BUSM1100: Using the “5 whys” tool, conduct an initial analysis of the situation and critique the university’s existing academic integrity processes. Organisational Analysis assignment

Module / Subject / School:

BUSM1100 Organisational Analysis

RMIT

Requirements:

YOUR CONSULTANCY BRIEF

Your client is the Academic Director of a large university campus located in South East Asia. Amongst her many responsibilities, the Academic Director is responsible for: 1) ensuring that students acquire the skills and knowledge to transform the world around them; 2) promoting student engagement; 3) inspiring students to continue their educational journey with post-graduate studies and research; and 4) maintaining academic integrity. These four pillars of education are inextricably connected. The Academic Director has engaged your consultancy firm to attend to one educational pillar, in particular: she has hired you to review the university’s academic integrity processes.

A number of matters have led to the need to review the university’s academic integrity processes:

A small but significant number of students appear to be disengaged from their studies; they do not attend class and they do not engage with course materials. Yet, they submit completed assessments.
A small but significant number of students engage in academic misconduct, involving matters such as:
- Student participation in a misconduct marketplace, whereby students knowingly facilitate misconduct by posting their completed assignments online (for a fee, or to access other students’ completed assignments) or sharing their assignments with other students. Students who download these assignments then copy and make minor alterations to this work to beat the Turn It In plagiarism checker, and misleadingly submit this work as their own.
- Paying a third party to produce an assignment on their behalf.
This misconduct is concerning because:
- Students who engage in misconduct place themselves in a potentially compromising situation, especially if they engage a third party to produce their assignment. Stories have been emerging of students being blackmailed by these third parties, down the track.
- It means that some students are not achieving the learning outcomes of their courses and degrees. Some of these students are graduating, yet do not possess the skills and knowledge implied by their degree. Ultimately, employer confidence in the business degrees issued by the university is being eroded, and the value of the degree diminished. This unfairly impacts the vast majority of students who graduate on their own merits.
- There are also associated opportunity costs:
  - Students who do not embrace the educational opportunities available through the university system do not achieve their full potential; they shortchange themselves, and society.

- - Academic staff spend too much time pursuing misconduct cases, when they might be investing their time in enriching their courses to optimise students’ experience and learning, conducting research that transforms business practices, and nurturing students so that they achieve their potential.

In briefing you about this problem, the Academic Director emphasises the following:

Most students understand the importance of academic integrity and are keen to see this upheld. They wish to work in partnership with the University to address this issue.
The Academic Director is keen to understand the root cause of this problem, and believes this to be multifaceted. She believes both the university and the student body have responsibilities in improving and maintaining academic integrity, and protecting students from unscrupulous “tutoring” providers.
The Academic Director believes the university must develop and deploy strategies that make education and academic integrity meaningful to students. Students also have responsibilities to uphold academic integrity.
The Academic Director flags a potential gap between the university’s and students’ perceptions of education. Some students approach their studies in a transactional manner; they wish to obtain a qualification. Academics within the university system believe that education can provide students with transformative possibilities. The Academic Director believes that awakening students to the possibilities of education is crucial to solving academic integrity issues.

The Academic Director believes in the singular potential of every student enrolled in the university. She believes her university can play a vital role in awakening students to their capacity to learn, and their agency – that is, their ability to take what they learn at the university and use it to make their mark on the world. The Academic Director does not see students as “consumers” or “customers”. She sees them as students, and the role of academics as true educators.

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

The Academic Director asks that you:
- Using the “5 whys” tool, conduct an initial analysis of the situation. (This will be workshopped in class). Then, independently, draw on the literature to supplement your “5 whys” analysis, to identify the “root causes” of misconduct. The Academic Director asks that you provide a 400 word precis of your analysis, in your report.
- Reflecting on what the literature revealed, and drawing explicitly on the functionalist and interpretivist paradigm, identify the limitations of your “five whys” analysis. 300 words.
- Using your above analysis as a foundation, critique the university’s existing academic integrity processes. The Academic Director provides you with a process model that depicts the university’s existing processes. Download process model that depicts the university’s existing processes. Your critique must draw explicitly on both the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms. 350 words.
- Drawing explicitly on the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms, suggest and explain proposed amendments to this model. You should also draw on the literature you have reviewed on academic integrity. 350 words. You are to provide your amended process model as an attachment to your report. That is, you will submit two documents; your report, and your process model.
- Acknowledging that your thinking is informed by only the two order / regulation paradigms (not all four paradigms), explain the limitations of your report. 300 words.

What we score:

72%

Our Writer’s Comment

This assignment tests students on their analysis skills.

Based on the assignment requirements provided, here are some comments to help students score well on this assignment:

To score well on this assignment, you need to address the following requirements:
1. Initial analysis using the “5 whys” tool: Conduct an initial analysis of the academic integrity situation using the “5 whys” tool. Workshopping this analysis in class will help you gather insights. Additionally, supplement your analysis with literature to identify the root causes of misconduct. Provide a concise 400-word precis of your analysis in your report.
2. Reflect on limitations of the “5 whys” analysis: Reflect on the limitations of the “5 whys” analysis after reviewing the literature. Use the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms to identify any shortcomings in the analysis. Clearly explain these limitations in 300 words.
3. Critique the university’s existing academic integrity processes: Critique the university’s current academic integrity processes using the process model provided by the Academic Director. Draw on both the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms to support your critique. Your critique should be 350 words in length.
4. Suggest amendments to the process model: Based on your analysis and the literature on academic integrity, propose amendments to the university’s process model. Explain the suggested amendments, again drawing on the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms. Utilize the literature on academic integrity to support your proposals. Your explanation should be 350 words long. Submit your amended process model as an attachment along with your report.
5. Explain the limitations of your report: Acknowledge that your report is informed by only the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms, and explain the limitations of this narrow perspective. Discuss the potential implications of not considering other paradigms in your analysis. This section should be 300 words in length.
Ensure that you meet the specified word counts for each section of the assignment. Focus on providing a clear and concise analysis, integrating insights from the literature, and effectively applying the functionalist and interpretivist paradigms. Demonstrate critical thinking and a thorough understanding of the academic integrity issue and its underlying causes. Finally, submit both your report and the amended process model as separate documents.

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Sample Assignment

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