SOCWORK 315 : Organisations and Management

Education and Social Work

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines the variety of organisational frameworks from which human services are practised and the impact of these contexts on professional identity and practice in the workplace. Contemporary management approaches will be examined with reference to theory and roles and responsibilities assumed by human service managers in a complex and dynamic environment.

Course Overview

SOCWORK 315 introduces students to theorising organisations. We will explore:
Organisational culture  and indigenous thinking  
Internal and external organisational influencers
Advocacy: Engaging with external influencers
Social work and social policy
Leadership and supervision
How teams function: Theory and practice
Organisational leadership, change and communication 
Relationship between social and human service work and organisations
Organisation theory in metaphors
Risk and decision-making in human service organisations
Organisational roles
Social work and the political context
Dealing with workplace stressors
Ethical context for practice 

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: SOCWORK 211

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
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Social Work

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe the relationship of human service managers and workers with their employing organisation and critically evaluate tensions associated with professional practice and organisational structure and operations. (Capability 1.2 and 2.1)
  2. Critique theories of organisational structures, organisational culture, indigenous thinking and complex adaptive systems approaches. (Capability 1.3, 2.1, 4.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  3. Examine the capacity of professional human service managers to act as organisational change agents through an understanding of power, authority, and ethical leadership. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.2, 4.2 and 6.3)
  4. Develop a model of integrated practice in the context of human service organisations, using personal and professional values and a critical reflective approach to working in organisations. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 4.2 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Multi-choice test #1 30% Individual Test
Multi-choice test #2 30% Individual Test
Integrated seminar 40% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Multi-choice test #1
Multi-choice test #2
Integrated seminar

Students must complete all components of the Assessment Tasks to achieve an overall pass on this course. Completion to the satisfaction of the examiners: students must achieve at least 50% for the course and hand in all assignments.

Learning Resources

The course textbook is 
Hughes, M., & Wearing, M. (2017). Organisations and management in social work (3rd ed.). Sage.
There are 2 copies in the Epsom Library, and UBIQ (previously known as UBS) will stock the text.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 16 hours of lectures, 8 hours of tutorial,  70 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 86 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Digital 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.

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.

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 at 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.

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.

SOCWORK 315 was evaluated in 2019. The evaluation will be made available in Canvas.

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.

Published on 17/12/2019 01:21 p.m.