Students
BBA 111 – Organisational Behaviour
2018 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Dr Joseph McIvor
Contact via Email
Sessional staff area, 4ER222 (formerly E4A222)
3pm-4pm Monday, other times by appointment
Tutor
Farah Fayyad
Contact via Email
Tutor
Mojdeh Tavanayan
Contact via Email
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Organisational behaviour considers how individuals behave in organisations. The unit provides an overview of major topics in organisational behaviour including: organisational structure, identity, diversity, culture, motivation, power, politics and resistance in organisations, organisational stupidity, and fun at work.
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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:
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class participation | 20% | No | Tutorials 2-12 |
| Critical summaries of reading | 40% | No | weeks 7 & 11 |
| Essay | 40% | No | June 11 9am |
Class participation
Due: Tutorials 2-12
Weighting: 20%
Assessment task 1 will reward participation in your tutorial groups. This is a mark for active participation in the tutorial, and not simply attendance, though attendance is obviously a necessary precondition for participation. This will start in tutorial 2 and finish in tutorial 12. Students must actively participate in at least 8 of these tutorials to maximise their marks. Students will be assessed on both the quality and quantity of their participation, including demonstration of preparation. This unit has been designed to develop learning incrementally, on a week by week basis. Tutors will be responsible for awarding these marks. Attendance will be recorded, but is not a sufficient condition for achievement of participation marks. Satisfactory completion of critical summaries of reading for all weeks (see below) will also contribute to this mark, on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Critical summaries of reading
Due: weeks 7 & 11
Weighting: 40%
Each week students are required to read the recommended research papers provided for discussion in each tutorial. Students will write a short critical summary of each paper. These commentaries should be handed in week 7 (papers from weeks 2-7) and 11 (papers from tutorials 8-11). The critical summaries should be word processed and approximately 350 words for each week/article.
For each round of summaries, three should be submitted for marking in this assessment. However, satisfactory completion of all five for submission one and all four for submission two is necessary to maximise class participation marks (see above). Students should clearly indicate which three of each five are to be marked.
Soft copies in Word format (jpeg or PDF are unacceptable) should be submitted to Turnitin by 9am on the Monday of the week in which it is due, which is Monday April 9 for the first (week 7) submission and 21 May for the second (Week 11) submission. The turnitin submission will be used to determine whether the paper was submitted on time. Hard copies should then be handed in to tutors in tutorials. Please let your tutor know if you are unable to attend the tutorial.
The key aim of this task is to encourage reading, develop critical thinking skills and develop academic writing skills.
Students will write these commentaries on A4 paper, using size 12 font and 1.5 lines spacing. Short headings (not counting towards word count) should be included for each paper.
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 is at a 'flat' rate ie. 2 marks per day regardless of the awarded mark. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after marks have been posted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Essay
Due: June 11 9am
Weighting: 40%
A 1,500 word essay (excluding references) will be set in lecture 3. Students will have a choice of two essays to choose from.
Soft copies of essays in Word format (jpeg, PDF or other formats are unacceptable) will be submitted electronically through Turnitin by 9am on Monday June the 11th. The papers should use size 12 font and 1.5 lines spacing.
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 is at a 'flat' rate ie. 4 marks per day regardless of the awarded mark. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after marks have been posted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Delivery and Resources
Students are expected to complete all assessment tasks for this subject. Successful completion of this unit requires the student to achieve at least 50% in total in the assessment tasks offered.
This unit has been designed to give students a foundation to organization behaviour. Lectures will be based on providing a historical overview of key features of organization behaviour, as well as highlighting the contemporary issues that exist for students of organization behaviour in the 21st century. Alongside acquiring knowledge of organization behaviour, the course has been designed to develop your critical thinking and writing skills.
Classes: 1 x 2 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour tutorial each week, i.e 3 hours of class each week unless otherwise indicated in the lecture schedule. Classes may vary due to public holidays.
This is a research-led course. No textbook is required. However, if you really like reading textbooks and feel safe carrying one around, any basic organization behaviour texts will assist. However, please note that there are stark differences between the ways in which organization behaviour as a subject is written about depending on the cultural location of the author. In other words, an American textbook is much different to a textbook written by an academic in Sweden. We will discuss this through the course.
All recommended readings will be provided for you through eReserve. Any additional materials used in the course will be loaded onto iLearn. The iLearn web address can be found here (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au). Your assessment depends on you reading these articles. All resources will be provided on the iLearn site on these sites and it is essential that you know how they work. Please seek help from IT support if you require IT assistance. Tutors and the unit convenor will use iLearn to communicate any changes in the course to you.
The final essay required requires you to research journal articles for the preparation of your essay. We will discuss this in lecture 3.
Failure to attend your tutorials will affect your marks. Lecture attendance is strongly recommended. Students who attend lectures and tutorials perform better than those who don't, and this unit prepares students for future studies.
To pass this unit, please complete the readings provided, think critically about the ideas and subjects covered in the course, and complete the coursework and essay to the best of your ability. The critical thinking and writing skills you acquire through the tutorials and the critical commentaries of the journal articles provides will prepare you for the final essay. We will discuss critical thinking and writing essays in the lectures. If you need further assistance please contact your tutor.
The link to the timetable can be found here: http://timetables.mq.edu.au.
You will need access to a computer to access the course materials and journal papers provided. You will need to word process your final essays.
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.)
Undergraduate 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 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://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.
Graduate Capabilities
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
Assessment task
- Class participation
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
- To understand the political, social and cultural landscape in which organizations operate.
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Critical summaries of reading
- Essay
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
- To critically explore the ways organizations behave.
- To analyse the ways in which organizations influence people, and the ways in which people shape organizational behaviour.
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Assessment tasks
- Critical summaries of reading
- Essay
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
- To develop critical thinking and writing skills in organization behaviour.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Critical summaries of reading
- Essay
Research and Practice, Global Contexts and Sustainability
This unit draws on contemporary research conducted in business and management, including Professor Pullen's own research in the subject of organization studies, on the key themes and issues covered in this course. Contemporary journal articles, media resources and organizational materials will be used to work through the issues facing organizations. Of central importance is the ways in which students draw parallels between theory from the journal articles and organizational practices. This will be a key feature of the lectures. This unit studies organizations in different global contexts and draws on international research articles to do so. It is vital that students appreciate that the ways in which we study and understand organization behaviour is different in diverse global contexts. Running through this unit is a core focus on issues of in/equality and in/justice and how they relate to developing sustainable organizations.
Changes since First Published
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 26/02/2018 | Under 'Critical Summaries', papers for 'tutorials 8-10' should have read '8-11' per the schedule and other instructions. |
| 19/02/2018 | * Changes to assessment due dates to reflect the current semester and public holiday times. Primarily affects the Critical Summaries and to a lesser extent Class Participation. |