GSN500 Study Tour
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | GSN500 |
|---|---|
| Assumed Knowledge: | GSN405 or GSP100 and a minimum of 48 credit points completed in course. |
| Credit points: | 6 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | $1,062 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $831 The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,186 |
| International unit fee | $3,570 |
Unit Outline: Flexible Period - 03A 2025, Gardens Point, Internal (Start Date: 02 Mar 2025)
| Unit code: | GSN500 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 6 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | GSN405 or GSP100 and a minimum of 48 credit points completed in course. |
| Coordinator: | Sarah Kelly | s70.kelly@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit will connect MBA students with leading industries and professionals through a structured series of site visits. Experiential learning and real-world experiences are essential components of MBA education. This study tour provides students with opportunities to augment their classroom learning experience undertaken during their MBA studies to date and build on their existing experience as business leaders.
Students will:
- Learn through immersive experiences designed to facilitate real time observation and engagement with business leadership in practice.
- Gain insights into critical business applications grounded in strategy and innovation across all functional areas of Business
Critically reflect on diverse leadership styles and organisational strategies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- 1. Evaluate the alignment of societally responsible decision-making and practice with observed leadership styles across industries.
- 2.Apply judgment and critical reflection in transferring learning experiences to application in a personal professional context.
Content
Students will visit a number of organisations throughout the tour and meet with CEOs/C-suite executives for interactive discussion roundtables and insights. Each visit will be preceded by a briefing meeting by the Unit Coordinator which sets the context for the visit and introduces the industry. Visits will typically be for a duration of between 2-4 hours and will include a tour of facilities/operations and an interactive discussion with the CEO/executives.
After each visit, students will undertake a de-briefing session with the Unit Coordinator on topics such as observed leadership approaches, business strategy, innovation, and sustainable outcomes.
Students will reflect on the theories they have been exposed to in the MBA course and these will be supplemented by targeted readings provided on the Canvas site.
The Graduate School of Business has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:
KS 1.1
Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced theoretical and practical knowledge (including systems thinking approaches, multidisciplinary frameworks and knowledge of research principles and methods) that incorporate recent development in business disciplines and professional practice.
KS 1.2
Apply advanced technical and technological knowledge and skills to critically reflect on, evaluate and contribute to developments that enhance innovative, sustainable and effective business performance in local, national and global business environments.
HO 2.1
Provide evidence of effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis of complex data, theories, ideas, issues and situations and demonstrate knowledge of how research and inquiry can be used to interpret, contribute to and create theoretical and practical knowledge.
HO 2.2
Provide evidence of higher order thinking including creativity, judgement, cognitive flexibility and critical reflection in designing, planning and implementing strategies and solutions for effective performance in complex business environments.
PC 3.1
Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in written communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead in diverse and complex contexts and for diverse audiences.
PC 3.2
Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in oral communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead across diverse and complex contexts and for diverse audiences.
SL 4.1
Demonstrate adaptive personal leadership and accountability, including self-awareness, reflective practice and foresight in adapting and applying knowledge and skills to inform and influence effective and innovative practice.
SL 4.2
Lead, manage and foster the development of collaborative teams that value and leverage the diverse knowledge and skills of others to contribute to the development of robust, adaptable and sustainable courses of action.
SEC 5.1
Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business, to contribute to responsible organisational governance and citizenship in local, national and global business environments.
SEC 5.2
Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate, interpret and critically reflect on, appropriate culturally and socially inclusive and responsible decisions and actions across diverse social and cultural contexts.
The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.
Learning Approaches
In this field trip unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:
- Site visits to observe and interact with business leaders
- Pre-visit briefing sessions where theories already offered in the MBA will be targeted for analysis
- Group de-briefing sessions.
Individual critical structured reflections
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive a variety of formative feedback during the immersion informally through discussion and reflection as a cohort at the end of each day, led by faculty, and through consultation with faculty individually. Formal summative and formative feedback from the unit coordinator will be given via an Assessment rubric, along with written feedback on the assessment task. The rubric will be made available through the unit Canvas site prior to commencement of the unit.
Assessment
Overview
An individual, 2500-word structured reflection report which synthesises key learnings from the study tour and how they relate to your leadership context, including how insights gained will be applied to your current or future roles. Reflection themes include strategic insights gained from observing and interacting with the organisations and their leadership, comparative analysis of different approaches observed across organisations in terms of key business facets including innovation and technological adoption, people management, operations, sustainability strategy, systems perspective, managing risk and disruption and ethical responsibility. Readings will be provided to support reflective framing and reference to relevant research or theory to enhance reflective discussion.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Study tour reflection report
2500-word individual, written reflection on three organisations visited during the study tour, examining how theoretical frameworks apply or don't apply in practice and personal reflection of learnings from the tour applied to their own context.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Costs
unit fees + $2900 for immersion (approx.)
Resources
Readings will be made available through Canvas. No other resources required.
Resource Materials
Other
Unit reading list will be provided through unit Canvas site
Risk Assessment Statement
Students participating are covered by QUT travel insurance.
Consent for group photographs will be obtained from students and organisations.
Faculty member from QUT will accompany student group throughout day time scheduled visits.
The tour facilitates inclusion by offering a shorter, less expensive study tour option than international immersions.
Student dietary and medical needs will be collated prior to the study tour to ensure relevant mitigation strategies are in place.