Master of Management (Entrepreneurship and Innovation)

This marketing subject exposes students to an integrated perspective of the firm, how it interfaces with its environment, and how it creates and sustains value. Value creation occurs through interactions of a firm with its stakeholders (including its customers) and is central to marketing. The subject builds a conceptual framework to examine the choices (marketing) managers face in determining how best to create value, and how these choices may be shaped by key stakeholders including government, society, trading partners, customers, employees and competitors. A key focus of this subject is on value creation as a cross disciplinary and cross firm activity. As such, the focus is on value creation from multiple disciplinary perspectives including marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship, HRM, supply chain management and organisational design.

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This subject will give you an opportunity to assess and develop your general management knowledge and skills. We will focus on practical concepts and frameworks , and experiential learning interventions, to enhance your capacity for communication and decision making, for engaging and motivating individuals and teams, and for effectively dealing with conflict and change.

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This subject introduces students to the different types of information that business analysts and decision makers gather, and how that information is processed to make effective business decisions. A wide range of strategic and operational business problems and decisions will be considered, from fields such as financial management, marketing, human resource management, supply chain management and international business. The subject explores how organisations gather and generate multiple forms of information, and how this information is analysed and converted into useful knowledge via individual judgement and organisational learning processes. In applying empirical and analytical approaches to practical situations, students will develop insights into both the nature of the business problems as well as methods that are used for identifying and evaluating alternative solutions. The subject content will include conceptual foundations, practical tools, and case studies to discuss the costs, benefits and risks of the various analytical methods that will be introduced.

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This subject provides an introduction to the fundamentals of microeconomics, strategy and key issues in macroeconomics, and applies this knowledge to business and management issues. Topics to be covered include: the working of competitive markets; the operation of business organisations such as cost management and pricing decisions; strategic behaviour and market outcomes in different market environments; the effect of public policy on business organisations; and the main macroeconomic influences on the business environment.

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This subject focuses on the design, structure, and processes for creating and managing an entrepreneurial enterprise both operationally and strategically. A key consideration will be the role of leaders and the challenges these leaders need to overcome over the phases in the life of the enterprise, through launch, growth and maturity. An understanding of the alignment of human resources, people and talent, leadership, culture and operational practices to match strategic goals as the entrepreneurial enterprise responds to the changing internal and external challenges is pivotal to the success of any entrepreneurial endeavour and will be a key focus of this subject. Furthermore, the subject will discuss new ways of organising that facilitate entrepreneurial outcomes, like, for example, the holacracy model, platform-based ecosystems, and the Rendanheyi model.

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This subject introduces entrepreneurship as a key driver of success in all organisations, ranging from start-ups to large, mature organisations and in both public and private settings. A strong practical focus will be taken. Students will learn from benchmarked companies and visiting speakers with entrepreneurial backgrounds about the key dilemmas encountered in the entrepreneurial process and the solutions that they can put into practice. A significant part of the course is designed around hands-on experience in an ‘incubator’ environment, where ideas are generated and refined through collaboration and iteration between all participants. Students are expected to demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and use these to take their own innovation (a solution to a real world problem) to the pre-implementation stage.

Through these practical instances, students are expected to develop a broader theoretical understanding of the critical elements of entrepreneurship, including the entrepreneurial mindset, capabilities and processes, skills that range from financial acumen, through to marketing, production and scale-up, often requiring novel solutions to these matters, under conditions of high uncertainty. Frameworks will be introduced that address the whole process that cover activities from the development and selection of ideas (invention), testing their efficacy and the business planning involved to exploit those ideas (entrepreneurship). The subject will also examine how entrepreneurs can shape their organisations so that they continuously build and commercialize valuable innovations. Many of the examples will focus on how established organisations can become more innovative and entrepreneurial.

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The purpose of this subject is to examine the topics of Managing Innovation in the context of large and small organisations. Innovation is ultimately the lifeblood of organisations, in that it is concerned with the capability to effectively introduce new products and services, new or substantively improved processes or other major initiatives into existing and new organisations. Topics include innovation capability, new product/process technology introduction, and innovation culture and innovation measures The subject addresses the process of innovation exploitation and exploration and the role ambidextrous organisational designs and dynamic organisational capabilities play in this process. The subject will examine the emerging importance of open innovation in the co-evolution of market and customer value and the use of crowd and expert sourcing in this process. Key elements addressed that are part of successful innovation companies are vision and strategy innovation, creativity and idea management, culture and climate, management of technology, organisational structures, intelligence and systems. Firms that have successfully and systematically created such capabilities will be used as case studies.

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The objective of this subject is to give students an understanding of how financing from venture capital and private equity funds and angel investors finds its way to entrepreneurial ventures. The subject’s framework consists of (1) venture opportunity recognition and evaluation, (2) valuation, terms of financing, and financial analysis, (3) business plan execution, and (4) capturing value from the investment. Another important topic includes governance. The subject is case oriented with real world cases used throughout to illustrate key concepts and challenges and to understand what happened and why.

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The purpose of this subject is to study and practice topics on developing an entrepreneurial venture from an idea through to its first ‘minimum viable product’ in the market, and first customer.

The subject closely examines how entrepreneurial ventures are established; the building of attributes and skills of successful entrepreneurs; how product-market fit is established through business models; development of financial models in entrepreneurial ventures; how and with what outcomes meso-level interfacing between the entrepreneur and market incumbents exists; and deployment of a value-adding product in the market.

This subject presents some of the key frameworks and tools needed by entrepreneurs and is for anyone who has an interest in understanding entrepreneurship as either potential founders, those looking to intrapreneurship in large organisations, or those looking to work with entrepreneurs in one way or another. The subject uses a combination of theory building and key entrepreneurial model exploration and intensive ‘bootcamp’ approach, similar to entrepreneurial bootcamps in practice, to build knowledge and skills in the area, recognising that these are transferable and useful to many students will either start or work for non-traditional organisations.

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With the explosion of data, it is critical that businesses harness the right analytical tools to make effective use of the available data. This subject is designed to equip students with a range of tools and techniques that are necessary for effective decision making. Key topics covered include both prescriptive and predictive analytics. Emphasis will be given to potential applications of these tools and techniques in various functional areas including international business, marketing, supply chain, and strategy.

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This subject discusses the business model as the mechanism used by entrepreneurs to deliver value to their selected target markets, as well as the method by which entrepreneurs capture value. This is a dynamic process that underpins the commercialisation of innovation. This subject has a detailed and advanced examination of the challenges of designing and implementing a business model., the skills, resources and relationships needed to manage activities like designing customer value propositions, protecting intellectual property and potentially pivoting, and the strategic execution capabilities that can lead to the creation of successful business model. The subject also considers the way that emerging concepts like shared value can be incorporated into a business model. This is done though comparative analysis of competitors who use different but equally successful business models, as well as considering applications where business models have failed. The subject also examines metrics for assessing the ongoing health of the business model, as well as business models as a form of innovation in their own right, not just a vehicle for entrepreneurship.

