Unit Outline

This unit is designed to test assumptions about the operation of organisations in different contexts. Students are offered an opportunity to explore different social, cultural, and behavioural dimensions of business through the in-depth comparative analysis of 'place'. Students will be required to employ reflective practice to critically explore managerial practices, leadership approaches and operational mechanisms given complex external and internal characteristics of organisations in commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors across different contexts. Learning from across the MBA(I) course of study will be applied to critique contemporary leadership and business management approaches.

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.	Evaluate the industrial and economic structure, culture and politics of practicing business, management, and leadership across different contexts.
2.	Critically reflect on cultural differences, and how these differences impact upon business and management practices.
3.	Communicate management concepts and business ideas to professional audiences.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	75 credit points of postgraduate units

Alterations as a result of student feedback

None

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:	Reflective Journal	See the MyLO site for the due date	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Case Study Analysis	Week 6	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Narrated Presentation	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Reflective Journal

Task Description:

You are required to keep a learning journal during the semester. In the journal you are required to:

• Critically reflect on the literature you are set to read during the semester paying particular attention to the economic, business, and management context, strategies, and practices of the places under review.

• Demonstrate in your journal entries an awareness of and sensitivity to the ethical, cultural and moral dimensions of doing business in the places under review.

• Based on your exploration of the peer-reviewed and other literature, you are required to critically reflect on the impact of the strategic level industrial, economic, political and cultural contexts on conducting business in accordance with the UN SDGs.

• As part of your reflections you should consider how leaders might respond to current issues of importance to their organisations in the context of the place in which they are situated or conduct their business (e.g. pandemic responses, regulation, specific economic concerns, sustainability)

Task Length:

Four posts each of 250 words (+/- 10%)

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically reflect on personal experience, theory, context, and culture bound artefacts and observations (e.g., reports, policy, behaviours, structures).	LO1
2	Articulate a clear connection between your reflections and global, regional and local issues of significance to the place under review.	LO2
3	Generate and communicate insights on the ethical dimensions of engaging in business activities with focus on how they align to appropriate UN SDGs.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Case Study Analysis

Task Description:

Drawing heavily on the literature, theory and credible publicly available material, you are required to provide an individual report on an organisation of your choice that operates from the country/region under review. The report offers you the opportunity to apply your reflections, theory drawn from other units in your course, and emerging thinking about business practices in a VUCA environment.

With a critical approach, analyse and reflect on the strategic level industrial, economic, political and cultural context in the country/region under review.
You should identify challenges and opportunities afforded by the ‘place’ from which the organisation operates and perhaps how it modifies (or should modify) its operations depending on contextual characteristics.

Identify two key contextual challenges and from your critical reading of the literature. Determine how leaders and managers might best address the challenges taking into consideration the context in which the organisation operates and the possible community expectations of leaders and managers in contemporary organisations.

Make at least three context-bound recommendations taking into consideration operating context, potential community expectations and culturally relevant considerations.

Task Length:

2000 words (+/- 10%)

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically analyse and reflect upon the strategic industrial, economic, political and cultural context influencing the conduct of sustainable business in the country/region under review.	LO1
2	Identify and communicate challenges to the organisation posed by contemporary and specific local, regional and global matters.	LO2
3	Make (at least three) recommendations for leaders and managers recognising place-based considerations and cultural/moral/ethical tensions associated with sustainable business where appropriate.	LO1
4	Generate and communicate insights regarding the expectations of stakeholders as they apply to the operation of the organisation under review.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Narrated Presentation

Task Description:

Drawing on your reading and knowledge of theory from previous units in your course, design, create and present a professional, narrated PowerPoint (or similar) presentation. The presentation must be narrated using audio and/or video technologies.

The presentation topic should take the form of an ‘explainer’ video for new arrivals into the country/region under review. Assuming that the audience knows little of the economic, social, cultural and political landscape in the country/region, present a comprehensive suite of information and recommendations.

The audience is professional business leaders and the content of your presentation will enable them to conduct themselves appropriately in context and with due regard to responsible business management practice.

The presentation should clearly identify references in-text and in the notes pages.

Task Length:

Seven (7) minutes of presentation time plus presentation file in PDF format including references in notes pages.

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Create a professional standard presentation pitched at a professional audience using appropriate technologies.	LO3
2	Explain the economic, social, cultural and political landscape and how they relate to place-based issues.	LO1
3	Deliver insightful and accessible information about place-based issues (e.g. sustainability).	LO2
4	Utilise literature, other published materials and course learnings to contextualise and support explanations of management concepts and business ideas.	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.