Overview
A professional internship or work placement provides you with experience in a professional environment relevant to your chosen discipline. The process of combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience will assist you in understanding the relevance of material presented during discipline studies and further expand your professional knowledge and work-readiness with practical experience. Following a detailed application and selection process in the Term prior to your BUSN20020 enrolment term, once you are placed with a host organisation, you will be engaged in work-integrated learning (WIL) while being supported by the School. You will undertake applied organisational research with a focus on your host organisation's approach to systems, processes and strategies related to your discipline, i.e. human resource management, marketing, management or accounting, with a view to improving organisational effectiveness. You will also be required to document and reflect on your work placement experiences to assess professional growth, recognise and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and develop an action plan for future professional development. This unit involves a company placement organised and coordinated by a number of partner Internships organisations, external companies contracted by CQU to manage this aspect of the Internship unit for postgraduate Business students. Because of the involvement of these external companies, this unit is only available to full-time on-campus international students normally based on the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane campuses. This unit involves some on-campus classes as well as an intensive placement in a host organisation. The unit assessment centres upon an organisational analysis and applied research project on a particular aspect of your host organisation’s operations.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: For non-MPA students, successful completion of BUSN20017 Effective Business Communications and BUSN20016 Research in Business; OR For MPA students, successful completion of ACCT20074 Contemporary Accounting Theory, ACCT20075 Auditing and Ethics, and ACCT20080 Ethics and Governance; and No Failures on the student’s Academic Record, and Must be on track to complete all units (other than BUSN20020) of their course prior to final Term of enrolment. BUSN20020 must be the only unit undertaken in the final Term of enrolment. Enrolment in this unit is subject to your successful application through the Postgraduate Business Internship Moodle site early in the term prior to your final term of enrolment. This process will involve lodging a formal application on the Postgraduate Business Internship Moodle site, an examination of your academic record, then interviews with external organisations including possible host organisations. A placement is not guaranteed, but students will be notified of their success or otherwise in plenty of time to enrol in other electives in their final term. Once accepted for placement in a host organisation, students will follow normal office hours for four days per week over 10 consecutive weeks for the work placement component of BUSN20020. In addition to being successfully placed in a host organisation through the Internship Application process (see the Postgraduate Business Internship Moodle site), consent from the the student's Head of Course is required for enrolment in this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback.
It is important to provide up-to-date examples and literature to students.
Currently, the slides contain few examples as these are provided by staff in the classroom - it is recommended to complement these with asynchronously available up-to-date written examples available on Moodle. Some of the frameworks used in this unit are well established and thus their original publications are 'old' - however, more recent literature applying those frameworks to current businesses will be included in the unit.
- Apply conceptual and discipline-based knowledge to a professional work role context.
- Analyse a workplace issue or problem and apply research skills to analyse and generate solutions to the problem relevant to specific cognate or discipline area.
- Develop communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace.
- Critical reflect on the internship experience and the application of management, leadership and discipline specific content, and its relevance to future professional practice
- Demonstrate the ability to work professionally and ethically with colleagues in the organisation, clients and other stakeholders.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||
2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 40% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Knowledge | |||||
2 - Communication | |||||
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
4 - Research | |||||
5 - Self-management | |||||
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
7 - Leadership | |||||
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 40% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.macht@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Overview of organisational structure:
- Key concepts in structural design: Formalisation, centralisation, and complexity
- Mintzberg's structural configurations, key parts and coordination mechanisms and contextual factors.
Chapter
Please note that these readings are required for assessment 1 and assessment 2. You do not need to read all of these in Week 1, but make sure you read them in preparation for assessments 1 and 2:
Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (2021). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, 7th edn, John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, Ch 4 (Structure and Restructuring).
Child, J. (1973). Predicting and understanding organization structure. Administrative science quarterly, 168-185. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2392061
Daft, R. (2019). Organization Theory and Design, 12th edn, SouthWestern. Chs 1 (Organizations and Organization Design) and 3 (Fundamentals of Organization Structure).
