Overview
In this unit you will consider some of the latest theories in the Safety Sciences, particularly in relation to the concept of resilience in organisations and broader organisational culture issues. The factors which influence the quality and validity of decision making within organisations, such as, values, mindfulness, culture, adaptive systems, participation and leadership in complex socio-technical systems will be considered. You will critically reflect on and evaluate theories such as resilience engineering, high reliability organisations, safety culture and safety climate, and discuss the usefulness of these theories to practice. You will also have the opportunity to evaluate the usefulness of the tools and methods available to measure and monitor factors that affect resilience and other safety science concepts within organisations.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Co-requisite:- AINV11002
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 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
There is a need to emphasise the importance of including references to support claims (which could otherwise indicate use of artificial intelligent language applications) as well as the existence of self plagiarism, even at the third-year level to circumvent further misunderstandings.
Before each assessment submission, remind students of their academic integrity responsibilities, and provide some tips for avoiding plagiarism, including self-plagiarism.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator Reflection
Students enjoy the critical thinking tasks associated with this unit.
Retain the critical thinking assessment tasks.
- Explore the characteristics of resilience in organisations.
- Develop an ability to critically read and write on contemporary safety science theories from an evidence-informed advancing safety professional perspective.
- Evaluate the theories that underpin resilience in organisations such as resilience engineering, safety culture and high reliability organisations and discuss the usefulness of these theories to practice.
- Discern those factors which influence the quality and validity of decision making within organisations, such as, values, mindfulness, culture, adaptive systems, participation and leadership.
- Compare controversial terms related to safety and culture and the ongoing debate underlying these precepts and relationships.
- Evaluate the usefulness of the tools and methods available to measure and monitor contemporary safety science concepts such as organisational resilience potentials and safety culture/safety climate.
The course is accredited by the Australian OHS Education Board. This unit relates to the OHS body of knowledge chapters on the organisation.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Critical Review - 20% | ||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||
| 3 - Literature Review or Systematic Review - 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 | ||||||
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: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.klockner@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
An Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing
The 5th Age of Safety - The 3rd Era - Resilience
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 1
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Safety I and Safety II
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 2 & 3
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Safety II in Practice - The Resilience Potentials
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 4
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Measuring Resilience Potentials
The Resilience Assessment Grid
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 5
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Resilience Assessment Grid - Results and Meaning
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 6
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Safety I & Safety II Theory Due: Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
High Reliability Organisations (HROs)
Historical Theory Underpinnings
Chapter
Readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
High Reliability Organisations (HROs)
Current Theory
Chapter
Readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
The Fifth Age of Safety - The Adaptive Age and Adaptive Leadership for Complexity
Organisational Strategy and Leadership
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 7
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Measuring Organisational Resilience Maturity Due: Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Professional Resilience
Business Continuity - Resilience in Practice
Chapter
Prescribed Reading Chapter 8
Other readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Safety Culture and Safety Climate
Measuring Safety Culture and Safety Climate
Chapter
Readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Healthy Organisations
Chapter
Readings as supplied via the Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Module/Topic
Organisational Resilience Wrap Up and Summary
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly Zoom Lecture
Leading Organisational Resilience Maturity Enhancement Due: Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
The prescribed reading for this unit is 'Safety-II in Practice: Developing the Resilience Potentials' by Erik Hollnagel (2018).
Students are supplied this reading as an eBook via the e-Reading list on the Moodle site.
1 Critical Review
This assessment item requires you to critically reflect on your readings and understanding from the first 4 weeks of the unit including the notions of Safety I & Safety II, Safety II in Practice and the notion of the four Resilience Potentials which informs current organisational practices around safety and resilience. The context for this assignment is that: -
A senior manager in your company (either real or made up) went to a management conference where several speakers discussed the notion that safety professionals now work in the Resilience Age of Safety. The manager would like a brief report on Safety I & Safety II and the 4 Potentials of Resilience which are believed to enhance organisational resilience practices and organisational resilience maturity.
The senior manager is not sold on these theories, so as the safety professional, you have been asked to provide a brief report which provides your opinion and viewpoint on the theories, supported by at least 10 quality references, in order to explain and develop your viewpoint.
Your review should be 1000 (+ or - 10%) words and submitted as a word document, not a PDF.
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (30 Aug 2024)
The marking criteria are below:
- Conveys reflection and understanding of Safety I & Safety II and the 4 Resilience Potentials (10%)
- Delivers viewpoints and/or opinions based on the critical reading of Safety I & Safety II and the Resilience Engineering theory material presented in the first 4 weeks of the unit (10%)
A detailed marking matrix will be provided in Moodle.