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New entrepreneurial ventures, once successfully past the formation stage (incubators and accelerators), often encounter problems caused by their very rapid growth. The activities of the entrepreneur have to change, from innovation to delegation, communication, and organization as different functional and technical skills are needed, new external relationships such as bankers, lawyers and investors are formed and new company employees have to be integrated into the goals and operations of the enterprise. This is a very basic change that many entrepreneurs never make. The purpose of the subject is to recognise that managing growth is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs, to consider and evaluate the alternative pathways to growth and to consider processes for identifying a preferred approach. The subject identifies methods for assessing customer and market opportunities, the need for revised business models, marketing strategies, the development or acquisition of appropriate skills and resources and the adoption of management control systems that should be used to monitor and analyse growth, with the additional challenge of international growth also considered. Participants in the subject will use case studies and meetings with entrepreneurs to develop a pragmatic understanding of the challenges of growth, as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome. At the conclusion of the subject, students should be able to identify the different pathways to market including commercialisation.

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Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.

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New Product development is an important source of growth and profitability as existing markets become price competitive and saturated. However, the process of new product development is fraught with risk. In this course we study the process of managing products and how companies can manage their introduction and elimination from the product portfolio. We review how these decisions are made within the context of profit seeking and not-for-profit organizations. We then review the implication of these decisions for performance.

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This subject will critically explore the purpose and value of management consulting as a profession. By examining the entire consulting engagement cycle, dynamics of client-consultant relationships, and consulting business models, students will develop essential soft and technical skills to diagnose, analyse and solve complex organisational problems. Through close scrutiny of actual consulting work, and practitioners’ experience with real-world challenges, this subject examines current practices and explores how these practices are evolving as a result of institutional and technological changes. The subject also requires students to distil and contemplate professional principles that can ensure integrity, accountability, and positive societal and economic impact of management consulting.

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This subject is aimed at students undertaking graduate research programs. The overall aim is to provide the students an opportunity to broaden and deepen their understanding of core theoretical concepts within their discipline. This subject consists of a set program of weekly seminars on topics from the discipline within which candidate’s thesis is undertaken or an approved reading course under the direction of academic member (s) of staff within the department.

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This subject critically and systematically examines a range of important theories in the management field. The basic elements of these theories will be discussed. Ways in which these theories are invoked and operationalised in empirical and conceptual studies will also be discussed. Some of the theories that will be covered include agency theory, resource-based view, transaction cost economics, resource dependence theory, innovation theory, entrepreneurship critical management theory and institutional theory. A strong emphasis will be placed on linking these theories to the various research topics in management.

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The subject provides students with an advanced understanding of some fundamental and influential theories in marketing strategy and marketing management. Theories include market social exchange, transaction costs, social network, relationship marketing, resource based view, dynamic capabilities, value co-creation, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theory.

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The rise of multinational enterprises and cross-border transactions represent an exciting challenge to traditional management theories, as these phenomena raise questions about the universality of concepts typically formulated to explain domestic (or Western) behaviour. International business scholars seek to explore, examine and explain the key defining elements of international business – location, development and transfer of competitive advantages, managing at a distance, governance decisions, and cross-cultural issues. This subject covers advanced themes and issues in the theory and practice of international business. Drawing on rich and varied theoretical traditions, contemporary quantitative and qualitative research, students will progress through a variety of process, content and contextual considerations to build an advanced perspective on the international business discipline.

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We begin by evaluating a range of theoretical perspectives on people, work, and employment. The emphasis will be on understanding and applying different conceptual perspectives to human resource management. The disciplinary foundations for the body of research reflected in this course are psychology, social-psychology and sociology, industrial relations, and management. We will review classics and contemporaries, theories and empirics, and interesting contradictions and consistencies to understand the impact of HR activities on employees and organisations. The course seeks to develop a thorough understanding of the ontological (the “what” of the topic) and epistemological (the “how we research”) foundations of the topics covered. Note, however, our coverage of research methods will be driven by the topic rather than vice-versa. As such, students will explore and critique frameworks, theories, methodologies, and conclusions from prior research, and develop their own perspectives on the topics.

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This subject examines state of the art thinking on the productive processes within organisations. The subject will provide an in-depth understanding of topics such as: the strategic importance of operations; planning and controlling the use of resources; ensuring quality of products and services; human issues involved in operations. The subject also considers the evolving context of operations management, with particular focus on globalisation, supply chain innovation, virtual and e-operations, agile/lean operations and mass customisation. This subject delves deeper into the quantitative tools available to managers for getting the most from the operations system.

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This subject examines advanced themes and issues in the theory and practice of strategic management. Embedded in the critical examination of competitive advantage as derived from sources internal and external to the firm, this subject is designed to provide students with an appreciation of strategic management as a value-added approach to conceptualising the firm and its environment in pursuit of optimum rewards. Drawing on rich and varied theoretical traditions, contemporary research and case study analysis, students will progress through a variety of process, content and contextual considerations to secure an advanced perspective of the strategic management discipline. Broad topics include strategic change, strategy formation and implementation; business, corporate and network level strategies and examination of industry, organisational and international contexts. Within these broader topics such issues as innovation and dynamic capability theory will be investigated.

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This subject is designed to provide a strong foundation in theories and research in the area of consumer behaviour. This will involve an examination and understanding of various topics in social sciences such as cognitive psychology, social psychology etc. and the application of these to understand consumer behaviours. We will cover various topics such as consumer processing of market information, how information is incorporated into decision-making, factors influencing decision-making, and major methodologies available for investigating consumer behaviours.

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New entrepreneurial ventures, once successfully past the formation stage (incubators and accelerators), often encounter problems caused by their very rapid growth. The activities of the entrepreneur have to change, from innovation to delegation, communication, and organization as different functional and technical skills are needed, new external relationships such as bankers, lawyers and investors are formed and new company employees have to be integrated into the goals and operations of the enterprise. This is a very basic change that many entrepreneurs never make. The purpose of the subject is to recognise that managing growth is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs, to consider and evaluate the alternative pathways to growth and to consider processes for identifying a preferred approach. The subject identifies methods for assessing customer and market opportunities, the need for revised business models, marketing strategies, the development or acquisition of appropriate skills and resources and the adoption of management control systems that should be used to monitor and analyse growth, with the additional challenge of international growth also considered. Participants in the subject will use case studies and meetings with entrepreneurs to develop a pragmatic understanding of the challenges of growth, as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome. At the conclusion of the subject, students should be able to identify the different pathways to market including commercialisation.

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The purpose of this subject is to lay the foundations of launching a viable entrepreneurial venture based on modern entrepreneurship theory and practice. The subject includes the provision of tools and methods to assist in market ideation and opportunity identification. First, all students learn ideation and opportunity identification through case studies. Next, students will translate their ideas into an initial proposal and develop testable entrepreneurial hypotheses. While doing so, students will recapitulate learnings from Prerequisites. At the end of the subject term, students will produce a pitch document and give a presentation.

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The purpose of this subject is to further develop the ideas explored in the subject New Venture Creation: Initiation and conduct validation to launch a viable entrepreneurial venture. Students are expected to work according to their entrepreneurial interests and to extend learning from Semester 1. The project is best done in teams of 3-4 students but can also be done individually or in pairs with permission of the instructor.

