BUSINFO 711 : Consultancy Practice

Business and Economics

2022 Quarter Two (1224) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Develops professional skills in communication, case practice, interviewing, networking, and business etiquette. Enhances team and management skills including conflict management and cultural awareness and builds resilience.

Course Overview

The course will prepare students for a business analytics project to be conducted as part of an applied business research project. The course develops an understanding of the consulting role, client engagement process, solution development, and presentation techniques.
The course will help students understand the approach and process to successfully execute a complex data research project, focused on solving a real-world business problem. The students will also develop a better understanding of academic research, including research methods and presentation of research results.

The goals of the course are to challenge students to:
1. Understand the role of consulting research in business.
2. Develop an ethical practice of consulting that benefits all stakeholders.
3. Explore the research process and key issues related to research design.
4. Formulate a research proposal for a consultancy research project.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge of business consultancy processes (Capability 1, 2 and 6)
  2. Communicate insight obtained from business data using written, visual, and oral formats for progress reporting (Capability 1, 4.1 and 4.2)
  3. Demonstrate a range of professional skills, including interviewing, negotiation, and time management (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 and 5.2)
  4. Recognise and critically discuss ethical issues in data analytics projects (Capability 1, 2 and 6)
  5. Recognise and reflect on collaboration challenges in a business setting and search for appropriate solutions (Capability 3, 5.2 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Reports 30% Group Coursework
Reports 40% Individual Coursework
Presentation 30% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Reports
Reports
Presentation

Workload Expectations

This is an intensive, highly interactive 15-point course delivered concurrently with the applied business research project. It requires all students to participate and contribute so that all can learn from each other regarding how to conduct an applied business research project and deliver a research project to a client.

The course involves a considerable amount of experiential learning and practical application of course material in exercises, and debate. Students will be conducting independent research, working in small groups or pairs, presenting to the whole class, and practicing all aspects of consulting and research for business.

The class will meet for 10 weeks with approximately 4 hours of weekly class time. In addition to the in-class course time, students are expected to spend approximately 100 hours of learning related to this course outside of the classroom.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including plenaries / tutorials / TBLs to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials and TBLs will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

not applicable as first time the course is run. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

The way to avoid plagiarism is to reference your work. If you are in doubt about how to reference properly, ask someone – your lecturers, tutors and the Student Learning Centre are good places to start. Please refer to the following website for further information about academic referencing: www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/

The document Guidelines: Conduct of Coursework provides further advice on how to avoid plagiarism. It can be found at: www.business.auckland.ac.nz/conductcoursework

The penalties for plagiarism can be severe, including losing some or all of the marks for the assignment. Major offences can be sent to the University’s Discipline Committee, where further penalties can be imposed.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 06/04/2022 09:01 a.m.