Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit is designed to provide a broad understanding of organisational behaviour as a base for future study and practice of management. The subject examines organisational behaviour at three levels - individual, group and the organisation as a whole. It moves from a micro perspective on individual behaviour through the interface between the individual and the organisation to overall characteristics of organisations which shape the behaviour of their members.

Aims

The aim is to provide you with an understanding of why employees feel and act the way they do in organisations and methods for enhancing and promoting positive employee attitudes and behaviours and organisational effectiveness. The emphasis is on understanding basic assumptions and models, major theoretical issues, methods of measurement and practical implications.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action


Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Interpret and explain the dynamics of human behaviour in organisational settings and their impact upon organisational effectiveness using a range of research and presentation technologies.

2. Critically analyse major theories and models of organisational behaviour theory at the individual, group and organisational levels with a view to applying them to your own experience and that of others in the management of people in organisational settings to justify specific decisions or approaches in HRM.

3. To create and present proficient and specialised reports, both written and oral, using a range of presentation mediums and styles to meet the needs of a professional audience.

4. To work with members of a team using a range of personal skills to determine and achieve specific objectives identified by the team to address specific HRM issues in an organisation.


The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

The unit will cover topics related to people's behaviour at work, such as individual differences, motivation and performance. It will also look at group level and organisation level issues such as leadership, organisational culture and organisation change.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The subject seeks to introduce and build on basic concepts and theories of organisational behaviour, and relate these to practice and experience. The text book provides the basis of the concepts to be covered. Discussion groups will be used to consolidate and extend the basic material. Lectures, readings and workshop activities provide for advanced analysis and practical focus. Each session will include both lecture input and participative learning activity.

The QUT Business School seeks to create postgraduate learning environments that help participants better manage family-work-study conflicts. For example, the units in the Master of Business (HRM) program provide a range of delivery options that offer some flexibility with respect to class timetable. These delivery options vary by unit. Your lecturer will provide details in class. Flexible delivery options are supported by educational technologies to both connect you with others in the unit and with unit content. Whatever delivery option is used, you still have the option of as much face-to-face time with teaching staff as you need to support your study. We encourage you to regularly access the HR Program portal, the unit Blackboard site, attend scheduled classes, engage in on-line activities and make effective use of staff consultation times.

In this unit, flexible study options are provided by private blog for assignment, such as Proposal for Literature Review, public blog for Abstracts of Literature Reviews, and wiki for group workshop development and repository for presentations and resources. Flexibility is also provided through choice in topics for Literature review, choice of topic and delivery of workshop presentation, and some topic choice in final synthesis assignment on OB topics.

Assessment

The assessment in this unit aims to support your achievement of the learning objectives for both Discipline Knowledge and Other Graduate Capabilities. Assessment has been designed in order to allow you to:

Receive feedback on your learning as you progress toward the development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes (formative assessment);

and Demonstrate your learning in order to achieve a final grade (summative assessment).

Determining Final Grades
The Business Academic Board determines student grades. The Unit Coordinators provide the detailed assessment results to the Board, working through the relevant School. These results are advisory in nature and do not necessarily constitute the final grades awarded by the Board. In its decisions the Board compares results both within units and programs, using as a guide a set of standard distribution criteria. These criteria help the Board to ensure consistency in the marking and grading of students as applied across the faculty. These guidelines are not applied in a prescriptive fashion.

Student Rules and Assessment Procedures
You are responsible for both knowing and abiding by all rules relating to assessment, academic dishonesty, non-discriminatory language, conduct and performance as contained in the QUT Manual of Policies of Procedures and the Student Charter. Details of these rules and policies, how they will be applied in this and other units, guidelines to assist you in understanding them, as well as penalties for non compliance, can be found via the Rules and Polices link on the On-Line Learning and Teaching Site for this unit.Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation

Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary

Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation

Indirect: to the whole class

Assessment name: Literature Review
Description: Written individual review of a chosen OB topic (to be agreed with lecturer) paying attention, to relevant literature. The paper should conclude with a section dealing with the practical applications of the conceptual material reviewed.
Length: 1,250 words.
Formative or Summative: Both.
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2 & 3 and AoL goals: KS (1.1), (1.2), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1).
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 6

Assessment name: Presentation (Oral or Group)
Description: Workshops present theoretical and practical information on an Organisational Behaviour topic. It is to be based on one of the specified readings. (Marks incorporate self and peer assessment of group processes) Workshops are to run on the agreed date - make sure you have contingency plans to cover all eventualities.
Length: 40-45 mins
Formative or Summative: Both
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 & 4 and AOL goals: KS (1.1 ), CTA (2.1), PC (3.2) TW (4.1).
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Weeks 10 and 11

Assessment name: Essay
Description: You are to use a critical incident from your team experience in this unit and relate this to the literature on either team work and/or communication, conflict and negotiation or decision making of power and politics with a view to demonstrating an understanding of your team experience.
Length:1,250 words.
Formative or Summative: Summative.
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives 1, 2, 3; AoL goals: KS (1.1), (1.2), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1).
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Central Exam Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Text
Wood, J., Zeffane, R.M, Fromholtz, M, and Fitzgerald, J. (2010) Organisational Behaviour: Core concepts and applications, Second Australasian, Brisbane: John Wiley & Sons.

Additional Resources
Additional references can be found at the unit's Blackboard site.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 24-Jan-2013