Mintzberg, H. (1980). Structure in 5's: A Synthesis of the Research on Organization Design. Management science, 26(3), 322-341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.26.3.322
Mintzberg, H. (1981). Organization Design: Fashion or Fit? Harvard Business Review, January, 103-116.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Before Week 1: Make sure you have reviewed all introductory material and videos on the BUSN20020 Business Internship Moodle site.
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled workshop 9.30am - 12.30pm. This workshop is very important as it describes the assessment requirements for the unit and how you need to integrate your assessments into your workplace activities in your host company.
This session also addresses the key literature and models necessary for assessments 1 and 2. In the first assessment, you describe your host company and identify a relevant cognate issue. In the second assessment, you analyse your host company and explore the cognate issue in more detail.
Module/Topic
Environmental analysis and life cycle:
- Domain and General Environments
- Understanding Uncertainty
- Stable vs Unstable Environments
- Classifying Environments
- Aligning Structure and Environment
- Organisational Life Cycle and Crises
Chapter
Please note that these readings are required for assessment 2. You do not need to read all of these in Week 2, but make sure you read them in preparation for assessment 2:
Daft, R. (2019). Organization Theory and Design, 12th edn, SouthWestern. Chs 4 (The External Environment) and 9 (Organization Size, Life Cycle, and Decline)
Emery, F. E., & Trist, E. L. (1965). The causal texture of organizational environments. Human relations, 18(1), 21-32.
Ghazzawi, I. (2018). Organizational decline: a conceptual framework and research agenda. International Leadership Journal, 10(1), 37-80.
Greiner, L.E. (1997). Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow: A company’s past has clues for management that are critical to future success. Family Business Review, 10(4), 397-409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6248.1997.00397.x
Jawahar, I. M., & McLaughlin, G. L. (2001). Toward a descriptive stakeholder theory: An organizational life cycle approach. Academy of management review, 26(3), 397-414.
Maheshwari, S. K. (2000). Organizational decline and turnaround management: a contingency framework. Vikalpa, 25(4), 39-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0256090920000405
Miller, D., & Friesen, P. H. (1984). A longitudinal study of the corporate life cycle. Management science, 30(10), 1161-1183. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.30.10.1161
Mintzberg, H. (1984). Power and organization life cycles. Academy of Management Review, 9(2), 207-224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1984.4277632
Quinn, R. E. & Cameron, K. (1983). Organizational Life Cycles and Shifting Criteria of Effectiveness: Some Preliminary Evidence, Management Science 29, 33-51.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled workshop 9.30am - 12.30pm. This workshop is very important as it continues to address the key literature and models necessary for your assignments, in which you analyse your host company.
Please prepare and bring along a half-page description of your initial thoughts and observations regarding your host company's structure and possible cognate issues to explore. Feel free to use bullet points - this is a discussion starter.
Monday to Thursday: The company placement of most students has started on Monday of Week 2. Start keeping a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week. Please continue to work on your organisational overview and cognate project proposal.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
Consultation with your campus tutor.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled consultation. Please check your timetable.
Meet with your campus tutor regarding your organisational overview and proposed cognate project and other assessments.
Please prepare and bring along a one-page description of your more advanced thoughts and observations regarding your host company's structure and possible cognate issues to explore. Feel free to use bullet points but this needs to be more detailed than the half-page from Week 2.
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week. Please continue to work on your organisational overview and cognate project proposal.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Organisational Overview and Project Proposal Due: Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week but your internship continues despite it being university vacation week. Please continue to work on your organisational analysis and the analysis of your cognate area.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
Consultation with your campus tutor.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled consultation. Please check your timetable.
Meet with your campus tutor regarding feedback on your organisational overview and proposal and preparation for the major organisational, environmental and cognate area analysis.
Ongoing discussion of internship experiences.
