Units

---

Sample subject outline - 5 Week Teaching Period - 3 2013

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

Rationale

Complex projects require high levels of competency from their leaders and managers to achieve successful outcomes. In order to achieve these high standards of competency you need to understand what influences people's thoughts, feelings and actions and methods for enhancing and promoting positive employee attitudes and behaviours in order to retain staff, decrease absenteeism and enhance job satisfaction and high performance. Concepts and theories relevant to the behaviour of individuals and groups such as individual differences, perception, motivation, conflict resolution and managing in complex environments will be used to identify, analyse and discuss organisational problems relevant to complex projects and develop behavioural responses to these situations. An additional focus is the broader organisation, its dynamic relationship with its environment and implications for organisational culture, power, change and development.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to develop your theoretical and applied knowledge of people's behaviour at the individual, group and organisational levels in order to manage and lead the people who work in complex projects effectively.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Corporate Programs)

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:

Program Goal 1: Understand Self and Lead Others in an International Environment (ULO)

1.1 Develop the personal attributes of action and outcome orientation, ability to influence and self-knowledge that distinguish the manager of complex projects.
1.2 Develop and demonstrate the leadership and communication skills to manage the staff involved in complex projects
1.3 Work effectively in managing people and a wide range of stakeholders through understanding of culture cognition, personality and human lifecycle.

Program Goal 2: Lead Strategic Planning, Design and Implementation (SPDI)

2.1 Understand the context of complex projects and the design and implementation of appropriate project strategy and systems to match emergent requirements
2.2 Demonstrate the capacity to design, establish and manage the organisational architecture for complex projects
2.3 Develop the understanding and skill to deliver probity and governance requirements for complex projects
2.4 Develop the capacity to design and implement innovative business planning, reporting and performance measurement systems.

Program Goal 3: Think Holistically: Innovate and Creatively Problem Solve (TH)

3.1 Develop the insights to manage people and systems subject to on-going change and constantly adapt to emergent conditions
3.2 Demonstrate the capacity to envision novel, critical and creative responses to complex and emerging problems

Program Goal 4: Develop the understanding of and skill to design, manage and lead strategic procurement practices that respond to the challenges of the complex organisational and project management environment. (SP)

4.1 Develop, plan and implement a comprehensive and effective acquisition strategy to deliver complex strategic capabilities.
4.2 Assess and implement the contractual requirements of a complex acquisition taking into account the implications of international law and conventions, intellectual property rights, and ensuring the appropriate allocation and mitigation of contractual risks.
4.3 Develop, plan and implement strategic sourcing arrangements covering the capability life-cycle.

Unit Objectives
At the completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Understand their own and others behaviour at the individual, team and organisational levels
2. Manage stress and conflict at work
3. Motivate themselves and others in complex organisational environments
4. Create a learning environment
5. Demonstrate the impact of structure, culture and change on people at work
6. Create a People Management Plan

Content

• Organisations as open systems


• Individual and group performance


• Organisational structure and design


• Stakeholder identification


• Work motivation and expectancy theory


• Stress, work-life stress, coping and conflict at work


• Theories of motivation; motivating individuals in complex teams


• Networks and virtual organisations


• The learning organisation and culture


• Understanding the dynamics of structure, culture and climate

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit uses a mix of analytical, experiential, modelling, reflection and problem based learning in which you demonstrate:

• You have read and completed the study skills material before each class


• A commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate


• Understanding through discussion of theory and research evidence in the context of your organisational situation


• An ability to generate real-life problems and issues from your experience


• The relevance of understanding people in organisations to the performance of complex projects


• Interaction with facilitators and fellow students in class and out of class and on-line

Assessment

General feedback about each piece of assessment will be discussed in the individual modules. In addition, students are welcome to make an appointment with the lecturer to discuss their individual assessment items.

Each piece of assessment has an individual criteria sheet. These will be returned to the student with additional notes on the text of individual and group proposals.

Assessment name: Framing as Reflective Practice
Description: Assessment name: Framing and Reflexive Practice as a Methodology for Reviewing Organisational Behaviour and Culture

Neptune is a project-based multinational organisation specialising in constructing leading edge technology ships for commercial and defence purposes. Your Learning Team has been asked by the Executive Team of the Neptune Corporate University (NCU) for a brief on how and why to conduct a review of organisational behaviour and culture across the company using Framing. The NCU Executive Team comprises academics and former senior Neptune project managers, and the Neptune Vice President of People and Culture.

This is a preliminary pitch in which your team needs to convince the panel of its expertise in analysing organisational behaviour and culture issues and to take on the role of consultant advisors to the global review which is occurring through 2014. (You are not expected to address specific Neptune company issues beyond understanding that the context is a multinational project-based organisation.)

The Learning Team is to demonstrate the power of framing and reflexive practice in addressing issues relevant to organisational behaviour and culture. The presentation must include examples of how framing and reflexive practice can be applied to real organisational behaviour issues - past or current - to assist in generating an organisational level approach. (The cases will be drawn from students' Reflective Case Studies).

Noting the audience, it should cover the theoretical foundation of framing and reflexive practice. You will need to go beyond the Bolman and Deal framing model. The presentation should note any limitations with the methodology described and you would work with these limitations.

The presentation is to be accompanied by a handout with a maximum of 1000 words and, if in PowerPoint, of a maximum of 10 slides with notes.

Length: 15 minutes presentation per group plus 10 mins Q&A, plus 1000 word summary pitch
Relates to objectives: 1, 4, 5
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: End of Module 3

Assessment name: Relfexive Case Study Analysis
Description: Description: You are to present a comprehensive analysis (integrating knowledge from all six Modules) of the organisational behaviour event/issue you identified in your Reflexive Case Study, with recommendations. The analysis should be written from the position of a reflexive action researcher/manager who was a player in the events described. It should include discussion of the way your sense making of the events evolved over time and through the analysis. The conclusion leading to the recommendations should also include a review of your learning as a reflexive practitioner.

Explore the Case Study event/issue from a high level organisational perspective. The analysis is to lead to a set of 4-6 recommendations (500-750 words in total, included in the word count) as to how that kind of organisational behaviour issue might be addressed at an organisational level. (For example, if the issue is regarding the motivation of staff, the recommendations should include organisation-wide strategies for developing and maintaining employee motivation).

The Recommendations should be presented as an integrated people management plan to address the issue in focus.

The scope might be for example:

" In June 2011, I was the Project Manager for X project. I identified that there was low motivation across the team, including in international offices. The issue had been ongoing for over six months and was indicative of motivational deficiencies across various projects in the organisation.
" This Case Study analysis examines the specific events and issues in question, using the benefit of hindsight. Cultural, political, structural and psychosocial analyses are included using theories and models from the organisational behaviour and culture literature.
" Integrated recommendations in a people management plan are attached that would build and sustain employee motivation and engagement across projects in the broader organisation.
" The analysis includes reflections on my development as a reflexive practitioner through the process.

The analysis must be supported by the Organisational Behaviour and Culture literature and be referenced accordingly.

Length: 2500 words.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Weight: 70%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Module 6

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
Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., Millett, B., & Waters-Marsh, T. (2008). Organisational Behaviour. 5th Edition, Frenchs Forest NSW: Pearson Education.

Other Resources
GSZ508 Study Guide (Will be distributed)
Readings (Contained in the Study Guide)
Case study: Generated in class and through interactive discussions with facilitators and classmates
GSZ508 Blackboard Unit 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: 25-Mar-2013