Course Details & Outcomes

Course Description

This course examines agility in organisations via a range of readings, both contemporary and seminal, providing insights into this aspect of competitive contemporary organisations. A range  of concepts address what is leadership, management, agile organisations, and examines various resources that managers (including those in accounting and fnance functions) can mobilise in   developing and sustaining agile organisations.

Course Aims

This course aims to make you a more informed and effective strategic resource manager in      today’s turbulent competitive environment. The course provides a set of concepts and               experiences that will enable you to develop a more refective and critical understanding of agile organisations in action, as well as providing frames that will help to shape how you engage with and infuence relevant organisational practices.

No prior knowledge is required to undertake this course. This course is designed for business students, such as experts in accounting, economics, fnance, business law, marketing, and     information technology, who aspire to managerial and leadership roles in agile organisations.

Course Learning Outcome

Learning and Teaching Technologies

Moodle - Learning Management System

Learning and Teaching in this course

The course will consist of 3 hour seminars at the allocated times.

Assessments

Assessment Structure

Assessment Details

Assessment 1: Quizzes - Short Answer Questions

Assessment Overview

This task requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the key readings and theories, and the ability to apply the concepts to organizational agility. You will complete multiple choice  and short answer questions within a time.

Assesses: PLO1, PLO2

Assessment Description

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (20%) – WEEKS 2, 4, 6 and 8

If this is, for any reason, difcult, you should contact the Lecturer in Charge (LIC).

Required (Weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8)

You will have 15 minutes to answer fve questions from the course readings during the Lecture in Weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8. Each item is worth one (1) mark and fve (5) marks each week, a total of 20 marks.

Description: These questions aim to enable you to apply the learnings from the readings to the  course concepts. These questions will help you focus on the main points within the readings, as well as improve your skills in research, communication, and analysis.

The questions will either be multiple choice or short answer (not exceed 150-word response). Submission notes

Online

Assignment submission Turnitin type

Not Applicable

Assessment 2: Individual Assessment - Essay (Blog style) and Presentation (Vlog style)

Assessment Overview

This task requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the key reading and leadership theories, the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise and practice leadership concepts and to  communicate effectively. You will analyse an assigned leader and prepare (a) presentation and   (b) essay recommending an individual’s leadership style within a leadership framework.

Assesses: PLO1, PLO2, PLO3

Assessment Description

BLOG AND VLOG (25%)

If this is, for any reason, difcult, you should contact the Lecturer in Charge (LIC). In exceptional circumstances, you may be able to nominate a leader.

The LIC will advise you of your assigned leader in week 2.

PART A: BLOG (15%)

Due: Friday 9 am AEST, 30 June 2023, via TurnItIn

Your blog must address the following:

1. Explain and analysis of your assigned leader's action logic about their situation.

2. Briefy outline your assigned leader's situation (the time, place, and domain) within the context of your analysis of their action logic.

3. Explain and illustrate your assigned leader's characteristics.

Description: A discussion paper written in your own words in a blog style of a popular press article, such as Harvard Business Review Blog (see: https://hbr.org).

Audience:

Other ACCT5949 students. They will be interested in your article but will not be experts.

Purpose:

To identify academic research, learn how to locate relevant information within research articles, apply essential concepts from the course to an example of a leader, and practice your analysis  and writing skills.

This blog will help you improve your research, communication, ethical analysis and report-writing skills. You must use the Harvard referencing style.

The blog must not exceed 1000 words and does not include the reference list.

PART B: VLOG (10%)

Due: Friday 6 pm AEST, 30 June 2023, via ACCT5949 Moodle site

1. Design a virtual background for your vlog that characterises the essential action logic of your assigned leader's leadership. This is not a PowerPoint presentation.

2. Prepare and deliver a vlog presentation about your assigned leader's action logic and characteristics. Remember that spoken English will differ from formal written English.

Your vlog must address a summary of your blog, including specifc examples of your assigned leader's performance and attributes to illustrate your argument points.

The vlog must not exceed 3 minutes.

Submission notes

Turnitin and Moodle

Assignment submission Turnitin type

This assignment is submitted through Turnitin and students can see Turnitin similarity reports.

Assessment 3: Group Assessment - Agile Organization Report, Presentation and

Participation

Assessment Overview

This task requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the key readings, theories and practice, the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise and practice organisational agility            concepts to sustainable business decisions, to collaborate and communicate effectively. You will work as a team analysing a case study and prepare a group (a) presentation, (b) report and (c)     active team participation recommending business solutions.

Assesses: PLO1, PLO2, PLO3, PLO4, PLO6, PLO7

Assessment Desription

REPORT, PRESENTATION, PEER EVALUATION AND PARTICIPATION  (30%= 20% GROUP + 10% INDIVIDUAL)

If this is, for any reason, difcult, you should contact the Lecturer in Charge (LIC).

Students are required to form a team for this assignment. The organisation of teams occurs via Moodle. Generally, fve to six students per group, though this number can change as it is subject to the number of students in the class. Confrming the number of students per team is after the census date.

The team's role is to assume the consultant position. The team will submit a business case study report that analyses the organisation using appropriate concepts and theories from the course    and other methods appropriate for the identifed issue (s). Teams must also undertake additional research about their case study and present their fndings to the class.

Each team is to provide a team name, nominate an agile organisation for their case study, and email these to the LIC any time after the census date. If two or more teams choose the same agile organisation, the allocation will go to the team who emailed frst.

The LIC will confrm team members, case organisation, team name and running order for the presentation night in week 5.

PART A: CASE STUDY REPORT and PARTICIPATION (20%)

Due: Monday 9 am AEST, 31 July 2022, via Turnitin

Your report must address the following:

1. Briefy outline the main activities and history of the case organisation.

2. Explain and illustrate why this organisation is known for its 'agility'.

3. Discuss how critical factors in the current environment present threats and opportunities related to this organisation's agility.

4. Based on your discussion in parts 1 to 3, make strategic and operational recommendations to senior management regarding preserving and enhancing the case organisation's agility.

The report must not exceed 3,000 words (not included in this word count are the executive      summary and the reference list). In addition, the report must use the Harvard referencing style and, at minimum, three (3) peer-reviewed references.

Any supporting charts and tables are to be an Appendix (up to three charts and three tables).

Description: This project aims to enable you to apply essential concepts from the course to an example of business practice and to practice your case analysis and report writing skills. The  project will help you improve your skills in project management, team dynamics, research,       communication, ethical review and report writing.

PARTICIPATION

Each team will be assigned a participation mark ranging from 0 to 1 based on their contributions to the classroom discussion. The following guide is on how participation marks are assigned.

0: No team member participated in class discussions or asked any questions during any of the presentations

1: The team members have demonstrated excellence in contributing to the dynamics of           discussions, answering three or more questions and asking two or more questions throughout the presentations.

PART B: GROUP PECHA KUCHA PRESENTATION and PEER EVALUATION (10%)

PECHA KUCHA PRESENTATION, your mark will be based on your contribution

Week 10 in-class presentations

This assignment concerns the knowledge acquired from undertaking Part A, the case study report. You are to assume the role of internal or external consultants.

Presentation Format, the presentation is to assume the format of a Pecha Kucha. The presentation must adhere to the rules of this form of presentation:

1. Twenty PowerPoint slides total;

2. Each slide must be on an automatic timer for 20 seconds only; and

3. Slides may contain a graphic image only with no added text. The only exception is using the organisational logo, which may be used once, including the associated text, in your              presentation.

Prepare and deliver a Pecha Kucha presentation for management. The team's presentation needs to include the following:

1. The nature of agility,

2. Why agility is essential to organisational performance and,

3. Given the nature of the environment, what are the main strategic and operational recommendations for preserving and enhancing organisational agility?

You are required to attend all presentations, and all team members have a role in their                  presentation. Your marks are subject to your contribution. The team's decision is how you            allocate the tasks related to this presentation equitably. Each group member has to speak, if only for a short time.

Mahwah, NJ, pp.85-110.

The essay must not exceed 1,500 words (not included in this word count are the abstract and the reference list). In addition, the essay must use the Harvard style of referencing.

Description: Over this term, we have focused considerable attention on agility in practice,            examining both individual and organisational factors. The fnal assignment requires a self-          refection, demonstrating awareness of what you have learnt about your characteristics as a       learner and learning style. You are additionally creating adjustments from your current to your     desired performance by providing an individual development plan that offers options for              regulating both learning and performance. In your essay, your discussion draws upon                   Zimmerman's (2002) framework, course material and any other content, experiences or activities to demonstrate an informed view.