Essentials: Weighting: 25% Due date: Monday 4th September by 4pm (Week 6) Length: 1200 words (including in-text references; excluding reference list) Topic: Understanding organisational culture and...

Essentials: Weighting:  25% Due date: Monday 4th September by 4pm (Week 6) Length: 1200 words (including in-text references; excluding reference list) Topic:  Understanding organisational culture and structure

Essay brief: Flight Centre is an iconic Australian organisation famous for its distinct culture and unique organisational structure. Using relevant theories, explain how the organisational culture and structure of Flight Centre are intertwined.

Aims and Objectives: This assessment targets development of students’ critical thinking skills and encourages students to: • Understand the complex nature of contemporary organisations • Provide a critical perspective of the academic literature on a topic • Construct a sustained argument in response to the question • Utilise and conform to the principles of academic rigour in the production of an acceptable, formal response to the question.


Essay format and reference guidelines In all essays students must: • use 1.5 spacing • use 2.5 cm margins on top, bottom and on each side • use Times New Roman or Arial, font size 12.  • insert page numbers • insert student name and number on each page in a footer or header  • cite at least four (4) academic sources • use the Harvard method for citations • adhere to the word limit of 1200 words (+/- 10% allowance) • use the structure listed below (consisting of introduction, body and conclusion).


Essay instructions In following the approved structure, students should: a) in the Introduction (up to 150 words) – introduce the brief and how it is tackled in the essay. Tip: an introduction is written last – after the essay has been written – to provide a lead as to what will follow. b) in the Body of Essay (up to 950 words):
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i. briefly and creatively describe concepts of organisational culture and organisational structure. Tip: use imaginative comparisons, metaphors, humour, poetry and the like. This can foster student creativity. ii. explain the culture and structure in Flight Centre applying theoretical models (at least one per concept). Tip: use relevant theories. iii. evaluate how the unique organisational structure of Flight Centre is intertwined with the company’s organisational culture. Tip: learn to ask questions to stimulate your analysis: Does structure inform/influence culture or the other way around? How are they interconnected/intertwined? If change were required, what would you change first, culture or structure? Why?  Provide examples and other evidence to substantiate (back up) your arguments. c) in the Conclusion (up to 100 words) – summarise the key points made in your essay. Tip: a conclusion contains no new information. It summarises student insights/recommendations and investigations performed in the body of the essay.


The “BESS submission package” should include (in the following order): • a completed and signed Individual Assessment Cover Sheet (available via iLearn and the FBE web page). Students are responsible for providing the cover sheet.  • a printed copy of the essay • a Reference List • a printed Turnitin originality report, including word count (NB: The first Turnitin submission will generate the originality report immediately. Subsequent submissions to Turnitin may take up to 24 hours for the originality report to be generated. Be mindful of this and ensure you submit with plenty of time to submit the hard copy to BESS). • A printed copy of the Essay Marking Guide. Failure to attach the marking guide may result in receiving delayed feedback.


NB: the “package” should be stapled. No sleeves or fancy covers should be used.


Submission Details: All students must submit their essays electronically through Turnitin using the link on iLearn, and in hard copy to BESS (E4B 106) by 4.00pm on the due date. Hard copies must be identical to the electronic version submitted.


Late Submissions: Late essays must also be submitted through Turnitin and a hard copy should be submitted to BESS in building E4B to be date stamped and forwarded to your tutor for marking. No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks (i.e. 5 marks) made from the total awarded mark for each 24-hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission incurs a 40% or 10 marks penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption to studies (DTS) is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after feedback have been posted/given in lectures/classes.


Marking Criteria: Students must refer to the Essay Marking Guide on iLearn, which sets out the criteria and standards against which their essay will be marked.


This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:


• Describe and apply fundamental management theories and concepts to business operation. • Critically examine organisational and management practices