Unit Outline

Organisations are composed of people. The study of organisational culture is, therefore, fundamental to understanding how organisations work. The primary purpose of this unit is to enable you to learn how people relate to each other and work together in organisations through theoretical perspectives on, and practical approaches to human relations and organisational behaviour. The unit will draw upon current concepts from critical management and organisation studies – a field of research engages with a range of disciplinary perspectives including: philosophy, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science and economics). Hence, you will benefit from a contemporary research-informed approach to the study of human relations and organisational behaviour. The topics in the study schedule is divided into three modules, each of which building on the previous module. The first module (individuals in organisations: weeks 1-3) begins with a focus on understanding how individuals make sense of their experiences in organisations by examining theories and everyday examples of organisational situations and sense-making, individual identities, personalities and emotions. The second module (organisational groups: weeks 4-7) investigates conceptual and practical approaches to the analysis of human relations at the group or team level, including culture, power and influence, leadership and motivation. Finally, the third module (organisational culture: weeks 8-12) draws on theories and practices of how organisational communications, knowledge, bureaucracy, change and design influence peoples’ relationships with each other and with their organisations. Through your active participation in this unit, you will understand, integrate, and apply knowledge on how and why people act the way they do in organisations and learn how this knowledge can be used to improve everyday approaches to managing people and organisations.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Explain key theoretical concepts of Organisation Studies.
2	Apply Organisation Studies concepts to an organisational situation.
3	Communicate a reasoned argument to an academic audience for how to manage an organisational situation.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	BMA247, XPD101

Alterations as a result of student feedback

To be determined

How will I be Assessed?

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT TASK 1:	Literature Review	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
ASSESSMENT TASK 2:	Persuasive Essay	Week 8	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
ASSESSMENT TASK 3:	Group Presentation & Individual Reflection	Week 12	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Literature Review

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The aim of this individual task is to enable you to develop (i.e. learn or improve) your capability to identify, gather, summarise and reference academic research articles on key theoretical concepts of people and organisation from business and management journals. These are core skills required for the effective academic study throughout your degree.

This task enables assessment of your ability to achieve Learning Outcome 1, 2 and 3.

In weeks 2-4, learning activities including self-evaluation quizzes, a peer-to-peer discussion board and tutor support in workshops are provided to support your preparation for this assessment task.

To complete the Literature Review assessment task, you are required to do each of the following sub-tasks in order:

1. Read these assessment task instructions fully and ensure you understand the requirements.

2. Read the two journal articles provided via library links in the Assessment 1 learning task section on the Week 2 page of the BAA111 mylo site.

3. For each article complete the relevant sections of the literature review template provided in the Assessment 1 learning task section on the Week 2 page of the BAA111 mylo site, which requires you to answer (up to 150 words per article review):
a. What research problem/question does the article address?
b. What theory/theories are used in the article?
c. What are the key findings of the article?
d. What is the article’s contribution to knowledge?

4. Based on your answers to sub-task 3, identify what concept (covered in either week 2 or 3) the two articles address and complete the relevant section in the template provided (up to 10 words).

5. Now conduct a structured literature search via the UTAS library to identify and collate five more academic journal articles on the same concept as the two articles you reviewed in sub-tasks 2-5. (For you to learn/improve this skill, links to library resources and a specific learning activity are provided on the Week 3 page of the BAA111 mylo site.)

6. Read the five journal articles you collated in sub-task 5.

7. For each article complete the literature review template you used for sub-tasks 3-4 (up to 150 words per article review).

8. Based on your answers to sub-tasks 3-4 and 6-7, write a 200-word synthesis (i.e. summary) of what you learned overall (about the concept you identified in sub-task 4) from reading these seven articles in the relevant section of the template provided. Your summary must mention each article you reviewed and include correct in-text citations, by using the UTAS Harvard Referencing Style Guide linked to from the Assessment 1 learning task section on the Week 3 page of the BAA111 mylo site.

9. In the final section of the Literature Review Template, provide a correct reference list, by using the UTAS Harvard Referencing Style Guide.