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective Assessment 3.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week. Please continue to work on your organisational analysis and the analysis of your cognate area.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week. Please continue to work on your organisational analysis and the analysis of your cognate area.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
Consultation with your campus tutor.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled consultation. Please check your timetable.
Meet with your campus tutor regarding finalising your major organisational, environmental and cognate area analysis.
Ongoing discussion of internship experiences, and preparation for reflection and presentation.
Monday to Thursday: At your host company. Remember to keep a log/diary of your activities and learning in the host company as that will help you with your reflective assessment 3.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week. Please continue to work on your organisational analysis and the analysis of your cognate area. Start working on your assessment 3 reflection.
Chapter
Please refer to Weeks 1 and 2 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Monday to Thursday: This will be the last internship week for students who have started their internship in Week 2. Please remember the requirements of assessment 3 (e.g. a photo at your workplace) before you finish your internship. Keep writing your log/diary and start to reflect back on your overall experience.
Organisational Analysis and Cognate Report Due: Week 10 Friday (20 Sept 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Reflection and Assessment 3:
- Reflective thinking
- Reflective writing
- Assessment 3 discussions and preparation
Chapter
Please note that these readings are required for assessment 3. You do not need to read all of these in Week 11, but make sure you are familiar with them in preparation for assessment 3:
Sutton, A. (2016). Measuring the effects of self-awareness: Construction of the Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire. Europe's journal of psychology, 12(4), 645. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5964%2Fejop.v12i4.1178
Silvia, P. J., & O'Brien, M. E. (2004). Self-awareness and constructive functioning: Revisiting “The human dilemma”. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(4), 475-489. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.23.4.475.40307
Salner, M. (1999). Preparing for the learning organization. Journal of Management Education, 23(5), 489-508. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F105256299902300504
Ridley, D. S., Schutz, P. A., Glanz, R. S., & Weinstein, C. E. (1992). Self-regulated learning: The interactive influence of metacognitive awareness and goal-setting. The journal of experimental education, 60(4), 293-306.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled workshop 9.30am - 12.30pm.
Meet with your campus tutor regarding your reflection and presentation.
Students who have started their internship in Week 2, will have finished by now. Students who have started after Week 2, please continue to attend your host company Monday to Thursday until your internship period is completed.
Module/Topic
There is NO on-campus workshop this week.
Chapter
Please refer to Week 11 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Please work on your assessment 3 reflective report, poster and presentation.
Module/Topic
Assessed presentations take place this week.
Chapter
Please refer to Week 11 for reading material relevant at this point in time.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday: Compulsory on-campus timetabled presentation workshop. Please check your timetable and refer to your campus tutor communications.
Please note that other academics and students may be in the audience and audience members may be involved in a peer-review of the presentation.
Internship Reflection, Presentation and Internship Progress Report Due: Review/Exam Week Friday (11 Oct 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Please refer to your timetables and communication from the teaching team about potential changes to the scheduled classes this term. Due to public holidays and staff availability, there may be changes to the weeks (outlined in this unit profile) when classes take place - please take note of these changes early so you can plan your other commitments around the compulsory classes.
1 Written Assessment
While your day-to-day work in your host company might be mainly task-related, the assessments in this unit provide you with the opportunity to gain deeper insight into how your company works, how it does what it does, and how you might use your cognate area specialisation with the organisation. This is an individual, written assessment, in the form of a professional report. The required length for this report is 1,000-1,300 words, excluding preliminaries, diagrams, tables, appendices, and reference list. You must use common font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.) with font size 11 or 12, as well as appropriate margins and spacing. Preliminaries include: title page; executive summary; table of contents with numbered, hierarchical headings; and any other optional elements (e.g. table of figures, etc.) you wish to include to make your report more professional. There are two components of assessment 1:
1. Organisational Overview: An accurate description of your host company, including:
- Company background/history, age and size (e.g. number of employees);
- Outline of the company's purpose or mission statement;
- Organisational chart;
- The level of complexity (i.e. horizontal and vertical differentiation);
- The level of centralisation (i.e. an overview of the way decisions are made);
- The level of formalisation (i.e. the extent to which the company uses rules, regulation and policies);
- A description of the current key macro external environment issues in the host company's industry;
- A description of the host company's key competitors; and
- Your initial thoughts on what type of structure, according to Mintzberg's framework, your host company has (e.g. simple structure, machine bureaucracy, etc.).
