Unit Outline

Good communication skills are essential to managing people and organisations. Management Communications will provide students with theoretical understanding of what communication is (hint: communication is everywhere, all the time!), and a range of practical communication skills relevant to managing people and organisations in a variety of contexts. Students will deepen their understanding of key communication models, conduct audiences analysis, select appropriate media (hint: email is not the only nor necessarily best way to communicate with people), and craft compelling communications suited to a range of issues and contexts. The unit includes individual assessments, group assessments, and peer-review. Peer-review is used to provide students with additional subject-matter feedback (i.e. in addition to what the teaching team provides) as well as the chance to experience (and get better at!) giving and receiving feedback, which are essential communication skills. Workshops (on-campus and online) will be activity-based, provide time for hands-on learning, group work, presentations, and peer feedback. Management Communications will stretch you, but in a good way. By the time you’ve completed the unit, you’ll be a more confident and competent communicator, equipped with skills to help you effectively manage 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.	Apply communication theory and models to analyse issues managers face.
2.	Communicate to diverse audiences using a variety of media.
3.	Analyse the implications of changing communication technologies for managing people and organisations.
4.	Apply communication skills in group situations to achieve positive team dynamics and team goals.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	Managers' Brief	Week 4	20 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:	Team Case Analysis - PART A	Week 8	40 %	LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Team Case Analysis - PART B	Week 9	10 %	LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Individual (Employment) Pitch	Week 12	30 %	LO1, LO2

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Managers' Brief

Task Description:

The purpose of this individual assessment task is to provide you with the opportunity to research key communication theories and/or models to explore how useful they are to modern management practice. You will need to draw on academic literature to write a short, insightful Managers' Brief, formatted in a way that is well-suited to your target audience (i.e., colleague managers within your specific organisation or sector).

Further information and a copy of the rubric will be available in Assessment Task 1 folder in MyLO.

Task Length:

750 words, excluding the reference list

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and use communication theories to analyse contemporary management issues.	LO1
2	Discuss how each communication theory or model applies to managing people or organisations	LO1
3	Craft a message appropriate to the selected medium and identified audience	LO2

Assessment Task 2: Team Case Analysis - PART A

Task Description:

The purpose of this group assessment task is to provide you with authentic, practice-based team learning experience. Working in small teams (3-5 people), you will select an organisation, conduct an analysis of the organisation information technology, identify communication-related management issues/challenges facing managers and provide recommendations for addressing these issues.

Further information and a copy of the rubric will be available in the Assessment Task 2 folder in MyLO.

Task Length:

LIVE audio-visual, team presentation (10 minutes maximum) supported by relevant documents submitted to MyLO

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop and deliver a team presentation tailored to suit to your medium and target audience	LO2
2	Explain how evolving communication technologies could help or hinder management communications	LO3
3	Apply understanding of communication concepts and theories in a collaborative environment to provide solutions to contemporary organisational challenges	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Team Case Analysis - PART B

Task Description:

The purpose of this assessment task is to provide you with the opportunity to engage in active, constructive peer review. By reviewing and providing feedback on your peers’ work, you will learn from other students, practise giving constructive feedback (an essential communication skill), and experience receiving peer feedback. Peer feedback will be given and received using an anonymous Individual and Team Performance (ITP) tool and will be limited to Assessment Task 2 team members only.

Further information and a copy of the rubric will be available in Assessment Task 2 folder in MyLO.

Task Length:

Completion of a peer feedback and team dynamics tool using ITP Metrics

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Understand and provide peer feedback on team member contributions to team dynamics and goals.	LO4
2	Provide constructive peer feedback using an anonymous Individual and Team Performance tool.	LO2
3	Practise the use of new technologies to peer review and feedback.	LO3

Assessment Task 4: Individual (Employment) Pitch

Task Description:

The purpose of this assessment is to provide you with an opportunity to 'pitch' your own communication skills and style, in relation to seeking employment opportunities. In a 3-minute, single-slide, audio-visual presentation (a standard media file) Pitch, you will succinctly and compellingly demonstrate to potential employers that you are the best candidate for a vacant position in their organisation.

Further information and a copy of the rubric will be available in the Assessment Task 3 folder in MyLO.

Task Length:

3-minute, single-slide, audio-visual presentation

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and evaluate communication theories and models	LO1
2	Identify a target audience and select a medium well-suited to your identified audience	LO2
3	Craft a message well-suited to the medium and the audience	LO2

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 is no prescribed textbook for this unit. Instead, each week you will be required to download from the unit’s Reading List an electronic journal article or book chapter that relates to that week’s topic.