21900 Business Literacies and the Future

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2023 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Note

As part of the C04287 Masters of Management, C04285 Masters of Events Management, C04286 Masters of Human Resource Management, C04288 Masters of Not-For-Profit Management and C04290 Masters of Sports Management and their nested courses, students with at least two years full time, or equivalent, relevant managerial work experience can substitute an alternative subject from their course in place of 21900 Business Literacies and the Future via an e-Request.
The managerial or supervisory work experience must be demonstrated through a C.V. and a Statement of Service, confirming the dates of employment and the position held within the organisation.

Description

The subject provides students with the tools to articulate ideas and affect positive change through written communication in business contexts. This subject is designed to equip students with robust business literacy skills, so as to advance success both within the context of their higher-degree learning, and beyond (into their careers). The cascading development of business literacy is scaffolded against the changing nature of work and careers. Each week, students critically examine the substantial changes confronting the practice of business and work and explore issues related to artificial intelligence, robotisation, and the internet of things. By reflecting on and envisaging the way that these emerging trends will impact on students’ own careers, students build adaptability and career agility, while also furthering the timeless skill of impactful written communication.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1.	Critically analyse business practice issues and the changing nature of work
2.	Apply critical analytical skills in the process of constructing a persuasive argument
3.	Demonstrate the principles of ethics and academic integrity in written business communications
4.	Convey information clearly and fluently in form appropriate to a range of business contexts

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The subject aims to provide students with the tools to write well in any business context and succeed in their graduate program at UTS Business School. With business graduates entering into a challenging and complex work environment, greater demands have been placed on students to be ‘work ready’ for the job market. This subject is designed for students to develop and acquire strong research (find, evaluate, analyse and interpret relevant information) and literacy skills (critical reading and writing), which are essential for meeting demands of the graduate curriculum and labour market in both the private and public sectors. This subject has an emphasis on ‘content-based instruction’, which is focused on providing domestic students and speakers of other languages instruction through stimulating content and language. Through learning about a specific topic (the ‘future of work’), students use language and other literacies such as digital literacy and visual literacy as a tool for developing knowledge and skills in critical analysis of the text and forms of communication. The subject also intends to add to students’ understanding of ethical research and writing by bringing in the awareness of academic integrity and intellectual property rights of knowledge and ideas. Hence, it contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:

Intellectual rigour and innovative problem solving
Communication and collaboration
Professional and technical competence

This subject also contributes to the development of the following program learning objective for the Master of Management, Master of Human Resource Management, Master of Event Management, Master of Sport Management, Master of Not-for-Profit and Social Enterprise Management, and Master of Strategic Supply Chain Management courses:

Communicate information clearly and fluently to a diverse range of stakeholders (2.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be delivered by using a weekly combination of a lecture and a tutorial. Lectures will provide knowledge important for pursuing the activities run during the tutorial. Tutorials offer an opportunity to discuss the topic and associated issues related to the contextual topic (future of work) with a focus on academic writing as a form of delivery. Tutorials will be designed to motivate students to think critically about the real practical issues and develop skills to communicate these ideas to a wider audience. Further teaching and learning strategies will be applied to enhance students experience and learning and to facilitate students’ successful completion of the subject and further progress in their degree:

Content-based teaching method
The content of the subject is around the future of work and implications for business graduates, but the mode of delivery is focused on the development of business literacy skills.
Practice-based learning and instant feedback
Students will be able to practice their writing during and also outside of class. They will receive assistance and feedback on their completed during the semester and also to their written assessments. Through continuous feedback and peer-friendly, the subject will aim to encourage students and build confidence in their writing skills and help them progress in their degree.
Peer-based learning
Students will also be provided with various examples of writings to critically evaluate the texts and make suggestions for improvements and understanding what good writing is. Such activities will also include acquiring skills on how to give constructive feedback to their peers in the class and how to effectively respond and learn from it.

An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students). If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA, you will be directed to enroll in one of the tutorials that provide additional language and communication skills support. You must attend the assigned tutorials (each week from week [1/2] to week 12) in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the assigned tutorials will receive a Fail X [W] grade.

