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Course Outline

HRM311 Enabling Team Synergy and Performance

Course Coordinator:John Whiteoak (whiteoak@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This purpose of this course is to support the development of collaboration and teamwork skills. The course will explore human resource management frameworks that provide strategies for improving team synergy and performance. The content will focus on enabling human capital in a team setting and include contemporary approaches for operating in a virtual environment. The learning outcomes of this course are widely considered key employability skills and are associated with career success.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 11 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops (Recorded). 2hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

  1. Team Effectiveness Skills
    • Enabling human capital: Introduction to engagement in teams
    • Working effectively with different personalities
    • Motivation and team performance.
    • Communication skills and emotional intelligence.
  2. Team Development Skills
    • Teams and socio-technical systems thinking.
    • Group dynamics and decision-making.
    • High performance team values.
    • Managing diversity, conflict and inclusion.
  3. Team Producitvity Tools & Analytics 
    • Managing virtual teams.
    • Team productivity tools.
    • Understanding HR analytics and team KPI.

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
1 Demonstrate knowledge of team dynamics theory, strategy and practice Knowledgeable
Empowered 

                                    		
                            

                            

                                2
                                Demonstrate effective management and collaboration in teams in a business context.
                                
Empowered                                            

Sustainability-focussed                                		
                                    
                                        
PC2

                                    		
                            

                            

                                3
                                Demonstrate effective communication skills in a business context
                                
Knowledgeable                                
                                    
                                        

                                    		
                            

                            

                                4
                                Apply creative and critical thinking to building team synergy and performance.
                                
Creative and critical thinker                                            

Engaged                                		
                                    
                                        
PC2, PC2.1

                                    		
                            

                    
                

                
            

        

        

                
* Competencies by Professional Body

                

                    
                        

                            CODE
                            COMPETENCY
                        

                    
                        
                            

                                
                                    Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
                                
                            

                        
                        
                                

                                    PC2
                                    Collaboration
                                

                                

                                    PC2.1
                                    Teamwork
                                

                        
                

        




    

        

            
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

            

                Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
            

        


        

            
Pre-requisites

            

                Students must be in 3rd year of studies.
            

        

    


    

        

            
Co-requisites

            

                Not applicable
            

        

    


    

        

            
Anti-requisites

            

                Not applicable
            

        

    


    

        

            
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

            
Not applicable

        

    


    

        

            
Microcredential Information

            
Not applicable

        

    




    

        

            

                
How am I going to be assessed?

                
Grading Scale

                

                    Standard Grading (GRD)
                

                
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS),   Fail (FL). 

            

        


        

            

                
Details of early feedback on progress

                
Students will be provided with written and verbal feedback throughout the course assessment tasks and tutorial activities; a formative online quiz will be available in week 3

            

        


        

            

                
Assessment tasks

                

                    
                        

                            Delivery mode
                            Task No.
                            Assessment Product
                            Individual or Group
                                Weighting %
                            What is the duration / length?
                            When should I submit?
                            Where should I submit it?
                        

                    
                    
                            

                                All
                                1
                                Written Piece
                                Individual
                                    30%
                                
Total:1000 words

                                Week 6
                                Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
                            

                            

                                All
                                2
                                Portfolio
                                Individual and Group
                                    40%
                                
Total: 2000 words + 5 min video

                                Week 10
                                Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
                            

                            

                                All
                                3
                                Written Piece
                                Individual
                                    30%
                                
1500 words

                                Exam Period
                                Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
                            

                    
                

            


                

                    

                        

                            
                                All - Assessment Task 1:Team Effectiveness Skills – Review and Self-Assessment
                            
                        

                        

                            Goal:
                            
Synthesise relevant research and self-reflection to demonstrate your knowledge of team effectiveness skills.

                        

                        

                            Product:
                            Written Piece
                        

                        

                            Authorship Statement:
                            
                        

                        

                            Format:
                            
Individual written piece.

