Outline

Overview

This capstone unit bridges the gap between theory and practice in human resource management and employment relations by integrating knowledge and consolidating key skills developed across the major. It aims to provide students with practical experience in identifying, analysing, and solving contemporary business problems. The unit covers critical issues and builds skills in negotiation and influence, managing in a diverse environment, implementing practices to enhance diversity, equality and inclusion and building sustainable organisations. It contextualises this material in relation to the self, the organisation and institutions. Much of this unit is dedicated to a problem-based/experiential approach to learning. Students ensure their career-readiness by demonstrating their ability to apply concepts, theories, frameworks, methodologies, and skills to authentic problems and challenges faced in the field of human resource management and employment relations.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	WORK3600
Academic unit	Work and Organisational Studies
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	WORK2215
Prerequisites ?	Students commencing from 2018: completion of at least 120 credit points including WORK1003, WORK1004, WORK2203 and WORK2205. Pre-2018 continuing students: completion of at least 120 credit points including WORK2203 and WORK2205.
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Alex Veen, alex.veen@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Video reflective journal Vodcast	15%	Week 03 Due date: 28 Apr 2021 at 12:00	Instructions provided via Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group presentation Oral presentation	10%	Week 06	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group report Written report	25%	Week 07 Due date: 26 May 2021 at 12:00	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written reflective journal Reflective journal	40%	Week 07 Due date: 28 May 2021 at 12:00	See Canvas instructions
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Group assignment - case study exercises Case study	0%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Individual workshop participation Workshop participation marks	10%	Weekly	N/A
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Group presentation: After concluding all the case study exercises in the unit your team will present to the executive board of the organisation. During the presentation, you will be expected to provide an assessment on past performance as well as provide advice for increasing strategic alignment with the organisation’s vision, values, and strategies. The presentation should be grounded in the various analyses and tasks that were conducted throughout the course of the semester. Further details and instructions are provided via Canvas.
Group report: The group report builds upon the group presentation. Students prepare a strategic report for the executive board on people management issues and the IR/HR strategy within their respective organisation. Further details and instructions are provided via Canvas.
Written reflective journals: You are required to create a reflective journal based on the case study exercises completed across a number of the designated weekly workshops. You need to submit these written journal reflection at the end of semester. The reflective journal provides you with the opportunity to report, respond, relate, reason and reconstruct (Bain, Ballantyne, Mills and Lester 2002) your experiences in the unit, allowing you to evaluate and learn from your individual and team performance.
Video reflective journal: Similar to the reflective journal, you are required to create a reflective vodcast based on the case study exercises completed in one of the designated weekly workshops. You need to submit self-recorded vodcast via Canvas Studio. Refer to Canvas for details.
Group assignment - case study exercises: In teams, students will have to successfully complete case study exercises that they are tasked with as the HR team of a fictitious organisation. The case study exercises are co-designed with industry practitioners and are based on real-life examples and situations. In addition to the cases, students are also expected to complete a range of other relevant IR and HR tasks to support their organisation. This assessment is a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment in order to pass the unit. Students who fail to complete this assessment, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit of study is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for this unit. As a result, a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if the final mark of the unit is between 0-49 and a Fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final marks.
Individual workshop participation: Students will be assessed on preparation, tolerance, respect, attendance, and active participation. Students are requried to make a regular and informed contributions to team work and activities, and actively participate in class discussions (e.g. debrief sessions with industry partners). As part of their participation, students are further required to complete their weekly self- and peer-evaluations in SPARKPLUS.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Welcome and on-boarding	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Welcome and on-boarding	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 02	People problems	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	People problems	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 03	Negotiation time	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Negotiation time	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 04	Regulation of work	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Regulation of work	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 05	Organisational analysis and change	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Organisational analysis and change	Workshop (8 hr)
Week 06	A Strategic Outlook	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	A strategic outlook	Workshop (8 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. apply theoretical and conceptual knowledge of industrial relations (IR) and human resource (HR) to real life scenarios
LO2. assess IR and HR data, and relate to IR and HR theories, principles, processes and practices to resolve contemporary work-force challenges
LO3. respond to the complexities and time pressures of the contemporary workplace
LO4. manage competing demands and prioritise work within a team-based context
LO5. communicate effective solutions to industrial relations and human resource problems
LO6. translate theoretic and foundational industrial relations and human resource knowledge to feed into organisational discussions around mission, values, strategies and operations
LO7. evaluate and reflect upon individual and team performance, solutions and actions, including feedback received from industry practitioners and academic experts.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

UOS assessment regime has been optimized for online learning

Additional information

Please note the order of the weekly topics is indicative and may change based on the avaibility of the industry partners.

Business School Policies

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

WORK3600: IR and HRM in Practice

Semester 1b, 2021 [Block mode] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect