Subject author(s)
Zelma Bone
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students will
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the chaotic nature of organisations and the wider
environment, and the ambiguities and paradoxes this creates;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the work of the manager and leader within this context,
with particular reference to change;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the movement from mechanistic to holistic management
and leadership structures;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of current leadership issues;
* synthesise a position in relation to the issues covered;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interface between management and leadership;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complexities involved in holistic leadership;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of leadership potential and identify an appropriate
development program;
* be able to synthesise a position in relation to their approach to leadership.
Attendance
Attendance is required in all scheduled lectures and tutorials.
Contact Procedures
Academic enquiries
Any questions concerning the teaching of this subject can be made by contacting your subject
coordinator.
Subject CoordinatorLaura Andreoli van Schijndel
Emaillandreolivanschijndel@csu.edu.au
Phone00000
FaxTo be advised.
CampusOther
Building/Room numberTo be advised.
Consultation procedures
The Subject Coordinator will be available for student consultation. The most effective way to contact
the Subject Coordinator is via email or through subject forums. The Subject Coordinator also will be
available at certain times for phone or face to face consultation and will inform you of their times at
the start of session.
The Faculty of Business is committed to staff engaging with their students and students receiving
adequate support so that they have the best possible chance of succeeding in their studies. Therefore,
students who are not completing assignments or sitting for tests or who are not engaging with the
subject may be contacted by the subject coordinator to discuss their circumstances.
Minimum standards of consultation
According to the Academic Communication with Students Policy, section 4.1 Minimum Requirements
( ), when a student directly contacts a http://www.csu.edu.au/acad_sec/academic-manual/docs/p8.pdf
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teaching staff member for information, advice and/or support (except in online teaching spaces) the
teaching staff member will respond to the request within 3 working days. Section 4.5 Use of Online
Discussion and Communication Technologies states that for each subject, the Subject Coordinator will
be expected to set up and/or activate an appropriate asynchronous communication technology and
respond at least once a week to student messages that request information and advice.
The Academic Communication with Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Candidates Policy (
) states that a Communication Plan, a http://csu.edu.au/acad_sec/academic-manual/docs/n2.pdf
documented agreement between a HDR candidate and his/her supervisory team that establishes
common understandings and expectations of how and when communication will occur during the
candidature will be developed. The Plan should then be reviewed regularly throughout candidature.
Contact procedures
Email is the best option. Please send a brief message regarding the issue. Include your phone number
so a staff member can contact you via phone if that is more appropriate. When sending emails, please
. This will avoid state the subject code and your name and ID number in the email title/subject
your email being treated as SPAM.
Subject Delivery
Class/tutorial times and location
Class Time: Wednesday 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Room: : It is essential that you keep checking the notice boards for the latest class information. The
timetable may change due to unavoidable circumstances, and it is important to monitor the timetable
notice boards regularly
Learning, teaching and support strategies
The study guide and/or subject materials for this subject have been written specifically to guide you
through the sections (and questions) of the prescribed textbook relevant to each topic.
You should check the Interact Site at least weekly for postings, announcements, lecture information
and other resources that will assist your studies or additional information and resources vital to your
success in the subject.
Studying at university does not mean studying alone. Take advantage of collective wisdom and post
your questions to the subject forum.
Use the subject schedule to plan your studies over the session.
Information on effective time management is available on the CSU Learning Skills website via the
following link: student.csu.edu.au
Visit the Learning Skills website for advice about assignment preparation, academic reading and note
taking, referencing, effective time management and preparing for exams at: student.csu.edu.au
(http://student.csu.edu.au/)
You can also contact an adviser through Student Central on the following number:
1800 275 278 (or +61 2 6933 7507 from outside Australia).
Trigger to identify disengaged students
At the end of Week 3 of session the lecturer will look at the forum to make sure that all students are
working on the first assessment item. Students who have not registered a response on the forum may
be contacted so that we can offer further assistance.
This is not for the purpose of checking up on you but to give assistance to students who may be having
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difficulties with their studies for personal or study reasons or who may be having technical difficulties.
Feel free to contact the lecturer earlier if you have any issues or concerns that are affecting your study.
Library services
You can find on the Library Services web site full details of how we can help you find books, articles,
Australian and international databases, full-text newspapers and journals, electronic reference
collections as well as links to other libraries and their catalogues:
The Library website provides access to print and online material, such as books, reports, journals,
articles, dissertations, newspapers, and other reference tools. You will also find guides and assistance
to help you use the Library's resources.