During the subject, students will learn how to test and validate their business idea, develop a minimum viable product (MVP) and iterate using feedback from customers and other stakeholders. In addition, they will learn to develop a market entry strategy that takes into account competitors and collaborators. Students also learn pitching skills to communicate their ideas, with the goal of persuading investors and acquiring resources for growth. In this process, students learn skills to establish viability of their entrepreneurial concepts and pivot their initial models.

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Existing companies are under unyielding pressure to discover new ways to grow and become more innovative. To cope with this pressure, companies may revert to intrapreneurship (i.e., corporate entrepreneurship) – engaging in activities that are in unfamiliar ("far from core") areas in which success is uncertain. To do so, organizations need to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset and adopt entrepreneurial approaches. While more and more companies acknowledge the need for corporate entrepreneurship to remain competitive, how to do it is often poorly understood and managed, and inherently resisted. This subject will address both why and when organizations engage in corporate entrepreneurship and the challenges of making an established organization entrepreneurial. This subject will also discuss different forms of corporate entrepreneurship: the organizational “toolkit” available.

The subject will discuss these topics both from the perspective of the organization at large and the perspective of the change agent, the ‘entrepreneur in residence’ who needs to manage themselves, their manager(s), and their peers to navigate the larger corporate system and structures. The subject will particularly focus on how to identify opportunities for change and new ways to grow when engaged in corporate entrepreneurship.

This subject will give you tools, methods and logic that will enable you to participate in or lead successful efforts in corporate entrepreneurship – in particular efforts to identify entrepreneurial opportunities.

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More and more companies engage in intrapreneurship (I.e., corporate entrepreneurship) to discover new ways to grow and become more innovative. Corporate entrepreneurship requires an entrepreneurial mindset and the adoption of approaches that help companies to identify new business opportunities. However, to be successful, it is not sufficient to identify new business opportunities; companies also need to successfully implement these opportunities. In this subject, we will focus on how companies can successfully do so.

The subject will discuss the topic from two perspectives. First, from the perspective of the organization at large: how to create an environment in which great ideas for new business opportunities are considered, nurtured and implemented? Second, from the perspective of the change agent, the ‘entrepreneur in residence’: how does the entrepreneur in residence make sure that their ideas are heard and acted upon?

The subject will particularly focus on how to implement (rather than identify) opportunities for change and new ways to grow in a successful way, resulting in sustainable value creation for the organization.

This subject will give you tools, methods and logic that will enable you to participate in or lead successful efforts in corporate entrepreneurship – in particular efforts to implement entrepreneurial opportunities.

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Monitoring, designing and managing customer experiences (CX) is essential to overall business performance. This subject will explore how organisations can enhance customer and employee experiences to promote brand satisfaction, loyalty, positive word of mouth, and overall well-being.

We will investigate the management of human, digital, and physical touchpoints throughout each stage of the customer journey: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase.

We will understand how businesses can manage contextual factors that impact customer experience. This includes the visual aesthetics of omnichannel environments and the interactions with front-line staff, including chatbots and robots. We will also examine the role of customers in the co-creation and co-destruction of value. Finally, we will learn how to identify and monitor crucial customer experience pain points and how businesses can effectively recover from significant negative deviations in customer experience ratings.

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New Product development is an important source of growth and profitability as existing markets become price competitive and saturated. However, the process of new product development is fraught with risk. In this course we study the process of managing products and how companies can manage their introduction and elimination from the product portfolio. We review how these decisions are made within the context of profit seeking and not-for-profit organizations. We then review the implication of these decisions for performance.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject addresses the sustainability related challenges confronting business organisations, and how these can be overcome. Many organisations find it difficult to balance short and long-term objectives relating to economic, social and environmental outcomes. The subject addresses the complexity and multi-faceted nature of social and environmental issues and why they present significant challenges to organisations. Principles of sustainability will be discussed with reference to concepts such as corporate social responsibility, corporate political responsibility, triple bottom line thinking and creating shared value. It will then review how organisations respond to these challenges, both negatively and positively, and why they respond in these ways, including strategic, ethical and critical perspectives. The subject then addresses approaches that increase organisations’ capability for continuous renewal and long-term success, whilst also promoting social and environmental benefits. This will be done through a focus on topics such as managerial competencies and organisational capabilities for sustainability, stakeholder management, industry and transnational guidelines for sustainability, national regulation and self-regulation, and an integrated supply chain perspective.

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This subject provides an integrative learning experience and affords students the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in previous subjects in a coherent way to solve business problems. In a business strategy simulation students are required to make decisions, assess outcomes, and compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities and markets. Each team develops a strategy for its firm and applies the subject’s concepts and frameworks, as well as the concepts and frameworks acquired in other subjects. In the process, students will discover the interaction of a firm’s production, marketing, research and development, human resources, and financial operations and observe the impact of key decisions on business performance within a competitive market.

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Conflict between individual and groups is an inevitable aspect of day to day life. This subject will review the nature of conflict in the workplace and the conflict management strategies of influencing and negotiation. Students will be given the opportunity to apply negotiation techniques to case studies and in simulations.

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As organisations have gradually shifted towards using more team-based work structures, one of the main challenges in the modern workplace is how to effectively lead and manage teams. This subject deals with this challenge by focusing on understanding the principles of leadership in organisations and the fundamentals of team structure of team processes. Topics considered include: the structure of teams within organisations; differences in team members; managing interpersonal dynamics in teams; theories of leadership; the role of managers as organisational leaders; human resource and organisational factors that impact leading teams effectively.

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The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management.

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This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives.

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Risk management is a key business activity that impacts the full range of organisational activities and functional areas across the enterprise. This subject surveys a spectrum of business risks from operational to strategic risks. It provides a foundation in enterprise risk management principles, tools and techniques such as risk scenario planning.

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Fundamentals of Intellectual Property provides a good introduction to intellectual property (IP) for students wishing to pursue more specialised graduate studies in this area. It also provides a general overview of IP law for students studying an overall commercial and trade law program.

The objective of this subject is to provide an introduction to, and general overview of, the various Australian laws protecting IP, with reference to New Zealand IP laws. IP laws, including patent, design and copyright laws, are directed at the encouragement and protection of innovations in science, technology and cultural goods. IP laws, like trade mark and unfair competition laws also protect brands, reputations and other important commercial interests. The subject will also introduce the international framework of treaties under which the owners of IP from one country can seek protection in another country.

The subject will be taught by:

• four ‘pre-teaching’ weeks conducted online (outside the classroom)
• one-week intensive conducted on-campus (in the classroom)

This subject is delivered using a ‘flipped classroom’ approach. You will spend the pre-teaching period studying readings and viewings provided via Canvas modules to learn the key principles and policies. Then, in the on-campus seminars, we will discuss, debate, and apply these principles and policies to cultivate higher level cognitive, problem-solving, advocacy, and reasoning skills.

