6. Economics and Business units of study

Accounting 1A introduces students to the fundamentals of accounting and the double entry system of financial recording. Students examine the assumptions underlying the preparation of financial statements for external users and gain the skills necessary to prepare, interpret and analyse financial statements. In doing so students develop their ability to understand, discuss, analyse and write about accounting-related topics. This unit is designed as an introduction to accounting. As such, no prior knowledge of accounting is assumed.

Accounting is about the recording, classification, reporting and interpretation of information to help make economic decisions. Accounting 1A introduces accounting and the double entry system for financial recording. Accounting 1B develops themes and competencies learnt in Accounting 1A. The primary focus of this unit of study is on conceptual and technical issues relating to management accounting and the information required by internal users to make strategic and operational decisions relating to managing a business. A second theme is the financial accounting information businesses are required to produce to assess a firm's financial state and performance. Students examine how commercial and ethical issues affect business decisions and how there are present and future consequences that will affect different groups of interest.

Provides an introduction to the concepts underlying "external" accounting and is designed for students who are not majoring in accounting. The unit utilises a transaction-effect approach to the preparation of financial statements with basic bookkeeping minimalised. Accounting-method choices are analysed for their effect on the financial statements, and, thus, on decision-making.

This unit is designed to explain how managers use accounting information, with an emphasis on identifying relevant accounting information for decision-making. Topics include: estimating cost functions, relevant costing, cost allocation, budgeting, short and long term decision making and managing within a changing environment.

This unit examines the accounting and reporting practices of reporting entities, particularly listed public companies. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of, and the ability to critically evaluate, the various regulatory requirements (professional and statutory) governing financial reporting. The unit commences with an overview of the financial reporting environment and theories that seek to explain the accounting policy choices of management. This framework provides a basis for examining a range of specific issues in financial accounting. Emphasis throughout the unit is on both the application of specific accounting techniques/rules and the conceptual/theoretical issues associated with alternative accounting methods.

This course provides students with an introduction to the basics of management/cost accounting. Areas specifically covered include: cost terms and purposes, cost behaviour, cost-volume-profit analysis, cost estimation, basic and alternative product costing methods (including activity-based costing), detailed study of the mechanics of the budgeting process (master budgets, flexible budgets, standard costing and variance analysis), decision making using relevant costs/revenues and cost allocation.

This unit introduces students to accounting for investments in other entities, including controlled and significantly influenced entities. The first part of the course focuses on the process of consolidation, the preparation of consolidated financial statements for corporate groups, including the treatment of goodwill, intra-group transactions and minority interests. The accounting requirements for significantly influenced entities are also studied. Other aspects of group accounting, such as segment disclosures and related party disclosures, are investigated. The first part of the course concludes with a critical analysis of the consolidation process, including the outcomes of the consolidation process and the impact of this upon the user of the consolidated financial statements. The second part of the course focuses on critically evaluating current issues in accounting regulation and practice, such as the politics of the standard-setting process, using accounting for financial instruments as a special case. Finally, voluntary disclosures for social and environmental reporting are considered. This course aims to further develop students' written communication skills and critical and analytic skills within the context of corporate group activities.

Management Accounting B deals with the theory and practice of a selection of contemporary management accounting issues. The course begins by examining the influences that impact upon the design of an organisation and its management accounting system. Behavioural factors, rather than technical factors, are highlighted and a range of organisational settings and management levels are reviewed. The unit then examines advanced issues relevant to operational management accounting. While this section of the course builds on the foundations laid in Management Accounting A, the focus remains on the behavioural implications of accounting techniques for making decisions in organisations.

Although the appropriate 'form' of financial analysis depends largely on the specific context (e.g. equity investment, credit extension, analysis of supplier/customer health, competitor analysis, regulatory overview or intervention, valuation for takeover/restructuring), many of the techniques of financial analysis are common to each. A primary purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of these techniques, as well as the inherent difficulties in their application. Specific issues addressed include the analysis of business performance and disclosure, the analysis of earnings quality, cash flow assessment, credit worthiness and accounting-based valuation methods.

