Overview

This unit of study aims to provide engineering students with an understanding of how organisations function in engineering projects. It specifically focuses on introducing relevant theories, principles and techniques for effective leadership and management in engineering projects.

Requisites

Prerequisites

Undergraduate students must have completed 250 credit points

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Describe and appreciate the fundamentals of management and how they relate to project based activities (K5, K6, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A7)
  • Describe the principles of effective leadership and ensure responsible team-work in the project environment (K5, K6, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A7)
  • Analyse an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses (particularly in the project setting) and evaluate and implement appropriate changes for the delivery of effective project management (K5, K6, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7)
  • Identify stakeholder requirements and understand and establish relevant organisational culture and behaviour for the delivery of successful projects (K5, K6, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A7)
  • Describe and undertake project definition, project planning and project implementation using some key tools and techniques for effective project management (K2, K5, K6, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7)
  • Employ qualitative and quantitative research methods for resolving a range of complex problems in engineering industries

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-Campus
Lecture		 2.00  12 weeks  24
On-Campus
Class		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities 
Independent Learning		 8.50  12 weeks  102
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Project ReportGroup 30 - 40% 1,2,3,4,5,6 
TestIndividual 20 - 35% 1,2,3,4,5 
Tutorial ExercisesIndividual 15 - 35% 1,2,3,4,5 

Content

  • Organisational structure, culture, teamwork, mission and objectives, business strategies and planning, particularly as it relates to project management.
  • Leadership and leadership qualities, differences between management and leadership, project management attributes
  • Different management and leadership environments that determine competitive strategies and advantages, organisation culture and capability, responses to external and internal change, individual effectiveness and bottom line performance.
  • Project control mechanisms - performance standards, developing outputs and performance measures, setting targets and assessing performance feedback.
  • Project Management including definition phases, planning phases and implementation phases
  • Applications of project management for a construction project including the interactions, roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders.
  • Elements of research methods

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.