Content (topics)

Evolution of work
Future economies and trends in job and work design (e.g., jobs, skills, wages)
Future of work across contexts
Opportunities individual workers (future UTS graduates) to to future economies
Role written communication in managing future economies
Ethical and intellectual property rights of a knowledge worker

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Report Draft (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4
Weight:	30%
Length:	1000-1500 words
Criteria:	This assessment will be based on: Analysis of a business practice related to a work context Constructing a persuasive argument Demonstrating the principles of ethics and academic integrity in written business communications

Assessment task 2: Written Report (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4
Weight:	40%
Length:	2000 words
Criteria:	This assessment will be based on: Critical reflection and analysis Responsiveness to feedback and demonstrating the principles of revision and proofreading Demonstrating the principles of ethics and academic integrity in written business communications Clearly communicating information in a form suited to the business context

Assessment task 3: Critical Reflection (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 4
Weight:	30%
Length:	3 minutes plus 1-3 images or PowerPoints slides (no more than 3)
Criteria:	This assessment will be based on: Task description and summary Quality of critical evaluation of your approach Analysis of potential improvements to practice Presentation

Minimum requirements

Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete OPELA [or a written diagnostic task]. Students who receive a Basic grade in the OPELA [or the written diagnostic task] are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X [W] grade.

Required texts

There is no required text for this subject. Online resources are available on Canvas.

Writing support resources

UTS Business School Writing Guide. https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/current-students-information-uts-business-school/study-and-assessment-resources/developing-your-academic-writing
APA Referencing Guide. https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/referencing/apa

Recommended texts

Frey, C. B. (2019). The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation. Princeton University Press.
Johannessen, J. A. (2018). The workplace of the future: The fourth industrial revolution, the precariat and the death of hierarchies. CRC Press.
Last, S. (2019). Technical Writing Essentials. PressBooks. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/technicalwriting/
Zuboff, S. (1988). In the age of the smart machine: The future of work and power. Basic Books.

References

Supplementary resources for W1

Chopra-McGowan, A., & Reddy, S. B. (2020). What Would It Take to Reskill Entire Industries? HBR.
Salisbury, A. D. (2020). COVID-19 may become “an automation forcing event”: Already vulnerable workers look to reskilling for a path forward. Forbes.

Supplementary resources for W2

Bintz, C. (2016). Visual literacy: Does it enhance leadership abilities required for the twenty-first century? Journal of Visual Literacy, 35(2), 91-103
Bitar, A. (2020). An Overview of Visual Leadership Studies.
Eshet, Y. (2012). Thinking in the digital era: a revised model for digital literacy. Issues in Informing Science & Information Technology, 9, 267.
Frye, H. (2021). When graphs are a matter of life and death. The New Yorker.
Spradlin, D. (2012). Are you solving the right problem? Most firms aren't, and that undermines their innovation efforts. Harvard Business Review, 90(9), 84.
Wagner, M., Heil, F., Hellweg, L., & Schmedt, D. (2019). Working in the Digital Age: Not an easy but a thrilling one for organizations, leaders and employees.

Supplementary resources for W3

APQC (2021). Deciding the future of remote work.
IBM. (2020). COVID-19 and the future of business in Singapore: Post-pandemic opportunities.
Pinsker, J. (2021). The future of work is a 60-year career. The Atlantic.
Stodd, J. (2020). Finding your campfire: Remote work survival guide. Sea Salt Publishing.
Teevan, J., & Brent Hecht, S. (2021). The New Future of Work: Research from Microsoft into the Pandemic's Impact on Work Practices.
WEF. (2019). Innovation, skills, and the future of jobs. World Economic Forum.

Supplementary resources for W4

Brown, J., Gosling, T., Sethi, B., Sheppard, B., Stubbings, C., Sviokla, J., & Zarubina, D. (2017). Workforce of the future: The competing forces shaping 2030. PwC.
Deranty, J.-P., & Breen, K. (2021). Whither work? The politics and ethics of contemporary work. In The Politics and Ethics of Contemporary Work. Routledge.
WEF (2020). Forecasts for Labour Market Evolution in 2020-2025. In The Future of Jobs Report 2020 (pp. 26-39).
WEF, & BCG. (2018). Eight futures of work: scenarios and their implications. WEF.

Supplementary resources for W5

AICD. (2018). Directors' playbook: The future of work.
Pendleton, D., Derbyshire, P., & Hodgkinson, C. (2021). The Future of Work. In D. Pendleton, P. Derbyshire, & C. Hodgkinson (Eds.), Work-Life Matters: Crafting a New Balance at Work and at Home
Schwartz, J., Hatfield, S., Jones, R., & Anderson, S. (2019). What is the future of work: Redefining work, workforces, and workplaces. Deloitte Insights.
Strack, R., Carrasco, M., Kolo, P., Nouri, N., Priddis, M., & George, R. (2021). The Future of Jobs in the Era of AI.

