GSZ541 Smart Decision Making: Beyond Digital and Big Data

Unit Outline: Flexible Period - 05A 2025, Gardens Point, Internal (Start Date: 04 Apr 2025)

Overview

Without sufficient awareness or understanding of the nascent changes in "Digital" and "Data" strategic platforms, decision-makers may limit their organisations' ability to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage and/or continue delivering value to their stakeholders. While our dependence on data and information systems has increased over time, we have also seen how these systems are highly fragile. The fragility of these systems is compounded due to our complex and unpredictable environments where resilient systems and digital reflexivity is the key to maintaining responsible digital systems. To build anti-fragile digital environments, human-centric information systems must move away from the traditional predictive decision-making mode and adopt to leverage uncertainty for gains. Data stewardship is moving away from anecdotal to empirical settings. This unit is designed to build on the fundamentals of data analysis covered in GSN408 and complements GSN490 and GSN498.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the suitability and utility of big data approaches to generate solutions to operational and strategic issues.
   Relates to: EXEC Business Capabilities: HO (2.1), PC (3.1)
2. Demonstrate the capability to generate insight from large-scale data visualisation tools.
   Relates to: EXEC Business Capabilities: KS (1.2)
3. Determine the capability of an existing business model to exploit an advanced analytics approach to strategic decision making.
   Relates to: EXEC Business Capabilities: HO (2.1), HO (2.2)
4. Identify the key ethical and governance issues present in the analysis and use of large-scale data-sets for strategic decision making.
   Relates to: EXEC Business Capabilities: SE (5.2)

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Intensive face-to-face class sessions and/or webinars are the primary methods of teaching this unit. A textbook and/or readings and a range of digital materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions available in the unit Canvas site supplements the classes and/or webinars. Where appropriate, social media tools and forums will be used to extend learning and build connections with students outside the class or webinar sessions. Given the importance of the unit Canvas site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer and tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the classes, webinars and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions and/or webinars, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Canvas site prior to coming to class and/or webinar to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops and webinars. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.

There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered, with a particular focus on the application of holistic thinking and Systems Thinking approaches to solving complex problems. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.

Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and global perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the Canvas site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment

Overview

A further Guide to the Assessment Items is available from the unit Canvas Site.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Future-casting digital opportunites for industries

You are required to prepare a report by identifying the trajectories of digital affordances in an industry to understand the changing nature of speed and magnitude of transformations.

Understand key social and ethical dilemmas that will arise to ensure responsible digital-driven innovations given the current trajectories and plausible innovative tool-sets.

Demonstrate the emphasis by highlighting the exploitation of digital affordances; by their organisation around entrepreneurial opportunity discovery and pursuit by local or global startups; by their emphasis on business model innovation in large organisations; by voluntary horizontal knowledge spillover; and by cluster-external enablers of entrepreneurial opportunities.

Formative or Summative Formative and Summative

Postgraduate Executive (AoL goals):  KS (1.2), HO (2.1), PC (3.1)

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Business Model Review

Critically review your organisations' business model in terms of the role played by data in its execution. Determine the potential a revised business model that can leverage data-driven business strategy. Clearly identify the ability of the organisation to adopt this new business model explicitly referring to the cultural, resource, governance and ethical implications of such a transition.

Formative or Summative Summative

Postgraduate Executive (AoL goals):  HO (2.1), HO (2.2) and SEC (5.2)

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

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.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to view the view the Emergency video.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate Executive)

HO (2.1): Critical Analysis

Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries, Business Model Review

HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making

Relates to: ULO3, Business Model Review

KS (1.2): Advanced Technical and Technological Skills

Relates to: ULO2, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries

PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)

Relates to: ULO1, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries

SE (5.2): Cultural , Environmental and Social Responsibility

Relates to: ULO4, Business Model Review

Course Learning Outcomes

GS50 Executive Master of Business Administration

1. Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate, interpret and critically reflect on, appropriate culturally, socially and ecologically inclusive and responsible decisions and actions across complex, diverse social and cultural contexts.
   Relates to: ULO4, Business Model Review
2. Apply advanced technical and technological knowledge and skills from a range of business disciplines to critically reflect on, evaluate and contribute to developments that enhance innovative, sustainable, effective, and transformational business performance in local, national, global, and virtual business environments.
   Relates to: ULO2, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries
3. Provide evidence of effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis of complex data, theories, ideas, issues, situations, and trends across multiple contexts and demonstrate knowledge of how research and inquiry can be used to interpret, contribute to and create theoretical and practical knowledge.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries, Business Model Review
4. Provide evidence of higher order thinking including creativity, judgement, cognitive flexibility and critical reflection in designing, planning and implementing transdisciplinary digital strategies and solutions for effective performance in complex digital business environments.
   Relates to: ULO3, Business Model Review
5. Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in written communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate, lead, and transform in diverse and complex contexts (both physical and digital) and for diverse audiences.
   Relates to: ULO1, Future-casting digital opportunites for industries