Indicative list of principal topics:

• The concept of IP
• Rationales for IP laws
• Copyright, including protection and infringement
• Registered designs, including protection and infringement
• Trade marks and related laws, including protection and infringement
• Patents, including protection and infringement
• Protection of confidential information and trade secrets under general law
• Traditional knowledge
• International IP treaties

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This subject examines the engine of every organisation: its productive processes. These are the systems, processes and activities that convert the organisation's inputs into its outputs. Whether manufacturing of goods or provision of services, the principles and techniques of Operations Management can assist an organisation to achieve effective outcomes in terms of cost, quality, delivery, service levels, flexibility and innovation. This subject is integrative in nature, drawing upon concepts originally developed in other areas. The traditional topics such as: assessing the strategic importance of operations; planning and controlling the use of resources; ensuring quality of products and services; and various human issues involved in operations are examined from a contemporary perspective that involves complex phenomena such as globalisation, supply chains, virtual and e-operations, agile/lean operations and mass customisation. Quantitative approaches are often useful in leading us toward possible solutions and so these are introduced where appropriate. However, in many situations, it is sufficient to descriptively understand the critical issues and major trade-offs involved. Finally, links with other areas of decisions and organisational functions are considered as they are critical to getting the most from the operations system.

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Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in the finance sector. This subject will examine how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks, including climate change and human rights, can be integrated into investment decisions and ongoing management. Topics will include: how investors vote and actively engage with investee companies to ensure long-term value creation, ethical investing, social activist divestment campaigns and financial market innovations to address sustainability objectives. This subject will also outline why, how and where investment is used to intentionally drive social and environmental impact in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Topics will include: a practical overview of best practice in strategically managing impact, embedding impact considerations into all elements of fund management, and how various elements of global and national financial systems help and hinder the flow of capital to impact.

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This subject explores the role of marketing and consumption in a world facing significant social and environmental challenges. What is the role of marketing and marketers in climate change, digital privacy, or the obesity crisis? Does marketing actually improve consumers’ wellbeing? Many ‘ethical’ consumers now integrate their concern for society and the environment into their purchasing decisions. And many ‘ethical’ brands now promote their social and/or environmental credentials. So, can we market and consume our way out of these crises? This subject will address the criticisms of marketing’s role in sustainability issues, and then equip students with the strategic and ethical direction to respond proactively to the opportunities these challenges provide.

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This subject examines the planning and marketing of products and services on the internet. It analyses the economic, social, and technological opportunities and challenges presented by internet-based marketing. Topics include: internet business models, online consumer behaviour, the nature of social interaction and its effect on marketing, analytics, web design, and Search Engine Marketing.

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Many of the products and services consumed in Australia and around the world are designed, manufactured and delivered via interdependent global value chains. Therefore, success of firms depends on their ability to manage these value chains dispersed across the world. This subject will discuss global value chains, their functioning, the challenges they face, and the strategies to manage them. Particularly, the subject will analyse the sociopolitical and economic conditions giving rise to global value chains, their governance and management, risks posed by them and the strategies to manage them, sustainability challenges in them, and their future.

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This subject involves the completion of a professional work placement (internship) either:

off campus at an approved host organisation in Australia or overseas OR

on campus at the 'WorkHub'

Integrating academic learning in business & economics areas of study, students will gain an improved knowledge of employability skills, workplace culture, and career pathways. Students will be required to undertake pre-placement online modules designed to equip students with employability skills and techniques for creative problem solving, as well as learning tasks throughout the placement period. The placement will draw on students' specific discipline skills associated with the specialisation of their degree.

Internships may be paid, or unpaid provided they comply with the Fair Work Act.

This subject is intended to provide students with the opportunity to apply their business knowledge in an industry setting under the joint supervision of an industry and an academic mentor. Students can either apply for a University-sourced internship or apply to have a self-sourced internship approved for credit. Applications should be submitted by the due dates published on the MBS website. Selection into this subject is based on suitability of the placement, and demonstrated motivation to benefit from the program, and timely submission of the application.

The on-campus 'WorkHub' provides a modern collaborative and supportive office environment for students to complete internship tasks in groups, and connect with industry professionals both on-campus, virtually, and at the host organisation.

Students will either enrol in the off campus or on campus availability following selection.

The subject coordinator will have final approval of all selected students. Enrolment will be capped and subject to meeting the relevant academic program requirements and availability of appropriate internship opportunities.

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This subject provides an insight into the complexities and challenges of making business decisions in an Australian setting. Working in small teams, students will conduct research, analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to an assigned business planning or business development exercise. This will be supported by online modules and seminar work equipping the students with knowledge of approaches, tools and techniques for completing the task and an understanding of report formats appropriate for conveying the results. During the practicum, in-depth research will be undertaken in identifying the scope, opportunities constraints and recommendations of the exercise. Students will learn to: work with unstructured and incomplete information in Australian business settings, to develop research and networks to support their enquiry, to work successfully in teams, to present their findings and seek and receive constructive feedback in a range of settings. Students will also be encouraged to plan, reflect and modify their approaches to improve the outcomes of their efforts in managing the business project.

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This subject provides an insight into the complexities and challenges of making business decisions in an international setting. Students will be assigned in small groups to research a business problem in an international context. Working in teams, they will conduct research, analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to an assigned business planning or business development exercise. This will be supported by online modules and seminar work equipping the students with knowledge of approaches, tools and techniques for completing the task and an understanding of report formats appropriate for conveying the results. During the practicum, in-depth research will be undertaken in identifying the scope, opportunities, constraints and recommendations of the exercise. Students will learn to work with unstructured and incomplete information in international business settings, to develop research and networks to support their enquiry, to work successfully in teams, to present their findings and seek and receive constructive feedback in a range of settings. Students will also be encouraged to plan, reflect and modify their approaches to improve the outcomes of their efforts in managing the business project.

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This subject aims to give you theoretical frameworks, practical insights, and preliminary skills to work in your chosen profession in contexts where determining what problem to work on is an important complement to knowing how to solve that problem.

You will develop these understandings, insights and skills by working on two projects. In the first, they will work in multi-disciplinary teams on a strategically-important innovation challenge sponsored by an industry organisation. Through that project, you will learn the “what and how” of delivering innovation-like projects – understanding the relationship between your challenge and the organisation’s strategy; designing, securing, and conducting interviews; analysing qualitative data to generate insights; ideation and creativity techniques to create value; stakeholder management; working in an intense team on an ambiguous problem; visual and oral communication. In the second, you will develop the ability to apply to the same concepts to yourself – How will you know what you want and need? How will you know if you need to change? How will you innovate yourself as your interests, needs, and work world shift?

We aim for you and your team to own your project and your learning.

Creating Innovative Professionals (CIP) and its companion subject, Creating Innovative Engineering ENGR90034 (CIE), are delivered by the University's Innovation Practice Program. To learn more about the Program, including the range of organizations that have participated as sponsors, examples of past projects and to hear students talk about their experiences in taking CIE/CIP, please go to the Innovation Practice Program’s website.

All project sponsors will require students to maintain the confidentiality of their proprietary information. The University will require all students (except those working on projects sponsored by the University itself) to assign any Intellectual Property they create (other than Copyright in their Assessment Materials) to the sponsor of their project.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject will critically explore the purpose and value of management consulting as a profession. By examining the entire consulting engagement cycle, dynamics of client-consultant relationships, and consulting business models, students will develop essential soft and technical skills to diagnose, analyse and solve complex organisational problems. Through close scrutiny of actual consulting work, and practitioners’ experience with real-world challenges, this subject examines current practices and explores how these practices are evolving as a result of institutional and technological changes. The subject also requires students to distil and contemplate professional principles that can ensure integrity, accountability, and positive societal and economic impact of management consulting.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The expectations on contemporary managers to make agile decisions in complex digitised environments are increasing. This subject focuses on the development of managerial capabilities to engage appropriate decision-making models and employ new-generation analytic tools that best-fit the scenario as it unfolds. This subject provides both conceptual frameworks and practical illustrations of quantitative decision-making techniques including decision trees and optimisation to tackle business problems. Students will be shown how to use these quantitative approaches to analyse business problems and, based on these analyses, make effective decisions. These frameworks can be applied to various decisions faced by organisations, with applications in different areas such as operations, marketing, financial and nursing management.

Managers must also decide if and how to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their workplace to create value for the organisation. This subject explores the function, advantages and limitations of AI and machine learning, and how these tools can optimise decision making in complex environments. The subject focuses on: (1) the foundations of AI—inputs, processes, and outputs; (2) AI in action in various contexts to evaluate the opportunities and challenges; and (3) the critical analysis of AI to illustrate contrasting scenarios in which the adoption of AI creates value and destroys value for the organisation.

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This subject focuses on the design, structure, and processes for creating and managing an entrepreneurial enterprise both operationally and strategically. A key consideration will be the role of leaders and the challenges these leaders need to overcome over the phases in the life of the enterprise, through launch, growth and maturity. An understanding of the alignment of human resources, people and talent, leadership, culture and operational practices to match strategic goals as the entrepreneurial enterprise responds to the changing internal and external challenges is pivotal to the success of any entrepreneurial endeavour and will be a key focus of this subject. Furthermore, the subject will discuss new ways of organising that facilitate entrepreneurial outcomes, like, for example, the holacracy model, platform-based ecosystems, and the Rendanheyi model.

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This subject introduces entrepreneurship as a key driver of success in all organisations, ranging from start-ups to large, mature organisations and in both public and private settings. A strong practical focus will be taken. Students will learn from benchmarked companies and visiting speakers with entrepreneurial backgrounds about the key dilemmas encountered in the entrepreneurial process and the solutions that they can put into practice. A significant part of the course is designed around hands-on experience in an ‘incubator’ environment, where ideas are generated and refined through collaboration and iteration between all participants. Students are expected to demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and use these to take their own innovation (a solution to a real world problem) to the pre-implementation stage.

Through these practical instances, students are expected to develop a broader theoretical understanding of the critical elements of entrepreneurship, including the entrepreneurial mindset, capabilities and processes, skills that range from financial acumen, through to marketing, production and scale-up, often requiring novel solutions to these matters, under conditions of high uncertainty. Frameworks will be introduced that address the whole process that cover activities from the development and selection of ideas (invention), testing their efficacy and the business planning involved to exploit those ideas (entrepreneurship). The subject will also examine how entrepreneurs can shape their organisations so that they continuously build and commercialize valuable innovations. Many of the examples will focus on how established organisations can become more innovative and entrepreneurial.

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The purpose of this subject is to examine the topics of Managing Innovation in the context of large and small organisations. Innovation is ultimately the lifeblood of organisations, in that it is concerned with the capability to effectively introduce new products and services, new or substantively improved processes or other major initiatives into existing and new organisations. Topics include innovation capability, new product/process technology introduction, and innovation culture and innovation measures The subject addresses the process of innovation exploitation and exploration and the role ambidextrous organisational designs and dynamic organisational capabilities play in this process. The subject will examine the emerging importance of open innovation in the co-evolution of market and customer value and the use of crowd and expert sourcing in this process. Key elements addressed that are part of successful innovation companies are vision and strategy innovation, creativity and idea management, culture and climate, management of technology, organisational structures, intelligence and systems. Firms that have successfully and systematically created such capabilities will be used as case studies.

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The objective of this subject is to give students an understanding of how financing from venture capital and private equity funds and angel investors finds its way to entrepreneurial ventures. The subject’s framework consists of (1) venture opportunity recognition and evaluation, (2) valuation, terms of financing, and financial analysis, (3) business plan execution, and (4) capturing value from the investment. Another important topic includes governance. The subject is case oriented with real world cases used throughout to illustrate key concepts and challenges and to understand what happened and why.

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The purpose of this subject is to study and practice topics on developing an entrepreneurial venture from an idea through to its first ‘minimum viable product’ in the market, and first customer.

The subject closely examines how entrepreneurial ventures are established; the building of attributes and skills of successful entrepreneurs; how product-market fit is established through business models; development of financial models in entrepreneurial ventures; how and with what outcomes meso-level interfacing between the entrepreneur and market incumbents exists; and deployment of a value-adding product in the market.

This subject presents some of the key frameworks and tools needed by entrepreneurs and is for anyone who has an interest in understanding entrepreneurship as either potential founders, those looking to intrapreneurship in large organisations, or those looking to work with entrepreneurs in one way or another. The subject uses a combination of theory building and key entrepreneurial model exploration and intensive ‘bootcamp’ approach, similar to entrepreneurial bootcamps in practice, to build knowledge and skills in the area, recognising that these are transferable and useful to many students will either start or work for non-traditional organisations.

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With the explosion of data, it is critical that businesses harness the right analytical tools to make effective use of the available data. This subject is designed to equip students with a range of tools and techniques that are necessary for effective decision making. Key topics covered include both prescriptive and predictive analytics. Emphasis will be given to potential applications of these tools and techniques in various functional areas including international business, marketing, supply chain, and strategy.

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This subject discusses the business model as the mechanism used by entrepreneurs to deliver value to their selected target markets, as well as the method by which entrepreneurs capture value. This is a dynamic process that underpins the commercialisation of innovation. This subject has a detailed and advanced examination of the challenges of designing and implementing a business model., the skills, resources and relationships needed to manage activities like designing customer value propositions, protecting intellectual property and potentially pivoting, and the strategic execution capabilities that can lead to the creation of successful business model. The subject also considers the way that emerging concepts like shared value can be incorporated into a business model. This is done though comparative analysis of competitors who use different but equally successful business models, as well as considering applications where business models have failed. The subject also examines metrics for assessing the ongoing health of the business model, as well as business models as a form of innovation in their own right, not just a vehicle for entrepreneurship.

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New entrepreneurial ventures, once successfully past the formation stage (incubators and accelerators), often encounter problems caused by their very rapid growth. The activities of the entrepreneur have to change, from innovation to delegation, communication, and organization as different functional and technical skills are needed, new external relationships such as bankers, lawyers and investors are formed and new company employees have to be integrated into the goals and operations of the enterprise. This is a very basic change that many entrepreneurs never make. The purpose of the subject is to recognise that managing growth is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs, to consider and evaluate the alternative pathways to growth and to consider processes for identifying a preferred approach. The subject identifies methods for assessing customer and market opportunities, the need for revised business models, marketing strategies, the development or acquisition of appropriate skills and resources and the adoption of management control systems that should be used to monitor and analyse growth, with the additional challenge of international growth also considered. Participants in the subject will use case studies and meetings with entrepreneurs to develop a pragmatic understanding of the challenges of growth, as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome. At the conclusion of the subject, students should be able to identify the different pathways to market including commercialisation.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.