This unit of study examines the process of auditing and the concepts which underlay the practice. Although the focus of attention is on audits of financial reports undertaken in compliance with the Corporation Act 2001, reference is also made to other forms of audit and assurance. The course is intended to provide an overview of the audit process within the context of Australian Auditing Standards. The course is both practical and theoretical, with students required to apply their knowledge to case studies developed from practice.

This unit seeks to develop students' ability to understand and critically evaluate the principles of corporate governance and how they are applied in Australia and internationally. Topics include, governance structures - an international perspective; governance arrangements and external and internal stakeholders. Japanese and European systems; governance in Asia; western governance - legal framework; control of the modern corporation; operations of a Board; role of board sub-committees; Boards and the development or endorsement of strategies; measuring and rewarding performance; corporate governance and financial reporting; corporate governance and the audit process.

This unit builds on the fundamentals of management accounting practice (ACCT2012) by introducing a series of advanced management accounting topics such as strategic management accounting, innovation and change in management accounting and designing management accounting systems for new organizational forms. In addition, this unit relaxes the hitherto held assumption that management accounting works in a world characterised by certainty and rationality and instead shows that management accounting more often operates in a world characterised by fuzziness and ambiguity. This real-world view requires students to develop their judgemental skills and to adopt a more critical and reflective approach that challenges their beliefs about how management accounting works in practice.

The purpose of this unit of study is to prepare students for entry to the fourth year honours program in accounting. As such, this unit of study has been designed to: first, extend the substantive knowledge of students in relation to financial accounting by examining emerging/advanced issues in relation to theory and practice; second, introduce students to different ways of conducting accounting research, considering extant research mobilising a variety of epistemologies and research methods; and, third, assist students to identify potential topic areas for research and appropriate research questions. The course will be based on a series of readings drawn from the accounting research literature.

The purpose of this unit of study is to prepare students for entry to the fourth year honours program in accounting. As such, this unit of study has been designed to: first, extend the substantive knowledge of students in relation to management accounting by examining emerging/advanced issues in relation to theory and practice; second, introduce students to different ways of conducting accounting research, considering extant research mobilising a variety of epistemologies and research methods; and, third, assist students to identify potential topic areas for research and appropriate research questions. The course will be based on a series of readings drawn from the accounting research literature.

Honours study within the Discipline is directed at: (i) increasing students' analytic and constructive skills beyond the level acquired in undergraduate Pass level units; (ii) providing a foundation for the conduct of applied research in accounting; and (iii) conducting research in the form of a research report. These skills are developed through the completion of an additional year of study that may be either a full- or a part-time basis, though the former is more common.

See ACCT4101

See ACCT4101

See ACCT4101

The Information Age, with its focus on information as a key business resource, has changed the way Business Information Systems (BIS) are viewed in organisations. In previous years, people approached BIS primarily as a tool to increase efficiency, either by cutting costs, time or energy spent. In the information age, however, the role of BIS is different. It is an enabler of innovation and a tool for getting the right information into the hands of the right people at the right time. This unit is designed to develop your understanding of how businesses operate and shows how business information systems support business operations and management. You will be provided with an introduction to BIS theories, frameworks and models to assist in understanding the nature and contribution of BIS in a range of organisational contexts including private, public and not for profit. Your learning experience will be based on the state-of-the-art educational models of Team-Based Learning, Problem-based Learning and the Reflective BIS Practice.

This unit is designed to help you understand the firm's information environment and how it contributes to the attainment of business objectives from an end-to-end system perspective. It will raise your awareness of managers' professional responsibilities for the design, implementation, operation and control of business information system applications - primarily relating to the conduct of accounting related transactions. You will learn how to integrate both accounting and non-accounting functions to support the information needs of all users in a modern organization, how to mitigate risks and put appropriate controls in place. You will gain knowledge of approaches and methodologies used in structured design, including data modelling and process mapping, systems development or procurement and implementation.

