Unit Profile Correction added on 26-03-20
The end of term examination has now been changed to an alternate form of assessment. Please see your Moodle site for details of the assessment.
Overview
This unit offers a series of lectures and tutorials 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 cross-cultural management. 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 1 - 2020
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 Multiple
Students valued the opportunities to interact with other students and the positive interactions that they had with their lecturers and tutors in this unit. In addition, the Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning's new retention strategy encourages these positive interactions.
Opportunities for positive student to staff and student to student relationships should continue to be built into the unit.
Feedback from Multiple
Students have indicated that the application of theory and knowledge to real world and authentic learning and assessment enhance their learning in this unit. They also indicated that listening to guest lecturers, experienced in the weekly contextual topics enhanced their understanding of those topics.
Tutorials and lectures focus on real world activities and examples in class. This should be supplemented by including guest lecturers.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Despite overall satisfaction with assessment tasks, feedback, requirements and return, qualitative comments indicate that there is still room for improvement on these aspects of assessment.
Assessment communication, explanation, and feedback continue to be enhanced.
Feedback from Multiple
There are many resources on the unit Moodle site (written, aural, visual, interactive) that cater for a range of learning styles. Students continue to believe that they must interact with all of the material on the site despite a final slide being added to the lecture slides the indicates essential material to be consulted each week.
Expectations for student interaction with Moodle learning resources be better explained so that students are aware of essential and optional learning material.
Feedback from Multiple
There are 10 weekly lectures and various zoom sessions related to assessment and distance learning that are scheduled throughout the term. Students appreciate these but also indicate that the quality of the lectures and the frequency of zoom session could improve.
Weekly recorded lectures and frequent zoom sessions should continue to occur.
Feedback from Multiple
Good practice indicates that assessment should change on a regular basis and that doing so enhances skill development within students. There is always a group assignment which on campus and distance students often find challenging. The possibility of incorporating individual marks during group work should be explored.
Continue to change and update assessment on a term by term and yearly basis. Explore the incorporation of individual marks as well as group marks for group assignments.
- Critically analyse the impact of a range of internal and external contextual factors on the performance and decision making of organisations
- Synthesise and utilise key theories, concepts and terms relevant to internal and external contextual factors to examine organisational environments
- Communicate an understanding of contemporary internal and external contextual factors affecting organisations
- Evaluate complex problems relevant to internal and external contextual factors in organisational environments
- Recommend creative solutions to contemporary challenges facing businesses to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.
This is not applicable.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 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 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||
| 2 - Group Work - 30% | ||||||||
| 3 - Examination - 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 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
c.liang@cqu.edu.au
x.he@cqu.edu.au
v.yadav@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Topic 1: Business and governance structures
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Details of Assessment Item 1
Expectations of student engagement with the unit
Details of Moodle site and resources available
Module/Topic
Topic 2: The impact of environmental forces on organisations
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: Risks confronting the firm
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: Organisation and business practices
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Census date Tues 31 March
Module/Topic
Topic 5: The functions of a diverse range of firms
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No classes this week.
Chapter
No classes this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
No classes this week.
Module/Topic
Topic 6: Innovation and entrepreneurship
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 7: Knowledge management, technology and eCommerce
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 8: Regionalisation and globalisation
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 9: Cross-cultural issues, diversity and international management
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 10: Contemporary issues: Change, resilience, and sustainability
Chapter
For recommended texts, journal readings, podcasts, current events, and video information refer to the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
There is no topic covered in class this week. Group led presentations and discussions will be completed in class.
Chapter
There will be exam information available on the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Group led presentations and discussions undertaken during the lecture and/or tutorials
Group Led Presentation and Essay Due: Week 11 Monday (25 May 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Module/Topic
There is no topic covered in class this week. Group led presentations and discussions will be completed in class.
Chapter
There will be exam information available on the unit Moodle site.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Group led presentations and discussions undertaken during the lecture and/or tutorials
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Overview
Details
Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 8
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 3
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125
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 1 - 2020
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
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).
Website
This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.
1 Written Assessment
This is a business case analysis of 1600 words +/- 10% Purpose
a)What is the business structure [not organisational structure] and governance structure of your chosen company?
b)Which environmental factors are influencing your chosen company’s performance and/or decision-making?
c)What are the top three risks your chosen company face and how are they influencing its performance and/or decision making?
d)What business practices your chosen company adopt and how are they influencing its performance and/or decision making?
e)What functional departments does your chosen company have?