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/
You can find Library Services on both the CSU website and the SGA library catalogue website
including access to a wide range of electronic books, electronic journals, as well as textbooks available
for loan in the Melbourne campus library. You can also access reports, journals, articles, dissertations,
full text newspapers, and online reference resources (eg. ABS statistics, Australian standards,
encyclopaedias, dictionaries), as well as links to other libraries and their catalogues:
All CSU students can access RMIT and other University Libraries for free through the Libraries
Australia Scheme. Ask at the desk for a brochure.
The SGA library catalogue is at the link http://unilinc20.unilinc.edu.au/F?RN=897831490
http://trove.nla.gov.au/- Powerful search engine from National Library of Australia to access many
different online resources on any subject from one search.
Interlibrary Loans are also available to all students from the network of CSU libraries as well as
renewing and extending loans. All CSU students by showing their CSU student card can access RMIT,
and other library for free
Contact Details for renewing loans, locating books and other information:
Library Help
Answers to your frequently asked questions about Library services and resources are available at:
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/how-to/faq/
Queries regarding the content of this subject should be directed to your subject lecturer.
4 24 March
LEADERSHIP ISSUES
Introduction to the
learning contract
What issues are making
the headlines?
Learning contract and contract proposal
Assessment 1: Online question3 DUE DATE 28
MARCH
5 31 March
LEADERSHIP ISSUE 1:
The environment and
culture of organisations
Writing the learning
contract proposal
Text: Chapter 13
Assessment 2a Learning Contract Proposal DUE
DATE 4 APRIL
mid-term
break
5 April - 20
April
MID SESSION BREAK Good Friday Public Holiday, Friday 18 April
2014
6 21 April
LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2: Text: Chapters 6 & 7
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Session
Week
Week
Commencing
Modules Reading and notes
Ethics and social
responsibility
Writing a literature review
Easter Monday Public Holiday, Monday 21
April 2014
&
Anzac Day Public Holiday, Friday 25 April 2014
Some further explanation of how these grading criteria are applied in this subject
Final grades for this subject are awarded by the Business Faculty Assessment Committee in
accordance with the University's Assessment Regulations. (see current Academic Regulations via
(http://www.csu.edu.au)). www.csu.edu.au
FAIL
< 30 F Failure - poor learning. Irrelevant or incorrect. Gross plagiarism, or no response at all.
< 50 Substantive failurealthough a substantial attempt, clearly inadequate performance for the
level of the course and the unit, as indicated in the Unit Information and other relevant College
materials. Failure to achieve a near pass due to, for example, an apparent misunderstanding of part or
all of the assignment instructions, while performance in other aspects in adequate. There may be
grounds for a re-submission here.Understood a few basic aspects, heavy reliance on retelling with
minimal transformation.Transformation refers to the ability to apply learning or knowledge. For
example, making links between theory and practice.
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PASS
Understanding of several aspects but they are unintegrated - little evidence of transformation of
sources or conceptualising beyond the given.
Greater than 50 but-
< 55 Minimal. A sparse collection of relevant aspects, which at least shows that the student has a basic
grasp of what is involved, but these are not developed; likely to include some retelling of text, lecture,
and other prescribed source material, with some but little transformation.
< 60 Adequate. Most relevant aspects addressed in one way or another; some evidence of going
beyond set sources but with only a little transformation or application to new areas. Good coverage,
but unoriginal.
< 64 Very well. A common very good P is the encyclopaedic response which is highly descriptive but
in a sophisticated way. If the question is generally phrased this is acceptable. If the question is
specifically phrased for higher order thinking, this would not be acceptable.
CREDIT
Parts cohere to make an appropriate whole showing integration and transformation.
< 65 Minimal. The question is answered appropriately but the case is minimally argued, so that not all
the relevant data are used.
< 70 Adequate. Question is well answered - a good argument is presented, the literature is
appropriately covered, selectivity and judgement in what is important, and what is less important is
demonstrated, language use is appropriate
< 75 Very well. All of the above, only better, but not going beyond the given.
