Textbook

Robert Spillane, An Eye for an I: Philosophies of Personal Power, Sydney: GOKO Publishing, 2015, ISBN: 9781613397626

Strongly Recommended

Jean-Etienne Joullie and Robert Spillane, The Philosophical Foundations of Management Thought, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2015, ISBN: 9780739186022

For information on textbook prices and online ordering, please refer to the Co-Op Bookshop webpage at  http://www.coop.com.au  

Additional Readings

There are also many books which provide accounts of the lives and thoughts of the great philosophers.  Some readable examples follow.

D. Collinson, Fifty Major Philosophers, Routledge, 1988

D.E. Cooper, World Philosophies: An Historical Introduction, Blackwell, 1996

F. Copleston, A History of Philosophy, Doubleday, 1994 (9 volumes)

D. Hamlyn, The Penguin History of Western Philosophy, Penguin, 1987

Bryan Magee, The Great Philosophers, Oxford, 1989

R. Marks, B. Marks and R. Spillane, Funny Business: Management Unmasked, GOKO Publishing, 2017

A. O’Hear, What Philosophy Is, Penguin, 1985

R. Scruton, Modern Philosophy, Mandarin, 1996

J. Shand, Philosophy and Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy, McGill, 1993

R. Solomon and K. Higgins, A Short History of Philosophy, Oxford, 1996

R.Spillane, Entertaining Executives (A Play), GOKO Publishing, 2015

MGSM iLearn The web page for this unit can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MGSM

Block Class - 9-5pm (7-8 and 20-22 July 2018)

Monday Weekly Class - 9-1pm (Starts: 25 June 2018)

Unit objectives

a)    To compare and contrast philosophical perspectives by which people have attempted to understand the world, themselves and each other.

b)    To demonstrate that the field of management theory, whilst of recent origin, necessarily draws on a wide range of ancient wisdom.

c)    To encourage in students a sensitivity to language and so provide basic linguistic skills for the critical analysis of management theories and practices.

d)    To demonstrate that there is nothing as practical as a good theory.  

The real object of lecturing is not to communicate information but to try to plant germinal ideas in the mind and to arouse curiosity, not to satisfy it. A lecture ought not to be a handing over of coined thoughts to be stored away in mental strong boxes … what one tries to do in a lecture is to make a subject appear charming and interesting; to tempt one’s hearers to look into themselves; to sweep away the dreary tissue of unnecessary and useless knowledge in which many books involve a person and to present ideas in attractive form.”   (A.C. Benson)  

Block class schedule and dates:

* EI = R.Spillane, An Eye for an I: Philosophies of Personal Power, Sydney: GOKO Publishing, 2015

Monday Weekly class schedule and dates:

* EI = R.Spillane, An Eye for an I: Philosophies of Personal Power, Sydney: GOKO Publishing, 2015

Required Work in MGSM880  

Students are required to:

a)    prepare for and participate in seminars;

b)    participate in group presentation (20% of total mark);

c)    submit a group report (20% of total mark);

d)    complete a class quiz (20% of total mark);

e)    complete a three-hour, closed-book examination (40% of total mark).

Group Presentations.

Leadership: The unit explores philosophical approaches to leadership

Global mindset: The unit emphasises cross-cultural differences in management practices and values

Citizenship: The unit allows learners to evaluate their attitude to citizenship through a comparative analysis of Western ethical systems

Creating sustainable value: The unit assists the understanding of the philosophical status of Western values.

The interactive environment of the classroom is central to the MGSM experience. Students are required to attend the full duration of all classes for the units in which they are enrolled. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur, such as unavoidable travel on behalf of your organization or the serious illness or injury of you or a close family member. Special consideration may be given for a maximum of 20% non-attendance for such circumstances as long as lecturers are contacted in advance, and supporting documentation provided, to request exemption from attendance. Failure to abide by these conditions may result in automatic withdrawal, with academic and/or financial penalty. The full Student Attendance Policy is published in the MGSM Student Handbook at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/handbook

The content of this unit is provided for educational purposes only and no decision should be made based on the material without obtaining independent professional advice relating to the particular circumstances involved.