View detailed information in the Handbook

New Product development is an important source of growth and profitability as existing markets become price competitive and saturated. However, the process of new product development is fraught with risk. In this course we study the process of managing products and how companies can manage their introduction and elimination from the product portfolio. We review how these decisions are made within the context of profit seeking and not-for-profit organizations. We then review the implication of these decisions for performance.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject will critically explore the purpose and value of management consulting as a profession. By examining the entire consulting engagement cycle, dynamics of client-consultant relationships, and consulting business models, students will develop essential soft and technical skills to diagnose, analyse and solve complex organisational problems. Through close scrutiny of actual consulting work, and practitioners’ experience with real-world challenges, this subject examines current practices and explores how these practices are evolving as a result of institutional and technological changes. The subject also requires students to distil and contemplate professional principles that can ensure integrity, accountability, and positive societal and economic impact of management consulting.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject is aimed at students undertaking graduate research programs. The overall aim is to provide the students an opportunity to broaden and deepen their understanding of core theoretical concepts within their discipline. This subject consists of a set program of weekly seminars on topics from the discipline within which candidate’s thesis is undertaken or an approved reading course under the direction of academic member (s) of staff within the department.

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This subject critically and systematically examines a range of important theories in the management field. The basic elements of these theories will be discussed. Ways in which these theories are invoked and operationalised in empirical and conceptual studies will also be discussed. Some of the theories that will be covered include agency theory, resource-based view, transaction cost economics, resource dependence theory, innovation theory, entrepreneurship critical management theory and institutional theory. A strong emphasis will be placed on linking these theories to the various research topics in management.

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The subject provides students with an advanced understanding of some fundamental and influential theories in marketing strategy and marketing management. Theories include market social exchange, transaction costs, social network, relationship marketing, resource based view, dynamic capabilities, value co-creation, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theory.

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The rise of multinational enterprises and cross-border transactions represent an exciting challenge to traditional management theories, as these phenomena raise questions about the universality of concepts typically formulated to explain domestic (or Western) behaviour. International business scholars seek to explore, examine and explain the key defining elements of international business – location, development and transfer of competitive advantages, managing at a distance, governance decisions, and cross-cultural issues. This subject covers advanced themes and issues in the theory and practice of international business. Drawing on rich and varied theoretical traditions, contemporary quantitative and qualitative research, students will progress through a variety of process, content and contextual considerations to build an advanced perspective on the international business discipline.

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We begin by evaluating a range of theoretical perspectives on people, work, and employment. The emphasis will be on understanding and applying different conceptual perspectives to human resource management. The disciplinary foundations for the body of research reflected in this course are psychology, social-psychology and sociology, industrial relations, and management. We will review classics and contemporaries, theories and empirics, and interesting contradictions and consistencies to understand the impact of HR activities on employees and organisations. The course seeks to develop a thorough understanding of the ontological (the “what” of the topic) and epistemological (the “how we research”) foundations of the topics covered. Note, however, our coverage of research methods will be driven by the topic rather than vice-versa. As such, students will explore and critique frameworks, theories, methodologies, and conclusions from prior research, and develop their own perspectives on the topics.

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This subject examines state of the art thinking on the productive processes within organisations. The subject will provide an in-depth understanding of topics such as: the strategic importance of operations; planning and controlling the use of resources; ensuring quality of products and services; human issues involved in operations. The subject also considers the evolving context of operations management, with particular focus on globalisation, supply chain innovation, virtual and e-operations, agile/lean operations and mass customisation. This subject delves deeper into the quantitative tools available to managers for getting the most from the operations system.

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This subject examines advanced themes and issues in the theory and practice of strategic management. Embedded in the critical examination of competitive advantage as derived from sources internal and external to the firm, this subject is designed to provide students with an appreciation of strategic management as a value-added approach to conceptualising the firm and its environment in pursuit of optimum rewards. Drawing on rich and varied theoretical traditions, contemporary research and case study analysis, students will progress through a variety of process, content and contextual considerations to secure an advanced perspective of the strategic management discipline. Broad topics include strategic change, strategy formation and implementation; business, corporate and network level strategies and examination of industry, organisational and international contexts. Within these broader topics such issues as innovation and dynamic capability theory will be investigated.

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This subject is designed to provide a strong foundation in theories and research in the area of consumer behaviour. This will involve an examination and understanding of various topics in social sciences such as cognitive psychology, social psychology etc. and the application of these to understand consumer behaviours. We will cover various topics such as consumer processing of market information, how information is incorporated into decision-making, factors influencing decision-making, and major methodologies available for investigating consumer behaviours.

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New entrepreneurial ventures, once successfully past the formation stage (incubators and accelerators), often encounter problems caused by their very rapid growth. The activities of the entrepreneur have to change, from innovation to delegation, communication, and organization as different functional and technical skills are needed, new external relationships such as bankers, lawyers and investors are formed and new company employees have to be integrated into the goals and operations of the enterprise. This is a very basic change that many entrepreneurs never make. The purpose of the subject is to recognise that managing growth is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs, to consider and evaluate the alternative pathways to growth and to consider processes for identifying a preferred approach. The subject identifies methods for assessing customer and market opportunities, the need for revised business models, marketing strategies, the development or acquisition of appropriate skills and resources and the adoption of management control systems that should be used to monitor and analyse growth, with the additional challenge of international growth also considered. Participants in the subject will use case studies and meetings with entrepreneurs to develop a pragmatic understanding of the challenges of growth, as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome. At the conclusion of the subject, students should be able to identify the different pathways to market including commercialisation.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The purpose of this subject is to lay the foundations of launching a viable entrepreneurial venture based on modern entrepreneurship theory and practice. The subject includes the provision of tools and methods to assist in market ideation and opportunity identification. First, all students learn ideation and opportunity identification through case studies. Next, students will translate their ideas into an initial proposal and develop testable entrepreneurial hypotheses. While doing so, students will recapitulate learnings from Prerequisites. At the end of the subject term, students will produce a pitch document and give a presentation.

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The purpose of this subject is to further develop the ideas explored in the subject New Venture Creation: Initiation and conduct validation to launch a viable entrepreneurial venture. Students are expected to work according to their entrepreneurial interests and to extend learning from Semester 1. The project is best done in teams of 3-4 students but can also be done individually or in pairs with permission of the instructor.

During the subject, students will learn how to test and validate their business idea, develop a minimum viable product (MVP) and iterate using feedback from customers and other stakeholders. In addition, they will learn to develop a market entry strategy that takes into account competitors and collaborators. Students also learn pitching skills to communicate their ideas, with the goal of persuading investors and acquiring resources for growth. In this process, students learn skills to establish viability of their entrepreneurial concepts and pivot their initial models.

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Existing companies are under unyielding pressure to discover new ways to grow and become more innovative. To cope with this pressure, companies may revert to intrapreneurship (i.e., corporate entrepreneurship) – engaging in activities that are in unfamiliar ("far from core") areas in which success is uncertain. To do so, organizations need to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset and adopt entrepreneurial approaches. While more and more companies acknowledge the need for corporate entrepreneurship to remain competitive, how to do it is often poorly understood and managed, and inherently resisted. This subject will address both why and when organizations engage in corporate entrepreneurship and the challenges of making an established organization entrepreneurial. This subject will also discuss different forms of corporate entrepreneurship: the organizational “toolkit” available.