DISTINCTION/HIGH DISTINCTION
High level of abstract thinking, originality (in applications and/or conclusion), elegance and/or
generalisation to new contexts, reflectivity (including generalising from personal experience which has
been sharply perceived). Quite clearly expressed with conventions used correctly, and with evidence
of wide reading. Implications substantially addressed where relevant. Connections are made with
learning elsewhere, particularly in context of the courses integrating themes.
Greater than 74 but-
< 75 Minimal. May be an abstract idea of good potential, but not worked through or not backed up by
adequate reading; an original project that didnt quite come off.
<80 Adequate. All or most of the grade characteristics, carried through well.
< 85 Very well. The best possible performance imaginable. Excellence demonstrated at both the
practitioner and academic levels expected. Superior performance to that of the excellence expected for
the unit and level will attract a higher mark.
Assessment Requirements
Assessment at CSU is criterion-referenced and standards-based where students' work is assessed
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against stated criteria that reflect the expected learning outcomes of the course and subject. Subjects
that use a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading scale will have this clearly identified within the Subject
Outline.
For further information please consult the Academic Regulations of the Academic Manual
http://www.csu.edu.au/acad_sec/academic-manual/gcontm.htm
Presentation
The following points are a general guide for presenting assessment items.
Assessment items should be typed
Use 1.5 spacing
Use a wide left margin. Markers need space to be able to include their comments.
Useastandard 12ptfont such asTimes New Roman, Calibrior Arial
Left- justify body text
Include a separate title page with your name, student number, subject code,assessment
number and assessment question. Include class time andtutors name if applicable.
Number your pages (except the cover page)
Use a header or footer with your name and student number on each page
Always keep a copy of your assessments. Both a hard copy and an electronic copy.
Most importantly, always use your spelling and grammar checker, but remember that this
does not pick up all errors. You must still manually and carefully edit your work.
[Source: adapted from Division of Student Services (2007). Charles Sturt University. Essay writing.
Retrieved 14/12/07 from:
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/learning/essay/essay_present.htm]
Can I use headings and subheadings?
Yes! Headings break up blocks of text making them easier to read while also acting as navigational
tools for the reader. Use a logical hierarchy of headings and subheadings to improve accessibility and
aid the readers understanding. Use typeface, size, style and alignment to show different levels of
importance and detail. Bolding and underlining is overkill.
Can I use graphics?
Yes! Graphics such as tables, graphs, process charts, and photographs ensure easy access of important
information. Think of yourself as a document designer.
Plagiarism
Charles Sturt University expects that the work of its students and staff will uphold the values of
academic honesty and integrity. The Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism is located at:
. This is an important resource that will help you understand http://student.csu.edu.au/study/plagiarism
these values and apply them in practice. You should familiarise yourself with these requirements and
ensure that all assessments submitted by you are your own work, have not been submitted elsewhere
and comply with the University's requirements for academic integrity.
The University has purchased Turnitin software. This software has two functions, a pre-emptive
education function which students may use to check their own work prior to submission, and a
plagiarism detection function which academics may use to check the students work for improper
citation or potential plagiarism. Use by students is optional and is not a prerequisite for submission.
You are encouraged to check your work for originality prior to submission. You can register with
Turnitin to create a Student Account under the CSU Turnitin Licence at
. Further information on how to use Turnitin is provided http://www.turnitin.com/login_page.asp
within the Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism: . http://student.csu.edu.au/study/plagiarism/checking
Extensions
In order to ensure that students who hand their assignments in on time are not disadvantaged, and to
enable the lecturer to comply with the requirement to return assignments to the class within 21 days,
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
the following rules about extensions will be strictly enforced:
Extensions be granted for online tests, as these have to be done within a specific time cannot
frame, after which the answers are released to the class automatically.
Computer problems (such as the speed of your computer and the time it may take you to
upload assignments onto EASTS) and normal work-related pressures and family
commitments do not constitute sufficient reasons for the granting of extensions.
If it becomes obvious that you are not going to be able to submit an assignment on time
because of an unavoidable problem, you must submit your request for an extension to the
Subject Coordinator in writing (email or post) to the due date. prior
Requests for extensions will not be granted on or after the due date so you must make sure
that any extension is requested prior to the day on which the assignment is due.
You are expected to do all you can to meet assignment deadlines. Work and family related
pressures do not normally constitute sufficient reasons for the granting of extensions or
incomplete grades.
