BUMGT5980 Managerial Decision Making Assessment Task 2 - ONCAMPUS 1. Group presentation – Ongoing submissions from Week 5 to Week 11 The purpose of the assessment is to highlight a problem solving or decision making issue and to stimulate online class discussion and/or interaction in relation to that issue. Part 1 – 30 minute Group Presentation – Week 5 to Week 11 Contribution to assessment – 10% Task – Informative and engaging presentation actively promoting class participation. In order to share experiences and insights into the topic issue, the group is asked to prepare a 30 minute presentation based on research and analysis of the chosen topic, and where relevant, the integration of group members’ work-related experiences. The presentation may be in any format the group considers appropriate. Examples may be one, or a combination, of formal meetings (using agendas, allocating roles and designated seating arrangements), traditional power point presentations, small group work (facilitated by group members), role plays, reality formats and so on. Use of visual material, creativity, and interactive activities are encouraged to stimulate interest. The presentation should reflect theory and practice and perhaps include a handout. All group members are expected to participate in the presentation. Marks for this Part 1 will be allocated equally within the group. Part 2 – Individual contributions following presentations – Week 5 to Week 11 Contribution to assessment – 5% Task – Presentation participation and completion of feedback sheet Students individually are required to participate in a minimum of five presentations (other than that associated with their group). At the end of the presentation, students must submit feedback to the group on the form provided. This feedback should reflect developed thinking, supportive and constructive comments, and show a reasonable effort (or to use the Australian slang, be fair dinkum). Part 3 – Group summary review – Week 11 Task – 500 word review (maximum words excluding references [if any]– no minimum) Contribution to assessment – 5% Following individual discussion contributions, the group will review their presentation and the student feedback in the light of other learning in the course. The review should make a critical appraisal of key issues and indicate the key learning resulting from this assessment (this may include comments on both the content and process). The group might comment on:  What worked well?  What did not work well?  How might the presentation have been improved?  Was the feedback received as expected? See also assignment marking guide on the course site. Return of marks: A total mark out of 20 will be returned to students in week 12. Group Allocation Procedure The course lecturer will facilitate the group allocation process. Of course, forming successful working groups with people you don’t know and have never worked with before is a challenging and perhaps daunting. The first point to recognise is that you are all in the same situation. Regardless, the workplace typically necessitates close working relationships among persons that rarely meet otherwise. The group challenge is to quickly develop effective working relationships. My advice is to take some time as a group ‘chatting’ about mutually relevant topics such as places you’ve travelled, your career aspirations, previous studies, how you’ve found other courses in the program and so on. This time may seem a little unproductive but think of it as an investment - and you may also develop ongoing helpful networks. Groups often fail to meet objectives because of misunderstandings that may have been overcome if the time was taken at the beginning to established good relationships. The group formation process: The course lecturer will provide a list of topics available. These are ‘up for grabs’ on a firstin-first-served-basis – ideally, groups will have two or three members. During the first weeks of study, you may wish to approach other students about the possibility of joining your group. In finding the right group, you be very specific up front with your expectations on the quality of work produced, expected time requirements, meeting/ contact frequency and methods, and anticipated grade (see more below). In my experience, about 95 percent of student groups (this applies to the relatively more mature and experienced postgraduates) complete and submit work that is acceptable to all members. Humans don’t always agree on things though (which is an underlying theme in this course); so here are some issues for you to consider in deciding if a group is right for you: Availability – especially for communication – e.g., using set times or alternative contact methods. Background or interest - homogenous groups may work well together but at the same time diverse groups can produce better outcomes – it depends to an extent on the task at hand. Grade aspirations – and amount of work time you are prepared to dedicate to the task (HD level grades reflect both good minds and much dedicated hard work). Computer ability – e.g., creating and formatting documents, use of specific applications or contacting by Skype or other near face-to-face alternatives. Location - ability to meet face to face if this is important to you. Roles and deadlines – what process will be followed in order to set specific roles including who’ll submit the final document. Decision making processes – if there is disagreement then what process will be use to resolve the issue? So take some time to decide on a group– no need to lock yourself in straight away - perhaps agree to chat first about possible approaches to the topic and then make the agreement - as you’ll need to feel quite comfortable that you will be able to work with other group members. For this assignment, most of the hard work here is not in the presentation (if you all share the load), but in the communication, negotiation, and cooperation required to meet deadlines, equitable work distribution, and expected quality. I am sure you will find this to be a valuable learning outcome (and experience) in addition to learning gained by addressing the assignment content. Unallocated students will be grouped by week 4. Groups of two may be required to include additional members.