Supplementary resources for W6

Bejakovi?, P., & Mrnjavac, è. (2020). The importance of digital literacy on the labour market. Employee Relations: The International Journal.
Buchholz, B. A., DeHart, J., & Moorman, G. (2020). Digital Citizenship During a Global Pandemic: Moving Beyond Digital Literacy
Willige, A. (2020). GDP is no longer an accurate measure of growth. So what can take its place? WEF.

Supplementary resources for W7

Caimi, G., & Lancry, O. (2018). Building a workforce for digital. Bain & Co.
Chavan, M., & Breyer, Y. A. (2020). Supply Chain Management and Social Enterprise Towards Zero Hunger:: The Akshaya Patra Foundation in India.
Klinova, K., & Korinek, A. (2021). AI and Shared Prosperity.
Lakhani, K. R., & Lansiti, M. (2017). The truth about blockchain. Harvard Business Review, 95(1), 119-127.
Larsson, A., & Lindfred, L. (2019). Digitalization, circular economy and the future of labor: How circular economy and digital transformation can affect labor. In The Digital Transformation of Labor (pp. 280-315). Routledge.
Last, S. (2019). Figures and Tables. Technical Writing Essentials.
Velocity. (2020). Blockchain: Building the Internet of Careers.
Webster, C., & Ivanov, S. (2020). Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Evolving Nature of Work. In B. George & J. Paul (Eds.), Digital Transformation in Business and Society: Theory and Cases (pp. 127-143). Springer International Publishing.

Supplementary resources for W8

Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., Wood, A., Barnard, H., Hjorth, I., & D Simon, P. (2017). The risks and rewards of online gig work at the global margins.
Graham, M., & Anwar, M. A. (2019). The global gig economy: Toward a planetary labor market. In The Digital Transformation of Labor (pp. 213-234). Routledge.
Larsson, A., Andersson, N., Markowski, P., Nilsson, M., & Mayor, I. (2019). Consulting in the digital era? The role of tomorrow’s management consultants. In The Digital Transformation of Labor (pp. 254-279). Routledge.
Mann, A., Denis, V., Schleicher, A., Ekhtiari, H., Forsyth, T., Liu, E., & Chambers, N. (2020). Dream Jobs? Teenagers’ career aspirations and the future of work.
Ojomo, E., & Wilcox, L. (2021). Making your own luck in emerging economies: Six innovative strategies for creating new markets. Christensen Institute.
Thompson, D. (2015). A world without work. The Atlantic.

Supplementary resources for W9

Brown, J., Gosling, T., Sethi, B., Sheppard, B., Stubbings, C., Sviokla, J., & Zarubina, D. (2017). Workforce of the future: The competing
forces shaping 2030. PwC.
Keysar, B., Hayakawa, S. L., & An, S. G. (2012). The foreign-language effect: Thinking in a foreign tongue reduces decision biases. Psychological science, 23(6), 661-668.
Shliakhovchuk, E. (2019). After cultural literacy: new models of intercultural competency for life and work in a VUCA world. Educational review (Birmingham), 1-22.
The Positive Impact Community. (2021). The diversity toolkit.

Supplementary resources for W10

Oppl, S., & Stary, C. (2019). Creating a Reflective Practice for Situations-to-Be. In Designing Digital Work: Concepts and Methods for Human-centered Digitization. Springer Nature.
Pullin, G., & Bontoft, M. (2013). Connecting business, inclusion and design. In P. J. Clarkson, R. Coleman, S. Keates, & C. Lebbon (Eds.), Inclusive design: Design for the whole population (2 ed.). McGraw Hill.
WSJ. (2016). Corporate Decision-Making: Is Hindsight 20/20? https://www.wsj.com/video/corporate-decision-making-is-hindsight-2020/E683F666-180B-4730-874A-41699C88F20F.html

Supplementary resources for W11

Babic, B., Chen, D. L., Evgeniou, T., & Fayard, A. L. (2020). A better way to onboard AI: Understand it as a tool to assist rather than replace people. Harvard business review, 2020(July-August), 2-11.
Floridi, L. (2019). Translating Principles into Practices of Digital Ethics: Five Risks of Being Unethical. Philosophy & Technology, 32(2), 185-193.
Frick, W. (2015). When your boss wears metal pants. Harvard business review, 93(6), 84-89.
Hagendorff, T. (2020). Forbidden knowledge in machine learning. Reflections on the limits of research and publication.
Hummel, P., Braun, M., & Dabrock, P. (2020). Own Data? Ethical Reflections on Data Ownership. Philosophy & Technology.
Ryan, L. (2016). Navigating ethics in the big data democracy. In L. Ryan (Ed.), The Visual Imperative (pp. 61-84). Morgan Kaufmann.