If you apply for an extension, you may be asked to email your lecturer on what you have
done so far on the assignment.
You must be able to provide (such as a certificate from a doctor or documentary evidence
counsellor) justifying the need for an extension as soon as practicable - but please note that if
the circumstances giving rise to the request for an extension arise on a day when you cannot
get documentary evidence, you must still apply for the extension and before the due date
submit the documentary evidence afterwards.
Given the tight deadlines involved in returning assignments to students and putting feedback
on Interact, the maximum extension granted generally will be seven (7) days from the
. due date
Assignments received more than 10 days after the due date or extension date will not be
marked unless the staff member decides otherwise. Items received late will be penalised at
10% of the mark available for the assessment item per day it is late (see below).
Note that for purposes of measuring lateness, the 'day' begins just after 00.00 hrs AEST - so
an assignment received after midnight of the due date will be penalised 10% for lateness.
This rule will be applied to all students uniformly.
Online Submission
Assignments should be submitted through TurnItIn as well as hard copy. TurnItIn password details for
this subject will be given by your lecturer. TurnItIn does not accept Excel files.
Assignments must be submitted by Turnitin and are due by midnight (AEST) of the date specified.
Postal Submission
Under normal circumstances postal submissions will not be accepted for any of the assessments
required.
Hand Delivered Submission
It is recommended that your name and your student number be included in the header or footer of
every page of any assignment.
Charles Sturt University has a centralised assignment receipt centre located at reception. All
assignments should be accompanied by a completed assignment cover sheet. Level 3, Reception only
accepts assignments up to 5pm each week day.
Requirements
Timelypostings of yourresponses.
Assessment item 2a
Learning Contract (a) - Proposal
Value: 10%
Due date: 04-Apr-2014
Return date: 25-Apr-2014
Length: 4 pages
Submission method options
Alternative submission method
Task
***ASSESSMENT TO BE SUBMITTED VIA TURNITIN. FOR INSTRUCTIONS SEE INTERACT
RESOURCES/ASSESSMENT INFORMATION***
This requires you to submit a learning contract proposal that will form the basis of your learning
contract report. This must be prepared and submitted in the first couple of weeks of semester.
For detailed information on how to develop and present the proposal see Learning Contract Guide/
Part A: Developing your learning contract proposal provided in Assessment 2(c).
Your topic must come from one of the following three areas:
The environmental context of management 1.
Ethics and social responsibility 2.
Managing diversity/ Workplace diversity 3.
This proposal is graded (10%). It needs to be approved by your Subject Coordinator.
2. The Learning Contract Report (Assessments 2b & 2c), asks you to present a report on your
learning. The Learning Contract Report is made up of two sections:
Section I: This will contain the introduction, literature review, reflections on the literature,
methodology, and reference list (NB When completing the Final Report this reference list
moves from Section 1 and goes to the end of the Final report).
Section II: This will contain your learning in action, analysis and evaluation of the outcomes,
reference list and reflections of your learning.
A learning contract is about learning through action. It means you can learn about something which is
relevant to your needs now - within a specific subject area.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Your role
As the person undertaking the contract you need to:
complete the contract proposal on the Learning Contract Form (Assessment 2a)
send a copy to the Subject Coordinator by the due date
have it finally approved by your Subject Coordinator
undertake your contract
record results and reflect on your progress
prepare Section I of your contract report and send as a draft to your Subject Coordinator
(Assessment 2b)
prepare and present a final report on your achievements to your Subject Coordinator at the
end of the contracting period (Assessment 2c)
Weeks when proposals and reports are due are shown in the Assessment Items table and in the Study
Schedule. Check these now.
You will have noticed that you need to prepare your proposal for the learning contract very early in the
semester. This ensures you will have eight weeks or so to work on the action phase of your contract.
The report on the contract is due at the end of the semester.
Weeks when proposals and reports are due are shown earlier under Due Dates and in the Study
Schedule. Check these now.
You will have noticed that you need to prepare your proposal for the learning contract very early in the
semester. This ensures you will have eight weeks or so to work on the action phase of your contract.
The report on the contract is due at the end of the semester.
Rationale
This assessment allows you to choose a leadership issue that is of interest and relevance to you to
enable you to be more effective in your current role or in a future career role.
