Master of Management (Human Resources)

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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 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 introduces students to the fundamentals of finance, financial securities and financial markets. Topics include: key financial concepts such as the time-value-of-money, risk, return, present value, diversification, arbitrage, leverage and voting control; key financial securities such as stocks, bonds, mortgages and other loans; key financial markets such as the stock, interest rate and foreign exchange markets; and key participants in financial markets such as investors, funds, companies, banks, intermediaries, governments and regulators.

This subject is designed for students who seek an understanding of financial concepts and markets, but who do not intend to pursue any further studies in finance.

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This subject focuses on the nature of accounting from the perspective of the users of financial reports. In this subject, students will learn how to analyse and interpret financial information prepared by diverse businesses, both profit and not-for-profit. A key theme in the subject is to understand the relevance of accounting information for the decisions typically made by diverse stakeholders including financial analysts, bankers and shareholders as well as the strategic and operational decisions made by managers within the different businesses. This subject is designed to meet the needs of students from all disciplines, who seek to become more informed users of accounting information but who do not intend to pursue further studies in accounting.

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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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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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Students in this subject examine the key policies and practices of HR, including the attraction and retention of employees, developing, evaluating and rewarding performance. We evaluate the impact of HR policies and practices from the perspective of workplace stakeholders, including employees, unions, management and organisations.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Businesses are collections of individuals who are organised and cooperate to solve problems. Thus, all business activity has its roots in psychological processes such as individual and group cognition and emotion, personality, and social influence. In this subject we explore the psychological foundations of management practice by focusing on how managerial problems (e.g., high levels of absenteeism; poor collaboration among team members; etc.) can be understood and addressed using different psychological principles.

View detailed information in the Handbook

An organization's capacity to achieve a competitive advantage through human resources begins with successful staffing. This subject evaluates the decision to “make” (train) or “buy” (recruit and select) employees for the organisation. We examine the strategic implications of staffing the organisation and then, using both theory and empirical research to assess the role and impact of recruitment, selection and training. Topics in the “buy” section of this subject include determining recruiting needs, identifying selection criteria, internal and external sourcing, evaluating recruiting effectiveness, interviewing and selection procedures and the application process. Topics in the “make” section of this subject identifying training needs, learning styles, planning the delivery of training and how to assess the effectiveness of training.

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The performance of employees can affect the capacity of an organisation to achieve its objectives. In this subject we identify the tools and techniques used by organisations to assess employee performance. We then investigate how these performance assessments are used to allocate employee financial rewards to individuals and groups. Our evaluation of performance and reward management systems is focused on the fairness and effectiveness of these systems for various stakeholders.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject will examine the challenge of managing a global workforce in an international setting. The relationships between the external environment, organisational factors, and international HRM strategies and practices will be studied from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The key issues considered will be cultural diversity in global business; international recruitment and selection; international performance management; training and development for global workforces; international compensation and international comparison of labour relations.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The world of work is undergoing significant transformation in response to a wide range of economic, social and technological changes. These changes have important consequences for how work is organised, how people are managed and how labour markets perform. This subject looks at how these developments are managed by organisations as well as the macro-level through public policy responses aimed at balancing competing policy objectives. This subject draws on both theory and evidence to explore new Human Resource Management and employment issues and policy responses emerging in many countries around the world, including: new actors and institutions; the transformation of professions and careers structures; investing in and managing human capital, voice and representation at work; workforce diversity; technological change, new business models and new forms of working; online labour markets; the quality of jobs and work-life; labour market inequality and insecurity; and the global competition for jobs.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This capstone subject involves the analysis of organisational decisions and actions with a focus on implications for HR policy and practice. Many organisational decisions have implications for HR and employees including the number of people to be employed, the type of skills required and the way employee performance is assessed and rewarded. In this subject students will draw on their core business subjects and HR studies to critically analyse a series of cases on topical issues and develop recommendations that promote organisational sustainability.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject offers students the opportunity to develop skills that can be applied to HR consulting projects. This includes exploring current-practice consulting methodologies and techniques, building and managing client relationships, developing report writing skills, and learning techniques for critically assessing consulting outcomes.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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

In this subject, students will learn about “people-oriented” data, how to analyse it, and how to apply this data analysis to managerial decision making related to HR and human capital. This subject also covers knowledge and skills that links HR metrics to business strategy and organizational performance by utilizing evidence-based research. Students will gain knowledge in fundamental and philosophical grounds of a “HR data-driven” approach to management. Furthermore, students will learn how to design HR metrics, collect data, choose appropriate statistical tests, and interpret findings. Specifically, this seminar involves practical learning on data driven decision making techniques for human capital and managerial issues such as recruiting, absenteeism, turnover, training evaluation, and performance management.