Organisations and individuals are often overwhelmed by the amount and diversity of digital information they need (or are required by law) to manage and maintain. This unit introduces you to the concepts of information, content and knowledge management and the systems that enable the acquisition, storage and distribution of business information, an understanding of which is crucial for your role as a future business manager. Adopting a sociotechnical systems design approach, you will develop your understanding of the theory and practical skills required to effectively design and deliver Web content to different kinds of users in a variety of formats. Specific emphasis is placed on the design of usable, scalable, standards-based Web information resources.

This unit provides an overview of business process analysis, design and integration from the management perspective in the context of integrated information systems and inter-enterprise integration models. It will equip you with high level skills and knowledge required to carry out analysis and redesign of business processes facilitating efficient convergence of technology and business. Building on the basic knowledge of business information systems and transactional processing cycles developed from other units, this unit will provide you with a higher level process modelling, analysis and optimisation skills necessary in process-centred organizations. This unit views the functioning of business from a holistic and integrated perspective rather than from a simple functional perspective.

This unit will provide you with a detailed overview of the concepts and processes used in doing business electronically in the new digital economy and e-business era. These concepts and tools will enable you to analyse, evaluate, synthesise and implement e-commerce business models. Importantly, this unit will provide the critical link between technologies and the firm's performance and takes a business management perspective in teaching and learning. The emphasis is on the way technologies enable the business and its effective management, rather than the technologies.

This unit will introduce you to concepts, tools and techniques that will assist you in identifying, managing and providing assurance with respect to key risk and critical control areas in the acquisition, implementation and operation of information systems. In examining different stages of the information system lifecycle, you will learn about: relevant legal, professional and technical requirements in different contexts; how the application of appropriate risk management and control frameworks may serve to identify and mitigate potential risk areas; and audit standards and approaches that provide assurance as to the effectiveness of processes and controls. The unit takes a multidisciplinary focus examining ways in which accountants, information system auditors, IT and business managers bridge the gaps between business risks, control needs and technical issues. The theoretical and conceptual material covered in lectures is reinforced through practical demonstrations and case study analysis.

This unit will provide you with an overview of enterprise-wide computing and integrated enterprise systems concepts with the help of packaged software solutions. You will become familiar with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), be exposed to the functionality of enterprise-wide systems such as SAP and develop a high level understanding of its underlying business processes and their method of integration. The unit will equip you with a thorough understanding of the process flows in procurement, production management, customer order management, customer service and financial accounting and controlling through detailed exploration of the SAP system software. The integrative capabilities of enterprise system software, and its potential benefits and limitations to businesses, are highlighted throughout.

Many organisations are flooded with data and information that come from traditional transaction processing systems as well as external sources. A common challenge is to make sense of this data - to convert this data into intelligence and an understanding of its meaning and message for the organisation. In this unit you will examine the contribution of business intelligence tools and systems and their link with enterprise-wide, business performance management. Issues are explored from the business rather than the technology perspective. A common commercial software platform will be used to demonstrate the role of systems in business intelligence.

This unit is intended to consolidate your knowledge and skills with regard to the application of Information Systems in both public and private sector contexts. The unit serves as a Business Information Systems (BIS) capstone and is structured around a semester long project designed to allow you to demonstrate your ability to apply and synthesise BIS concepts in a real world setting. You will consider information systems from a number of perspectives including, but not limited to, their contribution to the strategic objectives of an organisation and the requirements for successful design, implementation and operation. The unit will require you to develop and apply your understanding of Information Systems from both social and technical perspectives.

Students complete a project in Business Information Systems.

This unit is part of the Honours in Business Information Systems. The unit is intended to ensure that students have a sound grounding in research philosophy as is relevant to Business Information Systems. The unit is designed to develop a foundation for developing your knowledge and skills as researchers throughout the Honours year. While the core will remain constant the focus of this unit may vary given the research requirements and interests of the students taking the unit.

This unit will ensure that you have a solid understanding of contemporary issues in BIS. You will analyse critical industry issues and evaluate the theoretical contributions that are available to address these issues. You will have the opportunity to explore your own research interests and issues of concern to theory and practice.

This unit will ensure that you have a solid grounding in research methods of particular concern to BIS. You will develop skills required for data collection, analysis and presentation as well as for the preparation and presentation of a BIS thesis. The knowledge you will acquire complements the Research Philosophy knowledge and skills acquired in BIS Honours A. You will have the opportunity to explore your own research interests.

