Overview
One of the most challenging tasks confronted by university graduates working in human resources is the management of conflict and effective practice of negotiation. Accordingly, as a graduate, you will required some fundamental skills from the very start of your career. These include the ability to apply basic psychological principles when dealing with people, the ability to prepare and conduct effective negotiations, and the ability find productive solutions in conflict situations. This unit is designed to provide you with the opportunity to build upon theory from earlier units, and to acquire conflict resolution skills that will be applicable in the workplace.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: HRMT11011 In addition, a sound knowledge base demonstrated by 72 credit points (undergraduate units)
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 1 - 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 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 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 Unit coordinator reflection
Some content relating to contemporary employment relations needs to be updated
Update content that is no longer up to date.
Feedback from Unit coordinator reflection and discipline meeting discussion
Assessment items are effectively minimising the impact of academic integrity issues
Maintain assessment structures that require student reflection and interaction that cannot be readily assisted by external parties or AI.
- Analyse the theory underpinning effective communication in an organisational environment
- Apply basic psychological principles of communication to workplace situations such as interviews, consultations, negotiations, and meetings
- Analyse the theory underpinning successful negotiation
- Use effective techniques to plan, prepare, and conduct negotiations
- Analyse the theory underpinning conflict resolution in the workplace
- Apply basic conflict resolution techniques and principles in practical scenarios
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 25% | ||||||
| 2 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 35% | ||||||
| 3 - Report - 40% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - 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 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 35% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Report - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom Capacity (webcam and microphone)
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.
g.chapman@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Conflict Communication
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Principles of Persuasion
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Personal Differences
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Listening and Questioning Techniques
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Negotiation
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Negotiation Styles
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
The online negotiation activity will take place this week.
Module/Topic
Mediation and Conciliation
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Alternative Negotiation Strategies and Techniques
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Managing Conflict
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Shape and Causes of Conflict
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Responses to Conflict
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Best Practice Conflict Management
Chapter
See the Moodle site for details on weekly readings and resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical Assessment
You will complete four self-assessment tools across weeks 1-4. Based on the results of these tools, you will create a "user manual" that outlines how to get the best out of you as an employee. The idea of this document is that it will form a resource that you will be able to use in the workplace, giving your manager insight into your working styles and preferences. There is no prescribed layout or design for the user manual, but it needs to give a clear indication of individual working preferences, as well as suggested management strategies that will enable you to perform effectively in an organisational environment. You do not need to have in-text citations in the user manual itself, but you can include them if you choose to. As you are developing a resource for use in the workplace, you want it to be well-designed, and engaging for a prospective manager who could use it to adjust the way they manage you. This user manual needs to be presented across no more than 2 A4 pages.
In addition, you will need to provide a 1000 word justification that provides a theoretical justification for the information shown in the user manual. This justification should provide further information about the self-assessment tools that were used to determine the information shown in your user manual, and review the literature supporting the management strategies you have suggested.
See Moodle for more information regarding this assessment task.
Week 5 Monday (1 Apr 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Assignments submitted late will receive a late penalty of up to 5% of the total marks available per day (or part thereof) late.
Week 7 Monday (22 Apr 2024)
As per University policy, assessment tasks will be returned to students within two University scheduled weeks.
As the assignment is worth 25% of your assessment, it will be marked out of 25.
A full marking rubric will be available on the Moodle site. The following criteria will be the basis of this rubric:
'User Manual' Document
- Clear identification of personal working preferences based on Self-Assessment results - 20% (5 marks)
- Provision of realistic and practical management strategies - 20% (5 marks)
- Effective layout and design of document - 10% (2.5 marks)
Justification
- Demonstrated understanding of key theories and concepts - 20% (5 marks)
- Demonstrated ability to apply research and analysis skills - 20% (5 marks)
- Effective use of APA style referencing, including a minimum of 8 peer-reviewed academic sources - 5% (1.25 marks)
- Clarity of written communication - 5% (1.25 marks)
- Analyse the theory underpinning effective communication in an organisational environment
- Apply basic psychological principles of communication to workplace situations such as interviews, consultations, negotiations, and meetings
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Reflective Practice Assignment
You will participate in an online negotiation activity with another student enrolled in this unit. The activity will be conducted via Zoom videoconferencing, and you will need to nominate your availability for this activity by responding to the email that the unit coordinator will send. Further details of this activity will be provided on the Moodle site.
