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The Secret Life of Organisations (MGMT90160)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
July
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | July |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject examines the ‘secret life of organisations’ using a range of disciplinary approaches to the different functions and structures of corporate, government and non-government organisations Students will examine the history of organisations and the nature of work people do within them. They will also consider how distinct types of organisations have reacted and adapted to what the sociologist Richard Sennett has called the ‘new capitalism’—the growth of non-traditional organisational structures, and a broader shift to a knowledge-based service economy. At the same time students will grapple with the practicalities of how to work in such organisations, by considering the strategies managers use to pursue organisational goals, and how such organisations are best negotiated by workers to exert influence and show leadership within them. Students will develop an understanding of the history and structure of the sociological ‘field’ of modern organisations, and a practical grasp of how best to make their way in the world of work.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should have:
- a critical understanding of the key concepts, definitions and history of organisational theory;
- a critical understanding of the key differences between different types of organisations and the different imperatives that drive decision making across the range of organisational types;
- a deep understanding of the challenges facing organisations and their staff in a time of rapid change; and
- demonstrate the practical capacity to critically apply organisational theory in different workplace settings.
Generic skills
At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following geneic skills:
- high-level written and oral communication skills through contribution to class discussions and the completion of assignments;
- a capacity for effective teamwork through group discussions and assignments;
- skills in research through the preparation of class papers and assignments, including the use of online and print-based materials;
- skills in time management and planning through managing workloads for recommended reading, tutorial presentations and assessment requirements; and
- a capacity for critical thinking and theoretical analysis through readings, discussion and class exercises.
Last updated: 31 October 2023
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
This subject is compulsory for the Executive Master of Arts, and is only available to students who are admitted to the MC-EMA.
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
No longer available |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 October 2023
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Development and presentation of a group project
| During the teaching period | 40% |
Evaluation of an existing organisation
| 4 Weeks after the end of teaching | 60% |
Hurdle requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Last updated: 31 October 2023
Dates & times
- July
Principal coordinators Kate MacNeill and Ann Tonks Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total 24 hours: 4 x 6 hour seminars, taught intensively over four weeks. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 July 2020 to 24 July 2020 Last self-enrol date 7 July 2020 Census date 17 July 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 7 August 2020 Assessment period ends 21 August 2020 July contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Additional delivery details
This intensive subject is taught weekly over four weeks, beginning in July.
Please note: Students wishing to enrol in this subject must be admitted to the Executive Master of Arts
Last updated: 31 October 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
A subject reader will be made available to students through the subject’s LMS site.
- Links to additional information
Last updated: 31 October 2023