GSP135 Corporate Citizenship in a Digital World

Unit Outline: 10 Week Teaching Period - 1 2024, Online

Overview

To be an effective corporate citizen in a digital world, leaders and managers need to effectively engage a system of internal and external stakeholders and demonstrate the skills to creatively identify appropriate strategic and operational responses to emergent challenges. The aim of this unit is to develop your insight and capability in the use of stakeholder engagement and systems thinking tools to effectively sustain corporate citizenship in a business context defined by emerging digital business challenges.

You will develop the capacity to optimise the combination and integration of tools and concepts evident in the practice of stakeholder engagement and critical systems practice with the aim of developing sustainable engagement strategies within complex systems. Further, the unit is designed to provide you with an understanding of the key factors underpinning holistic thinking, as well as developing an understanding of how to design and adapt engagement processes.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Adapt approaches to stakeholder engagement to suit organisational, environmental, and digital contexts. (HO 2.1, HO 2.2, KS1.1)
2. Design a comprehensive engagement strategy to build collaborative stakeholder relationships and to sustain corporate citizenship in a digital world. (HO 2.1, HO 2.2, KS 1.1, KS 1.2, PC 3.1, SEC 5.2)
3. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of a range of systems concepts to the analysis of complex stakeholder engagement situations. (KS 1.1, HO 2.1, HO 2.2, SL 4.2)
4. Integrate and apply systems methodologies to enhance the management of complex stakeholder engagement situations. (KS 1.1, KS 1.2)

Content

Learning Approaches

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

Intensive webinars are the primary method 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 and the online Discipline Hub supplements these webinars. Where appropriate, social media tools and forums will be used to extend learning and build connections with students outside the webinar sessions. Given the importance of the unit Canvas site and Discipline Hub 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 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 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. 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 feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through webinar 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 unit 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

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Case Analysis

Based on the phenomenon provided, you are required to unpack the stakeholder related issues and identify who the stakeholders are, what their stake and perspective is and a provide holistic discussion of the complexities. You will need to have a good understanding of how to apply the principles, tools and frameworks covered in weeks 1-5.

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

Assessment: Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

You are required to develop a stakeholder engagement strategy for either (1) the provided case or (2) a scenario of your own choosing.

Note that option 2 must be approved by the Unit Coordinator prior to Week 5.

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

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

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.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

No additional requirements

Costs

No additional costs

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: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

KS (1.1): Advanced Discipline and Professional Practice Knowledge

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

KS (1.2): Advanced Technical and Technological Skills

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

SE (5.2): Global, Cultural and Social Responsibility

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

SL (4.2): Leading and Developing Teams

Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Course Learning Outcomes

GS73 Master of Business Administration

1. [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, professional practice, and digital innovation.
   Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
2. [SE 5.2] Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate, interpret and critically reflect on, appropriate culturally and socially inclusive and responsible decisions and actions across complex, diverse social and cultural contexts.
   Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
3. [KS 1.2] 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: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
4. [HO 2.1] 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: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
5. [HO 2.2] 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: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
6. [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, lead, and transform in diverse and complex contexts (both physical and digital) and for diverse audiences.
   Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
7. [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 adaptable, transformative, and sustainable courses of action in complex contemporary environments.
   Relates to: Case Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy