RMIT International University Vietnam

Bachelor of Business Program

ASSIGNMENT COVER PAGE
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Subject Name: Contemporary Management: Issues and Challenges

Subject Course: BUSM4557

Location where you Vietnam - Saigon South

study:

Title of Assignment: Assignment 2 - Strategy Report (Group)

Student Name: Tran Le Minh Triet - s3517255

Tran Ngoc Duy - s3533615
Truong Thanh Nhan - s3725789
Nguyen Trong Phuong Thanh - s3758067
Dang Phan Tu Mi - s3639324

Teacher’s Name: Mr Nguyen Ngoc Qui

Group Number: Class 3 – Group 5

Assignment due date:  29 August 2020

Date of Submission: 31 August 2020

Wordcount: 2620

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2
Introduction 3
Market Analysis 4
Stress and Coping in the Workplace 4
 Technology and Digitalisation 5
Resource Analysis 7
Stress and Coping in the Workplace 7
Technology and Digitalization 8
Conclusion 10
Reference List 12

1. Introduction

RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) was founded in 1887 by a pastoralist

named Francis Ormond. It was first served as a college for working men but then developed into

a university that offers education for every class and gender. RMIT’s curriculum includes studies

in different areas such as math, physics, and psychology. Nowadays, RMIT is considered as one

of the top schools not only in Australia but also worldwide with its impressive global

employability rank of 77 (RMIT University 2020).

Thanks to globalization, business operations are given new opportunities to upgrade

themselves and thrive in the markets. According to Aslam et al (2013), human resource

management (HRM) ‘has become indispensable for 21 century modern businesses.’ In

st

particular, human capital has been proved as one of the most influential factors for business

success because the skills and knowledge of employees directly affect the ability of a company

to achieve its goals. Every organization, including RMIT, is in need of talented people to gain

enduring competitive advantages and (Heinen & O’Neil 2004). Thus, talent management is a key

challenge for HRM. For RMIT, it has long used a motto for HRM, which is “a skilled hand, a

cultivated mind.” With this approach, the school adopts a strategy named “Ready for Life and
Work” this year to emphasize the importance of human resources. It is strongly believed that the

extraordinary people at RMIT have contributed to the school's success by making plans and ideas

realistic (RMIT University 2020).  

In a global context, there are some complicated issues that are faced by employees, such

as cross-culture knowledge and communication or work-life interface (Cavallera 2016; Field &

Chan 2018). However, as an education business, RMIT is known to prioritize its students’

satisfaction more than that of its employees. Therefore, the report aims to demonstrate two issues

that are confronted by RMIT’s staff, which are stress & coping in the workplace and technology

digitalization. By reflecting the current situation of RMIT, it turns out that the employees are

somehow prevented from exposing their full potential due to the above problems. Thus, in this

report, some literature articles are reviewed to analyze these issues and recommendations are

provided to improve the workplace as well as the overall performance of RMIT.

2. Market Analysis

1. Stress and Coping in the Workplace 

Stress was defined as a mental health issue happening when people adversely react to

pressure (Shahabeddin & Boulter 2007). However, stress follows an indefinable concept while

we cannot perceive precisely the complex mechanisms of how stress originated and evolved

(Jackson 2013). Jackson also stated that it was a limited knowledge of the origin of stress.

Hence, It is hard to find the real treatment for stress. By that, coping is needed to explain the

‘stress'. Coping included thoughts and actions dealing with both internal and external demands of

stress (Lazarus & Folkman 1984). Coping reflects stress in different elements like personality,
culture or experience (Lazarus & Folkman 1984) as the same as stress in the workplace was

generated by many factors: a person, the environment or a poor job fit (Lautenberg & Liptak

2014).  These factors may come from an usual scenes within the workplace but lead to accidental

cases. In the modern world, stress in the workplace is a problem that should be solved urgently.

Following the report of the American Institute of Stress (AIS), 46% of main causes of stress was

related to workload which also drove the increase in the heart attack rate (The American Institute

of Stress n.d.). Moreover, AIS also showed that stress in the workplace affects the staff mental

health and physical injuries such as: stress-out eyes, difficulty in sleeping, hurting body. 

