Course Description

(Higher Education)
School:

Federation Business School

Course Title:

Managing People at Work

Course Code:

BUMGT2606

Teaching Location:

MIT MELBOURNE

Credit Points:

15

Semester, Year:

Semester 1, 2015

Prerequisite(s):

BUMGT1501 Management Principles

Corequisite(s):

Nil

Exclusion(s):

Nil

ASCED Code:

080301

Program Level:
Level of course
in Program

AQF Level(s) of Program

5

10

Introductory
Intermediate

Advanced

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This course description complies with the course outline authorised by Curriculum Committee. Curriculum Committee 6/14 [28/05/2014]

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Organisation:
Staff
Tutor Details
(if relevant)

Lecturer Details and

Name

Dr Senani Rajamanthri

Email Contact

srajamanthri@academic.mit.edu.au

Office Location &

Campus

MIT Melbourne

Phone Contact
Consultation Hours

Wednesday 1.30-4.30pm
1.30-3.30_Lecture) 3.30-4.30_Tutorial

Prescribed Text
This course will be conducted on the presumption that students have a copy of: ORGB Asia-Pacific Edition
Debra
L. Nelson, James Campbell Quick, Sarah Wright & Christine Adams
2012
Cengage Learning Australia
ISBN: 9780170184977 (pbk)

Student Responsibility
It is the responsibility of every student to be aware of the requirements for this course, and understand the specific details
included in this document.
For full details of programs and school procedures, please refer to the Federation Business School Programs Handbook
available at http://federation.edu.au/faculties-and-schools/federation-business-school/student-resources/continuingstudents/timetables
Students should be aware of the content of the handbook, particularly:
Special Consideration process and forms
Assignment Coversheet
Submission of tasks and assignments
Grading codes
Appeal process
Unsatisfactory progress - Early Intervention
It is emphasised that this course requires a significant commitment outside of formal class contact. The learning tasks in
this course may include classes (lectures, tutorials or seminars), required reading, the preparation of answers to set
questions, exercises and problems, and self-study. In addition, students may be required to complete an assignment, test
or examination.
The table below is an example of the suggested time allocations for this course.
Classes
Reading
Preparation of set questions, exercises and problems
Preparation of assignment
Study and revision for test and end of semester examination
TOTAL

3 hours per topic

2 hours per topic
4 hours per topic

36 hours
24 hours
48 hours
20 hours
22 hours
150 hours

Attendance and Participation

It is in students interest to make every effort to attend all the classes for this course and to complete all preparatory and
assessment tasks. It is our experience that those students who do not attend class or carry out the associated activities
are more likely to do poorly or to fail the course completely.

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Late Submission
Assessment tasks submitted after the due date, without prior approval/arrangement, will be penalised at 10% of the
available marks per day. Requests for extension of time must be made with the lecturer concerned and based on Special
Consideration guidelines
http://policy.federation.edu.au/student_services_and_administration/enrolment/special_consideration/ch01.php

Moderation of Results
Moderation refers to the practice of quality assurance of assessable tasks and marking carried out at any of the Schools
Partner Providers locations. Moderation addresses the interests of students, staff, the Schools partners and external
stakeholders. Moderation seeks to ensure that:
Good practice in assessment is being applied consistently across the institution and its programs;
Student performance is being properly, fairly and consistently judged for all students undertaking the same course
of study; and
Standards expected of, and achieved by, students are appropriate, reliable and comparable to good practice at the
University and nationally.
Standardisation of assessment may result in a students mark being amended. This is your guarantee that your results
are comparable to Federation University results in all locations.

Course Evaluation
We welcome feedback as one way to keep improving this course. Students are encouraged to provide course feedback
through eVALUate, the Universitys online student feedback system. eVALUate will be available to students during Weeks
10 and 11 by the Student Survey dashboard system using FedUni student user names and passwords.

Moodle
Moodle is used to host course resources for all courses. Students can download lecture and tutorial notes to support
class participation. Students login to Moodle at https://moodle.federation.edu.au/login/index.php

Generally, assessments are submitted online through Moodle. Should you need assistance, please use the available
resources and support through the drop-down menus in Moodle.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the presentation of the expressed thought or work of another person as though it is one's own without
properly acknowledging that person.
Students must not allow other students to copy their work and must take care to safeguard against this happening. In
cases of copying, normally all students involved will be penalised equally; an exception will be if the student can
demonstrate the work is their own and they took reasonable care to safeguard against copying.
Plagiarism is a serious offence. Please refer to the following documents:
Statute 6.1: Student Discipline
Regulation 6.1: Student Discipline
Regulation 6.1.1: Plagiarism

Adopted Reference Style:

APA
The link to the library website for more information is: FedUni Library - Referencing

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Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge
K1
K2
K3
K4

Explain, link and evaluate a number of management of people concepts, theories and processes
Examine individual processes and behaviour in organisations
Identify interpersonal processes and behaviour including in groups
Analyse and explain the complex organisational processes and structure

Skills
S1
S2
S3
S4

Communicate, particularly in writing, the management of people concepts and theories clearly and
coherently
Identify, analyse and evaluate organisational processes and behaviour in diverse contexts
Critically evaluate the issues and problems confronting organisations
Generate responses and solutions to the complex issues and problems identified in diverse
management contexts

Application of knowledge and skills

A1
A2
A3

Apply the discipline-specific concepts and theories to evaluate and solve issues and problems in
organisational processes and behaviour
Adapt management of people knowledge and skills in diverse contexts
Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for ones own learning and professional practice within
broad parameters in a management context

Course Content:

Introduction to organisational behaviour

Individual processes and behaviour:
o Personality, attitudes, emotions, ethics, motivation at work, and stress and well-being
Interpersonal processes and behaviour:
o Work teams and groups, individual and group decision making, power and political behaviour,
leadership, and conflict and negotiation
Organisational processes and structure:
o Organisational design and structure, organisational and national culture, and managing change

Values:

Think and act ethically, and become a socially responsible citizen

Appreciate multiple views and perspectives
Take responsibility for learning leading to life-long learning
Develop a critical perspective
Value achievement, self-direction, universalism, compassion and stimulation

Learning Tasks and Assessment:

At the University a PASS is usually achieved at 50%. For courses listed below, a mark of at least 40% in the examination
must additionally be achieved.
BUACC1506, BUACC1507, BUACC1521, BUEBU1501, BUECO1507, BUECO1508, BUENT1531, BUHRM1501,
BULAW1502, BULAW1503, BUMGT1501, BUMKT1501, BUMKT1503, BUTSM1501, BUTSM1502, BUACC5901,
BUACC5930, BUACC5937, BUECO5903, BUHRM5912, BULAW5911, BULAW5914, BULAW5915, BUMGT5921,
BUMKT5901, BUMKT5922.
Students are strongly advised to attempt ALL assessment tasks. Students who do not submit a task(s) or fail a task(s) in
the semester will be identified as a student at risk of unsatisfactory academic progress (outlined in the School

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Handbooks) and will be directed to the Schools Intervention Program. Students who encounter difficulties or who are
otherwise concerned regarding their progress should consult their lecturer.
Assessment criteria set out the details by which performance in each task will be judged. This information will give a clear
and explicit understanding of the expected standards to be achieved relative to the marks awarded.

1.

2.
3.

Learning
outcomes
assessed
K1,K2
S2,
A1,A2
K1,K2,K3
S1,S2,S3,S4
A1,A2,A3
K2,K3,K4
S2,S3,S4
A1,A2

Assessment Task

Assessment
Type

Weighting

Week
Due

Individual, closed book, written test

comprising short answer and essay
questions on theory and practice, and
case study questions
Analyse and critically evaluate the case
study and develop a course of action
that can solve the problems
Demonstrate knowledge of key
management concepts, issues, and
problems by applying knowledge and
skills in different situations

Mid semester
test

20%

Week 6

Report

40%

Week 11

Individual,
closed book,
written exam

40%

Exam
week

Assessment Task 1: Mid semester test

1) Assessment Details
The test will be a 20 marks, 90 minutes, in-class closed book test which will consist of short-answer, essay and case
study questions relating to key concepts from the first 4 weeks of the course. It has 3 sections. In Section A, you will

respond to 2 short-answer questions from 4 given questions. Each question is worth 3 marks. Each answer
can be approximately 1/3rd of an A4 page. In Section B, you will attempt one essay question from the given 3
questions. This question carries 6 marks. The expected length of your essay is approximately 2/3rd of an A4
page. In Section C, you will be given a short case study with 4 questions. Attempt all the questions. The
questions are worth 2 marks each. Your answer to a question can be about 1/3rd of an A4 page. The shortanswer and essay questions are selected from the Question Bank given in the Appendix of Additional
Resources.
2) Criteria used to grade this task

The criteria to be applied in grading the questions are as follows:

For the short-answer and essay questions:
The demonstration of
i)
the conceptual knowledge (60% weight);
ii)
the ability to analyse and evaluate concepts in workplace situations (40% weight).
For the case study questions:
The demonstration of
i)
the elucidation of the application of concepts (50% weight)
ii)
the ability to analyse and evaluate the individual processes and behaviour in the given
context of the case study (50% weight)
3) Task Assessor

Lecturer : Dr Senani Rajamanthri

4) Suggested time to devote to this task

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A suggested minimum of ten hours revision time
5) Submission details
Test will be held during lecture in week 6. Lecturer will collect papers
6) Feedback and return of work
Marked test papers handed back in class within two weeks of sitting the test

