University of Sydney Handbooks - 2014 Archive

Download full 2014 archive Page archived at: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:43:56 +1100

Undergraduate unit of study descriptions

Please Note:The Business School website (sydney.edu.au/business/ugunits) contains the most up to date information on unit of study availability and other requirements. Timetabling information for 2014 is available on this website (sydney.edu.au/business/timetable). Students can also refer to the University of Sydney's unit of study handbook (https://ssa.usyd.edu.au/ssa/handbook/uossearch.jsp) for the latest information regarding unit of study descriptions, assessment or other requirements.

WORK - Work and Organisational Studies

WORK1003 Foundations of Work and Employment

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Semester 1: Stephen Clibborn; Semester 2: Bradon Ellem Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: quiz (10%), participation (10%), mid-semester (20%), final quiz (20%), and essay (40%)
Note: This is the compulsory unit of study for the Industrial Relations/Human Resource Management major.
This unit draws on concepts from industrial relations and human resource management to examine the interests and strategies of workers, unions, managers, employers and the state. It explores the relationships between these parties as they seek to manage their environments and workplaces and to exercise control over each other. The unit enables students to understand how and why the organisation, regulation and management of work are changing in Australia and globally. As well as providing an introduction to all aspects of the study of the employment relationship, this is the foundation unit for a major in industrial relations and human resource management.
WORK2201 Foundations of Management

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: participation (10%), quiz (20%), essay (40%), and final quiz (30%)
Note: This a compulsory unit of study for the Management major.
This unit serves both as a stand-alone unit for students who wish to obtain an overview of management methods and approaches and as the basis of study for advanced and specialised undergraduate units listed in the Management major. It examines management as a process of planning, organising, leading and controlling the efforts of organisational members and discusses how recent trends such as globalisation, economic change and the effects of new technology have led to profound changes in how organisations are managed. It explores these issues with respect to both large and small, public and private, and domestic and foreign organisations.
WORK2203 Industrial Relations Policy

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Rae Cooper Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1hr tutorial hour per week Assessment: short essay (20%), major essay (40%), quiz (30%), and class participation (10%)
Note: This is the compulsory unit of study for the Industrial Relations/Human Resource Management major.
The aim of this unit of study is to provide an understanding of the institutions and processes engaged in the regulation of work and labour markets. At times of intense change and debate such as today, it becomes all the more important to develop understandings of industrial relations policy which are intellectually rigorous; that is, which are evidence-based, theoretically-explicit and historically-informed. This unit is framed by these considerations. Particular topics may include: the development of policy; the nature of regulation; state and federal government policies; arguments for change; the influence of lobby groups; employer and union strategy; work-family debates and policies; the working of tribunals and courts; dispute settling procedures; the development of wage determination; the outcomes and implications of policy change.
WORK2205 Human Resource Processes

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Diane van den Broek Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1hour tutorial per week Assessment: Academic Honesty Module (0%); Tutorial Facilitation (20%); In-class multiple choice quiz (20%); Major assignment (30%); Final exam (30%)
Note: This is the compulsory unit of study for the Industrial Relations/Human Resource Management major.
Building on the foundational coverage of Human Resource Management (HRM) issues and concepts provided in WORK1003, this unit provides an advanced understanding of key HRM concepts, processes and practices, including the employee psychological contract; engagement, motivation and satisfaction; recruitment and selection; learning and development; career planning and development; mentoring and coaching, performance management; reward management; high involvement management, employee wellbeing; HRM and ethics; international HRM; and HRM system evaluation and change. The unit's 'micro'/psychological focus is designed to complement and support the 'macro'/strategic focus taken in the advanced elective unit WORK2211 Human Resource Strategies.
WORK2209 Managing Organisational Change

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Greg Patmore Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: Seminar participation (10%), essay (40%) and exam (50%)
The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the processes and structures that influence the way people behave in organisations, with an emphasis on organisational change. Managing change is a critical skill for managers to master and it has been recognised as an increasingly vital part of the toolkit managers need to perform their roles effectively. The unit takes students through the macro, micro and individual issues in the change process. Topics focus on theories and strategies in change management. Students will gain an insight into group dynamics, organisational power and politics and organisational culture as they relate to organisational change. At the end of the unit, students will have developed the ability to reason, debate and critically examine a range of topical organisational issues as they relate to the management of organisational change.
WORK2210 Strategic Management