Following completion of the negotiation activity, the reflective practice assignment requires you to write a 1500 word essay that demonstrates critical analysis of negotiation theory and practice. Your essay should briefly describe the process that occurred during your participation in the activity, highlighting specific instances where you are able to apply relevant theory and concepts. Regardless of whether you reach an agreement or not, you should still be able to apply relevant concepts to demonstrate how certain actions taken by either party may have had positive or negative effects on the negotiation. Following this analysis, your essay should include a reflection on what you have learnt about your personal negotiation skills from participating in this activity, and highlight some key areas that you could improve.
Further information about this task is available on the Moodle site.
Week 9 Monday (6 May 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Students will be required to participate in a negotiation exercise via Zoom prior to submitting this task. Details for this negotiation exercise are available on the Moodle site. Assignments submitted late will receive a late penalty of up to 5% of the total marks available per day (or part thereof) late.
Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024)
As per University policy, assessment tasks will be returned to students within two University scheduled weeks.
As the assignment is worth 35% of your assessment, it will be marked out of 35.
A full marking rubric will be available on the Moodle site. The following criteria will be the basis of this rubric:
Reflective Practice Assignment
- Demonstrated understanding of key theories and concepts - 20% (7 marks)
- Demonstrated ability to apply research and analysis skills - 20% (7 marks)
- Demonstrated understanding of the negotiation process - 20% (7 marks)
- Demonstrated ability to reflect on personal negotiation skills and identify areas for improvement - 20% (7 marks)
- Effective use of APA style referencing, including a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed academic sources - 10% (3.5 marks)
- Clarity of written communication - 10% (3.5 marks)
- Analyse the theory underpinning successful negotiation
- Use effective techniques to plan, prepare, and conduct negotiations
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Report
While this assessment task is a case analysis, you will not be provided with a written case study. Instead, you will need to develop an understanding of the workplace conflict situation using a variety of information provided on the Moodle site. You will be required to review documents (such as emails between coworkers) and videos (such as excerpts from interviews) that will all relate to a conflict situation occurring in a fictional organisation. After analysing this case information, you will be required to prepare a 2000 word report that demonstrates your understanding of the situation described in the case (with reference to relevant theory and concepts where appropriate), and provide practical recommendations that would help to improve the situation. Your recommendations need to be justified with appropriate sources.
The report should follow a conventional report structure, and be prepared as if it were going to be presented to a senior manager of the organisation described in the case information.
Further information about this task is available on the Moodle site.
Review/Exam Week Monday (3 June 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Assignments submitted late will receive a late penalty of up to 5% of the total marks available per day (or part thereof) late.
As per university policy, the marks and feedback for this task will not be available until the official release of grades date for T3 2023.
As the assignment is worth 40% of your assessment, it will be marked out of 40.
A full marking rubric will be available on the Moodle site. The following criteria will be the basis of this rubric:
Case Analysis Report
- Description of the case, including key events and individuals - 20% (8 marks)
- Discussion and analysis of the situation, making reference to relevant concepts and theory - 25% (10 marks)
- Identification and justification of proposed conflict management strategies - 20% (8 marks)
- Clear methods of implementation for the suggested conflict management strategies - 15% (6 marks)
- Effective use of APA style referencing, including a minimum of 12 peer-reviewed academic sources - 10% (4 marks)
- Clarity of written communication - 10% (4 marks)
- Analyse the theory underpinning conflict resolution in the workplace
- Apply basic conflict resolution techniques and principles in practical scenarios
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical 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.
What can you do to act with integrity?
