BSNS201-18S2 (C) Semester Two 2018

Special Topic: Business and Culture

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 July 2018
End Date: Sunday, 18 November 2018
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 27 July 2018
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 12 October 2018

Description

This course will address the following issues: How is business different in a bi-cultural nation? Aotearoa New Zealand is a bi-cultural nation founded on the Treaty of Waitangi (1840). How does that affect the way we manage resources such as water and fisheries? How does that affect the way we think about health and well-being? This multi-disciplinary course will examine a range of issues from different perspectives of commerce (Accounting, Economics, Management (with an underpinning understanding of how they interact with Te Ao Maori - the Maori world. From this basis, an understanding of multi-culturalism and the globalisation of business will be examined.

This course is about business and cultures. Culture can be seen as the assumptions and assessments we humans make about the world and the values and beliefs that guide or underpin them as we seek to create and maintain connections between people and with places. We think, write, talk and discuss culture in many different ways. For instance, occupational cultures help us make sense of the expectations people have of us in our roles as workers, organisational and business cultures are specific to particular entities, ethnic cultures can refer to groups of people who have common ancestry and history, and digital cultures create virtual meeting places for engagement. We can also envisage faith-based cultures, community cultures, national cultures and so on.  Of course, cultures can also change as people respond to, and proactively engage in, different ways of doing things.

In this course, students will reflect on their own participation in multiple cultural forms: ethnic, occupational, gendered, national, digital, global, temporal etc. They will hear from academics and practitioners about their experiences of culture and their advice on how to engage with cultures. A practical question that will help orient the course is, how can students build connections with people in ways which respect cultural traditions and allow for reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships to develop in their future occupations and workplaces? The course is underpinned by all aspects of culture (such as those discussed above), but the course content is mostly structured around how students can engage with local, national and international cultures as well as reflect on their own cultures. As such, the course asks students to consider how their multiple, varied and perhaps conflicting cultural perspectives are part of, similar to, and different from, those of mana whenua, Māori, tangata whenua, Aotearoa New Zealand, and international cultures. It looks at the role Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi has in contemporary workplaces and the relevance of that role for the students’ subject majors, as well as the political and regulatory influences on business and the economy.  

Workload
Lectures 70
Tutorials 18
Reflective Journal 15
Mid-term Test 21
Final Exam 26
Total 150

Learning Outcomes

  • Graduate Attributes and Learning Goals
    In this course the following BCom learning goals will be developed:
  • demonstrate  advanced  knowledge  and  critical  competence  within  your  selected  subject major, informed by the broader context of commerce
  • use analytical thinking and problem-solving skills to address specific problems within the field of a particular core discipline or disciplines
  • demonstrate key skills and attributes sought by employers which can be used in a range of applications;
  • demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to a selected area of study and/or to your subject major or majors;
  • understand issues from a range of ethical, global and multicultural perspectives, reflect on your own performance and experience, and be engaged in the community;
  • communicate effectively both orally and in written form.

    Course Learning Outcomes
    At the completion of this course it is expected that:
    LO1.2.2 Students will be able to explain political and regulatory influences on the economy;
    LO1.2.3 Students will be able to describe the key elements and processes of the New Zealand legal system relevant to a business context;
    LO2.1.5 Students can work effectively in a team in order to reach a common goal;
    LO3.1.1 Students can explain the influences of their own culture and identity when engaging with another culture;
    LO 3.1.2 Students can explain the role of tangata whenua in society and in commerce and how te ao Māori (primarily perspectives, values and mana whenua) could be applied in their discipline, field of study or future work place, and the reasons for their incorporation.
    LO3.1.3 Students can explain how the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpin the management of resources in Aotearoa New Zealand.
    LO5.1.1 Students can identify, consider and debate perspectives, processes and impacts relating to globalisation and localisation in different contexts, drawing on theory and practice when considering issues in their discipline or field of study.
    LO5.1.2 Students can identify, consider and debate perspectives, processes and impacts relating to the culture and identity of multiple stakeholders, drawing on theory and practice when considering issues in their discipline or field of study.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Any 105 points. RP: ACCT102, ECON104, MGMT100

Recommended Preparation

Timetable Note

This course will not be recorded by Echo360, so attendance at lectures and tutorials is strongly advised.

Course Coordinator

Tyron Love

Lecturer

Anushia Inthiran

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Reflection Journal (five entries; 4% each) 20% Reflection Journal (five entries; 4% each)
Mid-term Test 16 Aug 2018 30% Mid-term Test
Final Examination 50% Final Examination


Assessment One: Reflective Journal (20%)
Content assessed: all weeks
Due: weeks 3, 6, 8, 10, 12

There will be five reflective journal entries in this course. These will be 500 word reflections.  Each reflection will ask students to look back on the previous weeks’ lectures and group work in tutorials.  A reflective journal question will be set one week prior to each submission’s due date. Students are asked to submit – through LEARN (as a word file attachment) – a response to all 5 questions. Each submission must be within one week of the question date. Each reflective journal submission is worth 4% accumulating to a maximum of 20% over the duration of the assessment. Requirements concerning the reflective journals will be explained in class during week 1. No extensions can be given for any journal submissions, and reflective journal are not eligible for special consideration.

Assessment Two: Mid-term Test (30%)
Content assessed: weeks 1-4
Date: TBA, during week 5

The term test will consist of 6 short-answer questions (all compulsory to complete) and two essay questions from which students can choose one. The test will examine lecture material, text and course readings covered in weeks 1, 2, 3 & 4. As such, students will be asked to respond to questions which draw from the ‘Self’ and ‘Local culture’ themes. The test will be undertaken in examination conditions. That is, only pens, student ID card and water bottle will be allowed on the desk during the test. No pencil cases, mobile phones, calculators or dictionaries will be allowed. Students must not forget to bring their student ID card.

Assessment Three: Final Exam (50%)
Content assessed: weeks 5-12
Date: TBA, exam period

The final exam will be comprehensive covering many aspects of the course. The final exam will consist of eight short-answer questions and three essay questions from which students can choose two. The final exam will examine lecture material, text and course readings covered in weeks 5-12. As such, students will be asked to respond to questions which draw from the ‘Self’, ‘National Cultures’ and ‘International Cultures’ themes.

Textbooks / Resources

Readings will be provided via the course learn site.

Notes

Academic Policies
Refer to the UC Business School’s Student Handbook

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $790.00

International fee $3,350.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see UC Business School Office .

All BSNS201 Occurrences

  • BSNS201-18S2 (C) Semester Two 2018