Overview
This unit offers a series of seminars and workshops that will provide foundation skills and knowledge in contemporary business issues, and organisational and business practices. You will have the opportunity to develop business skills, gain knowledge of various business contexts, and examine the functions of a diverse range of organisations. You will assess the impact of environmental forces on organisations, examine risks confronting the organisation and discuss the practices adopted to overcome these, including innovation, e-commerce, knowledge management, and globalisation. The unit will enable you to engage in discussions about the governance options for different types of organisations and discuss the contemporary processes of regionalisation, emerging new world markets, global governance and globalisation. This foundation unit will develop your business skills for potential future business consulting, and your management skills for organisational management roles.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for 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 3 - 2017
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 Postgraduate 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 Have your Say
Qualitative feedback indicated that there were issues around the clarity, detail and marking criteria of assessment items.
Consider how to strengthen the communication around the assessment requirements.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Qualitative feedback suggested that the number of assignments be reduced from three to two.
Consider the type or number of assessment items in Term 1, 2018.
- Analyse the range of environmental forces, organisational structures, functions, governance and legal requirements of firms and the impact on businesses
- Discuss the contemporary issues impacting organisations including risk, innovation, knowledge management, e-commerce and the impact on businesses
- Investigate the cross cultural and diversity issues affecting the management of people and organisations
- Examine the impact of regionalisation and globalisation on businesses
- Recommend solutions to contemporary challenges facing businesses.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Essay - 30% | |||||
2 - Group Work - 30% | |||||
3 - Examination - 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 - Essay - 30% | ||||||||
2 - Group Work - 30% | ||||||||
3 - Examination - 40% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
There is no compulsory prescribed textbook for this unit; instead, prescribed weekly reading material will be available in Moodle. However, in order to expand your knowledge and improve your chances of success in this unit, it is important you carry out independent study and additional reading. Please find below a selection of recommended books, which you may choose to use as a starting point for further research:
• Burrow, J. L., Kleindl, B., & Becraft, M. B. (2016). Business Management. United States: Cengage.
• Hill, C. W., & Hutt, G. T. M. (2016). Global Business Today (9th ed.). New York, USA: McGraw-Hill.
• Palmer, A. & Hartley, B. (2011). The Business Environment (7th ed.). Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.
• Solomon, M. R., Poatsy, M., & Martin, K. (2015). Better Business (4th ed.). USA: Pearson Higher Education.
• Worthington, I. (2014). The Business Environment (7th ed.). United Kingdom: Pearson.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.chapman@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Topic 1: The Emergence of the organisation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 2: The impact of environmental forces on organisations
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: Risks Confronting the Firm
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: Organisation and Business Practices
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 5: The Functions of a Diverse Range of Firms
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Part A of Assessment Task 1 is due at 11:45pm (AEST) on Friday 15 December 2017.
Module/Topic
Topic 6: Contemporary Processes of Regionalisation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 7: Globalisation and Emerging New Worlds
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 8: Issues Related to Cross Cultural and International Management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Part B of Assessment Task 1 is due at 11:45pm (AEST) on Friday 12 January 2018.
Module/Topic
Topic 9: Governance Options for Different Organisations
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 10: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 11: Knowledge Management and E-Commerce
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Exam Preparation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 is due at 11:45pm (AEST) on Monday 5 February 2018.
Group Work - Organisational Analysis Presentation Due: Week 12 Monday (5 Feb 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Essay
Objective
A business organisation is an individual or group of people that collaborate to achieve certain commercial goals. Some business organisations are formed to earn income for owners. Other business organisations, called nonprofits, are formed for public purposes. This is an individual assessment task in which you will examine critical issues related to business and management contexts. The objective is to gain greater understanding of the contextual factors internal and external to a business that impact on a business organisation and its decision making.
Task
Total Assessment Weighting: 30%
Part A (Essay): Due Week 5 - 11:45pm Friday 15 December, 2017 (AEST)
Identify a ‘hypothetical’ business opportunity that if you had the funds, time and drive you would pursue as a business start-up. This could be an idea you believe has the potential to become a business for you to own and grow. Business ideas can be discussed with your campus tutor, or via email consultation with the unit coordinator for distance students. Provide a brief description of your organisation: its size, the industry and country/countries in which it will operate, the strategy and vision that it will adopt. Using information from Topics 1-5 on the Moodle site:
- Describe the organisational structure that best suits your new business start-up.
- Discuss the external and internal environmental forces that will impact your business organisation.
- Analyse the risks that will confront your business organisation.
- Describe the business practices that you will adopt to enhance organisational performance.
- Discuss the most important functions within your business organisation and how these relate to its performance.
The format of the assessment is an essay of 1500 words (+/-10%)
Part A (Essay) will be worth a total of 15 marks.
