Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
BUFP103 First Nations of Australia: Culture History & Politics
Incompatible
MGMT313 Indigenous Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit examines the principles of governance and leadership and their application to governance processes and leadership practices within the context of Australia’s First Nations' peoples and communities. This unit builds on knowledge gained in other indigenous units that focus on “what business are we in?” This unit examines the governance and leadership required to participate in “the business we’re in” both in the private and public sectors. It will challenge students to reflect on leadership and governance theories, strategies and practices and their applicability and contribution to the common good. It also explores the contested governance space in the changing environments in which First Nations peoples, their communities, organisations and leaders find themselves nationally and globally. The First Nation people’s experiences and resilience to contribute to the common good will be demonstrated through the utilisation of case studies and other learning material.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Demonstrate an understanding of the stressors on First Nations’ peoples that impact on their governance and leadership knowledge and practices (GA5, GA8)
LO2 - Evaluate frameworks, theories and concepts relevant to governance and leadership in contemporary organisations and their applications in the public and private sectors and assess their relevancy to Indigenous businesses (GA4, GA5)
LO3 - Analyse governance and leadership problems and dilemmas from a moral, cultural and ethical perspective (GA3, GA5)
LO4 - Elaborate on First Nations peoples’ governance and leadership in the context of sustainable local, national, and global futures (GA5, GA6)
LO5 - Work collaboratively to demonstrate the ability to critically analyse First Nations governance and leadership and their resilience to adapt to ever-changing environments (GA5, GA7)
Graduate attributes
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
Content
Topics will include:
- The status of First Nations’ people
- Identity & Hybridity – A First Nations perspective
- Cultural Legitimacy
- Leadership – Traits and behaviours
- Power and Influence
- Building leadership in a contested governance environment
- Challenges of leadership
- The interface between sustainability, governance and leadership
- Accountability in governance and leadership
- Governance and leadership in a changing environment
- Politics in governance and leadership
- Ethics in governance and leadership
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will be taught in multi-modal program using a variety of delivery strategies including online delivery to the equivalent 12 weeks semester. Where face to face contact is included this may involve intensive away from base delivery.
Students should anticipate spending 150 hours of study for this unit, including weekly learning activities, readings and assignment preparation.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to: essays, reports, examinations, student presentations or case studies.
In order to pass this unit, students are required to: submit all assessment pieces and obtain 50% overall. The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Critical Reflection This assessment task consists of a 1000-word written journal entailing a critical reflection and evaluation of the first five weeks of the unit. This task requires students to work autonomously to synthesise knowledge gained in order to demonstrate an understanding of this unit. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Critical Reflection Artefact: Written report | 25% | LO1, LO2 | GA4, GA5, GA8 |
Assessment Task 2: Essay This assessment consists of a 1500 word Essay. Who determines First Nations leaders? Students are required to research two persons whom they consider are leaders of First Nations’ people either in Australia or internationally. Once the two people are identified, (cannot use two people of the same gender e.g. two men), students are required to analyse and evaluate the two people’s answer to the following questions: who determine First Nations’ leaders and how are they selected? What role does the Indigenous culture and ethical perspectives play in this process? Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Essay Artefact: Report | 35% | LO3, LO4 | GA3, GA5, GA6 |
Assessment Task 3: Presentation Video and Script Students are required to work in groups and utilize their effective communication skills to produce a 10-12 minutes video in addition to a script. Students are required to elaborate on how the First Nations’ peoples and communities’ leaders and governance rise to meet the challenges of 21st century as the world becomes globalized? Students are required to analyse within a framework of gender differences and the impact (if any) on culture and societal changes of First Nations peoples and communities. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Video Presentation & Script Artefact: Video & Script | 40% | LO4, LO5 | GA5, GA6, GA7 |
Representative texts and references
Australian Institute of Company Directors,(2019), Strong gains underway in Indigenous governance. Retrieved from https://aicd.companydirectors.com.au/advocacy/governance-leadership-centre/practice-of-governance/strong-gains-underway-in-indigenous-governance.
Australian Government Productivity Commission (2016) Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2016, Chapter 5, Governance, leadership and culture. Retrieved from https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/2016.
Daft, Richard. (2018). The Leadership Experience, 7th ed. Cengage Learning, Australia.
Moreton-Robinson, Aileen, 2013. Towards an Australian Indigenous Women's Standpoint Theory, Australian Feminist Studies, 28:78, 331-347, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08164649.2013.876664
Nahavandi, A. (2009). The Art and Science of Leadership, 5th ed.
Smith, D. (2015), Organising Aboriginal Governance: Pathways to Self-Determined Success in the Northern Territory, Australia, APONT, Aboriginal Governance Program. Retrieved from https://aboriginalgovernance.org.au/uploads/images/Di-Smith-report.pdf
Stewart, J and Warn, J. (2016), Between Two Worlds: Indigenous Leaders Exercising Influence and Working Across Boundaries, in Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol. 76, no.1, pp. 3-17.
Sullivan, P. (2006). Indigenous Governance, Research Discussion Paper No 17.
United Nations, 2008, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf.
White, Nereda, 2010. Indigenous Australian women’s leadership: stayin’ strong against the post-colonial tide, International Journal of Leadership in Education, 13:1, 7-25. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603120903242907