COMMGMT 7006OL - People and Organisations (M)

Online - Trimester 2 - 2019

This course explores behaviour in the workplace from an individual, group and organisational perspective. It seeks to develop an understanding of how individual attributes such as attitudes, personality, values and motivation, impact on employee performance. It also considers the role of groups and teams in supporting organisational outcomes, strategies for managing interpersonal and intergroup conflict, organisational communication and the importance of leadership in promoting positive employee behaviours. Topics examined from an organisational level perspective include culture, and stress management.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code COMMGMT 7006OL
    Course People and Organisations (M)
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Trimester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s Online
    Units 3
    Course Description This course explores behaviour in the workplace from an individual, group and organisational perspective. It seeks to develop an understanding of how individual attributes such as attitudes, personality, values and motivation, impact on employee performance. It also considers the role of groups and teams in supporting organisational outcomes, strategies for managing interpersonal and intergroup conflict, organisational communication and the importance of leadership in promoting positive employee behaviours. Topics examined from an organisational level perspective include culture, and stress management.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Margaret Patrickson

    Associate Professor Margaret Patrickson
    Margaret.patrickson@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
    1. Diagnose the causes and consequences of behavioural actions within organisations.
    2. Collaboratively and autonomously research, analyse and evaluate organisational business information from a wide variety of sources.
    3. Apply relevant contemporary theories, concepts and models in order to analyse organisational environments, cases and issues.
    4. Communicate their findings clearly and effectively using a variety of media.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    2-4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1, 3, 4
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3, 4
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    2-4
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1-4
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1-4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbook will be advised via MyUni
    Recommended Resources
    Students are encouraged to read beyond the textbook to enhance the learning experience. Journal articles can be accessed using the online databases.

    Two useful databases are:
    EmeraldFulltext
    Business Source Complete

    The following list provides useful academic journals for further research.
    Academy of Management Executive
    Academy of Management Journal
    Academy of Management Perspectives
    (formerly Academy of Management Review)
    Administrative Science Quarterly
    Asia-Pacific Journal of Human Resources
    Harvard Business Review
    Human Relations
    Journal of Applied Psychology
    Journal of Organizational Behavior
    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
    Organization Science
    Organization Dynamics
    Personnel Psychology
    Online Learning
    Course taught entirely online.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The online class consists of readings, discussions, essays and case studies.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Approximately 3-5 hours each week.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Reading Reference Lists:

    Week one
    Video: What is Organizational Behavior? Definition and History of the field


    Week Two: Individual Differences
    1. Aryticle: Johnstone M & Lee C (2009) Young Australian women's aspirations for work and family: individual and
    socio-cultural differences, Sex Roles, 61 , 204-220 DOI 10 1007/s111 99- 009- 9622-8
    2. Article: Waheeda S & Hadfitz M (2012) Individual differences as indicative of counterproductive work behaviour, Asian Social Science, 8 (13) 220-226
    3. Article: Kuncel N, Ones D & Sackett P (2010) Individual differences as predictors of work, educational and broad life outcomes, Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 331-336


    Week Three: Motivation and Empowerment
    1. Article: Billet S & Choy S (2013) Learning through work: emerging perspectives and new challenges, Journal of
    Workplace Learning, 5 (4) 264-276
    2. Article: Crick R, Haigney D, Huang S, Coburn T & Goldspink C (2012) Learning power in the workplace: the effective lifelong learning inventory and its reliability and validity and implications for learning and development, The International Journal of Human Resource Development, 24 (11) 2255-2272
    3. Article: Longenecker C & Abernathy R (2013) The eight imperatives of adult learning, Human Resource
    Management International Digest, 21 (7) 30--334.
    4. Article: Kultalahti S & Viitala R (2014) Sufficient challenges and the weekend ahead- generation Y describing motivation at work, Journal of Organisational Change Management, 27 (4) 569-582
    5. Article: Cattaneo L & Chapman A (2010) The process of empowerpoint, American Psychologist, 65 (7) 646-659

    Week Four: Learning Reinforcement and Self-Management
    1. Article: Mayfield M & Mayfield J (2011) Effective performance feedback for learning in organisations and
    organisation learning, Development and Learning in Organisations; An International Journal 6 (1) 15-18
    2. Book Chapter: Latham G & Pinder C (2005) Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century, Annual Review of psychology 2005 56, 485-516

    Week Five: Job Design and Goal Setting
    1. Article: Schmidtchen D (2013) Trust and confidence: The fertile soil of effective goal setting, Public Administration
    Review 73 (3), 464-465
    2. Article: Hall D & Heras M (2010) Reintegrating job design and career theory: creating not just good jobs but smart
    jobs, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 448-462
    3. Article: Tulgan B (2014) The challenges of managing superstars, Employment Relations Today, DOI 10.1002/ert
    Wiley Periodicals Inc
    4. Article: Arnold D & Bongiovi J (2013) Precarious, informalizing, and flexible work: transforming concepts and understandings, American Behavioral Scientist, 57 (3) 289-308
    5. Article: Ahmad S (2013) Paradigms of quality of work life, Journal of Human Values, 19 (1) 73-82


    Week Six: Groups and Group Dynamics
    1. Article: Kraimer K, Takeuchi R & Freze M (2014) The global context and people at work: Special issue
    introduction, Personnel Psychology, 67, 5-21
    2. Article : Stein M & Pinto J (2011) The dark side of groups: A “gang at work” in Enron, Group and Organization
    Management, 36 (6) 692-721
    3. Article: Bluestone Review (2013) A review of culture and leadership in Australian olympic swimming,

    Week Seven: Teamwork and Team Building
    1. Video: Baricevi T, De Robbio M, McLean M, (2009) Teams in the workplace, Traingpoint Net, Video Education,
    Bendigo Australia
    2. Video: Eight Characteristics of effective Teams
    3. Article: Gilley J, Morris M, Waite A, Coates T, & Veliquette A, (2010) Integrated theoretical model for building effective teams, Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12 (1) 7-28

    Week Eight: Organisational Structure and Culture

    1. Book chapter: Robbins T & Judge T (2008) Foundations of Organizational structure, in Essentials of
    Organizational Behaviour, 9th edition, 229-246, Prentice hall New Jersey
    2. Article: Flynn D (2015) Building a better model: A novel approach for mapping organisational and functional structure, Procedia Computer Science, 44, 194-203
    3. Article: Mohelska H & Sokolova M (2014) Organisational culture and leadership- joint vessels?, Procedia, Social and Behavioural Sciences, 171, 1011-1016
    4. Article: Olson E (2007) Common belief, contested meanings: development and faith based organisational culture,
    Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, 99 (4) 393-405

    Week Nine: Power, Politics and Influence in Organisations
    1. Article: Heimans J & Timms H (2014) Understanding “new power” Harvard Business Review December 2014, 48-
    56
    2. Article: Kelly C (2015) Managing the relationship between knowledge and power in organisations, Aslib proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 59 (2) 125-138

    Week Ten: Leadership and Decision Making
    1. Article: Karp T (2013) Studying subtle acts of leadership, Leadership 9 (1) 3-22
    2. Article: Chambers L, Drysdale J & Hughes J (2010) The future of leadership: A practitioner view, European
    Management Journal, 28, 260-268
    3. Article: Hess J & Bacigulapo A (2011) Enhancing decisions and decision making processes through the application of emotional intelligence skills, Management Decision, 49 (5) 710-721


    Week Eleven: Communication, Conflict and Negotiation
    1. Article: Cacciattolo K (2015) Defining organisational communication, European Scientific Journal, 11 (20) 79-87
    2. Article: Kelly D (2000) Using vision to improve organisational communication, Leadership and Organizational
    Development Journal, 21 (2) 92-101
    3. Article: Cooper C & Scandura T (2015) Getting to “fair”: interactions as identity negotiation, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 22 (4) 48-432

    Week Twelve: Organisational Change and Innovatation
    1. Video: Our Iceberg is melting
    2. Article: McCarthy E (2013) The dynamics of culture, innovation and organisational change: a nano-psychology future perspective of the future of the psycho-social and cultural underpinnings of innovation and technology, AI and Soc, 28, 471-482, DOI 10.1007/s001.46-013-0512-9
    3. Artyicle: Damanpour F (2014) Footnotes to research on management innovation, Organization Studies, 35 (9)
    1265-1285
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Discussions Weeks 1 - 6 10% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Discussions Weeks 7 - 12 10% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Assignment 1 Week 4 20% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Assignment 2 Week 8 30% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Assignment 3 Week 12 30% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Assessment Detail
    There are three main tasks:
    1. Contributing to weekly discussions of topics by reviewing appropriate literature and answering set questions.
    2. Submission of one essay
    3. Submission of two case studies


    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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  • Policies & Guidelines
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