This course aims to provide an evidence-based understanding of human behaviours and decision-making in organizations. Specifically, the topics of this class are designed to enhance students’ appreciation of theories and theory-informed practices on human performance, work satisfaction, work motivation, organizational teams, group decision-making, and leadership. This class equips students with the fundamental theoretical understanding of human behaviours in the workplace, which can be used to resolve the most common workplace issues and problems. 

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. list relevant theories, models, and methods for organizational behaviours (Remember + Ask)
2. accurately define different theories, models, and methods for organizational behaviours (Remember + Ask) 
3. critically discuss human behaviours in the workplace from a relevant theoretical standpoint (Acquire + Analyse) 
4. recall the weaknesses and strengths of different theories relevant to organizational behaviour (Understand + Aggregate) 
5. gauge the impacts of their own experience from the relevant theoretical framework (Appraise + Analyse)  
6. apply theoretical models and concepts to current organizational practices, problems, and issues (Apply + Adapt) 
7. develop a research proposal in the area of organizational behaviour (Apply + Create) 
8. devise evidence-based strategies and recommendations to address an organizational problem (Assess + Create).

Research-Led Teaching

This course is informed by current research from Management, Organizational Behaviour, and related academic disciplines. In addition to classic theories and research, students are exposed to contemporary and cutting-edge research on essential management topics. This will help students develop a more thorough and sophisticated understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with behavior in an organizational context.

Complementing the academic focus of the course, the lecturer has framed the delivery and assessment structure to reflect a very practical application of the course concepts that will assist students in transferring research-led teaching into industry practice. All assessment tasks offer the opportunity for students to develop their skills in accessing and understanding research literature, and students will see benefits from these skills throughout their studies at ANU and in their industry practice.

Field Trips

There are no field trips in this course.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional costs for this class.

Examination Material or equipment

There is no formal examination for this course.

Required Resources

The textbook for the course is Organisational Behaviour: Engaging People and Organisations (2nd ed) by Griffin, Phillips, Gully, Greed, Gribble and Watson. This book will be provided to you.

Additional readings will be provided by the course website

In-session resources: Students are required to bring an internet-connected device (tablet or laptop) with Microsoft Excel and Teams to each session. The device will be used for information search, solution development during in-class discussions, and participation in hybrid teaching.

Recommended Resources

Any recommended resources or readings will be advised on the course website.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Use of AI is rapidly growing in business, in particular the use of Large Language Models, of which there are many proprietary brands. In this course, students may choose to use or to not use AI tools, but in any case where AI tools are used, the student must accurately cite and reference the particular tools and must also advise in an appendix how they used the tool. The ANU provides further guidance at the following link: ANU GenAI Libguide. Students are reminded that they may be requested to meet with the Convenor to discuss any assessment submission, including responding to questions on the content of submissions and on their understanding of the course concepts assessed by the submission.

Academic Integrity: Note that any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghostwriting services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Integrity Rule. For further information about why academic integrity matters, please visit https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	WEEK 1 SESSION 1: Introduction to Organisational Behaviour
2	WEEK 1 SESSION 2: Personality and Individual Differences
3	WEEK 1 SESSION 3: Verbal Communication
4	WEEK 1 SESSION 4: Motivation
5	WEEK 1 SESSION 5: Leadership Fundamentals (Emergence, Styles)	OB Problem Presentation Brief - Friday 24th October
6	WEEK 2 SESSION 6: Emotional Intelligence
7	WEEK 3 SESSION 7: Stress and Work Life Balance	OB Problem Brief - Monday 3rd November 10am Canberra Time
8	WEEK 4 SESSION 8: Performance and Engagement
9	WEEK 5 SESSION 9: Self Leadership (Self-regulation, Resilience, Support Networks)
10	WEEK 6 SESSION 10: Power and Influence	Learning Reflection - Monday 24th November 10am Canberra Time
11	WEEK 7 SESSION 11: Teams and Conflict
12	WEEK 8 SESSION 12: Major Assignment Presentations	OB Major Assignment Presentations - Thursday 11th December
13	WEEK 9 NO TEACHING	OB Major Assignment Report - Thursday 18th December 10am Canberra Time

Tutorial Registration

There is no requirement for students to register for tutorials.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
OB Problem Presentation Brief (Individual Assessment - 10%)	10 %	24/10/2025	31/10/2025	1,2,3,4,6,7
OB Problem Brief (Individual Assessment - 15%)	15 %	03/11/2025	17/11/2025	1,2,3,6,7
Learning Reflection (Individual Assessment - 10%)	10 %	24/11/2025	08/12/2025	1,2,5
Organizational Behaviour Major Assignment Presentation (Individual Assessment - 25%)	25 %	11/12/2025	23/12/2025	1,2,3,4,6,8
Organizational Behaviour Major Assignment Report (Individual Assessment - 40%)	40 %	18/12/2025	22/01/2026	1,2,3,6,8

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

The format of the course consists of one intensive week (5 consecutive days), and then weekly seminars taught. Students are expected to attend all seminars in person unless they are not physically in Canberra i.e. working/studying remotely; if not physically in Canberra then they are expected to attend through the Teams session. Students are expected to complete required readings prior to class. Attendance and participation are expected in line with the "Code of Practice of Teaching and Learning" clause 2 paragraph (b).

Examination(s)

There is no formal examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

OB Problem Presentation Brief (Individual Assessment - 10%)

Students are to identify a problem in the APS (preferably in their workplace) and examine it from an organizational behaviour perspective. They are then to present for 3 minutes on what they believe may be the cause/s of the problem and any related organizational behaviour topics. Students are encouraged to use presentation slides to present and APS census or other public documents as part of the evidence base in their problem identification.

Submission and Due date: Presentations are to occur on Friday morning of the first week (24 October 25). Late submission of this assessment task is not permitted 

Feedback: Will be provided on the day of presentation.

Marking criteria: A rubric for marking this assessment will be available on the course website two weeks before the course begins.

Assessment Task 2

OB Problem Brief (Individual Assessment - 15%)

Following on from the presentation and any questions/suggestions that are raised, students are to submit a written brief (500 words) on the problem that they have identified, their beliefs on the cause of the problem and any related organisational behaviour topics.

Submission and Due date: Problem Briefs are to be submitted via the course website by Monday 3rd November at 10:00 am Canberra Time

Marking criteria: A rubric for marking this assessment will be available on the course website in Week 1.

Feedback: Within two weeks of the due date

Word Limit: 500 words (+/- 10%). A penalty of 10% will be applied for every 100 words beyond 550 words. The word limit does not include appendices or reference lists

Assessment Task 3

Learning Reflection (Individual Assessment - 10%)

For this assignment, you will provide a reflection on at least one learning from the course to date.

The reflection should include but does not need to be limited to:

• What you learned from at least one class and how it was of value to your career goals.
• A description of the most important understanding and why it is significant.
• Whether your learning experience from this class has changed your perception of what you will be doing after graduation and how.

Note: Students will be given guidance on reflective writing during the Induction Week.

Submission and Due date: Learning Reflections are to be submitted via the course website by Monday 24th November at 10 am Canberra Time

Format: a written submission of 500 words (+/- 10%). A penalty of 10% will be applied for every 100 words beyond 550 words. The word limit does not include appendices or reference lists. The use of first-person language (e.g. I think, I feel, I learned) is encouraged

Marking criteria: A rubric for marking this assessment will be available on the course website at least two weeks before the due date

Feedback: Within two weeks of the due date

Assessment Task 4

Organizational Behaviour Major Assignment Presentation (Individual Assessment - 25%)

Following on from assessment tasks 1 and 2, students are to apply relevant OB concepts and findings to analyze and design solutions for the problem they have identified. In doing so, students are expected to draw from the academic literature and publicly available documents to deliver a presentation (online) that

1) Clearly identify the key problems faced by organizations,

2) Discuss the organisational behaviour issues

3) Make specific recommendations and provide evidence from the academic literature to support their recommendations,

Format: Presentations are expected to be approximately 7 minutes with a further 3 minutes allowed for answering questions. Presentations are to be held online via MS Teams and will be recorded. Presentations may be asked to stop if they go beyond 10 minutes

Submission & Due date: Live presentations will be held on Thursday, Week 8 The slides are to be submitted by Wed evening at 11:59 via email to the course convenor. A schedule of presentation times will be provided closer to the due date. Presentations will be video recorded, which will enable later validation and verification of assessment if required (in accordance with point 7 in the ANU Student Assessment (Coursework) policy).

Marking criteria: A rubric for marking this assessment will be available on the course website at least two weeks before the due date

Feedback: By the 23rd December 2005

Assessment Task 5

Organizational Behaviour Major Assignment Report (Individual Assessment - 40%)

Following on from assessment tasks 1,2 & 4, students are to provide a written report that applies relevant OB concepts and findings to analyze and design solutions for the problem they have identified in assessment 1. In doing so, students are expected to draw from the academic literature and publicly available documents. Their written report should

1) Clearly identify the key problem/s,

2) Discuss the organisational behaviour issues

3) Make specific recommendations and provide evidence from the academic literature to support their recommendations,

Word Count: 2250 words (+/- 10%). A penalty of 10% will be applied for every 100 words beyond 2475 words. The word limit does not include appendices or reference lists

Submission & Due date: Reports are to be submitted online via the course website by 18 December 10:00 am Canberra Time

Marking criteria: A rubric for marking this assessment will be available on the course website at least two weeks before the due date

Feedback: Feedback will be given at the time the final course results are released.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

Use of Turnitin: Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be electronically submitted through the course website and reviewed by Turnitin.

Lodgement: You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Identification: On all assignments you should only give your student number as identification.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Assessment tasks: Late submission of an assessment task without an extension is penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted from 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the Class Summary for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted when this is specified in the description of the assessment task.

Procedure for extensions: All requests for Assessment Adjustment (including Requests for Extension and for Consideration of Extenuation Circumstances) should be submitted via ANUHub. In ANUHub, select Manage My Degree, and then the blue ECA link. Buttons for either Extension or Extenuating Circumstances Application will be offered for selection. If an extension of less than 10 days is required then select the Extension option; otherwise, select the Extenuating Circumstance Application option.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

All assignments will be marked and/or returned within two weeks of submission or according to the timeline specified in the course class summary.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Before the due date/time for submission, students may re-upload their submission.

After the due date/time students may only upload a submission if they have not already done so, and a late penalty will then apply.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students