Introduction to Management

The subject aims to introduce to students a broad range of management issues and experiences faced by managers in modern organizations. It relies strongly on a case study approach to learning to equip students with knowledge and skills that they can apply to fluid and often, ambiguous, work environments.

Learning outcomes: By the end of the subject students should be able to: understand the principal historical and current approaches to the study of management; apply the various theories of management to particular management situations; understand the tasks and competencies required in the practice of management; comprehend the range of complicating factors which prevent the study of management from ever becoming an exact science; and demonstrate basic competencies in the written and oral presentation of academic work.

Business Statistics

This is an introductory unit in statistics designed for students in commerce and management discipline areas. Emphasis is placed on the application of statistical techniques to those disciplines. Topics include populations and samples; the presentation and interpretation of data; measures of central tendency and variability; index numbers; simple linear regression and correlation; an introduction to time series; basic probability; the binomial, Poisson and normal distributions; and estimation and hypothesis testing.  Analyses will be carried out using Microsoft Excel.

Learning outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be expected to understand the nature and consequences of natural variability in data; express a problem in statistical terms; summarise data graphically and statistically, either manually or via a computer package; understand and interpret economic index numbers; understand the nature of a time series and how it is analysed; estimate and test parameters in simple situations; and understand basic statistical terminology in published material.

Accounting for Managers

Accounting for Managers provides non-accounting students with insights into the relevance of financial information for business planning and investment decisions. It consists of three interrelated parts: (i) examinations of the nature, meaning and purpose of financial information; (ii) discussion of management's corporate governance responsibilities with respect to the reliability of financial information; and (iii) case studies in business problem-solving, involving the use, where appropriate, of accounting and spreadsheet software.

Learning outcomes: Students will be able to: describe and critically evaluate the respective roles of the accountant, financial controller, treasurer and auditor in public and private enterprise; outline the concept of corporate governance as it relates to the reliability of financial information; interpret, analyse and use information contained in published financial reports for making informed investment decisions; interpret, analyse and use management accounting information for business planning and control; evaluate capital investments using the principles of discounted cash flow; and use accounting and spreadsheet software to support decision-making. In addition to having acquired subject specific knowledge, students should also have improved their generic skills, such as report writing; problem solving; the ability to act and think independently; the ability to collaborate with colleagues; and in the use of information technology.

Introduction to Economics

This unit is designed to equip students who have little or no knowledge of economics with a clear and up-to-date commentary of the economy.  The topics covered will provide all the information necessary to enable discussion of government policy, international trade, the financial sector, and the economy's main industries (agriculture, manufacturing, mining and services).

Learning outcomes: At the end of this unit students should understand the basic principles of economics and the forces that have shaped the Australian economy; appreciate how social, economic and political forces have interacted to develop key economic institutions; and understand how economic policy is formulated. The unit will provide students with an appreciation of the relevance of economics to policy debate and issues.

Organizational Behaviour

Prerequisite: Introduction to Management.

This subject is designed to assist students in developing their people skills so that they can become a state-of-the-art manager. This will be achieved by providing students with the concepts, theories, issues and insights into the behavioural aspects of individuals and work groups. The purpose of this subject is to study human behaviour in organisations at the individual and group level and to identify the effect of organisation structure and processes on behaviour.

Learning outcomes: Upon completion of this subject students will have developed or improved their skills in analysis and problem solving; academic competencies as they relate to written and oral presentations; application of basic and enduring principles developed from the study of organisational behaviour as they apply to the workplace; comprehension of the interactions between the various theoretical approaches in organisational behaviour.

Information Systems in Organization

Students will be introduced to the Informatics discipline as the study of the use of information technology, particularly as applied through information systems, in conducting the work of government, business and other organisations. Students will gain a conceptual framework for understanding the nature and purpose of Informatics by examining typical kinds of information systems, the data, information and knowledge they embody, the technologies they deploy and the management and social issues they raise.