Assessment Task 2:

Report

1) Assessment Details
This 40 marks worth case study analysis report requires the identification, analysis, and evaluation of the behaviour
in a workplace featured in the given case study, linking to the relevant organisational behaviour concepts and their
applications.
2) Criteria used to grade this task

The following marking criteria is used:

i)
ii)
iii)

Application of relevant concepts (25% weight)

Elucidation (50% weight)
Research and accurate referencing (25% weight)

Expected word length is 2000 words excluding the reference list. Prepare the report in the question and
answer style, answering all the questions in the case study equally.
The case study and questions are made available in Moodle.
3) Task Assessor
Lecturer: Dr Senani Rajamanthri
4) Suggested time to devote to this task
About 20 hours
5) Submission details
Assignment due at the end of week 11. Submission will be online via Moodle.
6) Feedback and return of work
Feedback and grades will be communicated via Moodle within two weeks of report submission

Assessment Task 3:

Exam

1) Assessment Details
It will be a 40 marks, 120 minutes closed book exam which will consist of short-answer, essay and case study
questions relating to key concepts from week 5 to week 12 topics of the course. It has 3 sections. In Section A,

you will respond to 4 short-answer questions from 8 given questions. Each question is worth 3 marks.
Each answer can be approximately 1/3rd of an A4 page. In Section B, you will attempt 2 essay questions
from the given 6 questions. This question carries 6 marks. The expected length of your essay is
approximately 2/3rd of an A4 page. In Section C, you will be given a short case study with 4 questions.
Attempt all the questions. The questions are worth 4 marks each. Your answer to a question can be about
1/3rd of an A4 page. The short-answer and essay questions are selected from the Question Bank given
in the Appendix.
2) Criteria used to grade this task
Same as in the test.
3) Task Assessor
Lecturer: Dr Senani Rajamanthri

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4) Suggested time to devote to this task

A minimum of 12 hours
5) Submission details
Exam will be held in exam weeks at the end of the semester. Exam supervisor will collect papers
6) Feedback and return of work

Your overall course grade is announced by the University.

Sequence:
As semesters and contact hours vary between teaching locations, delivery is usually scheduled across three hours a
week for 12 weeks. As the University offers many programs in a variety of formats please contact local lecturers for
further information about the schedule.
Please note that the sequence and content of lectures and tutorials may need to be changed and the following
information should be used as a guide only.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

Introduction to organisational behaviour; personality.

Attitudes; emotions; ethics.
Motivation at work.
Stress and well-being at work.
Work teams and groups.
Decision making by individuals and groups.
Power and political behaviour.
Leadership.
Conflict and negotiation.
Organisational design and structure.
Organisational culture.
Managing change.

Additional Resources:
The link to the library website for more information is:
http://www.federation.edu.au/current-students/assistance,-support-and-services/academic-support/learning-andstudy/resources/general-guide-for-the-presentation-of-academic-work

QUESTION BANK
Introduction to organisational behaviour and personality
Short-answer questions:
1.
What is organisational behaviour? What is its focus?
2.
What are the workplace implications of the Big Five personality model?
3.
Contrast the two loci of control.
4.
Does self-esteem improve work performance? If yes, how?
5.
How does ones high general self-efficacy impact her individual performance outcomes?
Essay question:
Discuss the practical applications of personality theories in organisations.
Attitudes, emotions and ethics
Short-answer questions:
1.
Explain the ABC model of an attitude.
2.
What is job satisfaction? Discuss sources of job satisfaction.
3.
What is organisational commitment? How is it linked to job satisfaction?

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4.
What are the impacts of emotions at work?
5.
What is ethical behaviour?
Essay question:
Explain factors that affect ethical behaviour in individuals.
Motivation at work
Short-answer questions:
1.
Explain how Theory X and Theory Y relate to Maslows hierarchy of needs.
2.
Evaluate the 3 needs in McClellands need theory.
3.
Contrast the two distinct factors in Herzbergs two-factor theory.
4.
How inequity is perceived by an individual in Adams theory of inequity? How are these
inequities resolved by an individual?
Essay question:
What are the key concepts in the expectancy theory of motivation? What are the theorys managerial
implications?
Stress and well-being at work
Short-answer questions:
1. What are stress, distress and strain?
2. Compare four different approaches to stress.
3. Explain the sources of work stress.
4. Discuss the consequences of stress.
Essay question:
Write an essay on preventive stress management.
Work teams and groups
Short-answer questions:
1.
What are the benefits of team work to organisations and individuals in teams?
2.
Discuss factors that influence group behaviour.
3.
Explain Tuckmans 5-stage group development model.
4.
Discuss the importance of both task and maintenance functions.
5.
Discuss factors that influence team effectiveness.
Essay questions:
Discuss how work teams improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness?
Decision making by individuals and groups
Short-answer questions:
1.
Compare the rational model of decision making with the bounded rationality model.
2.
Discuss one individual difference that affect decision making.
3.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of group decision making.
4.
Discuss the symptoms of groupthink, and identify actions that can be taken to prevent it.
5.
Discuss a technique that can be used to improve group decisions.
Essay question:
How can organisations improve their managerial abilities to make effective decisions?
Power and political behaviour
Short-answer questions:
1.
Describe the concept of power.
2.
Describe forms and sources of power in organisations.
3.
What is political behaviour in organisations?
4.
What is influence tactics? Explain one of them.
5.
As a future manager, how would you manage political behaviour?
Essay question:
How can managers empower their subordinates? Why is it beneficial?

