Units

---

Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 2 2013

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

Rationale

The accountability demands of both clients and funding bodies, to which philanthropic and nonprofit organisations are increasingly subject, require that managers and administrators of philanthropic and nonprofit organisations adopt management practices which are not only effective and efficient but are also consistent with the mission and values of their organisation.

This unit provides an introduction to management theory and practice, in the context of the need for such organisations to manage with integrity, and to build and maintain their social and human capital through management policies and practices which comply with legal prescriptions for management, and good practice in professional and organisational contexts.

Aims

This unit is designed to introduce managers and administrators to the key principles of sound management behaviour and practice relevant to philanthropic and nonprofit organisations.

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. Know and understand the key principles concerning the contemporary management of profit and nonprofit organisations;
2. Apply theories of management to profit and nonprofit organisations, or parts of organisations, to develop high-level skills in applying contemporary management practices and principles;
3. Evaluate management practices in the profit and nonprofit sector in the light of management theory.

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

Content

The unit aims to explore and analyse current themes in the management of philanthropic and nonprofit organisations. The complex array of issues confronting philanthropic and nonprofit organisations is explored. Areas such as management, leadership, strategy and planning, performance management, human resources and industrial relations are described and investigated.

Week 1
Topic: Introduction to the context of philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Week 2
Topic: Management issues in philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Week 3
Topic: Leadership issues in philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Week 4
Topic: Strategic issues in philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Week 5
Topic: Performance issues in philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Week 6
Topic: Human Resource (including Volunteers) and Industrial Relations issues in philanthropic and nonprofit organisations

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The delivery of this unit is based around a blended delivery approach to teaching and learning, which involves a mix of online and face to face delivery of content, supported by the unit website.

The purpose of the unit is to introduce students to the concepts and theories of management and to develop critical inquiry skills in relation to the management issues and dilemmas facing the philanthropic and nonprofit sector. Both live and recorded sessions will be utilised to develop students' abilities to apply the concepts and theories to the management of organisations within the philanthropic and nonprofit sector.

The unit is supported by the QUT online learning system, Blackboard. In addition to basic information such as the unit outline, lecture outlines, assessment information and staff contact details, the Blackboard site contains links to journal articles, ebooks, cases, external websites, and various multimedia resources.

This unit uses the SafeAssign tool in BlackBoard. SafeAssign is a text matching tool that assists students to develop the academic skills required to correctly use and cite reference material as well as to check citations and determine possible instances of plagiarism. You will be expected to submit draft and/or final versions of one or more assignments using SafeAssign. Your Unit Coordinator will provide detailed information on how the software will be used in this unit.

To access the GSN484 Blackboard Site simply go to http://blackboard.qut.edu.au.

Note: The GSN484 Blackboard site can only be accessed with the use of your QUT access username and password.

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 both:

1. receive feedback on your learning as you progress towards the development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes (formative assessment); and

2. demonstrate your learning in order to achieve a final grade (summative assessment).

Student grades are determined by the Faculty Academic Board. 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 enable the Board to systematically compare student performance, but are not applied in a prescriptive fashion.

Determining Final Grades:

The Faculty 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 prescriptive fashion.

Student Rules and Assessment Procedures:
Students 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 and 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 Policies link on the Blackboard 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: Essay
Description: Investigating a Management Problem
The purpose of this essay question is for students to identify and investigate a problem of interest and relevance for their professional nonprofit management practice.

This problem will need to be based on a current management situation, issue or dilemma facing a nonprofit organisation. While the problem should be real, the organisation should not be identified. In other words the problem must be a real actual management problem / issue experienced by a specific organisation, not just a theoretical problem. The topic is to be decided in consultation with the lecturer.

The essay will also need to identify a suitable management theoretical framework from which the problem will be examined, particularly in order to identify the cause and effects of the problem.
Length/Duration: 1,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1, 2 and 3 and AOL Goals: KS (1.1), KS (1.2), PC (3.1), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Week 3


Assessment name: Essay
Description: Proposing a Management Solution
The second piece of assessment takes the problem identified by the student in Assessment Item 1 and proposes a detailed and justified management solution to the problem.

In particular, a proposal for how the situation, problem or dilemma might be responded to by the organisation should be articulated. This response should also take into account the relevant Acts, regulations, and polices of government, together with organisational and industrial codes of practice.

The essay will need to be firmly grounded in, and justified by relevant management literature(s).

Length: 2,000 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1, 2 and 3 and AOL Goals: KS (1.1), KS (1.2), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7


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:

Helmut K. Anheier, (2005) Nonprofit Organisations - Theory, management, policy, London: Routledge.
This text will also be used in other units in this certificate

Required References:

A set of readings is also available through the GSN484 Blackboard teaching site, together with a list of recommended texts.

top

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with 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: 11-Feb-2013