The purpose of the Organisational Overview component is to establish the characteristics of the host company and its environment, which will then be analysed in more depth in assessment 2. In your description, you should refer to relevant organisational structure literature (minimum of 3 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources) and clear, specific examples from your host company.
2. Project Proposal: A proposal to complete a strategic analysis of a problem or issue, related to your cognate discipline, that you have identified in your host company. The cognate discipline for MPA students is Accounting, while the cognate discipline for students enrolled in management courses is either Management, Marketing, or HRM. To identify a relevant problem/issue, you need to observe what is happening at your host company and draw upon your knowledge of your cognate discipline from units you have studied before. For example: HRM students might identify a specific HR issue (e.g. the company has no formal performance management/onboarding/etc. process); Marketing students might idenfity a specific Marketing issue (e.g. the company is not using digital marketing channels effectively; etc.); Management students might identify a specific Management issue (e.g. there are specific product or process problems; logistics or maintenance issues; international expansion planning; etc.); MPA students might identify a specific Accounting issue (e.g. the company is not using contemporary accounting software; etc.). Alternatively, in the absence of an identifiable specific issue, you might propose to conduct a holistic review of your company's approach to HRM/Marketing/Management/Accounting in general. The proposal must not mirror or replicate an assignment in one of the units you have previously studied and it needs to be specific to your host company. The Project Proposal component should contain the following contents:
- A brief outline of your major cognate discipline, i.e. HRM, Marketing, Management, or Accounting;
- Details of what you propose to investigate, i.e. either a specific issue or a general analysis of the company's approach to HRM, Marketing, Management, or Accounting - this needs to include justification of how and why this would be relevant/important to the host company;
- The proposed underlying academic theory/literature you will use to inform your project (this should involve a minimum of 6 high-quality, peer-reviewed academic references);
- A time plan for completion of the project; and
- An indication of the information you will have to gather from the organisation to complete the project (this should include appreciation of potential ethical and access issues, depending on what kind of information you may need to gather).
The purpose of the Project Proposal component is to integrate the academic content of your course into a practical problem/issue in your host company to show how you can use your learning from your course to help improve a real company. The proposal should be written in a manner that could convince your university and company supervisors of the importance and relevance of the project for organisational effectiveness. Please note that this must not be a hypothetical project - you will need to complete your project for assessment 2, so it is important to choose a project that you can realistically complete within the given timeframe and with the information available to you.
The cognate project should have a focus on an issue of some strategic value/importance to your host organisation aligned to your major field of study. The specific project will depend on your cognate discipline and the nature of your work placement - please be sure to discuss your ideas with your university tutor as soon as possible and before choosing a project topic. On-campus workshops and consultations will give you the opportunity to discuss ideas and progress throughout the term.
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Word document to be submitted via Moodle.
Results and feedback will be available in Moodle approximately within 10 business days.
As a Masters-level student, you are required to engage in research as per the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) guidelines. Two specific requirements need to be considered. Students need to demonstrate “a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice", and demonstrate "knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning”. Each unit in your Masters program has a number of required weekly readings in terms of academic texts, journals and business publications that represent the appropriate body of knowledge and recent developments referred to by the AQF. In order to demonstrate the ability to engage in appropriate research, students should read and utilise these texts and journals and publications, and as a Masters student, demonstrate an ability to research beyond this minimum standard through additional texts, journals and studies that demonstrate an ability to engage in independent research. This is an advanced level unit, and accrediting bodies are also looking for evidence of independent research, so the ability to conduct this project without continually relying on your tutors and lecturers is an important part of the learning process for this unit.