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: mid-term quiz (30%), tutorial group discussion (10%), tutorial group paper (20%), case study assignment (40%)
Note: This is the compulsory unit of study for the Management major.
The aim of this unit is to critically examine the concept of strategy in the management of organisations. It examines different approaches to strategy and strategic management and traces the development of strategic management as an academic discipline. It takes students though the classical strategic management process as it is presented in most textbooks and it also introduces students to a range of current debates in strategic management. This unit can be taken as a stand alone introduction to strategy or as part of a broader program of study in management.
WORK2211 Human Resource Strategies

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: readiness assessments (30%), team strategy activities (20%), reflective journal assignment (30%), and final strategy assessment (20%)
This unit examines the links between human resource management and strategic management in different kinds of organisations, both in Australia and overseas. It provides a critical and in-depth analysis of the human resource management theories, paying particular attention to the concepts of strategy, people management and organisational performance. The unit considers contemporary and controversial issues in human resource management, which may include downsizing, outsourcing, knowledge management, governance and social responsibility.
WORK2217 International Human Resource Management

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: tutorial participation (15%), tutorial facilitation (15%), short essay (15%), major assignment (35%), and exam (20%)
This unit considers the opportunities and challenges associated with managing employees in international and cross-cultural contexts, with specific emphasis on international recruitment, selection, preparation, placement, management development, performance management, reward and remuneration in the international, multi-national and trans-national corporation. Within the context of global labour markets, the unit considers the implications of internationalisation and globalisation for human resource management (HRM), the difference between domestic and international HRM, and the challenges of cross-cultural management. This unit will provide students with a theoretical understanding of IHRM and cross-cultural management, as well as a practical understanding of the issues and challenges associated with managing employees in international, global and cross-cultural contexts.
WORK2218 Managing Organisational Behaviour

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Mark Westcott Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: individual case study (30%), group presentation (15%), individual group work reflection (25%), and exam (30%)
Note: This is the compulsory unit of study for the Management major.
This unit is an introductory organisational unit which gives students the tools and concepts they need to begin to understand how organisations work. It explores topics such as power, control, networks and organisational culture. As an introductory organisational behaviour unit, it covers key debates across a range of social science disciplines including business, management, psychology, sociology and communication studies.
WORK2219 Managing Organisational Sustainability

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: individual reflection (15%), individual essay (25%), poster (25%), exam (25%), and tutorial attendance and participation (10%)
Managing organisational sustainability is critical to for effective, contemporary managers. This unit focuses on how to conceptualise and to practice sustainability in its broadest sense. Topics covered include the ethical aspects of management and organisational practice, corporate social responsibility, governance models in organisations and managing in diverse environments. Students will be encouraged to enhance their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of management and the impact of organisations on stakeholders including staff, government and community.
WORK2222 Leadership in Organisations

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Eric Knight Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: reflective journal (20%), major essay (30%), tutorial attendance and participation (10%), and final exam (40%)
Leadership is increasingly seen to be a key factor affecting the performance of contemporary organisations and is an important area of study in the fields of management and organisational behaviour. While leadership principles are often associated with the work of senior management, they also have potential application to all members of organisations. This unit explores conventional and alternative perspectives on leadership and also examines the practice of leadership in diverse organisational contexts. Practitioner perspectives, experiences and case studies of business leaders are also presented. The unit builds on foundational units of study in Management, IR and HRM and International Business.
WORK2227 Regulation at Work

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Stephen Clibborn Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x 2 hour lecture and 1x 1 hour tutorial hour per week Assessment: Case study (30%), Seminar presentation (20%), Seminar participation (10%), Exam (40%)
This unit of study examines the regulatory framework that exists around paid work in Australia. It examines the development of employee and employer rights and responsibilities through the employment contract and labour law. It focuses on both individual and collective regulation of work in Australia paying particular attention to the industrial sphere, as well as health and safety and discrimination. Both the aim and purpose of industrial regulation and the impact of this regulation on workplace relations is analysed.
WORK3922 Organisational Research Methods

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x 3 hour seminar per week Assessment: pair seminar presentation (20%), applied research report (30%), and thesis proposal (50%)
This unit develops the practical knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to undertake meaningful organisational research. By working through a series of real world problems faced in organisational settings and in the employment relationship, students learn how to better understand, study and address workplace issues. This is achieved in three ways. First, students learn how to translate organisational problems and issues into research-based questions. Second, students learn how to gather relevant information via interviews, observations, documents, and questionnaires. Finally, students receive hands-on training in both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques to aid in the interpretation of that information. These are the skills employers seek in 'enquiring' employees. They are also important in progressing to a higher degree by research. MPhil or PhD students who undertake this unit of study will be required to undertake additional assessment tasks.