This unit will ensure that you have a solid grounding in the management of BIS at a strategic level. It will help you develop an understanding of strategic BIS planning, implementation and evaluation at organisational and inter-organisational levels. You will explore the potential impact of BIS in industry transformation. The unit provides you with opportunities to explore your own research interests.

This unit of study is concerned with the fundamental elements of business law. It commences with an overview of the Australian legal system (sources of law, parliament, courts, statutory interpretation, doctrine of precedent), including an examination of those provisions in the Commonwealth Constitution relevant to business and commercial activities. The unit continues with a detailed study of those aspects of the law of contract that underlie all commercial transactions and are the essence of commercial law (formation of contract, terms of a contract, factors affecting the validity and enforcement of contracts, termination, remedies for breach of contract). Some aspects of the law of agency, criminal law and the law of torts (in particular, negligence and negligent misstatement) are introduced. The unit concludes with an examination of some of the key provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) including those relating to misleading and deceptive conduct and manufacturers' liability.

Commerce today covers a diverse range of items - from securities to patents and all forms of property in between. An understanding of what the forms of property are and how to gain or sell an interest is essential to everything from tax through marketing to e-commerce. This unit provides a detailed overview of the types of property found in standard commercial transactions and the methods for acquiring or divesting an entity with an interest in that property. The unit focuses on all forms of personal property including intellectual property and real property (land). . Students will gain both an understanding of the transactions and the property as well as analytical skills in assessing and working out problems and case studies to do with commercial property.

This unit begins with a brief comparison of business entities, especially partnership. The concept and process of incorporation are examined. Company finance, both equity and debt finance, and the maintenance of the company's share capital will be studied as well as the topics of accounts, auditors, and companies in financial difficulty. The management of companies and directors' duties will be explored as well as the rights and remedies of company shareholders. Company takeovers, prospectus provisions and securities regulation are studied in depth in the elective, CLAW2203 Stock Markets and Derivatives Law.

This unit is concerned with the law relating to the bankruptcy of individuals and corporate insolvency. In relation to bankruptcy, it explores the mechanisms by which formal bankruptcy may occur and, the role of the trustee and creditors. It goes on to examine arrangements with creditors outside formal bankruptcy (debt agreements, personal insolvency agreements). In the case of corporate insolvency the areas examined include receivers and other controllers, voluntary administration and deeds of company arrangement, schemes of arrangement and winding up. Other issues discussed include group insolvency and cross border insolvency.

This unit begins with a study of the powers of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission with reference to recent ASIC investigations. The functions of the Australian Stock Exchange and those of securities dealers and investment advisers are examined as well as the relationship between broker and client. The market offences of market manipulation and insider trading are explored. Public funding of companies and prospectus provisions are studied along with the liability of officers and independent experts concerning the prospectus. The topic of mergers and acquisitions examines acquisitions, relevant interests, takeover schemes and announcements, and the liability of parties to a takeover. Derivatives will also be studied.

Students are introduced to the regulatory structure and its impact on banking practice. The relationship between banker and customer and the duties of the parties are analysed. Issues relating to risk management and abuse of banking and financial transactions are discussed. Payment instruments such as bills of exchange, cheques and letters of credit are also examined. Students will become familiar with the legal structure, relationships and liabilities of parties in syndicated lending and securitisation.

This unit is concerned with the provisions in the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cwth) dealing with restrictive trade practices, unconscionable conduct and consumer protection. Topics to be studied in depth include: anti-competitive agreements, misuse of market power, exclusive dealing, resale price maintenance, mergers and acquisitions, misleading or deceptive conduct, unfair practices, product safety and product information, conditions and warranties in consumer transactions, liability of manufacturers and importers and unconscionable conduct. Comparable state legislation is also studied.