This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:
be able to demonstrate an understanding of current leadership issues;
be able synthesise a position in relation to the issues covered
Marking criteria
Assessment 2(a)
Clear statement of learning goal
Justification of learning goal
Initial action plan outlining how goal is to be achieved
More detailed explanation of criteria and standards may found on the marking rubric on the following
page.
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Referencing is completely
accurate.
Referencing is
consistently accurate.
Referencing is mainly
accurate
Referencing contained
major errors (e.g. page
numbers missing from
direct quotes, failure to
include a citations source in
reference list) and/ or a
Referencing is absent or
demonstrates little effort to
comply with APA format/ no
citations only a reference list)/
unsystematic/
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Criteria Excellent (HD) Very Good (DI) Good (CR) Satisfactory (PS) Unsatisfactory (FL) Mark
Awarded
minimal number of sources
used and/or a few may not
be specific to the topic
/10
* Presentation of
Paper
- Quality of written
communication
- Quality of
presentation
Presentation follows
guidelines ie 1.5 spacing,
page numbers, easy to read
font.Reference list on
separate page.
Presentation follows
guidelines.
/10
Presentation
Use theLearning Contract Proposal pro forma given inAssessment2(c)
Assessment item 2b
Learning Contract (b) Report Section I
Value: 20%
Due date: 09-May-2014
Return date: 30-May-2014
Length: 11 pages approx
Submission method options
Alternative submission method
Task
***SUBMIT YOUR ASSESSMENT VIA TURNITIN. FOR INSTRUCTIONS SEE INTERACT
RESOURCES/ASSESSMENT INFORMATION***
This assignment consists of Section I of your Learning Contract Report submitted as a draft for
feedback and guidance from the markers. It comprises the introduction, literature review, reflections
on the literature, and methodology parts of your final report.
One step of your methodology must be to collect, and analyse, media (newspaper, TV, radio) reports
of stories/examples related to your learning contract topic. For example, if you choose ethics then you
would collect reports on ethical conduct and ethical issues in businesses and organizations.
See Part C Writing Up Your Learning Contract Final Report (at the end of Assessment 2c) for
details on how to set out and what to include.
Also check Interact resources/Assessment Information for Guide for writing a literature review and
Guide for interviews
This report is graded (20%). You need to be given general approval from your marker before
proceeding further with your contract.
Rationale
This assessment allows you to choose a leadership issue that is of interest and relevance to you to
enable you to be more effective in your current role or in a future career role.
This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:
be able to demonstrate an understanding of current leadership issues;
be able to synthesise a position in relation to the issues covered;
be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interface between management and
leadership;
be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complexities involved in holistic leadership
Marking criteria
Assessment 2(b)
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Evidence of reading from a variety of relevant and recent sources;
Identifying and synthesising the main themes and ideas emerging from your readings;
A good understanding of the literature in the area you are researching;
Reflections on your readings need to show what you have learned in relation to your contract goal;
Two to four clear strategies that will help you move towards your learning goal; and
In-text referencing and reference list in line with APA style of referencing.
More detailed explanation of the marking criteria and standards may be found in the marking rubric on
the following page.
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Referencing is completely
accurate.
Referencing is
consistently accurate.
Referencing is mainly
accurate
Referencing contained
major errors (e.g. page
numbers missing from
direct quotes, failure to
include a citations source in
reference list) and/ or a
Referencing is absent or
demonstrates little effort to
comply with APA format/ no
citations only a reference list)/
unsystematic/
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Criteria Excellent (HD) Very Good (DI) Good (CR) Satisfactory (PS) Unsatisfactory (FL) Mark
Awarded
minimal number of sources
used and/or a few may not
be specific to the topic
/10
* Presentation of
Paper
- Quality of written
communication
- Quality of
presentation
Presentation follows
guidelines ie 1.5 spacing,
page numbers, easy to read
font.Reference list on
separate page.
Presentation follows
guidelines.
/10
Assessment item 2c
Learning Contract (c): Final Report
Value: 40%
Due date: 06-Jun-2014
Return date: 27-Jun-2014
Length: 22 pages approx
Submission method options
Alternative submission method
Task
***SUBMIT YOUR ASSESSMENT VIA TURNITIN. FOR INSTRUCTIONS SEE INTERACT
RESOURCES/ASSESSMENT INFORMATION***
Assessment 2(c) consists of your final contract report, Sections I and II (although submitted as one
final report). This report will be graded.