You should ensure that you understand the specific research that is required for each assessment piece and recognise that if you merely meet this minimum requirement, you will receive the minimum grade for demonstrated research. Your attention is drawn to the University’s stated position on plagiarism. THE WORK OF OTHERS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS SOURCE. A full list of references must be submitted as part of the assessment. Your assignment will be marked on the following criteria; detailed marking rubrics are available in Moodle:
- Overview of host company, including basic structural characteristic (background/history; mission/purpose; age; size; levels of centralisation, complexity, and formalisation; organisational chart; macro and competitive environment; and initial thoughts on structure) - 35%
- Overview and justification of proposed cognate project, including relevant theory/literature background - 25%
- Time plan and appreciation of required information to complete the project - 10%
- Quality and appropriateness of references, and accuracy of referencing - 20%
- Professional written communication - 10%
Late submission and academic misconduct penalties will be applied in accordance with the university policies.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Apply conceptual and discipline-based knowledge to a professional work role context.
- Analyse a workplace issue or problem and apply research skills to analyse and generate solutions to the problem relevant to specific cognate or discipline area.
- Demonstrate the ability to work professionally and ethically with colleagues in the organisation, clients and other stakeholders.
2 Written Assessment
Assessment 2 is an individual, written assessment, in the form of a professional report. The required length for this report is 4,000 words (+/- 10%), excluding preliminaries, diagrams, tables, appendices, and reference list. You must use common font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.) with font size 11 or 12, as well as appropriate margins and spacing. Preliminaries include: title page; executive summary; table of contents with numbered, hierarchical headings; and any other optional elements (e.g. table of figures, etc.) you wish to include to make your report more professional. There are two components of assessment 2:
1. Comprehensive Organisational Analysis: This component builds on the Organisational Overview of assessment 1 and a minimum of 8 scholarly, peer-reviewed references are required.
- Building on the description of the Organisational Overview from assessment 1, you are required to complete a comprehensive analysis of your host company's organisational structure using Mintzberg's (1980; 1981) configuration model. To do this, you must again use clear and specific examples from the host company to illustrate the host's structural design parameters (this requires you to identify, amongst others: the key part of the organisation, the prime coordinating mechanism, the extent of formalisation and centralisation, etc.). Please note that there may need to be some repetition of the initial description from assessment 1, but you are required to analyse the company more deeply now and demonstrate this analysis through the provision of updated and expanded examples from assessment 1, as well as analysis of additional parameters.
- Based on the above structural analysis, you must conclude the type of structure (according to Mintzberg) that the organisation currently uses. This may be different from the structure you initially thought the company uses.
- Building on the description of the external environment from assessment 1, you are required to determine and classify the type of environment that your host company is facing, the level of uncertainty, the level of change and the extent of competition. Key literature including Daft (2019) and Emery and Trist (1965) are to be used as the basis for environmental classification.
- You are also required to apply one of the organisational lifecycle models discussed during the workshops (e.g. Greiner, 1997; Quinn and Cameron, 1983; or Miller and Friesen, 1984; etc.) to your host company: to achieve this, you are required to establish at what stage the organisation is, what crisis normally confronts organisations at this point in the lifecycle, and whether such a crisis is present in your host company.
- Given your analysis of these organisational parameters and environmental conditions, you are then to conclude whether the host company is using the correct structure, and to provide at least one suitable recommendation to the host company.
2. Analysis of proposed cognate project: This assessment builds on the cognate Project Proposal of assessment 1 and a minimum of 10 scholarly, peer-reviewed references are required.
In order to complete this component, you are required to complete the analysis of the specific cognate issue (or holistic review of the host company's overall approach to your cognate discipline) that you had proposed in assessment 1. For example, if (in assessment 1) you had proposed to analyse the onboarding processes in your host company, you need to complete the analysis of the onboarding processes and (in assessment 2) write up your analysis and your findings from the analysis. As a conclusion, you have to identify at least two recommendations, directly resulting from your analysis, that the host could implement to increase organisational effectiveness. The recommendations need to be supported with better practice examples (i.e. what other companies are doing) and/or scholarly, peer-reviewed literature.
