How To Work Under Team Environment?

WORK2218

People and Organisations

Semester 1, 2008

Unit of Study Outline

Coordinator: Associate Professor Richard Hall

Phone: 93515621 Email: r.hall@econ.usyd.edu.au

Office: Room N402 Institute Building, H03

Consultation times: Wednesday 10am-12noon; other times by appointment arranged via email

Other Teaching Staff:

Ms Sharna Wiblen (Senior Tutor)

Email: s.wiblen@econ.usyd.edu.au

Consultation Times: By appointment arranged via email

Note: Please contact Sharna for matters relating to the administration of the unit and tutorials

There are also a range of other tutors including Sebastian Kinne and Skye Nettleton.

Classes:

Lecture Time: Wednesdays 12noon-2pm Venue: Wallace Theatre, A21

Tutorial Time: You are allocated to a compulsory one-hour tutorial when you download your timetable.

1. Unit of study information

1.1. Faculty Handbook description

Contemporary organisations are characterised by a high degree of change. One of the most pervasive, and widely debated, changes in organisations has been the growing use of various forms of teamwork. Contemporary forms of teamwork include project based teams, virtual teams, and self managing teams and are found across a broad spectrum of organisational types- from manufacturing to professional service organisations.

1.2. Aims and context

This unit of study introduces students to theories about the impact of individual, group and organisational factors on people and organisations and uses these concepts and theories to examine the factors that can make working in and managing teams more effective. As such People and Organisations is designed to provide students majoring in Business insight into a set of critical issues that will impact their professional and business careers. Because of the increasing significance of teamwork, this unit of study also provides an important foundation for further study in Management and Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.

2. Learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities & assessment

2.1. Intended learning outcomes

As a result of successfully completing this unit, students should:

1. Have an understanding of the individual and collective foundations of organisational behaviour and, in particular, develop an appreciation of the role, functioning and management of teams and teamwork in contemporary business organisations. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Research and Inquiry by developing the capacity to вЂ?identify, define and analyse problems and recommend creative solutions within real-world constraints’.

2. Be able to use basic concepts in organisational behaviour as a means of describing and analysing business organisations. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Personal and Intellectual Autonomy by developing the capacity to вЂ?work independently including the ability to plan and achieve goals’.

3. Be able to undertake various behavioural self-assessment exercises and develop an understanding of their potential application to the analysis of organisational behaviour. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Personal and Intellectual Autonomy by allowing students to вЂ?demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning through continuous reflection on personal and professional experiences, self-evaluation and self-improvement’.

4. Develop an understanding of team dynamics and effectiveness through participating in team exercises. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Ethical, Social and Professional Understanding by encouraging students to вЂ?work with people from diverse backgrounds with inclusiveness, open-mindedness and integrity’.

5. Be able to summarise and explain basic concepts in organisational behaviour. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Communication by encouraging students to вЂ?confidently and coherently communicate, orally and in writing, to a professional standard in major fields of study’.

6. Apply organisational behaviour concepts and knowledge to case studies, problems and questions. The achievement of this outcome will contribute to the Faculty graduate attribute вЂ" Information Literacy by encouraging students to вЂ?manage, analyse, evaluate and use information efficiently and effectively’.

2.2. Learning and teaching activities

Three types of resources are provided to help students achieve the learning outcomes of this unit of study.

Face-to-face

Lectures are used to set the scene and show how each topic fits into the overall unit of study aims. At the beginning of each lecture any administrative announcements are made (and these are duplicated online as well). Up to 5 minutes will be allocated for Q&A on any aspect of the unit at the beginning/end of the lecture. Opportunities to apply concepts will be provided a number of times during each lecture. You are strongly advised to actively participate.

Tutorials are essential for helping you clarify any misunderstandings and apply concepts to more difficult problems. In this unit tutorials are mandatory because in tutorials you will be undertaking teamwork exercises that will provide the basis for the work that you must reflect on and analyse in your major assignment.

Staff consultation hours may be ultilised for all other queries (or email your tutor).

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Chapters from the textbook should be read prior to attending the scheduled lecture on that topic. This background

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