At the same time, staff of RMIT University are facing stresses and pressures in the

workplace. In 2019, RMIT received approximately ninety-five thousand students compared to

ninety-one thousand students in 2018 (RMIT University 2019). The number of students is

increasing lately means the more tasks the RMIT's staff need to take. In RMIT, there are

numerous classes and events must be controlled including both online and offline. Due to the

pandemic, RMIT has changed all of the courses into online offers. It also creates many

responsibilities for staff that they must adapt to the new way of teaching. Additionally, RMIT

staff can be under pressure from many sides which come from the managers could force the staff

to achieve the KPIs; and from students as customers using services need to be satisfied since the

tuition fee is increasing yearly. Regarding to European Agency for Safety and Health at Work,

quantitative work demands were considered as a significant reason causing stress (European

Agency for Safety and Health at Work 2009). As more expectations from work, as more stressful

that RMIT staff could take. In addition, the high percentage of stress in RMIT triggers many

negative effects, talent management for example. Stress level plays an important role in the job
decision of employees. Thus, if RMIT wants to gain quality employees, they have to consider

more on how to reduce the stress level within RMIT.

2. Technology and Digitalisation

Schwab (cited in World Economic Forum n.d.) has described the Fourth Industrial

Revolution which had strong widespread influences across different industries of the world.

Technology and digitization play an important role in improving life for the better with its

products and evolution but also leading to inequality when jobs require highly skilled workers or

mechanical gradually replace humans.

The technological development has several major influences on the education sector in

general and RMIT University in particular. With the school management system, teachers and

schools can track the progress of each student and give feedback quickly (Dankbaar, M and

Jong, P 2014). Or artificial intelligence (AI) being used in teaching makes the teaching system

richer and more impressive for students (Purdue Online n.d.). However, how to master and take

advantage from the benefits that effectively technology brings to the education sector is a big

challenge for every teacher and educational institution, especially at RMIT when the university

constantly upgrades technology for everyday operations. The school will need to select a team of

teachers and staff with adequate knowledge and skills to use these technologies for teaching

purposes when some of them consider it as a challenge when it brings waste on money and time

(Peter, J and Steve, W 2008).

Today, data and information are collected and processed on ecosystems, everyone can

easily access it with smart devices leading to the explosion of a new model of teaching way,

what is known as massive open online courses (MOOCs). Although many universities see this as
an add-on instead of an alternative, Grand-Clement et al. (2017) identified this as a major

competitor of the traditional education system when students do not need to go directly to the

school, but they can be provided with the same knowledge and qualifications. The biggest

benefit of these courses is that students can save money and study anywhere that is convenient

for them (Newton 2018). RMIT was once known as the first university in Vietnam to award an

international degree however that has changed by the emergence of these online courses and

putting the school in "danger" if it still does not offer this study program.

The above problem emerged when the Covid-19 pandemic happened, which had a great

impact on the education and training sectors of many countries around the world, including

Vietnam. Based on The World Bank Group (2020), since the outbreak in March until now, all

educational institutions, including the public system, have had to stop direct teaching and switch

to online learning for a while to ensure there are no delays in the curriculum and to reduce the

concentration of people, limit disease spreading in the community and RMIT is no exception. To

continue to bring experiences like before, teachers had to be familiar with new technologies and

applications to be able to transmit knowledge to students when unable to meet face to face.

Although RMIT has the Collaborate Ultra system to cater to online classes, this is a difficult

problem for both sides, especially teachers when they have to get used to a new teaching tool,

teaching method. cards differ completely from the tradition, or they cannot guarantee student

concentration (Carle, A 2009).

3.  Resource Analysis 

1. Stress and Coping in the Workplace

 Managers should apply for various ways to minimize work pressure for their workers.

Firstly, at certain times of the year, RMIT will also allow workers to complete surveys to show

their stress level. This could significantly allow managers and supervisors to understand just

what kind of strain workers face when it comes to work-life balance. Communication is the most

critical thing about teamwork. The lack of coordination between members contributes to nerve-

wracking situations as well as to a general reduction in productive performance. Include team-

building activities in weekly meetings, or also schedule a workplace break where workers can

share perspectives and overcome the problems that prevent them from working together

successfully. So if they know they can rely on one another and have good working relationships,

interpersonal conflicts and other issues that trigger stress would dissolve

Last but not least is to promote organizational mediation. Over the week, the managers

might arrange for someone to come into the office and discuss with or teach employees

mindfulness. A number of famous  big brands across various industries apply this process, such

as Apple, Nike, Google. In addition, The managers of RMIT must be aware that their employees

are fully exercising human rights in the workplace. Except for employees in probationary period,

all employees including temporary or part-time employees who have signed labor contracts, are

entitled to full benefits. The benefits include as specified in their work and time rules, basic

salary, insurance regime, overtime working policy, safe working conditions, health care for

employees. Moreover, the RMIT leaders  also encourage employees' work ethic with bonuses

based on performance of the year  for employees. Even, the codes of conduct are set up a

separate channel to encourage employees to speak out when they encounter obstacles during

work, show democracy, and cooperate to make progress. Hotlines for anonymous phone calls

and the ability to directly contact are options.