                        

                        

                            Criteria:
                            
                                

                                    
                                        

                                            No.
                                            
                                            Learning Outcome assessed
                                        

                                    
                                    
                                            

                                                1
                                                
Knowledge of working with different personalities

                                                
                                                        1
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                2
                                                
Knowledge of motivation and working effectively in teams

                                                
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                3
                                                
Knowledge of emotional intelligence and its implications for team performance

                                                
                                                        1
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                4
                                                
Includes relevant literature and research

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                5
                                                
Effectively summarises relevant literature and research.

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                6
                                                
Written communication

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                    
                                

                            		
                        

                        

                            Generic Skills:
                            
Communication, Collaboration

                        

                    

                

                

                    

                        

                            
                                All - Assessment Task 2:Team Development & Performance Strategy
                            
                        

                        

                            Goal:
                            
To demonstrate an understanding of strategies to support working effectively as a high performing team.

                        

                        

                            Product:
                            Portfolio
                        

                        

                            Authorship Statement:
                            
                        

                        

                            Format:
                            
Video presentation and written pieces 


This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. It assesses: Program Competency 2.1: Teamwork - Demonstrate effective management and collaboration in teams in a business context. 

Additional details will be provided.

                        

                        

                            Criteria:
                            
                                

                                    
                                        

                                            No.
                                            
                                            Learning Outcome assessed
                                        

                                    
                                    
                                            

                                                1
                                                
Demonstration of oral and written communication skills in a business context.

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                2
                                                
Demonstration of an understanding of effectively managing and working in teams in a business context.

                                                
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                3
                                                
Knowledge and application of effective team processes

                                                
                                                        1
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                4
                                                
Acknowledgement and facilitation of strengths and skills of team members

                                                
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                5
                                                
Use of interpersonal skills when engaging with team members.

                                                
                                                        2
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                6
                                                
Identification and appreciation of the benefits of integrating diversity for a high performing team

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                7
                                                
Individual contribution to the team task.

                                                
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                    
                                

                            		
                        

                        

                            Generic Skills:
                            
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving

                        

                    

                

                

                    

                        

                            
                                All - Assessment Task 3:Managing a Virtual team
                            
                        

                        

                            Goal:
                            
To demonstrate your understanding and application of theories and conceptual frameworks that support team productivity and engagement in a virtual team environment.

                        

                        

                            Product:
                            Written Piece
                        

                        

                            Authorship Statement:
                            
                        

                        

                            Format:
                            
Individual Written Piece

                        

                        

                            Criteria:
                            
                                

                                    
                                        

                                            No.
                                            
                                            Learning Outcome assessed
                                        

                                    
                                    
                                            

                                                1
                                                
Demonstration of critical thinking to develop and evaluate appropriate solutions in enabling team synergy and performance.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                2
                                                
Accuracy and presentation of written work including English expression, discipline-based vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and punctuation

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                3
                                                
Ability to craft and communicate appropriate interventions that demonstrate understanding of effective team dynamics for high performing virtual teams

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                4
                                                
Referencing of sources of information used within the body of the document and in a reference list using Harvard referencing style.

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                    
                                

                            		
                        

                        

                            Generic Skills:
                            
Communication, Collaboration, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy

                        

                    

                

        

    

    

        

            

                
Directed study hours

                
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

            

        

    


    

        

            

                
What resources do I need to undertake this course?

                

                    Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
                

            


            

                
Prescribed text(s) or course reader

                    
There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

            

        


        

            

                
Specific requirements

                    
Not applicable

            

        

    


    

        

            
How are risks managed in this course?

            
Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

        

    


    

        
What administrative information is relevant to this course?


        

            

                
Assessment: Academic Integrity

                
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

            

        


        

            

                
Assessment: Additional Requirements

                
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

            

        


        

            

                
Assessment: Submission penalties

                
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

            

        


        

            

                
Links to relevant University policy and procedures

                
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

            

        


        

            

                
Student Charter

                
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful.  The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

            

        


        

            

                
General Enquiries

                
For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  
For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: 

            

        

    







    

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