Students

BUS 651 – Work, Organisation and Management

2015 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Edward Wray-Bliss
edward.wray-bliss@mq.edu.au
Contact via email or in class
Building E4A, Room 651
By appointment
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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Assignment 1 25% 12pm (mid day) Friday Week 5 No
Assignment 2 35% 12pm (mid day) Friday Week 10 No
Final examination 40% University examination period No

Assignment 1

Due: 12pm (mid day) Friday Week 5
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

This individual academic essay is designed to develop not only your understanding of the unit but your skills of academic argument, structuring your work and referencing.  Details of the essay question(s) and further guidance will be provided in your first lecture.

You should upload your essay to turnitin on the unit's ilearn site before Friday 12pm (mid day) of Week 5.  We do not require you to hand-in a hard copy of your essay.

No extensions will be granted. Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. 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 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.
  • 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.

Assignment 2

Due: 12pm (mid day) Friday Week 10
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?:

This individual academic essay is designed to build upon the skills that you developed and feedback that you were provided with in your first assignment.  Details of the essay question(s) and further guidance will be provided in Week 5.

You should upload your essay to turnitin on the unit's ilearn site before Friday 12pm (mid day) of Week 10. We do not require you to hand-in a hard copy of your essay.

No extensions will be granted. Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. 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 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 university's 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.

Additionally, it is essential that you keep up to date with the reading for tutorials - details of which you will be given in the preceding weeks lecture.

 

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

In addition to this text, you will be expected to read items for each week's tutorial, the details of which will be given in the preceding week's lecture.

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

Topic

Tutorial & Assessment

1

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

No tutorial scheduled

2

The nature of work

Class activities
3

Studying work and organisation

 Class activities

4

Personality, identity and work

Class activities

5

Motivation and work

Class activities

6

Gender, Race, Disability and Class in work organisations

Class activities

(Assignment 1 due)

7

Technology and work

Class activities

8

Culture and organisations

Class activities

9

Leadership and management

Class activities

10

Decision making and ethics at work

Class activities

11

Power, politics and conflict

Class activities

(Assignment 2 due)

12

Globalisation and work

Class activities

13

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
  • Assignment 2
  • 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

  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Final examination

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Demonstrate skills relevant to graduate study, including verbal and written communication, independent research, critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving.

Assessment task

  • Assignment 2

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