 2. Technology and Digitalization

According to Lund, Manyika & Robinson (2016), related to hiring new technology

talents, their report stated that these people prefer to reach their potential employers on the online

platforms such as Glassdor, where it provides the former as well as the current employees a place

to comment about their corporation culture. If there are any chances that RMIT could establish a

high reputation on applying technology in the workplace, it will be easier for them in the tech

war among other competitors in the education field. Therefore, it is crucial that RMIT should

create an inner culture where they highly value digital and technological related innovations, 

which will attract tech savvy employees to work for them. First and foremost, in order to lead the

employees that work in the tech area, the top managers must become digital leaders themselves,

which according to Abbatiello (2017), will boost the morale of the employees that resulted in

innovation in learning and improvements. Therefore, these technology talents will be able to

thrive in a new digital environment created. Secondly, it is really important for the managers to

actively contact and convince the Board of RMIT to digitize and technolize as many as possible

the workload in RMIT. The Boards need to be explained how important application of

technology in work is, what it costs and what it could bring back. For example, these changes

require huge financial investments to be spent on experiential initiatives, changes in the way

business operate in long-term, and disrupt ongoing business strategies of RMIT. However,

despite the fact that it might be costly and might not bring back the positive outcome in the short-

term, it is a preparation for the inevitable change of technology and digitalisation in the working

environment.
 The majority of tech workers nowaday tend to find a job online (Lund, Maniyika and

Robinson 2016), thus, modification in career websites and building a digital strong structured

recruiting criteria is needed for RMIT. Besides, in this digitalization era, the amount of tech

employees growing like mushrooms but to find the real talents it is required the employer to be

active in finding and identifying who suits the organization. Apart from LinkedIn, Facebook,

managers of RMIT can take a look into GutHub or StackOverflow, these are the largest

community for developers and coders. Additionally, recruiting employees using online methods

is more likely to achieve higher applicant quality than the traditional one (Krishna, Mohan 2016).

Finding candidates is crucial but keeping them loyal to work for RMIT is also very

important as well. Tech employees are normally undervalued and their opinion considered not

important in decision making. RMIT should make them feel like they are valued by giving them

the purpose in work, show them that they have the opportunities to advance in their job and

every contribution that they made is being noted by the firm.   

    

4. Conclusion

In the conclusion, the report has provided an overview of contemporary issues and

challenges that are faced by RMIT from the perspectives of talent management. It is identified

that there have been two main issues that require immediate actions, including stress & coping in

the workplace and technology & digitalisation.

It is known that stresses and pressures in the workplace can lead to many negative

impacts on employees’ health both mentally and physically. With a huge number of students,
RMIT is taking efforts in balancing the work of its staff to ensure productivity and satisfaction.

Especially during the pandemic, RMIT had to work harder to have its staff deliver the courses

online as smoothly and effectively as possible without putting them under pressure as they had to

change the ways of teaching. There are some recommendations proposed to cope with this

problem. First, RMIT should create an opportunity for its staff to express their levels of stress

through periodic surveys. Second, it should raise the awareness of communication among

members with different kinds of team activities. Third, it should promote organizational

mediation by operating sessions with psychologists for its workers to attend. Fourth, it must

make sure that employees are entitled to their full benefits such as insurance, overtime policy,

and salary. Last, the school can use bonuses as a reward for those staff who have outstanding

performances to encourage their work ethics.

On the other hand, technology also plays an important role in a business because it

supports humans with labor-intensive jobs. Thus, there are some essential skills and knowledge

that employees have to acquire to make sure that the machines or digital systems are operated

efficiently. For example, RMIT has designed the technology-backed school management system

to assist teachers in tracking classroom’s progress and providing immediate feedback for

students. However, the staff have to master in using these technologies to ensure that the learning

environment is motivating and flexible. Some suggestions have been made to deal with this

challenge. First, RMIT must create an innovative environment that highly values technology and

digitalization. Second, it should consider applying appropriate technologies to support the

workload without exceeding financial budgets. Third, it has to modify its career websites and

establish stable digital recruiting requirements in order to attract more talents. Fourth, it should

dig into some online platforms to look for higher quality employees. Last, the school should
provide promotion opportunities for its tech employees to motivate them and keep them loyal to

the organization.

With these above recommendations, RMIT will be able to attract and retain more talents

according to 6 aspects: Appreciation, Respect, Impact, Promotion, Meaningful purpose and 

Achievement.

5. Reference List

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