Part B (Report): Due Week 8 - 11:45pm Friday 12 January, 2018 (AEST)
Extending on Part A, select one of the following contextual factors. Using information from Topics 6-8 on the Moodle site, provide a brief report on the contextual factor chosen and assess how you would utilise it to enhance the business practice of your potential organisation or business.
- Regional Economic Issues OR
- Globalisation OR
- Cross Cultural Management
The format of the assessment is a report of 1500 words (+/-10%)
Part B (Report) will be worth a total of 15 marks.
Part A of the Assignment is due at 11:45pm (AEST) on Friday 15 December 2017. Part B is due at 11:45pm (AEST) on Friday 12 January 2018.
Part A will be returned to students at least 1 week prior to the submission of Part B. Part B will be returned to students no later than week 11.
Assessment Criteria - Part A and Part B
Students are to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter by:
- Defining key terms and utilising the theories and concepts presented in Topics 1-5 (Part A) and Topics 6-8 (Part B) (8 marks).
- Explaining major internal and external contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy (8 marks).
- Providing well justified and feasible business recommendations based on the analysis conducted (7 marks).
- Demonstrating a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources (3 marks).
- Correctly using the APA referencing system to cite academic sources in-text and in the reference list (2 marks).
- Correctly using the essay (Part A) and report (Part B) structure and using appropriate conventions of academic writing (2 marks).
These are the minimum requirements. Students should note that only satisfactorily meeting the minimum requirements will typically only result in the minimum pass grade being awarded. Higher grades will be awarded to students who go beyond these minimum requirements.
- Analyse the range of environmental forces, organisational structures, functions, governance and legal requirements of firms and the impact on businesses
- Discuss the contemporary issues impacting organisations including risk, innovation, knowledge management, e-commerce and the impact on businesses
- Recommend solutions to contemporary challenges facing businesses.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Group Work
Objective
This is a group assignment that provides students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of management and business contextual theories, concept and models through the analysis of an existing business organisation allocated by the unit coordinator or your campus tutor. The assignment requires you to analyse the current situation and suggest practical and probable solutions to improve organisational performance. The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to collaboratively apply your research, analysis, critical thinking and oral communication skills, particularly the ability to present a business analysis.
Task
Weighting: 30%
Due: Week 12 Monday (05-Feb-2018) 11:45 PM AEST
You must be enrolled in a specific campus tutorial group by the end of week 3, no changes to tutorial groups will be allowed. Groups of 3-4 students will be formed during tutorial classes in weeks 2 and 3, with final group enrolments locked in by Week 4; these groups will then be recorded on the unit Moodle site. Groups will be provided with information about a specific business organisation in class, or via consultation with the unit coordinator for distance students. A minimum of 12-16 academic sources must be used to further research and investigate the business organisation and one of the three contextual factors discussed in weeks 9-11. You are to assess the impact of the chosen contextual factor, identify the critical issues and generate a series of appropriate recommendations that will enhance the performance of the specific business organisation.
The contextual factors you can choose from for your presentation are:
- Governance and legal requirements OR
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship OR
- Knowledge Management and eCommerce
This is a group task that requires you to record a formal presentation of not more than 20 minutes in length. Your recording should consist of referenced slides and a verbal presentation; the viewer should be able to see each presenter as well as the slide content. Both the PowerPoint slides (including a reference list) and the recorded presentation should be uploaded to Moodle. There is no other written component to this assessment item. You should adopt the perspective of a group of professional consultants providing strategic advice to the CEO, manager or Board of Directors of the business organisation.
Week 12 Monday (5 Feb 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Friday (16 Feb 2018)
Assessment criteria
Students are to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter by:
- Defining relevant terms, theories and concepts presented in Topic 9, 10 or 11 (5 marks).
- Utilising the specific contextual factor, explaining key details and assessing its impact on the relevant business organisation (5 marks)
- Displaying an ability to develop appropriate recommendations to improve the performance of the business organisation (5 marks).
- Developing a concise and structured presentation with introduction, main presentation, conclusion and recommendations (5 marks).
- Effectively using audio visual and verbal communication delivered within the allocated time to expected professional standards (5 marks)
- Demonstrating a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources referenced in the APA style (2 marks).
- Collaborating and working effectively as a member of a team (3 marks).
These are the minimum requirements. Students should note that only satisfactorily meeting the minimum requirements will typically only result in the minimum pass grade being awarded. Higher grades will be awarded to students who go beyond these minimum requirements.
- Investigate the cross cultural and diversity issues affecting the management of people and organisations
- Examine the impact of regionalisation and globalisation on businesses
- Recommend solutions to contemporary challenges facing businesses.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
Examination
No calculators permitted
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.