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Leadership
Short-answer questions:
1.
Explain initiating structure and consideration as the two distinct leader behaviours.
2.
What is the general underpinning of the contingency theories of leadership?
3.
Describe Houses path-goal theory of leader effectiveness.
4.
Describe Hersey and Blanchards situational leadership model.
5.
Discuss one inspirational leadership theory.
Essay question:
Advise a manager how she can improve her leadership qualities.
Conflict and negotiation
Short-answer questions:
1.
What are the differences between functional and dysfunctional conflict?
2.
Discuss the structural factors that might contribute to conflict in organisations.
3.
Discuss the personal factors that might contribute to conflicts in organisations.
4.
Describe the factors that influence conflict between individuals in organisations.
5.
Describe effective and ineffective techniques for managing conflict.
Essay question:
Identify and discuss five styles of conflict management.
Organisational design and structure
Short-answer questions:
1.
Explain the organisational design processes of differentiation and integration.
2.
Discuss the six basic dimensions of organisational design.
3.
Describe five structural configurations for organisations.
4.
Discuss the effects of the four contextual variables on the design of organisational structure.
5.
Identify and discuss four forces that are reshaping todays organisations.
Essay question:
Discuss the nature of emerging organisational structures.
Organisational culture
Short-answer questions:
1.
Evaluate the roles played by each of the three levels of culture in an organisation.
2.
Describe the four functions of culture within an organisation.
3.
Explain the relationship between organisational culture and performance.
4.
How can leaders shape organisational culture?
5.
Describe the three stages of organisational socialization. How is culture communicated in each
stage?
Essay question:
Write an essay on organisational culture.
Managing change
Short-answer questions:
1.
What are the major external and internal forces for change in organisations?
2.
Contrast incremental, strategic, and transformational change.
3.
What are the major reasons individuals resist change?
4.
How can organisations deal with resistance?
5.
What is organisational development? Why is it undertaken by organisations?
Essay question:
Explain Lewins organisational change model.
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Additional useful textbooks:
Andre, R. (2008). Organizational behaviour: An introduction to your life in organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Andriopoulos, C., & Dawson, P. (2009). Managing change, creativity & innovation. London: Sage Publications.
Bratton, J. (2007). Work and organizational behaviour. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan.
Champoux, J.E. (2011). Organizational behaviour: Integrating individuals, groups, and organizations. New York: Routledge.
Emerson, L. (2005). Writing guidelines for business students (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Fincham, R., & Rhodes, P. (2005). Principles of organizational behaviour. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fineman, S., Gabriel, Y., & Sims, D. (2010). Organizing & Organizations (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Griffin, R.W., & Moorhead, G. (2010). Organizational behaviourmanaging people and organizations (9th ed.). South Melbourne:
Cengage Learning.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, Jr., J.W. (2011). Organizational behaviour (13th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson.
Hitt, M.A., Miller, C.C., & Colella, A. (2009). Organizational behavioura strategic approach. (2nd ed.). NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Ivancevich, J.M., Konopaske, R., & Matteson, M.T. (2008). Organizational behavior and management (8th ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill
Irwin.
Jones, G. (2010). Organizational theory, design and change (6th ed.). Sydney: Pearson Education.
Luthans, F. (2008). Organizational behaviour (11th ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
McShane, S., Olekalns, M., & Travaglione, T. (2013). Organisational behaviourEmerging knowledge, global insights (4th Asia-Pacific
ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
Martin, J., & Fellenz, M. (2010). Organizational behaviour & management (4th ed.). Hampshire: Cengage Learning.
Nelson, D.L., & Quick, J.C. (2013). Organizational behaviour: Science, the real world, and you. (8th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western
Cengage Learning.
Weinberg, A., & Cooper, C. (2007). Surviving the workplace A guide to emotional well-being. London: Thomson.
Wilson, F.M. (2011). Organizational behaviour and work: A critical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wood, J., Zeffane, R., Fromholtz, M., Fromholtz, M., Wiesner, Morrison, R., & Seet, P. (2013). Organisational behaviour: Core concepts
and applications (3rd Australasian ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons.

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