BUSN306 - Field Experience

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit exposes students to the political, economic, regulatory, business, social and cultural environments both inside and outside Australia. The capstone of the unit is a study tour of a particular location (either domestic or international) held during a semester break. Depending on local factors, students will visit key regulatory and public sector institutions, private enterprises, not for profit organisations and academic organisations, which will enable the examination of current business issues or business in action in the field. The schedule of travel, meetings, briefings, presentations and site visits, will be arranged in advance by the Lecturer in Charge.

The tour will be preceded by a number of on-campus/online lectures and presentations, which will give students a strong understanding about the context of the study and the location they are to visit, thereby strengthening the effectiveness of the study tour.

The aim of this unit is to expose students to the diversity of international business practices that exist amongst Australia's existing and potential trading partners. The unit should help students gain an appreciation of the cultural diversity and business behaviour in these countries and develop an understanding of the implications for international business relationships. In addition, students will have the opportunity to relate theory to practice through the field experience program embedded in this unit.

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 reflection upon their diverse experiences to synthesise knowledge into new insights (GA4) 

LO2 - compare and contrast important principles and aspects of their majors to a ‘real’ business environment (GA4, GA5) 

LO3 - examine and apply the concepts of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, ethical responsibility and globalisation to a ‘real’ business environment (GA4, GA5, GA8) 

LO4 - analyse the cultural diversity, business behaviour and social perspectives of business in this region and derive implications for international business operations (GA4, GA5, GA6)  

LO5 - demonstrate an ability to apply effective teamwork, communication, research and inquiry skills. (GA6, GA7) 

Graduate attributes

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: 

• business within rapidly changing, complex global environments 
• introduction to contemporary business themes and issues: business innovation and ideas, entrepreneurship, ethical responsibility, globalisation, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and other themes and issues pertaining to the context of the study 
• the international business dimension within the context of the country and the study 
• examine internationalisation relevance within the context of the country and study  
• developing reflective practices and a reflective journal  
• external environmental analysis  
• developing a gap analysis and undertaking a feasibility study to solve global problems or issues  
• recognising opportunities and generating ideas 
• developing problem solving skills  
• ethical business practices 
• sustainability issues  

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the analysis and synthesis of knowledge associated with applied international business and management. Students are able to explore the knowledge base underpinning the diversity of international business practices by undertaking an international tour inclusive of engagement with business and industries overseas or by engaging with domestic companies who engage in significant international business activities. These visits are supplemented with workshops that are designed to support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge both individually and in groups. This unit takes an experiential approach to support students in developing the communication skills required to effectively participate in an organisation by tapping into the knowledge of other participants, sharing stories and insights and reflecting on experiences. This approach is designed to interest students who prefer to learn within a social environment and builds in expert support for skills development. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, you are required to complete and submit three graded assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure your level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. You will also be awarded a final grade which signifies your overall achievement in the unit. 

The assessment strategy for this unit allows you to demonstrate a critical mindset in evaluating the commonalities and differences in business practices and contemporary business issues in diverse international settings. You will demonstrate your personal learnings in a reflective journal and apply your understanding of how and why business practices vary in a case study analysis. The final assessment in the unit allows you to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and understanding of contemporary business activities and issues and your ability to recognise opportunities for business or to provide solutions in diverse environments through a group project. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Drucker, P 2015, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Routledge Classics, London. 

Kshetri, N. 2014, Global Entrepreneurship: Environment and Strategy, Routledge, USA. 

Matthews, CH & Brueggeman, R. 2015, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Competency Framework, Routledge, USA. 

McAdam, M 2014, Female Entrepreneurship, Routledge, USA.  

Tidd, J & Bessant, J 2014, Strategic Innovation Management. John Wiley & Sons, New York.

 Journals 

Entrepreneurship Research Journal 

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 

European Journal of Innovation Management 

International Journal of Entrepreneurship Theory and Research 

Journal of Entrepreneurship 

Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation 

Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

Review of Innovation Management & Creativity