The Learning Contract Report (Assessments 2b & 2c), asks you to present a report on your learning.
The Learning Contract Report is made up of two sections:
Section I: This will contain the introduction, literature review, reflections on the literature,
methodology, and reference list (NB When completing the Final Report this reference list
moves from Section 1 and goes to the end of the Final report).
Section II: This will contain your learning in action, analysis and evaluation of the outcomes,
reference list and reflections of your learning.
You have completed Section I and will now complete the report by including Section II.
In the following sections you will find:
Introduction
This guide is divided into three parts which correspond to what you need to do in the contracting
process.
Read all three parts before you develop your Contract proposal.
This provides a framework and trigger questions to assist in reporting on contract completion.
The trigger questions are suggested guides to stimulate both reflection and reality testing at all stages
of the process.
The Learning Contract Proposal should set out the following headings:
1. Specific learning goal
2. Preliminary diagnosis
3. Action plan
4. Measures of achievement
5. Contract proposal acceptance
Trigger questions and instructions are provided below to help you complete the learning contract
proposal, which you can either write on the forms provided towards the end of this Subject Outline, or
transfer the headings on the form to your computer. The numbers shown beside the headings
correspond to those on the Learning Contract form.
NB: Included at the end of this guide is a sample of a completed contract proposals. You might like to
follow these in conjunction with this guide. (Blank forms for your proposal are at the back of this
subject outline.)
2. Preliminary diagnosis
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Why have you chosen this learning goal?
Having defined your learning goal you must now show how you know that this area is relevant to your
professional development.
Trigger questions: (the relevance of each question will depend on your goal)
What preliminary reading have you done, and what ideas have you gleaned from it?
Where are you now in relation to this goal?
Why have you chosen to work on this goal?
What information do you have about your skills and knowledge in this area?
What aspects of this area do you do well/not well?
How do others see your competence in this area?
3. Action plan
What are the major steps involved?
This is where you list the major milestones you need to cover to achieve your goal. You are not
expected to list the specific strategies youll follow to develop your skill or investigate your topic.
These specific strategies will be outlined in your methodology once you have completed your
literature review and reflections. However, one specific strategy MUST be to collect a media file on
your issue so you can link what is happening in the world today with the literature that may be a few
years old.
Look at the sample Action Plans to help you here. When you have finished writing your action steps,
arrange them in chronological order. Then enter realistic Start/Finish times for each step. They can be
expressed in week or specific dates - use what seems to work best for you. These deadlines keep you
focused on timely implementation of the plan.
4. Measures of achievement
What evidence will you present to show what youve done towards achieving your goal?
A measure of achievement will clearly demonstrate to you and others the extent to which you have
achieved your learning goal.
The types of measure used will depend on the nature of your goal, however, some common
suggestions are:
written analysis of data collected during the implementation period
before and after measurements such as pre & post tests/surveys
your own reflections, observations, evaluation
feedback from your peers, lecturers, managers etc.
Again be clear and specific. To take control of our own learning we have to be able to clearly
demonstrate our achievements to ourselves and others.
Congratulations!!!! Youve finished writing a contract proposal.
These six phases must be planned for over the period of the semester. Your Action Plan should include
these phases.
How should these phases be linked? What you do in each phase will determine what happens in the
next phase.
Your learning goal (1) is the central driving force behind your contract. It is your focus. It will direct
you to the literature (2) that youll review.
You need to keep your learning goal in mind as you proceed through the contract.
Your literature review (2) in turn will influence what you write about in your reflections on the
literature (3). These reflections need to show what youve learned in relation to your contract goal.
Here you also need to assess where you (or your group or situation) stand in relation to what youve
read. For example, if your goal is to understand business ethics you would assess your strengths and
weaknesses against some of the ideas found in the literature.
Your methodology (4) should identify from 2 to 4 clear strategies that will help you move towards
your learning goal. Dont try to take on too much here. The strategies should in turn be based on ideas
youve picked up from your reading and will usually be aimed at addressing some weaknesses or
problems youve identified. For example, if youre working on business ethics , your strategies (based
on your needs as revealed through your assessment of strengths and weaknesses) might be to collect
newspaper articles pertaining to ethical issues, to interview a manager about his/her understanding of
the role of ethics in business, and to collect examples of professional codes of ethics. You also need to
identify here how youll evaluate your learning in action.