The subject will discuss these topics both from the perspective of the organization at large and the perspective of the change agent, the ‘entrepreneur in residence’ who needs to manage themselves, their manager(s), and their peers to navigate the larger corporate system and structures. The subject will particularly focus on how to identify opportunities for change and new ways to grow when engaged in corporate entrepreneurship.

This subject will give you tools, methods and logic that will enable you to participate in or lead successful efforts in corporate entrepreneurship – in particular efforts to identify entrepreneurial opportunities.

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More and more companies engage in intrapreneurship (I.e., corporate entrepreneurship) to discover new ways to grow and become more innovative. Corporate entrepreneurship requires an entrepreneurial mindset and the adoption of approaches that help companies to identify new business opportunities. However, to be successful, it is not sufficient to identify new business opportunities; companies also need to successfully implement these opportunities. In this subject, we will focus on how companies can successfully do so.

The subject will discuss the topic from two perspectives. First, from the perspective of the organization at large: how to create an environment in which great ideas for new business opportunities are considered, nurtured and implemented? Second, from the perspective of the change agent, the ‘entrepreneur in residence’: how does the entrepreneur in residence make sure that their ideas are heard and acted upon?

The subject will particularly focus on how to implement (rather than identify) opportunities for change and new ways to grow in a successful way, resulting in sustainable value creation for the organization.

This subject will give you tools, methods and logic that will enable you to participate in or lead successful efforts in corporate entrepreneurship – in particular efforts to implement entrepreneurial opportunities.

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Monitoring, designing and managing customer experiences (CX) is essential to overall business performance. This subject will explore how organisations can enhance customer and employee experiences to promote brand satisfaction, loyalty, positive word of mouth, and overall well-being.

We will investigate the management of human, digital, and physical touchpoints throughout each stage of the customer journey: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase.

We will understand how businesses can manage contextual factors that impact customer experience. This includes the visual aesthetics of omnichannel environments and the interactions with front-line staff, including chatbots and robots. We will also examine the role of customers in the co-creation and co-destruction of value. Finally, we will learn how to identify and monitor crucial customer experience pain points and how businesses can effectively recover from significant negative deviations in customer experience ratings.

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New Product development is an important source of growth and profitability as existing markets become price competitive and saturated. However, the process of new product development is fraught with risk. In this course we study the process of managing products and how companies can manage their introduction and elimination from the product portfolio. We review how these decisions are made within the context of profit seeking and not-for-profit organizations. We then review the implication of these decisions for performance.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject addresses the sustainability related challenges confronting business organisations, and how these can be overcome. Many organisations find it difficult to balance short and long-term objectives relating to economic, social and environmental outcomes. The subject addresses the complexity and multi-faceted nature of social and environmental issues and why they present significant challenges to organisations. Principles of sustainability will be discussed with reference to concepts such as corporate social responsibility, corporate political responsibility, triple bottom line thinking and creating shared value. It will then review how organisations respond to these challenges, both negatively and positively, and why they respond in these ways, including strategic, ethical and critical perspectives. The subject then addresses approaches that increase organisations’ capability for continuous renewal and long-term success, whilst also promoting social and environmental benefits. This will be done through a focus on topics such as managerial competencies and organisational capabilities for sustainability, stakeholder management, industry and transnational guidelines for sustainability, national regulation and self-regulation, and an integrated supply chain perspective.

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This subject provides an integrative learning experience and affords students the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in previous subjects in a coherent way to solve business problems. In a business strategy simulation students are required to make decisions, assess outcomes, and compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities and markets. Each team develops a strategy for its firm and applies the subject’s concepts and frameworks, as well as the concepts and frameworks acquired in other subjects. In the process, students will discover the interaction of a firm’s production, marketing, research and development, human resources, and financial operations and observe the impact of key decisions on business performance within a competitive market.

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Conflict between individual and groups is an inevitable aspect of day to day life. This subject will review the nature of conflict in the workplace and the conflict management strategies of influencing and negotiation. Students will be given the opportunity to apply negotiation techniques to case studies and in simulations.

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As organisations have gradually shifted towards using more team-based work structures, one of the main challenges in the modern workplace is how to effectively lead and manage teams. This subject deals with this challenge by focusing on understanding the principles of leadership in organisations and the fundamentals of team structure of team processes. Topics considered include: the structure of teams within organisations; differences in team members; managing interpersonal dynamics in teams; theories of leadership; the role of managers as organisational leaders; human resource and organisational factors that impact leading teams effectively.

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The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management.

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This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives.

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Risk management is a key business activity that impacts the full range of organisational activities and functional areas across the enterprise. This subject surveys a spectrum of business risks from operational to strategic risks. It provides a foundation in enterprise risk management principles, tools and techniques such as risk scenario planning.

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Fundamentals of Intellectual Property provides a good introduction to intellectual property (IP) for students wishing to pursue more specialised graduate studies in this area. It also provides a general overview of IP law for students studying an overall commercial and trade law program.

The objective of this subject is to provide an introduction to, and general overview of, the various Australian laws protecting IP, with reference to New Zealand IP laws. IP laws, including patent, design and copyright laws, are directed at the encouragement and protection of innovations in science, technology and cultural goods. IP laws, like trade mark and unfair competition laws also protect brands, reputations and other important commercial interests. The subject will also introduce the international framework of treaties under which the owners of IP from one country can seek protection in another country.

The subject will be taught by:

• four ‘pre-teaching’ weeks conducted online (outside the classroom)
• one-week intensive conducted on-campus (in the classroom)

This subject is delivered using a ‘flipped classroom’ approach. You will spend the pre-teaching period studying readings and viewings provided via Canvas modules to learn the key principles and policies. Then, in the on-campus seminars, we will discuss, debate, and apply these principles and policies to cultivate higher level cognitive, problem-solving, advocacy, and reasoning skills.

Indicative list of principal topics:

• The concept of IP
• Rationales for IP laws
• Copyright, including protection and infringement
• Registered designs, including protection and infringement
• Trade marks and related laws, including protection and infringement
• Patents, including protection and infringement
• Protection of confidential information and trade secrets under general law
• Traditional knowledge
• International IP treaties

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This subject examines the engine of every organisation: its productive processes. These are the systems, processes and activities that convert the organisation's inputs into its outputs. Whether manufacturing of goods or provision of services, the principles and techniques of Operations Management can assist an organisation to achieve effective outcomes in terms of cost, quality, delivery, service levels, flexibility and innovation. This subject is integrative in nature, drawing upon concepts originally developed in other areas. The traditional topics such as: assessing the strategic importance of operations; planning and controlling the use of resources; ensuring quality of products and services; and various human issues involved in operations are examined from a contemporary perspective that involves complex phenomena such as globalisation, supply chains, virtual and e-operations, agile/lean operations and mass customisation. Quantitative approaches are often useful in leading us toward possible solutions and so these are introduced where appropriate. However, in many situations, it is sufficient to descriptively understand the critical issues and major trade-offs involved. Finally, links with other areas of decisions and organisational functions are considered as they are critical to getting the most from the operations system.