3. Your business case analysis must include at least five (5) peer reviewed journal articles published after year 2009 from reputable journals.
Note: further support on writing, referencing, recommended journals etc. is given on the Moodle site for this assignment.
Week 5 Friday (10 Apr 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Business Case Analysis submission
Week 7 Friday (1 May 2020)
Business Case Analysis return date
Criteria 1. Introduction * 3 marks
Clearly outlines the purpose, scope, structure of the essay.
Criteria 2 Body—Theoretical knowledge * 8 marks
Demonstrated ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in Topics 1-5.
Criteria 3. Body—Research efforts and analysis * 12 marks
Level of research efforts demonstrated on the chosen company and ability to critically analyse the impact of a range of internal and external contextual factors on the performance and decision making of the chosen company through addressing the five proposed topics.
Criteria 4. Conclusion *3 marks
All aspects drawn together in a brief, concise summary. Consistent with findings, no new material introduced but highlights implications or a comment on the future of the company.
Criteria 5. Presentation *2 marks
High quality of expression, grammar, spelling, punctuation and proofreading.
Criteria 6. Referencing * 2 marks
Inclusion of an accurate reference list on a separate page listing only the sources that actually have been used. The reference list is arranged in alphabetical order according to the authors’ last names. At least 5 academic references post 2009 have been used, together with a numerous number of non-academic references.
- Critically analyse the impact of a range of internal and external contextual factors on the performance and decision making of organisations
- Synthesise and utilise key theories, concepts and terms relevant to internal and external contextual factors to examine organisational environments
- Knowledge
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Group Work
This is a group assignment that involves a 25-minute student-led presentation and a 2000 word (+/-10%) essay on the same topic.
This assessment item accounts for 30% of your final grade for this unit and must be completed by students as a group. This assessment consists of two parts:
(1). An essay addressing your chosen topic (15%);
(2). An in-class presentation (15%).
You must be enrolled in a lecture class and a tutorial class by the census date (31st March, 2020). You will be able to enrol in Assessment Item 2 groups yourself on the unit's Moodle site. The members of you group must all be within your tutorial group. Groups cannot be formed with students who are NOT in your tutorial group.
There will be a maximum of 5 group members in each group. There will be no changes to these Assessment Item 2 groups after Census date (31st March), so please make sure that you have sorted out which lecture and tutorial class you want to attend by the Census Date (31st March).
Once the groups are finalized, your group is required to choose ONE of the following four topics from weeks 6-9 (in consultation with your tutor) as the focus of your group led presentation and essay. You must include real-life corporate examples in your research efforts:
Note: further support on forming groups, presentation, writing, referencing etc. is given on the Moodle site for this assignment.
Week 11 Monday (25 May 2020) 11:59 am AEST
PPT for the presentation and the Essay submission
Review/Exam Week Monday (8 June 2020)
PPT for the presentation and the Essay submission return
Criteria 1 - Theoretical knowledge * 6 marks - Demonstrated ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts relevant to their topic.
Criteria 2 - Complex problem evaluation * 6 marks - Demonstrated critical understanding of the problems associated with the relevant contextual factor throughout the presentation and essay.
Criteria 3 - Creative solution * 6 marks - Recommendation of solutions regarding how organisations can deal with contemporary challenges posed by the relevant contextual factor.
Criteria 4 - Research efforts * 5 marks - Demonstrated strong key points in response to the chosen topic grounded in a wide breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 8 academic sources.
Criteria 5 - Corporate examples * 3 marks - Demonstrated the strength and relevance of argument by incorporating at least TWO real life organisations
Criteria 6 - Presentation * 2 marks - Develop a concise and structured presentation to the required professional standard. Q&A session well handled.
Criteria 7 - Referencing * 2 marks - Correctly using the APA referencing system to cite academic sources both in-text and in the final reference list.
- Communicate an understanding of contemporary internal and external contextual factors affecting organisations
- Evaluate complex problems relevant to internal and external contextual factors in organisational environments
- Recommend creative solutions to contemporary challenges facing businesses to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.
- 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.
What can you do to act with integrity?
