BUSM3004 Contemporary Management Issues

Term 2 2024

Subject Details

1    About Contemporary Management Issues

1.1 An Introduction to this Subject

This is an engaged subject that requires students to undertake real-world projects to support selected industry or community partners. The subject blends in-class and online activities as well as individual and group work, with self- directed problem-based learning. The focus of students’ learning is on sustainable business, including the economic, social and environmental dimensions of business.  The  in-class workshops support students to conduct the required engagement activities with industry or community partners.  As a third-year subject, attention is given to students’ application of the knowledge and skills already acquired in their degree programs, and on the practice of business management skills.

1.2 What is Expected of You

Study Load

A student is expected to study an hour per credit point a week.  For example a 10 credit point subject would require

10 hours of study per week. This time includes the time spent within classes during lectures, tutorials or practicals.

Note for Summer Terms:  As Summer subjects deliver the same content and classes over a shorter period of time, the subjects are run in a more intensive mode. Regardless of the delivery mode, the study hours for each subject in Summer will be around 30 hours.

Attendance

Mandatory attendance for on-campus and composite delivery  provides evidence that students are  participating  in formative activities in preparation for assessment. Attendance also supports achievement of the teamwork program learning outcome (PLO 2).

Attendance for face to face workshops  is to ensure  adequate training  is  provided  for  engaged activities with the business community

Approach to Learning

Contemporary Management Issues is an engaged subject requiring students to undertake  real-world  projects on behalf of a ’client’. The subject blends in-class and online activities as well as individual and group work, with self- directed problem-based learning. The focus of students’ learning is on broadly defined current issues in management, and the  in-class workshops will support students to conduct the required engagement activities with industry or community partners. As a third-year subject, attention is given to students’ application of the  knowledge and skills already acquired in their degree programs, and on the practice of business management skills. This subject is specifically designed to support students’ transition to professional business practice, and has a strong focus on students’ reflections about their individual professional performance in practice. As an engaged subject, students are required to undertake real-world projects to support selected industry or community partners.  Each class will partner with a ’client organisation’, and students will conduct a research project which has been specifically designed by the client to address a real-world business need.  Students’ written reports will be handed to their ’client’ after the reports are assessed, and representatives of the client organisations may attend students’ in-class assessable presentations. In addition to this, towards the end of semester, students may be required to present the results of their research at a specially convened industry-based public event to be held at the university. The subject is the capstone engagement subject in the Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Management)  programs.  With the subject’s focus on business management practice, on completing the subject, students will be able to demonstrate comprehensive, coherent and connected knowledge in the business management discipline. Students’ participation and learning in the subject contributes to their graduate attributes by developing students’ communication and social interaction skills, as well as their information and technology literacies. The real-world projects to be completed in this subject will provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge of business management in professional and applied contexts.

This subject has a compulsory attendance requirement. Attendance is compulsory for each of the scheduled workshop classes - attendances will be recorded. The  University’s  and the School’s  reputations  are dependent  upon  (i) the professionalism exhibited by students in their engagement with the local business communities, and (ii) the quality of the students’ reports for the client organisations.  To ensure all students have the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to conduct the research with businesses at an appropriately professional level, students must attend all scheduled workshops.

Classes are structured in three-hour blocks, and these are mandatory for Weeks 1-5 (inclusive), and a further four (3-hour) workshops have been scheduled at designated times later in the semester. In addition, students will be required to undertake weekly online and other out-of-class activities.

According to a review by the WSU Careers Subject, students completing this subject can be expected to develop the following skills that are transferable to their professional practice:  - Negotiation skills - Benchmarking - Diplo- macy skills - Managing sensitive information - Data Analysis - Communicating and presenting information - Change management -  Persuading others and  managing entrenched  beliefs -  Using  social  media -  Resilience,  contingency planning, flexibility - Curiosity - Leadership skills - Knowledge management - Strategic planning - Risk management - Business development skills - Solution-focused problem solving - Staying on task - Time management skills - Team work - Generating ideas - Using humour (appropriately) to build and manage relationships