10. Review your work for completeness, clarity and grammatical/spelling errors, and revise before submission.

11. Submit your completed Literature Review Template via the Assessment 1 portal on the BAA111 mylo site.

TASK LENGTH:

1500 words (+/-10%)

DUE DATE:

Week 5

WEIGHT:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Apply management theories and concepts to practical management contexts	LO1
2	Identify management theories/models and describe their implications for managing teams in organisations.	LO2
3	Use written or oral communication (including Harvard referencing) to recommend managerial solutions to specific teamwork issues.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Persuasive Essay

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The aim of this individual task is to enable you to develop (i.e. learn or improve) your capability to develop an academic argument to address an organisational situation. You are required to write a persuasive essay that addresses a specified problem statement.

This task enables assessment of your ability to achieve Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3.

In weeks 5-7, learning activities including self-evaluation quizzes, a peer-to-peer discussion board and tutor support in workshops are provided to support your preparation for this assessment task.

To complete the Persuasive Essay assessment task, you are required to do each of the following sub-tasks in order:

1. Read these assessment task instructions fully and ensure you understand the requirements.

2. Select one of the three problem statements provided on the Assessment 2 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. Each problem statement relates to a topic discussed in the unit in weeks 2-6.

3. Conduct an internet search to understand the context of the chosen organisational situation and problem statement, and make notes for your future reference.

4. Conduct a literature search to find a minimum of eight academic journal articles to identify at least one theoretical concept covered in the unit that will assist you in addressing your chosen problem statement.

5. Read and review the academic journal articles you find, and make notes on how their content might assist you in addressing your chosen problem statement.

6. Review the resources on writing persuasive essays provided in the Assessment 2 learning task section on the Week 6 page of the BAA111 MyLO site.

7. Using your notes from sub-tasks 3-4, write a 1,500-word persuasive essay referring to a minimum of eight academic journal articles (with correct in-text citations and a correct reference list). Your essay must demonstrate your research-informed understanding of the chosen real-world organisational situation, and provide a persuasive argument for how to resolve the problem defined in the problem statement.

8. Review your essay for completeness, clarity of argument and grammatical/spelling errors, and revise before submission.

9. Submit your completed persuasive essay via the Assessment 2 portal on the BAA111 MyLO site.

TASK LENGTH:

1500 words (+/- 10%) excluding reference list. NB. A minimum of eight (8) academic references is required.

DUE DATE:

Week 8

WEIGHT:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Identify and define theories and concepts related to managing teams of people in organisations.	LO1
2	Use the concepts and language of professional management in context.	LO1
3	Apply management theories and concepts to practical management contexts	LO1
4	Identify management theories/models and describe their implications for managing teams in organisations.	LO2
5	Use judgement to identify specific teamwork issues.	LO3
6	Use written or oral communication to recommend managerial solutions to specific teamwork issues.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Group Presentation & Individual Reflection

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The aim of this group task is to enable you to develop (i.e. learn or improve) your capability to work in a group, to research the past, present and future of a hypothetical organisational work role, and present your group’s findings and recommendations. You are required to work in a group of 3-5 students to produce a pre-recorded presentation that evaluates a specific work role and provide evidence (meeting minutes) of at least four group meetings in which you collaborated on this assessment task.

This task enables assessment of your ability to achieve Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3.

In week 8, you will be randomly assigned to a group using the MyLO group functionality (see note below). All group members are expected to contribute equally to this assessment task.

In weeks 8-11, learning activities including self-evaluation quizzes, a peer-to-peer discussion board and tutor support in workshops are provided to support your group formation and preparation for this assessment task.

To complete the Group Presentation assessment task, you are required to do each of the following sub-tasks as a group:

1. Read these assessment task instructions fully and ensure you understand the requirements.

2. As a group, meet online or in person to review and select one of the work roles, and review the guidance on how to research that work role provided on the Assessment 3 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. One group member is required to keep accurate minutes of the meeting using the template provided on the same page. Also, in that meeting, plan how you will each research the work role when you will meet, and how you will together present and record your research findings and recommendations. (It is recommended this meeting be conducted in week 8.)