Once youve done this, you are ready to write of your report. (See Part C - Guide to Section II
Contract Report).
NB Read this section through carefully when youre developing your contract, and again before you
begin your report.
Your contract report needs to document thoroughly what you did, how you did it and your results and
reflections on these results. Your report should be a professional presentation and provide sufficient
detail to convince the reader that you have achieved your objectives.
Your report must have a structure so that the reader can easily follow it, and it should cover the
following aspects which form the basis for the assessment of your report.
Your report will consist of the following two sections:
Section I
This will contain the introduction, literature review, reflections on the literature, methodology,
and reference list (NB When completing the Final Report this reference list moves from Section
1 and goes to the end of the Final report).
Section II
This will contain your learning in action, analysis and evaluation of the outcomes, reference list
and reflections of your learning.
You will send Section I as a draft by the date indicated at the beginning of this Subject Outline.
This will give you a chance to receive feedback on this draft from your facilitator. You will then
make any changes necessary and send in Section I together with Section II of your final report
for consideration by your group facilitator.
The trigger questions included below are intended to stimulate your thinking and to help you cover
each section adequatelythey are a guide for you. You may well come up with additional or
alternative questions of your own.
SECTION I
1. Introduction (half to one page)
This should state your learning goal and its relevance for youit will be very similar to that which
you wrote on your contract proposal for learning goal and preliminary diagnosis.
5. Reference list (this moves to the end when doing the Final Report)
List all your references using APA Referencing. Attach any appendices, e.g. questionnaire, detailed
tables etc.
SECTION II
6. Learning in action (about 3-5 pages)
Your learning in action section must comment on your action regarding each of the strategies you
listed in your methodology and also show if you introduced any new strategies or modified the
original ones.
If you conducted interviews, see below for specific guidelines.
This is where you describe in some detail WHAT you did and what the outcomes were for each
strategy. It is, in effect, your action theory in action. Give plenty of specific examples to illustrate what
happened.
We suggest you use each strategy as a subheading to help you organise this section. Then, use the
following questions to guide your description of the action on each strategy. The relevance of some
questions will depend on your contract focus.
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What happened as you put your ideas/plans/strategies into action?
How did your colleagues, workgroup etc. respond?
What problems were encountered? Why do you think they arose? How did you address these?
What worked? What didnt?
What did you learn about yourself from your assessment of your strengths and weaknesses?
What changes did you need to make to your strategies to keep moving towards achieving your
learning goal?
Why did you need to make these changes?
If you conducted interviews or surveys, set out this section as follows:
Describe your experiences in setting up and conducting the interviews/surveys. Discuss any
problems, and note any changes to your original method.
Identify the major themes emerging from your data. These will generally be the same as the
ones you listed in your methodology. However, you may have discovered some new ones as well.
Use the themes as subheadings and summarise your results for all respondents under each
theme. Dont summarise each participants responses separately: combine the data and show where
there is agreement/disagreement between the participants. If you want to, you can quote some
responses (sparingly!) if you think they serve to illustrate the theme well. If you want to include the
transcripts of your interviewsput them in an appendix.
Include an appendix with a copy of your interview questions or survey, and your Subject
Information Sheet.
This is where you interpret the outcomes of your learning in action. Youll need to think deeply about
the implications of your outcomes. For each strategy or theme, ask yourself questions such as:
How effective was the strategy/theme in helping me move towards my goal?
What do these outcomes mean? Why?
How do they affect me/my group/the people I interviewed? Why?
What implications do they have for me/my group/the people I interviewed/the theme I was
exploring? Why?
What implications do they have for staff generally, but specifically for managers and leaders?
Why?
What are the implications for my community (relevant for some contracts)?
For each strategy or theme link your outcomes to the literature you read, showing where there is
agreement or disagreement.
Examples
I found Johnson and Johnsons (1991) concept of interdependence was central to the effectiveness of
my group. If this was lacking, our ability to solve problems was reduced.
The women in this rural community are still having difficulty being accepted as farmers in their own
right. Many businesses see the male farmer as the manager, and often refuse to talk to the female
farmer re the business. This supports Alstons (1995) and Dempseys (1992) findings that women were
mostly seen as the helpers in the farm partnership, and were not equal in terms of management.
Your ability to see links between the literature and your outcomes indicates to us that you can think
critically about the outcomes and can see how theory and practice work together.
