Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
Techniques for designing working environments (physical and psychological) to suit physical, mental and attitudinal characteristics of people operating in that environment.
The course deals with the major practical and theoretical issues associated with work and organisational design. In this course you will be introduced to a wide range of theories, concepts and techniques from the organisational psychology literature. This literature will help you gain insight into the ways in which you can enhance the effectiveness of individuals and teams at work.
Course requirements
Restrictions
MPsychOrg, MPsychBus or with permission of Director of Organisational Psychology programs
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to develop practical skills in the design of work systems at the individual, group and organisational level. The goal is for you to be able to design interventions that enhance the effectiveness of these systems. A strong emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the research literature, so that you understand the factors that influence the effectiveness of work systems, and the mechanisms by which different kinds of interventions work. We do this using an “action learning” approach. Throughout the semester you will work on a series of exercises that require you to apply the principles described in the readings to practical problems.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand current and historical approaches to work design
LO2.
Understand the factors that influence the effectiveness of individuals and teams
LO3.
Develop a business proposal showing how you will redesign work tasks to enhance individual, team and organisational effectiveness
LO4.
Design measures to evaluate the effectiveness of a work redesign at a systems level, in relation to a range of criteria, including efficiency, reliability, flexibility and innovation
LO5.
Communicate clearly to a business audience
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Preliminary Report | 40% |
6/09/2024 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Final Report | 50% |
4/11/2024 5:00 pm |
| Reflection | Peer ratings | 10% |
6/11/2024 5:00 pm |
Assessment details
Preliminary Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
6/09/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
At the beginning of semester, you will be allocated to a group of between 3-5 members to work on a case study. The case study should be a work unit that one of your group members is highly familiar with. The objective of the project is to produce a transformative design, which enhances the effectiveness of the work unit. Your task is to redesign the system to make it more efficient, productive, and flexible, and to make the work safer and more rewarding for the people concerned. The types of questions that need to be answered include the following:
- Efficiency: How many staff do we need to deliver the product or service? Do we have too many or too few? How can we deliver our products or services in a more cost effective manner?
- Productivity: How can we improve the quality of our products or services, producing output consistently at a high standard?
- Flexibility: How can we improve the flexibility of the system, making it more responsive and agile?
- Well-being: How can we improve the safety and well-being of our staff? How can we make the work more satisfying and rewarding?
The project consists of two phases: an analysis phase and a redesign phase. The purpose of the first phase is to review the effectiveness of the current work process, and identify opportunities for redesign. The deliverable attached to the first phase is a preliminary report. This is to be written up as a technical report, suitable for a business audience. The preliminary report should contain the following sections:
- Executive Summary: This section should provide a concise summary of the key points in the report.
- Background: This section should describe the background to the project, explain the aims and objectives of the project and the current report, define the scope of work, and explain the approach that is to be taken.
- State-of-the-art Review: This section should contain a review of the work design literature to identify the key principles for the design of high quality work.
- Analysis: This section should present a clear and thorough analysis of the organisational context, work process and work characteristics using the diagnostic frameworks described in class. It should provide a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the current system, in terms of efficiency, productivity, flexibility, and well-being. The analysis should be evidence-based, making reference to the large body of research that has been conducted on work design.
- Recommendations: This section should present a set of preliminary recommendations for work redesign, based on the results of the analysis.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Turnitin on Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
4/11/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
The second phase of the project involves:
- Redesigning the system to address the problems identified in the diagnosis.
- Developing an implementation plan and evaluation strategy.
The final report should have the following sections:
- Executive Summary: This section should provide a concise summary of the key points in the report.
- Background and Rationale: This section should describe the background to the proposal, explain the aims of the project, describe the approach, summarise the findings from the preliminary report, and provide a convincing rationale for why the work redesign intervention is needed.
- Redesign: This section should present a series of design options, evaluate the effectiveness of those options, and identify the most effective solution.
- Evaluation: This section should explain how the redesign will be evaluated.
- Budget: The budget should be realistic, and provide a clear breakdown of the costs of the intervention.
Submission guidelines
Submit via turnitin on blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Peer ratings
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
6/11/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
After completion of the group project, each group member will rate the other members of their group on their contribution as a team member to the group project.
This assessment will be kept completely confidential. The peer assessment ratings will be only accessible by the course coordinator. The assessments will be made after the completion of the Final Report. Completion of this peer assessment, on each of your group members, is a requirement of this course, if you fail to provide peer assessments on others you will not receive marks for the peer assessment yourself.
Submission guidelines
A link will be provided via Blackboard at the end of semester.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 39 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 40 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Percentage marks will be rounded to the nearest whole number ie. 84.4% will round down to 84%ﾠand 84.5% will round up to 85%. This will apply to all grade cut-offs apart from a grade of 4. The minimum pass mark is 50% and a pass cannot be achieved with 49.5%.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
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| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Workshop |
Introduction to Work Design 1. Different perspectives on work design; 2. The requirements for your work redesign project, and the analytic framework that we will use; 3. How to scope the project; 4. How to analyse the broader context in which an organisational unit functions (its purpose, priorities & strategy). |
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Workshop |
Work Processes How to analyse work processes (workflow & information flow) How to analyse work characteristics; |
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Workshop |
Work Characteristics & Redesign 1. Different approaches to redesigning work; 2. Methodology for redesigning work; 3. Factors that need to be considered when making design choices; 4. Criteria for evaluating design alternatives; 5. Human Resource Management practices & systems needed to support work redesign. |
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Workshop |
Implementation & Evaluation 1. How to plan the implementation; 2. How to evaluate the redesign; 3. How to fine-tune, spread and sustain the change. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
- Fitness to Practise
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: