Unit Outline

BAA111

People and Organisations

Shanghai Semester 2, 2024

Tasmanian School of Business & Economics (TSBE)

College of Business and Economics

CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Contact Details

Unit Coordinator

Dr Gemma Lewis

Email: Gemma.Lewis@utas.edu.au

Local Lecturer

Lecturer

Cindy He

Email: s-he@shou.edu.cn

		Contents Contents.. 3 What is the Unit About?.. 4 Unit Description.. 4 Intended Learning Outcomes.. 4 Requisites.. 5 How will I be Assessed?.. 6 Assessment schedule.. 6 Assessment details.. 6 How your final result is determined.. 10 Submission of assignments.. 10 Requests for extensions.. 10 Late penalties.. 10 Review of results and appeals.. 10 Required Resources.. 12 Required reading materials.. 12 Recommended reading materials.. 12 Other required resources.. 12 AACSB Accreditation.. 14 Sustainability.. 14

What is the Unit About?

Unit Description

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 are divided into three modules, each of which building on the previous module. The first module 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 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 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.
4.	Demonstrate teamwork skills through interpersonal communication and group-based problem solving.

Requisites

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

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule

ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Lifeline Exercise	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Journal Article Review Exercise	Week 8	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Teamwork Scenario and Educational Video	Weeks 12-13	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Lifeline Exercise

Task Description:

For this task you will complete a Lifeline Exercise using the DEAL (Describe, Examine and Articulate Learning) model of reflection.

The task is divided into two parts. For Part 1, you will make an individual post to a discussion board in MyLO, in which you describe your life according to 7-year segments and identify which concepts in the unit help make sense of your significant events and relationships. Once you have completed your original post, you will reply to the posts of at least two peers and discuss the similarities and differences in your life experiences. Both the ‘original’ and ‘reply’ posts are due by the end of Week 3.

For Part 2 you will write a reflection examining your knowledge from Part 1, as well as explaining how your experiences (and those of your peers) contributes to your understanding of people and organisations. Part 2 is due at the end of Week 5. If you do not complete Part 1, you will not be permitted to submit Part 2.

The assessment criteria are provided below. Standard descriptors for these criteria are included in the assessment rubric. This, along with more detailed instructions, will be available in MyLO.

Task Length:

Discussion posts x3 plus a 500-word reflection

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Explain how theories and concepts of people and organisations make sense in a practical context.	LO1
2	Reflect on own ideas and experiences to form conclusions and respond to new situations.	LO2
3	Communicate own ideas and opinions of others in writing.	LO3
4	Engage in peer-to-peer discussions in a timely and considered manner.	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Journal Article Review Exercise

Task Description:

This task will assist you to develop key skills you will use at university (such as identifying, gathering, summarising, and referencing academic sources), as well as your ability to explain how theory and studies of people and organisations contribute to the achievement of a more inclusive and prosperous society.

You will choose a topic from the first two modules and will independently search for and identify three (x3) peer-reviewed journal articles related to this topic. A sample article for each topic will also be provided, for which you will need to read and summarise in your own words and acknowledge with in-text citations and a reference list entry, as per the UTAS Harvard referencing style guidelines.

After gathering and reviewing your own articles, you will then explain using your own words, 1) how and why you chose each of the articles, 2) what the strengths and weaknesses of each article are, and 3) how the findings from at least one of the articles you chose, contributes to the achievement of a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.

The assessment criteria are provided below. Standard descriptors for these criteria are included in the assessment rubric. This, along with more detailed instructions, will be available in MyLO.

Task Length:

2000 words (+/-10%)

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Explain and justify the relevance and impact of organisational theory and literature.	LO1
2	Apply organisational theory and concepts to a sustainable development context.	LO2
3	Communicate own ideas and opinions of others in writing.	LO3
4	Identify and acknowledge academic sources using prescribed research and referencing conventions.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Teamwork Scenario and Educational Video

Task Description:

This assessment requires you to work in groups during the unit to problem-solve a series of challenges facing organisations. By the end of the unit, you will individually deliver a presentation (with accompanying presentation script) that advises future students of your key learnings regarding individuals, organisations, and teamwork.

You will be supported to interact with your group in-class. To understand how your role and contribution impacted others, you will individually complete a survey containing self-evaluation and peer feedback questions. Part of your mark for this assessment will be allocated to your contribution to the group, measured according to the feedback survey.

The assessment criteria are provided below. Standard descriptors for these criteria are included in the assessment rubric. This, along with more detailed instructions, will be available in MyLO.

Task Length:

5-minute video, presentation script, and feedback survey

Due Date:

Weeks 12-13

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Identify and define theories and concepts related to managing teams of people in organisations.	LO1
2	Apply theories and concepts to the evaluation of organisational challenges.	LO2
3	Use written or oral communication to justify practical solutions to organisational challenges.	LO3
4	Engage in peer-to-peer discussions in a timely and considered manner.	LO4
5	Contribute individual ideas and evidence to group problem-solving.	LO4

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.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

There

Required readings will be provided electronically via a reading list. You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO.

Other required resources

In addition to the text and recommended readings above, you are also expected to be familiar with the key academic journals in the discipline. In particular, you are encouraged to review regularly the relevant papers that are published in:
• Academy of Management Perspectives
• Academy of Management Journal
• Academy of Management Review
• Administrative Science Quarterly
• Annual Review of Psychology
• Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources
• Harvard Business Review
• Human Relations
• Journal of Applied Psychology
• Journal of Management
• Journal of Managerial Psychology
• Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
• Journal of Organisational Behaviour Management
• Journal of Organizational Behaviour
• Journal of Personality & Social Psychology
• Journal of Management and Organisation
• MIT Sloan Management Review
• Organizational Behaviour & Human Performance
• Organizational Dynamics
• Organization Studies

Unit schedule

Week	Date beginning	Lecture Topic	Assessment Information
1	26 February	Introduction to People and Organisations
2	4 March	Personality and values
3	11 March	Diversity, equity, and inclusion
4	18 March	Employee motivation
5	25 March	Groups and teamwork	Lifeline Exercise (AT1) due Week 5
6a	1 April	Special topic: finding and using journal articles (for Assessment Task 2)
Qingming Break: Thursday 4 April – Saturday 6 April Mid-Semester Break: Thursday 4 April – Wednesday 10 April
6b	11 April	Special topic: finding and using journal articles (for Assessment Task 2)
7	15 April	Group communication
8	22 April	Leading groups and teams	Journal Article Review Exercise (AT2) due Week 8
9	29 April	Power and influence
Labor Festival Break: Wednesday 1 May – Sunday 5 May
10	6 May	Organisational change and adaptive cultures
11	13 May	Final assignment preparation and unit review
12	20 May	Final assignment delivery	Presentations (AT3) due Week 12-13
13	27 May	Final assignment delivery	Presentations (AT3) due Week 12-13
Study Period: 3 June to 7 June
Exam Period: 10 June to 21 June

AACSB Accreditation

The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE) gained initial Business Accreditation from the AACSB International (AACSB) in July 2021 – the lead program for accrediting business schools globally. AACSB seeks to connect educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal – to create the next generation of business leaders.

AACSB is the most reputable standard in business education and TSBE is now one of an elite group of the world’s business schools. By being an AACSB accredited School, TSBE has joined a global alliance committed to improve the quality of business education around the world, and to share the latest innovations in business education.

Gaining Business Accreditation with AACSB means that we have satisfied a multi-year process involving TSBE demonstrating our performance against the 15 accreditation standards.

TSBE has joined a select community of accredited business schools, with only five percent of all business schools globally accredited with AACSB. This will further enhance the reputation of TSBE, as well as the global recognition of your qualifications. To find out more about AACSB click here.

Sustainability

The College of Business and Economics is now a PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) signatory. We are committed to the six PRME values of Purpose, Values, Method, Research, Partnership and Dialogue and you will see in various units how we embed sustainability values in our teaching and research and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Across all sustainable development goals, our university is ranked at 25 overall globally, and for Sustainable Development Goal 13 – Climate Action – UTAS is the number one university. For more information about PRME, click here.