Week 10 Friday (20 Sept 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Word document to be submitted via Moodle.
Results and feedback will be available in Moodle approximately within 10 business days.
As a Masters-level student, you are required to engage in research as per the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) guidelines. Two specific requirements need to be considered. Students need to demonstrate “a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice", and demonstrate "knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning”. Each unit in your Masters program has a number of required weekly readings in terms of academic texts, journals and business publications that represent the appropriate body of knowledge and recent developments referred to by the AQF. In order to demonstrate the ability to engage in appropriate research, students should read and utilise these texts and journals and publications, and as a Masters student, demonstrate an ability to research beyond this minimum standard through additional texts, journals and studies that demonstrate an ability to engage in independent research. This is an advanced level unit, and accrediting bodies are also looking for evidence of independent research, so the ability to conduct this project without continually relying on your tutors and lecturers is an important part of the learning process for this unit.
You should ensure that you understand the specific research that is required for each assessment piece and recognise that if you merely meet this minimum requirement, you will receive the minimum grade for demonstrated research. Your attention is drawn to the University’s stated position on plagiarism. THE WORK OF OTHERS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS SOURCE. A full list of references must be submitted as part of the assessment. Your assignment will be marked on the following criteria; detailed marking rubrics are available in Moodle:
- Accurate analysis of host company structure, environment, and lifecycle/crisis, using correct frameworks to establish level of fit - 30%
- Accurate analysis of cognate issue/area using robust literature and clear examples from the host organisation - 30%
- Presentation of a minimum of 1 recommendation resulting from organisational analysis AND a minimum of 2 recommendations resulting from the cognate analysis, using best practice and literature to address areas for improvement - 20%
- Quality and appropriateness of references, and accuracy of referencing - 10%
- Professional written communication - 10%
Late submission and academic misconduct penalties will be applied in accordance with the university policies.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Apply conceptual and discipline-based knowledge to a professional work role context.
- Analyse a workplace issue or problem and apply research skills to analyse and generate solutions to the problem relevant to specific cognate or discipline area.
- Develop communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace.
- Demonstrate the ability to work professionally and ethically with colleagues in the organisation, clients and other stakeholders.
3 Reflective Practice Assignment
There are three components to assessment 3:
- A reflective essay on your learning from the internship
- A formal presentation of your internship experience and learning, including a one-slide poster
- Progress reports from your host company
1. A reflective essay on your learning from the internship (50% of assessment 3): This is an individual, written assessment, in the form of an essay. The required length for this essay is 1,500-1,800 words, excluding title page, diagrams, tables, appendices, and reference list. You must use common font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.) with font size 11 or 12, as well as appropriate margins and spacing. Tables and diagrams are optional and should only be used if relevant and clearly referred to in the body of the essay. A professional title page should be provided, but executive summary, table of contents, and structured headings are not required.
In this essay, you are required to outline, in your own words, your personal learning and professional development from the internship. You are expected to describe between one and three key incidents you experienced during your internship that directly relate to the themes and content you studied during your Masters course. You should reflect on these incidents and how they illustrate effective or ineffective practice. You should endeavour to directly identify content from units, including models, processes or examples of better practice as part of the reflection. You then need to explain how you will use the experience in the future as a manager, leader or organisational member.
Referencing is not required but can be used if you wish (this may help you make clearer links to concepts). Please ensure you know what is required in a reflective essay (see resources on the Moodle site and discussed in your on-campus workshops).