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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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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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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continues to be a critical topic for managing people and organizations and for society more broadly. This subject offers a contemporary and critical perspective on how organizations can approach diversity, equity and inclusion to maximize the benefits for themselves, as well as employees and external stakeholders. Students will be introduced to frameworks that can be used to analyse, plan and evaluate DEI strategies and interventions and apply these to real-world organizational examples. In addition, the subject offers opportunities to learn more about specific DEI groups and topics, and how organizations can attract and retain diverse talent and foster an inclusive working environment. This will include discussion of gender, work and family, race and ethnicity, disability, age and other issues of current interest.

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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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This subject offers students the opportunity to develop skills that can be applied to HR consulting projects. This includes exploring current-practice consulting methodologies and techniques, building and managing client relationships, developing report writing skills, and learning techniques for critically assessing consulting outcomes.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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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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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In this subject, students will learn about “people-oriented” data, how to analyse it, and how to apply this data analysis to managerial decision making related to HR and human capital. This subject also covers knowledge and skills that links HR metrics to business strategy and organizational performance by utilizing evidence-based research. Students will gain knowledge in fundamental and philosophical grounds of a “HR data-driven” approach to management. Furthermore, students will learn how to design HR metrics, collect data, choose appropriate statistical tests, and interpret findings. Specifically, this seminar involves practical learning on data driven decision making techniques for human capital and managerial issues such as recruiting, absenteeism, turnover, training evaluation, and performance management.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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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This subject will explain and conceptualise the nature of Asian management and business practices from economic, cultural and institutional perspectives. The emphasis of the subject is on the application of contextual knowledge about international business theory as tailored to the Asia Pacific, to analyse and make decisions faced by companies operating or expanding in the Asia Pacific region. Students will be required to apply the knowledge and skills learnt to solve various business issues in Asian business environment.

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This subject explores key issues facing managers of international businesses. These include the need to develop skills in cross-cultural communication, negotiation, conflict resolution and global teamwork within the firm and with other parties in host countries. This subject further explores how managers respond positively to the challenges of using a multi-cultural workforce, including expatriates, global teams and operating a business in a number of culturally-distinct environments.

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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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This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and activities of marketing and how to manage an organisation's marketing effort. Some of the principal topics include value-based marketing, market research, selecting target markets, product and brand management, marketing communications (advertising and promotions, as well as personal selling), management of distribution channels, pricing decisions and marketing ethics. Students are also introduced to the nature of buyer behaviour, including decision-making patterns, purchase behaviours, and customer satisfaction.

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Business managers request, assess, purchase and use marketing research to make a wide range of informed decisions about target markets, product offerings and the performance of marketing activities. To be able to do this competently, managers need to know what benefits marketing research can provide, what research methods are appropriate for the different types of problems, and how data should be collected, analysed, interpreted and presented so that it is meaningful to other users. These are skills students will acquire through their participation in a 'real-life' client-sponsored project.

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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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Students in this subject examine the key policies and practices of HR, including the attraction and retention of employees, developing, evaluating and rewarding performance. We evaluate the impact of HR policies and practices from the perspective of workplace stakeholders, including employees, unions, management and organisations.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Businesses are collections of individuals who are organised and cooperate to solve problems. Thus, all business activity has its roots in psychological processes such as individual and group cognition and emotion, personality, and social influence. In this subject we explore the psychological foundations of management practice by focusing on how managerial problems (e.g., high levels of absenteeism; poor collaboration among team members; etc.) can be understood and addressed using different psychological principles.