3. Conduct an internet search to understand the context and examples of the chosen work role, and make notes for your future reference. Note that you are not researching a specific real-world work role or specific people, but a generic hypothetical work role. Do not interview, observe or record real people for this assessment task. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 4.)

4. Conduct a literature search to find academic journal articles to identify at least one theoretical concept covered in the unit that will assist you in understanding your chosen work role. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 3.)

5. As a group, meet online or in person to review and discuss your findings from sub-tasks 3-4, review your progress against the plan agreed upon in the first meeting (sub-task 2), and agree on how your group will complete sub-tasks 6-7. One group member is required to keep accurate minutes of the meeting using the template provided on the Assessment 3 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. (It is recommended this meeting be conducted in week 9.)

6. Read and review the academic journal articles your group found and, contrasting them with your group’s notes from sub-task 3, make notes on how their content might assist you in understanding your chosen work role. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 7.)

7. Review the resources on recording and presentation skills provided in the Assessment 3 learning task section on the Week 9 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 6.)

8. As a group, meet online or in person to review and discuss your findings from sub-tasks 6-7, review your progress against the plan agreed upon in the first meeting (sub-task 2), and agree on how your group will complete sub-tasks 9-10. One group member is required to keep accurate minutes of the meeting using the template provided on the Assessment 3 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. (It is recommended this meeting be conducted in week 10.)

9. Using your notes from sub-tasks 3-8, develop recommendations for the future of the chosen work role. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 10.)

10. Using your notes from sub-tasks 3-8, draft a group presentation about the past, present and future of the chosen work role. Your presentation must demonstrate your research-informed understanding of that work role. (At least two group members should be involved in this sub-task. It can be done at the same time as sub-task 9.)

11. As a group, meet online or in-person to review and discuss your work from sub-tasks 6-7, review your progress against the plan agreed in the first meeting (sub-task 2), add the recommendations from sub-task 9 to the presentation, practice your presentation together, and agree how your group will complete sub-tasks 9-10. One group member is required to keep accurate minutes of the meeting using the template provided on the Assessment 3 page of the BAA111 MyLO site. (It is recommended this meeting be conducted in week 11.)

12. Review your presentation for completeness, clarity of argument and grammatical/spelling errors, revise it, and practice it, before recording. (All group members should be involved in this sub-task.)

13. Record your presentation, and edit/re-record it if necessary. (All group members should be involved in this sub-task. Guidance on how to record your presentation is provided on the Assessment 3 page of the BAA111 MyLO site.)

14. Submit your recorded presentation and the completed meeting minutes templates from at least four group meetings via the Assessment 3 portal on the BAA111 MyLO site.

NOTE: Only in exceptional circumstances will student requests for group changes be considered by the Unit Coordinator. Only written requests via email to the Unit Coordinator sent before Friday at 5pm (Hobart time) will be considered. Exceptional circumstances include, but are not limited to:

Ill-health or a university-approved leave of absence that prevents one or more students from participating in the assessment task for an extended period of time;

Non-participation by one or more students, which causes a group to have less than three students working on the assessment task;

Behaviour by one or more students that disrupts, marginalises or excludes one or more other students.

TASK LENGTH:

Part 1: Group Presentation 15 minutes Part 2: Individual Reflection 500 words (+/- 10%)

DUE DATE:

Week 12

WEIGHT:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Identify and define theories and concepts related to managing teams of people in organisations.	LO1
2	Use the concepts and language of professional management in context.	LO2
3	Apply management theories and concepts to practical management contexts	LO3
4	Identify management theories/models and describe their implications for managing teams in organisations.	LO2
5	Use judgement to recommend solutions to routine organisational problems.	LO2
6	Use judgement to identify specific teamwork issues.	LO3
7	Use written or oral communication to recommend managerial solutions to specific teamwork issues.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late Penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.