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Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in the finance sector. This subject will examine how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks, including climate change and human rights, can be integrated into investment decisions and ongoing management. Topics will include: how investors vote and actively engage with investee companies to ensure long-term value creation, ethical investing, social activist divestment campaigns and financial market innovations to address sustainability objectives. This subject will also outline why, how and where investment is used to intentionally drive social and environmental impact in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Topics will include: a practical overview of best practice in strategically managing impact, embedding impact considerations into all elements of fund management, and how various elements of global and national financial systems help and hinder the flow of capital to impact.

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This subject explores the role of marketing and consumption in a world facing significant social and environmental challenges. What is the role of marketing and marketers in climate change, digital privacy, or the obesity crisis? Does marketing actually improve consumers’ wellbeing? Many ‘ethical’ consumers now integrate their concern for society and the environment into their purchasing decisions. And many ‘ethical’ brands now promote their social and/or environmental credentials. So, can we market and consume our way out of these crises? This subject will address the criticisms of marketing’s role in sustainability issues, and then equip students with the strategic and ethical direction to respond proactively to the opportunities these challenges provide.

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Many of the products and services consumed in Australia and around the world are designed, manufactured and delivered via interdependent global value chains. Therefore, success of firms depends on their ability to manage these value chains dispersed across the world. This subject will discuss global value chains, their functioning, the challenges they face, and the strategies to manage them. Particularly, the subject will analyse the sociopolitical and economic conditions giving rise to global value chains, their governance and management, risks posed by them and the strategies to manage them, sustainability challenges in them, and their future.

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This subject involves the completion of a professional work placement (internship) either:

off campus at an approved host organisation in Australia or overseas OR

on campus at the 'WorkHub'

Integrating academic learning in business & economics areas of study, students will gain an improved knowledge of employability skills, workplace culture, and career pathways. Students will be required to undertake pre-placement online modules designed to equip students with employability skills and techniques for creative problem solving, as well as learning tasks throughout the placement period. The placement will draw on students' specific discipline skills associated with the specialisation of their degree.

Internships may be paid, or unpaid provided they comply with the Fair Work Act.

This subject is intended to provide students with the opportunity to apply their business knowledge in an industry setting under the joint supervision of an industry and an academic mentor. Students can either apply for a University-sourced internship or apply to have a self-sourced internship approved for credit. Applications should be submitted by the due dates published on the MBS website. Selection into this subject is based on suitability of the placement, and demonstrated motivation to benefit from the program, and timely submission of the application.

The on-campus 'WorkHub' provides a modern collaborative and supportive office environment for students to complete internship tasks in groups, and connect with industry professionals both on-campus, virtually, and at the host organisation.

Students will either enrol in the off campus or on campus availability following selection.

The subject coordinator will have final approval of all selected students. Enrolment will be capped and subject to meeting the relevant academic program requirements and availability of appropriate internship opportunities.

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This subject provides an insight into the complexities and challenges of making business decisions in an Australian setting. Working in small teams, students will conduct research, analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to an assigned business planning or business development exercise. This will be supported by online modules and seminar work equipping the students with knowledge of approaches, tools and techniques for completing the task and an understanding of report formats appropriate for conveying the results. During the practicum, in-depth research will be undertaken in identifying the scope, opportunities constraints and recommendations of the exercise. Students will learn to: work with unstructured and incomplete information in Australian business settings, to develop research and networks to support their enquiry, to work successfully in teams, to present their findings and seek and receive constructive feedback in a range of settings. Students will also be encouraged to plan, reflect and modify their approaches to improve the outcomes of their efforts in managing the business project.

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This subject provides an insight into the complexities and challenges of making business decisions in an international setting. Students will be assigned in small groups to research a business problem in an international context. Working in teams, they will conduct research, analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to an assigned business planning or business development exercise. This will be supported by online modules and seminar work equipping the students with knowledge of approaches, tools and techniques for completing the task and an understanding of report formats appropriate for conveying the results. During the practicum, in-depth research will be undertaken in identifying the scope, opportunities, constraints and recommendations of the exercise. Students will learn to work with unstructured and incomplete information in international business settings, to develop research and networks to support their enquiry, to work successfully in teams, to present their findings and seek and receive constructive feedback in a range of settings. Students will also be encouraged to plan, reflect and modify their approaches to improve the outcomes of their efforts in managing the business project.

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This subject aims to give you theoretical frameworks, practical insights, and preliminary skills to work in your chosen profession in contexts where determining what problem to work on is an important complement to knowing how to solve that problem.

You will develop these understandings, insights and skills by working on two projects. In the first, they will work in multi-disciplinary teams on a strategically-important innovation challenge sponsored by an industry organisation. Through that project, you will learn the “what and how” of delivering innovation-like projects – understanding the relationship between your challenge and the organisation’s strategy; designing, securing, and conducting interviews; analysing qualitative data to generate insights; ideation and creativity techniques to create value; stakeholder management; working in an intense team on an ambiguous problem; visual and oral communication. In the second, you will develop the ability to apply to the same concepts to yourself – How will you know what you want and need? How will you know if you need to change? How will you innovate yourself as your interests, needs, and work world shift?

We aim for you and your team to own your project and your learning.

Creating Innovative Professionals (CIP) and its companion subject, Creating Innovative Engineering ENGR90034 (CIE), are delivered by the University's Innovation Practice Program. To learn more about the Program, including the range of organizations that have participated as sponsors, examples of past projects and to hear students talk about their experiences in taking CIE/CIP, please go to the Innovation Practice Program’s website.

All project sponsors will require students to maintain the confidentiality of their proprietary information. The University will require all students (except those working on projects sponsored by the University itself) to assign any Intellectual Property they create (other than Copyright in their Assessment Materials) to the sponsor of their project.

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This subject will critically explore the purpose and value of management consulting as a profession. By examining the entire consulting engagement cycle, dynamics of client-consultant relationships, and consulting business models, students will develop essential soft and technical skills to diagnose, analyse and solve complex organisational problems. Through close scrutiny of actual consulting work, and practitioners’ experience with real-world challenges, this subject examines current practices and explores how these practices are evolving as a result of institutional and technological changes. The subject also requires students to distil and contemplate professional principles that can ensure integrity, accountability, and positive societal and economic impact of management consulting.

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The expectations on contemporary managers to make agile decisions in complex digitised environments are increasing. This subject focuses on the development of managerial capabilities to engage appropriate decision-making models and employ new-generation analytic tools that best-fit the scenario as it unfolds. This subject provides both conceptual frameworks and practical illustrations of quantitative decision-making techniques including decision trees and optimisation to tackle business problems. Students will be shown how to use these quantitative approaches to analyse business problems and, based on these analyses, make effective decisions. These frameworks can be applied to various decisions faced by organisations, with applications in different areas such as operations, marketing, financial and nursing management.

Managers must also decide if and how to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their workplace to create value for the organisation. This subject explores the function, advantages and limitations of AI and machine learning, and how these tools can optimise decision making in complex environments. The subject focuses on: (1) the foundations of AI—inputs, processes, and outputs; (2) AI in action in various contexts to evaluate the opportunities and challenges; and (3) the critical analysis of AI to illustrate contrasting scenarios in which the adoption of AI creates value and destroys value for the organisation.

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