Learning outcomes: On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to discuss the nature, kinds, components and impacts of information systems and their use as a fundamental part of organizational processes. They will be able to interpret the concepts of systems, information and technology, give examples of the methodologies used in building information systems and recognize the roles of the various stakeholders in the development and operation of systems. They will have developed written, oral and visual communication skills and be able to apply them.

 

Introduction to Business Law

This course aims to provide students with a basic founding in law and legal processes in Australia, leading to an examination of the law of contract, agency, negligence, and consumer protection. The examination of basic law and legal processes concentrates on the structure of law, legal reasoning and the use of precedent. It also examines techniques for statutory interpretation, focusing on commercial law and legal issues. Critical aspects of the law of contract, the law of agency, the civil wrong of negligence, consumer protection and the sale of goods including application of the Trade practices Act will form the focus of the course.

Introduction to Marketing

The aim of this subject is to give students an understanding of and a feel for the role of the marketing manager through an introduction to the basic problems and practices in marketing management. This subject includes such topics as the marketing environment, analysing marketing opportunities, organising of marketing covering product price decisions, channel decisions, physical distribution decisions, communication-promotion, advertising decisions, sales force decisions, and controlling and evaluating marketing programs.

Learning outcomes: On completing this subject students should be able to be capable of: analysing marketing environments; design appropriate marketing strategies for specific market segments; evaluate strategies and their impact; prepare a basic but effective marketing plan for a small business enterprise/charity/or public sector service.

Global E-Business

Prerequisite: Introduction to International Business or Introduction to Economics.

This unit will provide an understanding of the global economic and regulatory infrastructure and the strategic context within which global electronic commerce is developing. It will examine the various principles that govern and influence global e-business and investigate how information and technology affects the nature of economic transactions and influence market structures in the global context. It will also examine how businesses can manage their foreign trade activities via the internet, digital marketplaces and other electronic networks, and the issues involved in implementing global e-commerce operations.

Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit participants will be able to understand the various components that constitute the information and network economy in a global context; understand the various infrastructures necessary for the successful implementation of global e-business; explain the economic rationale underlying the development of global e-business; and understand the appropriate e-business models required for the successful management and administration of e-business in a global environment.

International Human Resource Management

Prerequisite: Introduction to International Business or Managing Human Resources.

International HRM explores the topics of culture, strategy and structure; recruitment and selection; performance management; training and development; international compensation; labour relations; and joint ventures.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit students will be able to describe the key differences between international HRM in Multinational enterprises and HRM in organisations operating domestically; examine the relationship between organisational factors (such as strategy and structure), external factors (such as legal and political systems, culture and competition), and international HRM policies and practices adopted by various MNEs. Students will also be able to discuss the complexities of managing international strategic alliances and, in particular, international joint ventures.

Managing Pay & Performance

Prerequisite: Managing Human Resources.

The unit provides students with a detailed understanding of pay structures and the main types of performance-related pay. Topics covered include structuring base pay, job evaluation, market surveys, motivation and employee behaviour; goal-setting and performance appraisal; individual performance-related pay, gainsharing, goalsharing, team-based rewards; profit-sharing and employee share ownership.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit students will be able to make informed choices about the most suitable pay and performance management practices for particular work organizations. Students will also be able to assist in the selection, design, implementation and review of suitable systems for measuring and rewarding individual, group and organisation-wide performance.

Managing Human Resources

Prerequisite: Introduction to Management.

Managing Human Resource encourages students to critically examine the relationship between corporate strategy and the core HRM activities such as recruitment, selection, appraisal, pay systems, training and development, and career and succession management.  Students will also identify linkages between HRM functions and the external economic and social context and identify options for organising HRM functions and operations (for example internal / outsourced; local / international / global). In addition, students will use theoretical HRM models to analyse case studies.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit students will be able to analyse cases in order to identify issues and approaches in human resource management; demonstrate competency in writing reports and making oral presentations on strategies in human resource management; and analyse the merits of a range of approaches to attracting, retaining, developing and motivating staff within relevant internal and external contexts.