Course Title: Social Architecture of Organisation Dynamics

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Social Architecture of Organisation Dynamics

Credit Points: 12


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BUSM2240

City Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009

BUSM2240

City Campus

Postgraduate

630H Management

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2010

Course Coordinator: Wendy Harding

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1492

Course Coordinator Email:wendy.harding@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 108.16.18


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Pre-requisite Courses:
Nil


Capability Linkages:
Links with BUSM 2241 Leading, Following and Group Dynamics. The capabilities developed are similar except here they refer to organisations. The capabilities developed here are basic to BUSM 2245, BUSM 2246 and BUSM 2247.


Course Description

The purpose of this subject is to introduce students to a multi-frame approach to organisational analysis and to develop an understanding of their own habitual approaches to managing. Various aspects of organisation dynamics will be considered including mechanistic, organic, political, cultural, psychodynamic and ethical approaches to understanding organisations. The emphasis of this subject on organisation level analysis, complements that of the concurrent subject: Leading, Following and Group Dynamics.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Course Capabilities:

  1. Knowledge application of social science and systems psychodynamic concepts and theories as applied to organisations.
  2. Critical analyses of the cognitive, emotive and motivational stances taken by self and others in role in organisational settings.
  3. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing about sophisticated complex human organisational systems.
  4. Ability to work as a team member taking up appropriate role for task.
  5. Ability to work with organisations in context and work with organisational change with an understanding of effects on the environment.
  6. Ability to work professionally in the field through the application of learning from the course to work within organisations.

Enabling Knowledge and Skills for Capabilities:

  1. Knowledge or awareness of concepts and theories of basic social science and systems psychodynamics as applied to organisations.
  2. Methods of critical analysis including analysis of conceptual, emotional and motivational stances of self and others in role in organisational settings.
  3. Development of verbal and written communication skills.
  4. Development of team-work skills through undertaking team assignments and analysis of the work done.
  5. Understanding of context and interaction of the organisation with its environment.
  6. Application of learning to organisational settings.




Learning Objectives:

  • Develop in students an understanding of competing theories of organising.
  • Identify students’ habitual ways of ’seeing’ and understanding work organisations, and the implications of these images for requisite management practice.
  • Practice using different frames for analysing and understanding organisation dynamics, particularly in students’ workplaces.
  • Develop skills in communicating verbally and in writing, critical analysis and interpretation of organisational dynamics for system effectiveness.
  • Develop skills in team-work througha team based approach in the classroom.


    Overview of Learning Activities

    Seminars:
    For development of knowledge, critical analysis, team-work and communication skills.

    Case Study:
    For development of application of knowledge, critical analysis and written communication skills.

     

     



    Overview of Learning Resources

    Set text


    Overview of Assessment

    Individual Assessment:
    Workplace Project - Personal Case Analysis.

    Group Assessment:
    Class Presentation and Report.