2. A formal presentation of your internship experience and learning, including a one-slide poster (25% of assessment 3): This is an individual, oral presentation, with supporting PowerPoint slides. You are required to present the main contents of your reflective essay in the form of a formal presentation. Please also include a brief overview of your host company and a quick summary of your key tasks and roles throughout the internship period. The majority of the presentation should be dedicated to the key incidents that you also reflect on in your essay. It is important that you do more than merely describe what happened - instead, the most important aspects of the presentation are your insights regarding the internship and how the experience allowed you to apply learnings from your major field of study. You should conclude your presentation with a clear statement of how you will use the experience/learning in your future career. Referencing is not required but can be used if you wish (this may help you make clearer links to concepts).
As part of the presentation, you must include a "poster slide" (one slide of their PowerPoint presentation), which is a stand-alone and visually appealing slide that includes at least the following:
- A photo/picture of you in your internship role;
- An explanation of your background and what you have been doing on the internship placement; and
- At least four bullet points outlining the best things about the internship, including how it contributed to your career development.
In your presentation, you do not need to present the poster as a slide (it can be the last slide of your PowerPoint file).
Presentations are timtabled for Friday of exam week (please check your timetable) and any feedback given could still be incorporated into your essay before submission. Please note that presentations will be face-to-face on-campus unless unforeseen circumstances require alternative arrangements. Should this be the case, please refer to communications from your teaching team throughout the term. The length of the presentation will be approximately 10 minutes, followed by some feedback and Q&A. You should use a maximum of 10-15 slides (including the poster slide) - these need to be submitted alongside the essay. Please note that other students and academics may be invited to watch the presentations.
3. Progress reports from your host company (25% of assessment 3): 10% of the unit marks derive from progress reports that your tutor receives from your host company throughout the term, based on your level of commitment, professionalism and contribution during the internship. You do not have to submit anything for this component.
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 Oct 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Reflection: Word document to be submitted via Moodle. Presentation and poster: PowerPoint slides to be submitted via Moodle. Progress Report: Your host company will submit this to CQU directly.
Presentation feedback will be provided immediately after the presentation; written feedback and marks for the entire assessment 3 will be provided on certification date.
As a Masters-level student, you are required to engage in research as per the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) guidelines. Two specific requirements need to be considered. Students need to demonstrate “a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice", and demonstrate "knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning”. Each unit in your Masters program has a number of required weekly readings in terms of academic texts, journals and business publications that represent the appropriate body of knowledge and recent developments referred to by the AQF. In order to demonstrate the ability to engage in appropriate research, students should read and utilise these texts and journals and publications, and as a Masters student, demonstrate an ability to research beyond this minimum standard through additional texts, journals and studies that demonstrate an ability to engage in independent research. This is an advanced level unit, and accrediting bodies are also looking for evidence of independent research, so the ability to conduct this project without continually relying on your tutors and lecturers is an important part of the learning process for this unit.
You should ensure that you understand the specific research that is required for each assessment piece and recognise that if you merely meet this minimum requirement, you will receive the minimum grade for demonstrated research. Your attention is drawn to the University’s stated position on plagiarism. THE WORK OF OTHERS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS SOURCE. A full list of references must be submitted as part of the assessment. Your assignment will be marked on the following criteria; detailed marking rubrics are available in Moodle:
Reflective essay:
- Demonstration of reflective writing through inclusion of description, interpretation, and evaluation in appropriate proportions - 20%
- Demonstration of candid and critical reflection on specific key incidents directly linked to effectiveness of practice and learning from Masters course - 20%
- Clear conclusion demonstrating application of learning to future career - 10%
Presentation:
- Clear overview of internship, and presentation of key incidents and key learning - 10%
- Professional presentation delivery - 10%
- Visually appealing, stand-alone poster with all required components - 5%
Progress report:
- Progress reports - 25%
Late submission and academic misconduct penalties will be applied in accordance with the university policies.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
- Apply conceptual and discipline-based knowledge to a professional work role context.
- Develop communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace.
- Critical reflect on the internship experience and the application of management, leadership and discipline specific content, and its relevance to future professional practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.