MGMT 223 : Understanding Work and People
Business and Economics
2025 Summer School (1250) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course is about understanding the forces that shape the nature of work and about understanding the factors that influence employee well-being. We will discuss major models of work organisation, including Taylorism and Fordism, socio-technical work systems, lean production, and ‘post-industrial’ forms of work, relating them to the contexts in which they occur. We will discuss expressions of employee voice in the working environment, including the role of unions in collective bargaining for better working conditions. You will develop skills in how to analyse your work-life preferences and how to use relevant theories to analyse the quality of jobs. This is intended to enhance your ability to improve the quality of work for yourself and for others you work with (for example, if you occupy a management or supervisory role). You will also advance your skills in communication.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
Capability 6: | Communication |
Learning Outcomes
- Explain and evaluate concepts, theories, trends and controversies associated with work and employment. (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
- Identify and analyse their own vocational preferences and plans for navigating the university-to-work transition. (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
- Apply relevant theoretical models to analyse and improve the quality of working life. (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
- Demonstrate communication skills (Capability 6.1 and 6.2)
Assessments
Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
---|---|---|
Individual assignment | 20% | Individual Coursework |
Individual assignment | 30% | Individual Coursework |
Final exam | 50% | Individual Examination |
3 types | 100% |
Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
Individual assignment | ||||||||||
Individual assignment | ||||||||||
Final exam |
Workload Expectations
This course is taught in a summer school format. We have two class sessions of up to three hours each week so as to cover the content of a normal semester in half the time. Including your work in preparing for class, in doing assignments and in preparing for the exam, this means a total of 20 hours of academic work per week.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
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.
Readings in this course may include a required textbook.
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.
Feedback from students in previous iterations has been considered in the updating of this course.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
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 your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, 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 you may be asked to submit your 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. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.