21654 Socio-political Context of Management
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 27326 Diversity Management
Description
This subject considers sociopolitical theories and concepts of relevance to the practice of management. It supports the development of an understanding of the social world in which management professionals practise through theories that seek to explain the social and political forces shaping organisations and communities. Key concepts such as ideology, power and diversity are explored.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Discuss the global, political, social and economically embedded, interdependent nature of management and enterprises across all sectors |
|---|---|
| 2. | Explain how management practices are dynamically related to organisation purpose and guiding values |
| 3. | Apply social & organisation theory to understand and question past and current practices in addition to identifying ways to improve future management and enterprise practice |
| 4. | Examine the personal dimensions of management and leadership responsibility, accountability and stewardship |
| 5. | Demonstrate knowledge of Indigenous Australian contexts to inform core management capability in contemporary organisations |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject is aligned with the graduate attributes of communication and collaboration, and social responsibility and cultural awareness.
Specifically, this subject situates management practice in broad social and political contexts – informed by dynamics of local and global forces. This subject develops critical awareness of global contexts of organisational practice, addressing often conflicting stakeholder expectations while accommodating and influencing both immediate and long term needs of major stakeholders. It introduces students to diverse and significant national differences in economic, political and social perspectives, encouraging personal and professional reflexivity. Social theory enables graduates to make sense of past and current and prospective approaches to organisation design and management practice.
This subject also contributes specifically to the introduction of the following Program Learning Objectives for the Bachelor of Management:
- Develop effective communication skills to enable cogent knowledge transfer with colleagues, this enabling productive project outcomes relevant to professional practice (2.1)
- Evaluate and implement ethical principles in respect of managing for social responsibility, including knowledge of cultural diversity, economic equity, and environmental sustainability as they relate to professional practice (3.1)
- Acquire and apply knowledge of Indigenous Australian contexts to inform professional capabilities to work with and for Indigenous Australians across management professions (4.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
Classes involve a combination of lectures, case study discussions, video analysis, role-plays and simulation exercises. Assignments focus on personal exploration and development of capacity in self and others to deliver on responsibility.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Social, political, economic & global ecological context of enterprise management.
- Management and organisation practice as issues of broad stakeholder accountability and stewardship
- Social theory as vehicles to understand past-current management and organisational practice and to identify ways to improve future practice
- Introduction to understanding self and others as basis for management and leadership.
- Understand enterprise management through meso level of analysis.
- Significant national/regional differences in management approaches to social, political and economic contexts.
- Adopt a critical approach to theory and practice.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Portfolio Report (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | 1800 |
Assessment task 2: Group Project
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 25% |
Assessment task 3: Exam
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
References
There is no required textbook for this subject, but here are some relevant resources in addition to those provided in the 21654 Study Guide:
Bennis, W.G. & O’Toole, J. 2005, 'How business schools lost their way', Harvard Business Review, vol. 83, no. 5, pp. 96-104.
Contu, A. 2014, 'Rationality and relationality in the process of whistleblowing: Recasting whistleblowing through readings of Antigone', Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 393-406.
Daft, R., Murphy, J. & Willmott, H. (2nd Ed) 2014, Organization theory and design: An international perspective, Cengage Learning, Longon.
Foy, J. J. & Dale T. M. (Eds.) 2013, Homer Simpson ponders politics: Popular culture as political theory, University Press of Kentucky, Kentucky.
Kew, J. & Stredwick, J. 2005, Business environment: Managing in a strategic context, CIPD Publishing, London.
Milanovic, B. 2003, 'The two faces of globalization: Against globalization as we know it', World Development, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 667-83.
Morrison, J. 2013, Business ethics: New challenges in a globalized world, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Palmer, A. & Hartley, B. 2008, The business environment, McGraw-Hill, Berkshire, UK.
Porter, M.E. & Kramer, M.R. 2011, 'Creating shared value', Harvard Business Review, vol. 89, no. 1/2, pp. 62-77.
Riemer, N., Simon, D. W., & Romance, J. 2013, The challenge of politics: An introduction to political science, Washington, Sage.