to use iLearn.

Students will find resources to assist there study on iLearn, such as lecture notes and other resources. Please check iLearn regularly for announcements.

 

Unit web page

 Course material is available on the learning management system (iLearn) http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

 

Learning and Teaching Activities

The unit is taught using a combination of lectures & tutorials.

 

What is expected from students?

To achieve the learning outcmes of this unit, students are expected to ...

  • participate in lecture and tutorial activities, respond to questions raised in lectures and read the newspaper in order to keep abreast of current workplace issues.
  • read and prepare in advance for tutorials. If you have not prepared adequately, you will not benefit from the learning opportunities provided by a small class.
  • attend lectures and tutorials. The lecture sets the context for tutorial work in the following week and will also highlight the key concepts and skills that will form the basis upon which you will be assessed in examination and assessment. Tutorials are not intended to provide you with the content presented in the textbook or to rehash the lecture but rather to build on this material to achieve better understanding of concepts developed in this Unit. Tutorials should be interactive, dynamic and fun! But it is ultimately up to you as a student to make your tutorials dynamic by coming prepared to contribute.
  • arrive on time and not to leave until the class ends.
  • treat other students with respect.

Attendance will be taken in the tutorials.

  • Warning: You must attend at least 10 of the 11 tutorials.  Failure to do this may affect your final mark.

 

Required text and recommended materials

Required text:

Bratton, J., Sawchuk, P., Forshaw, C., Callinan, M. & Corbett, M. (2010), Work & Organisational Behaviour, 2nd edition, Palgrave MacMillian, United Kingdom. 

This text is compulsory and can be purchased from the Macquarie University Co-op Bookshop

Newspapers:

Students are encouraged to read a good daily newspaper such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian or The Australian Financial Review. 

Journal articles

Apart from books, students will find it valuable to get into the practice of reading relevant articles from journals. Below students will find a list of journals. Some suggested articles will also be provide through out the course to start their reading. These can all be found within the university library system.

  • Academy of Management Journal
  • Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources
  • Australian Journal of Management
  • California Management Review
  • Employee Relations
  • Gender, Work and Organisation
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Human Resource Management Journal
  • International Journal of Employment Studies
  • International Journal of Human Resource Management
  • International Journal of Manpower
  • Labour & Industry
  • New Technology, Work and Employment
  • Personnel Journal
  • Personnel Management
  • Personnel Review
  • Sloan Management Review
  • The Journal of Industrial Relations

Unit Schedule

Weekly Program Outline 

Week

Date

Topic

Tutorial & Assessment

1

27 February

Introduction to unit and the theoretical foundations for understanding behaviour in the workplace

No tutorial scheduled

2

6 March

The nature of work and the key actors in organisations

Class activities

3

13 March

Personality, identity and work

Class activities

4

20 March

Decision making in organisations

Class activities

(Assignment 1 due)

5

27 March

Human resource management

Class activities

6

3 April

No class scheduled due to public holiday

 

 

3–17 April

MID SEMESTER BREAK

 

7

24 April

Learning and innovation

Case presentations & class discussion

(Written case summary due)

8

1 May

Motivation at work and employee engagement

Case presentations & class discussion

9

8 May

Ethics and fairness in organisations

Class activities

10

15 May

Organisational design and organisational culture

Class activities

(Individual Essay due)

11

22 May

Leadership and organisational change

Class activities

12

29 May

The future of work in organisations

Class activities

13

5 June

Examination briefing and unit review

Class activities

    Note: Changes to this outline, if required, will be discussed in class and/or announced on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of 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/support/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://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use 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

  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Individual Essay
  • Final examination

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

  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.

Assessment tasks

  • Individual Essay
  • Final examination

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

  • Identify the key issues that influence our understanding of work and appreciate how these change over time.
  • Compare different perspectives on and approaches to work and management and assess their implications.
  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.
  • Explore how these issues affect management and organisations.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment 1
  • Individual Essay

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Critique current debates and practice regarding gender, ethical practice, flexibility, organisational structure and organisational change.

Assessment task

  • Final examination

Changes from Previous Offering

Assessment Tasks and Unit Schedule (Weekly Program) have been updated.

Research and Practice

- This unit uses research from external sources

- This unit gives you opportunities to conduct your own research

- This unit examines global context through case studies and literature review