This unit begins with an analysis of three major ethical philosophies: utilitarianism, duty based ethics and virtue ethics. Practical models based upon these philosophies will be studied here and applied throughout the unit. The significance of ethics to the major professions in the business world is the primary focus of this unit of study. Case studies will be used to examine the consequences for the stakeholders (those affected directly and indirectly) of decisions made by professionals. The professions studied include: accountants, auditors, business information system managers, lawyers, company officers such as directors and other executives, and marketing managers. The unit aims to assist students understand and apply ethics to their future professional life.

This unit is an introduction to taxation law. It commences with an overview of the Australian tax system, discusses contemporary tax issues and then deals with specific topics, viz. basis of liability to Australian income tax, concepts of residence and source of income, meaning of income, tax accounting, statutory concepts of income, taxation of fringe benefits, basis of liability to capital gains tax and allowable deductions. It concludes with a study of the general antiavoidance sections.

This unit deals with taxation issues in a business environment. In addition to income tax, the Goods and Services Tax is studied. The following topics are included: trading stock, capital allowances, taxation of partnerships and trusts including the application of capital gains tax to interests in these entities, carry forward of losses, taxation of companies, dividend imputation tax, capital gains tax application to shares and other interests in companies, intellectual property, collection of income tax instalments, amendment of assessments, objections and appeals, taxation of non-residents, withholding tax, foreign tax credits, international tax treaties, profit shifting and tax avoidance. The unit emphasises business tax planning issues.

Honours study is directed at: (i) increasing students' analytical/research skills beyond the level acquired in undergraduate pass level units; (ii) providing a foundation for the conduct of applied research in business law; and (iii) conducting research in the form of a thesis. These skills are developed through the completion of an additional (fourth) year of study.
The Business Law Honours Program consists of two components: the course work component and the writing of a thesis. The course work component is conducted in the form of a reading seminar series covering common key issues in commercial, corporations and taxation law, supported by an intensive training program in legal research and important skills in managing a large research project. The course work component will provide a good foundation for students to undertake independent research on their thesis.

This unit of study is part of the Honours program in Business Law. The unit covers commercial law issues and forms part of the course work component as described in CLAW4101 above.

This unit of study is part of the Business Law Honours program. The unit covers corporations law issues and forms part of the course work component as described in CLAW4101 above.

This unit of study is part of the Business Law Honours program. The unit covers taxation law issues and forms part of the course work component as described in CLAW4101 above.

This unit introduces students to doing business in the global environment of the twenty-first century. The broad themes examined are globalisation and the multinational company; the international political and economic environment; development and social change; international law and organisations; trade and investment; technology and innovation, and the new challenges in international security. This inter-disciplinary unit is taught collaboratively, using team-based learning, case-study and country risk analyses. The unit thereby provides students with the opportunity to develop intercultural competency, as well as to reflect on ethics and human rights in business both at home and abroad.

Introductory Microeconomics addresses the economic decisions of individual firms and households and how these interact in markets. It is a compulsory core unit for the Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Commerce and an alternative core unit for the Bachelor of Economic and Social Science. Economic issues are pervasive in contemporary Australian society. Introductory Microeconomics introduces students to the language and analytical framework adopted in Economics for the examination of social phenomena and public policy issues. Whatever one's career intentions, coming to grips with economic ideas is essential for understanding society, business and government. Students are given a comprehensive introduction to these ideas and are prepared for the advanced study of microeconomics in subsequent years.

Introductory Macroeconomics addresses the analysis of the level of employment and economic activity in the economy as a whole. It is a compulsory core unit for the Bachelor of Economics (BEc) and for the Bachelor of Commerce and an alternative core unit for the Bachelor of Economic and Social Science. Introductory Macroeconomics examines the main factors that determine the overall levels of production and employment in the economy, including the influence of government policy and international trade. This analysis enables an exploration of money, interest rates and financial markets, and a deeper examination of inflation, unemployment and economic policy.

The aim of Intermediate Microeconomics is the development of theoretical and applied skills in economics. It covers applications and extensions of the theory of consumer choice, firm behaviour and market structure. Emphasis is given to the economics of information and choice under uncertainty; industry structures other than monopoly and perfect competition; markets for factors of production; general equilibrium and economic efficiency; market failure and the role of government. This unit provides a basis for the more specialised options that comprise third year economics.