8. Reference list
List all your references using APA referencing style. Attach any appendices, e.g. questionnaire,
detailed tables etc.
PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS 2.
A short description of my background highlights my lack of understanding of the differences in the
way men and women communicate.
I come from a family of four where I am one of two brothers. I completed the first four years of
primary school by school of the air (correspondence) and was then sent to a boy's boarding school for
the last eight years of my schooling. After leaving school, most of my working life has been spent
working either on the family farm with my father and a number of different casual employees (mostly
male), or in other male dominated occupations. As a result I have had very little experience living with
or working alongside women (that is, until I met my wife).
I believe the greatest strength of my marriage is the fact that my wife and I communicate very well. By
that I mean that we talk openly and unashamedly about anything and everything and respect each
other's opinions. I have noticed that when we do have arguments, nine times out of ten it will be the
result of misunderstanding. One of us has completely misunderstood what the other person has meant.
I welcome the opportunity that this module has provided to explore communication issues between
men and women. Apart from communication issues within my family, this topic has important
implications for my career too. Next year I will be back in the work force and more than likely
working either with or for a woman or women. If this is the case I want to be sure that communication
is not a problem.
ACTION PLAN 3.
Start Finish
Read module and readings associated with Managing Diversity in the workplace 20 February 27
February
Read other books, articles on the subject. 27 February 5 March
Complete Section I of Learning Contract (Introduction, Literature Review, Reflections on Readings
and Methodology). 7 May 14 May
Action Phase
i) Observe men and women in they workplace to monitor how they communicate 14 May ongoing
ii) Self assessment exercises to highlight my strengths and weaknesses as a communicator. Plan
improvement strategies.
Collect recent newspaper articles on this issue.
Ongoing
iii) Survey 10 men and 10 women to identify the differences in the way men and women communicate
ongoing
Analysis and Evaluation. Take each strategy above and analyse findings. Relate back to literature 25
May ongoing
Review my actions in relation to Kolb Learning Cycle 1 June
Write up report and submit. 5 June
MEASURES OF ACHIEVEMENT 4.
The extent to which I have achieved my learning goal will be evidenced by:
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The completion of all steps in the action plan.
The feedback I receive from the group facilitator and the other members of the management
learning group.
The feedback I receive from my wife with regard to our strengths and weaknesses in
communication.
My own reflections on the results of the strategies I identify and implement to improve
communication with my wife.
My ability to generate an interest or hobby outside of work and family.
Recognition of other issues related to communication between men and women that require
further investigation.
2. PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS
3. ACTION PLAN
4. MEASURES OF ACHIEVEMENT
[Adapted with permission from material prepared by the Faculty of Business, Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology, Melbourne.]
Rationale
This assessment allows you to choose a leadership issue that is of interest and relevance to you to
enable you to be more effective in your current role or in a future career role.
The assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the chaotic nature of organisations and the wider
environment, and the ambiguities and paradoxes this creates;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the work of the manager and leader within this context,
with particular reference to change;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the movement from mechanistic to holistic management
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and leadership structures;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of current leadership issues;
* synthesise a position in relation to the issues covered;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interface between management and leadership;
* be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complexities involved in holistic leadership;
Marking criteria
Assessment 2(c)
Evidence of implementing strategies outlined in methodology;
Evaluation of each of the strategies;
Ability to link analysis and evaluation to literature review;
Reflecting on your learning.
More detailed explanation of the marking criteria and standards may be found in the marking rubric on
the following page.
Referencing is completely
accurate.
Referencing is
consistently accurate.
Referencing is mainly
accurate
Referencing contained
major errors (e.g. page
numbers missing from
direct quotes, failure to
include a citations source in
reference list) and/ or a
Referencing is absent or
demonstrates little effort to
comply with APA format/ no
citations only a reference list)/
unsystematic/
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Criteria Excellent (HD) Very Good (DI) Good (CR) Satisfactory (PS) Unsatisfactory (FL) Mark
Awarded
minimal number of sources
used and/or a few may not
be specific to the topic
/10
* Presentation of
Paper
- Quality of written
communication
- Quality of
presentation
Presentation follows
guidelines ie 1.5 spacing,
page numbers, easy to read
font.Reference list on
separate page.
Presentation follows
guidelines.
/10