BU1011 - Business, Leisure and Society

Credit points:	03
Year:	2011
Student Contribution Band:	Band 3
Administered by:	School of Business

For some organisations flexibility of working practices are being coupled with policies for a balanced approach to work and leisure, sometimes in response to new attitudes, values and aspirations of key workers, but also to enhance creativity, improve company loyalty, and reduce corporate health bills. Yet many employees are experiencing long hours, increasing workloads, changing work practices and job insecurity, all of which can lead to problematic levels of stress and reduced quality of life. As a result this subject will provide up-to-date and well-balanced coverage of key work-life balance issues and research, and will prove a valuable resource to students by addressing the relevant areas of psychology, sociology, social policy, business and leisure studies for decision and policy makers in both private and public organisations.

Learning Outcomes

• Appreciate and manage the relationship between work and leisure;
• Understand the impacts of work-life imbalances on business and society;
• Identify socio-demographic issues and trends that relate to lifestyle management;
• Create and develop organisational policies and programs that foster a positive quality of life for employees;
• Understand business opportunities that exist in the personal services industry.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to deploy critically evaluated information to practical ends;
• The ability to find and access information using appropriate media and technologies;
• The ability to evaluate that information;
• An understanding of the economic, legal, ethical, social and cultural issues involved in the use of information;
• The ability to select and organise information and to communicate it accurately, cogently, coherently, creatively and ethically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner;
• The ability to manage future career and personal development;
• The ability to read complex and demanding texts accurately, critically and insightfully;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to generate, calculate, interpret and communicate numerical information in ways appropriate to a given discipline or discourse;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to work with people of different gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion and political persuasion;
• The ability to work individually and independently;
• The ability to select and use appropriate tools and technologies;
• The ability to use online technologies effectively and ethically.

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 2
Census Date 25-Aug-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Laurie Murphy
Lecturers:	Dr Anna Blackman, Dr Laurie Murphy.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 6 hours workshops/Seminars 6 hours - Online activities
Assessment:	end of semester exam (30% - 50%); presentations (25% - 35%); assignments (25% - 35%).
Cairns, Internal, Study Period 2
Census Date 25-Aug-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Laurie Murphy
Lecturer:	Professor Bruce Prideaux.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 6 hours workshops/Seminars 6 hours - Online activities
Assessment:	end of semester exam (30% - 50%); presentations (25% - 35%); assignments (25% - 35%).
JCU Singapore, Internal, Study Period 52
Census Date 21-Jul-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Laurie Murphy
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 6 hours workshops/Seminars 6 hours - Online activities
Assessment:	end of semester exam (30% - 50%); presentations (25% - 35%); assignments (25% - 35%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.