This unit of study develops models of the goods, money and labour markets, examines issues in macroeconomic policy. Macroeconomic relationships, covering consumption, investment, money and employment, are explored in detail. Macro-dynamic relationships, especially those linking inflation and unemployment, are also considered. Exchange rates and open economy macroeconomics are also addressed. In the last part of the unit, topics include the determinants and theories of economic growth, productivity and technology, the dynamics of the business cycle, counter-cyclical policy and the relationship between micro and macro policy in the context of recent Australian experience.

This course introduces new and comprehensive methods for the analysis and formation of business strategy. The unit analyses strategies for developing competitive advantages, including product differentiation, cost advantages and product life cycles; implementing incentives, control, firm boundaries, and internal firm decision-making mechanisms; implementing pricing, auction and signalling practices; assessing industry attractiveness and the regulatory/trade practices environment; and managing industry cooperation and conflict. Students are taught a set of tools that they can bring to bear on new problems. Understanding competitive dynamics and strategic thinking are emphasised. Case studies and problem-solving form an important part of the teaching method.

The large managerial firm, operating in a number of product and geographic markets and controlled by managers rather than owners, plays a major role in modern economies. Although it is now being challenged by new institutions such as LBOs and strategic alliances, the large managerial firm is itself a recent phenomenon which only began to emerge in the 1880s. This unit of study analyses the development of the large managerial firm since the 1880s, distinguishing between firms in standardised mass production industries and those in industries where technology has changed rapidly since the 1970s. It also distinguishes between managerial firms that emerged in the West with those in Japan. In analysing the attributes of managerial firms in different regimes, the unit focuses on two main issues: the nature of corporate competencies, and the role of imperfect information within managerial firms and markets, alliances, and networks. The unit includes detailed analysis of case studies drawn from the USA, Australia, and Japan.

This unit is comprised of lectures based upon the curriculum for ECOS2001 Intermediate Microeconomics, supported by a seminar for one hour a week. The content of lectures reflect a more analytical and critical treatment of the topics than ECOS2001. The topics, which build on the theory of consumer and firm behaviour and market structure, include game theory, oligopoly, general equilibrium and welfare, externalities and public goods and the economics of information.

This unit is comprised of lectures based upon the curriculum for ECOS2002 Intermediate Macroeconomics, supported by a seminar for one hour a week. The content of lectures reflects a more intensive treatment of the topics than ECOS2002. Topics covered include: models of the goods, money and labour markets; macro-economic relationships such as consumption, investment, demand for money and labour demand and supply; macro-dynamic relationships, especially those linking inflation and unemployment; exchange rates and open economy macroeconomics; theories of economic growth; productivity and technological change; the dynamics of the business cycle; and the relationship between micro- and macro-economic policy.

This unit provides an introduction to mathematical techniques commonly employed by economists. Topics include: limits, continuity, differentiation of single- and multi-variable functions, unconstrained and constrained optimisation.

This unit is an introduction to economic growth including its causes and consequences. The role of capital, technological progress, and other determining factors of the development of economies are studied from the point of view of alternative economic theories. The potential effects of growth and structural change on welfare, income distribution, and employment are looked at in the same contexts with some consideration of the empirical evidence. The role of alternative economic policies and economic institutions in promoting growth is also discussed.

This unit examines the role of the state, rationale for planning and market mechanisms in developing economies, and also the sociocultural preconditions and economic requirements for a market economy. It focuses on a wide range of developmental problems and issues from both microeconomic and macroeconomic points of view. It closely studies the integration process of the traditional segment of a developing society into its modern counterpart in countries selected from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific regions.

This unit deals with the coordination and motivation problems faced by firms. More specifically this unit examines: whether firms use price or command mechanisms to allocate resources within firms; the problems associated with designing incentive contracts; the principles of efficient contract design and; the real world applications of those principles. The final section deals with the manner in which the coordination and motivation problems faced by firms determines their financial, vertical and horizontal structure.