View detailed information in the Handbook

An organization's capacity to achieve a competitive advantage through human resources begins with successful staffing. This subject evaluates the decision to “make” (train) or “buy” (recruit and select) employees for the organisation. We examine the strategic implications of staffing the organisation and then, using both theory and empirical research to assess the role and impact of recruitment, selection and training. Topics in the “buy” section of this subject include determining recruiting needs, identifying selection criteria, internal and external sourcing, evaluating recruiting effectiveness, interviewing and selection procedures and the application process. Topics in the “make” section of this subject identifying training needs, learning styles, planning the delivery of training and how to assess the effectiveness of training.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The performance of employees can affect the capacity of an organisation to achieve its objectives. In this subject we identify the tools and techniques used by organisations to assess employee performance. We then investigate how these performance assessments are used to allocate employee financial rewards to individuals and groups. Our evaluation of performance and reward management systems is focused on the fairness and effectiveness of these systems for various stakeholders.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject will examine the challenge of managing a global workforce in an international setting. The relationships between the external environment, organisational factors, and international HRM strategies and practices will be studied from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The key issues considered will be cultural diversity in global business; international recruitment and selection; international performance management; training and development for global workforces; international compensation and international comparison of labour relations.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The world of work is undergoing significant transformation in response to a wide range of economic, social and technological changes. These changes have important consequences for how work is organised, how people are managed and how labour markets perform. This subject looks at how these developments are managed by organisations as well as the macro-level through public policy responses aimed at balancing competing policy objectives. This subject draws on both theory and evidence to explore new Human Resource Management and employment issues and policy responses emerging in many countries around the world, including: new actors and institutions; the transformation of professions and careers structures; investing in and managing human capital, voice and representation at work; workforce diversity; technological change, new business models and new forms of working; online labour markets; the quality of jobs and work-life; labour market inequality and insecurity; and the global competition for jobs.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This capstone subject involves the analysis of organisational decisions and actions with a focus on implications for HR policy and practice. Many organisational decisions have implications for HR and employees including the number of people to be employed, the type of skills required and the way employee performance is assessed and rewarded. In this subject students will draw on their core business subjects and HR studies to critically analyse a series of cases on topical issues and develop recommendations that promote organisational sustainability.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject offers students the opportunity to develop skills that can be applied to HR consulting projects. This includes exploring current-practice consulting methodologies and techniques, building and managing client relationships, developing report writing skills, and learning techniques for critically assessing consulting outcomes.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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

In this subject, students will learn about “people-oriented” data, how to analyse it, and how to apply this data analysis to managerial decision making related to HR and human capital. This subject also covers knowledge and skills that links HR metrics to business strategy and organizational performance by utilizing evidence-based research. Students will gain knowledge in fundamental and philosophical grounds of a “HR data-driven” approach to management. Furthermore, students will learn how to design HR metrics, collect data, choose appropriate statistical tests, and interpret findings. Specifically, this seminar involves practical learning on data driven decision making techniques for human capital and managerial issues such as recruiting, absenteeism, turnover, training evaluation, and performance management.

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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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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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continues to be a critical topic for managing people and organizations and for society more broadly. This subject offers a contemporary and critical perspective on how organizations can approach diversity, equity and inclusion to maximize the benefits for themselves, as well as employees and external stakeholders. Students will be introduced to frameworks that can be used to analyse, plan and evaluate DEI strategies and interventions and apply these to real-world organizational examples. In addition, the subject offers opportunities to learn more about specific DEI groups and topics, and how organizations can attract and retain diverse talent and foster an inclusive working environment. This will include discussion of gender, work and family, race and ethnicity, disability, age and other issues of current interest.

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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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This subject offers students the opportunity to develop skills that can be applied to HR consulting projects. This includes exploring current-practice consulting methodologies and techniques, building and managing client relationships, developing report writing skills, and learning techniques for critically assessing consulting outcomes.

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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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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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In this subject, students will learn about “people-oriented” data, how to analyse it, and how to apply this data analysis to managerial decision making related to HR and human capital. This subject also covers knowledge and skills that links HR metrics to business strategy and organizational performance by utilizing evidence-based research. Students will gain knowledge in fundamental and philosophical grounds of a “HR data-driven” approach to management. Furthermore, students will learn how to design HR metrics, collect data, choose appropriate statistical tests, and interpret findings. Specifically, this seminar involves practical learning on data driven decision making techniques for human capital and managerial issues such as recruiting, absenteeism, turnover, training evaluation, and performance management.

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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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