- Explore the characteristics of resilience in organisations.
- Develop an ability to critically read and write on contemporary safety science theories from an evidence-informed advancing safety professional perspective.
- Evaluate the theories that underpin resilience in organisations such as resilience engineering, safety culture and high reliability organisations and discuss the usefulness of these theories to practice.
- Compare controversial terms related to safety and culture and the ongoing debate underlying these precepts and relationships.
2 Written Assessment
This assessment enables you to gain experience in reviewing and assessing the 4 Potentials of Resilience survey tool which is used to measure organisational resilience maturity. You will examine the 4 Potentials of Resilience Survey (RE Theory) for your assignment.
You will then analyse and review the appropriateness of the survey's application in real-world practice.
You are required to prepare a paper which shows your: -
(a) Understanding of the purpose of the survey and its relevance to measuring organisational resilience maturity based on the Resilience Engineering theory which supports it;
(b) Understanding of when and how the survey would be used in a real-world application;
(c) Understanding of how the results obtained by the use of the survey would inform an organisational resilience maturity enhancement action plan;
(d) Ability to make recommendations on the use of the survey by discussing your own critical thinking on the usefulness (benefits and limitations) of the survey from a safety professional viewpoint, based on what you have discovered in your reading this term.
Your review of the literature should support your writing and include a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Word limit 1,500 words (+ or - 10%).
NB: You are NOT required to administer the survey within an organisation, this is purely a theoretical exercise.
Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 10 Monday (16 Sept 2024)
The marking criteria are below:
(a) Understanding of the purpose of the survey and its relevance to measuring organisational resilience maturity based on the Resilience Engineering theory which supports it (10%);
(b) Understanding of when and how the survey would be used in a real-world application (10%);
(c) Understanding of how the results obtained by the use of the survey would inform an organisational resilience maturity enhancement action plan (10%);
(d) Ability to make recommendations on the use of the survey by discussing your own critical thinking on the usefulness (benefits and limitations) of the survey from a safety professional viewpoint, based on what you have discovered in your reading this term (10%).
A detailed assessment rubric will be provided in Moodle.
- Develop an ability to critically read and write on contemporary safety science theories from an evidence-informed advancing safety professional perspective.
- Evaluate the theories that underpin resilience in organisations such as resilience engineering, safety culture and high reliability organisations and discuss the usefulness of these theories to practice.
- Discern those factors which influence the quality and validity of decision making within organisations, such as, values, mindfulness, culture, adaptive systems, participation and leadership.
- Evaluate the usefulness of the tools and methods available to measure and monitor contemporary safety science concepts such as organisational resilience potentials and safety culture/safety climate.
3 Literature Review or Systematic Review
Continuing with and building on your knowledge of measuring the 4 Potentials for Resilience, you are now required to write a report in which you use your critical reflection of the theories covered in this unit to understand how resilience might be enhanced in real-world practice.
You are therefore required to write a report which examines strategic leadership for managing organisational resilience maturity by: -
1. Discussing your understanding of how leaders in organisations can enhance the 4 Resilience Potentials (Respond, Monitor, Learn and Anticipate), as proposed by the Safety II in Practice concepts;
2. Making recommendations in your report on how organisations can enhance resilience based on your critical review of the theory from an evidence-based, theory into practice view.
You are required to undertake self-directed research by reviewing the latest literature on the topic and demonstrate correct CQUniversity Harvard style referencing. Your literature review should include a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed journal articles and should be 1,500 words (+ or - 10%).
Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 Oct 2024)
The marking criteria for the formal report are below:
1. Discussing your understanding of how leaders in organisations can enhance the 4 Resilience Potentials (Respond, Monitor, Learn and Anticipate), as proposed by the Safety II in Practice readings (18%);
2. Making recommendations in your report on how organisations can enhance resilience based on your critical review of the theory from an evidence-based, theory into practice view (18%).
Uses correct Harvard style referencing and demonstration of advanced academic report writing (4%).
- Explore the characteristics of resilience in organisations.
- Develop an ability to critically read and write on contemporary safety science theories from an evidence-informed advancing safety professional perspective.
- Evaluate the theories that underpin resilience in organisations such as resilience engineering, safety culture and high reliability organisations and discuss the usefulness of these theories to practice.
- Discern those factors which influence the quality and validity of decision making within organisations, such as, values, mindfulness, culture, adaptive systems, participation and leadership.
- Compare controversial terms related to safety and culture and the ongoing debate underlying these precepts and relationships.
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?