Where do the current beliefs - theories, doctrines, postulates and attitudes - of modern economics come from? If current theories and doctrines have a definite historical beginning, what schools of thought did they supplant? Are there alternative or dissident views which subsisted alongside mainstream economics in the twentieth century - and if so, what are they and where did they originate from? This unit seeks to answer these questions, as well as others. It provides an overview of the development of economic ideas from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, combined with a more intensive focus on the thought of certain key figures in that history. The particular topics covered include: the formation of economics to 1776; Adam Smith; classical economics from Smith to J.S. Mill; the rise of marginalist economics; John Maynard Keynes; and orthodox and heterodox currents in twentieth century economics.

This unit of study examines the nature of inter-firm rivalry in industries with market power. It explores the various ways in which firms can increase their market power by: extracting more surplus from consumers, by colluding with rivals or by excluding entrants. The unit also analyses the international competitiveness of industries in the context of industry assistance and the prevalence of foreign multinationals. Competition policy is also discussed.

This unit of study provides a systematic analysis of the theory of international trade and trade policy. Initially differences between countries are emphasised as the source of trade and the gains from trade. Models that are examined include the Classical-Ricardian model, the Heckscher-Ohlin model and the Specific-Factors model. Next economics of scale and imperfect competition are introduced as sources of trade and gains from trade. The unit concludes with an examination of empirical studies aimed at testing trade theories. The analysis of trade policy begins with a discussion of the instruments of trade policy, in particular, tariffs and quotas and their effect on welfare. This discussion is then extended to the case of imperfect competition and strategic trade policy.

This unit studies macroeconomic theory and policy in a global trading world. The microfoundations of the various sectors are examined in the context of an open economy. The evolution of international money and capital markets is described, the operation of the foreign exchange market is examined, showing how its microstructure affects its macro performance. Theories and tests of the efficiency of international capital markets are surveyed, as well as core theories and tests of exchange rate and asset price determination. The unit develops the macroeconomic implications of monetary and fiscal policies for small and large open economies for different regimes.

This unit aims to provide an understanding of labour markets and related issues such as work conditions, pay and employment levels. Labour supply and demand, theories of wage determination, labour mobility and discrimination are examined. It also analyses the role of trade unions and labour market contracts. These topics are applied to current issues in Australian labour markets such as enterprise bargaining, the role of centralised wage fixing systems, training and other labour market programs. Policies designed to improve the functioning of the labour market are examined and particular attention is given to the problem of persistent unemployment.

This unit provides an overview of the main elements of monetary economics, with emphasis upon macroeconomic issues - analysis of economic processes in which money enters the picture in an essential manner. The content primarily concerns economic principles and theory, but there is also considerable focus on the Australian monetary system and monetary policy in particular. The particular topics covered include: functions of money; the concept of 'liquidity'; money demand; determinants of money supply changes; financial crises and the 'lender of last resort' function of central banking; the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority; term and risk structures of interest rates; alternative theories of the level of the rate of interest; the monetary policy transmission mechanism; monetary policy instrument choice; central bank credibility; policy reaction functions; the global monetary system; and Reserve Bank market operations.

Public Finance is about the taxing and spending decisions of governments. The unit covers a wide range of public finance topics. After an introduction to welfare economics and the role of government in the economy, the unit focuses on the revenue side of the budget: tax incidence, efficient and equitable taxation, the Australian system of revenue raising, issues of tax reform and the theory and practice of public utility pricing. It then focuses on the expenditure side of the government budget: public goods, externalities, and programs aimed at redistribution. It also introduces techniques of policy evaluation.

To think and act strategically, one needs to evaluate the effect of one's actions on the actions of others. As most economic decisions are strategic, such as the decision to lower a price or introduce a new tax, economics, if it is to avoid simplistic models, requires a theoretical framework capable of illuminating strategic behaviour. This unit offers a comprehensive, critical introduction to the theory which purports, not only to satisfy this theoretical need, but also potentially to unify the social sciences: game theory. After examining important concepts of game theory, the unit investigates the repercussions for the theory of bargaining and for the evolution of social institutions.

Experimental economics uses experimental methods to evaluate the performance of economic models, institutions and policies. Behavioural economics combines experimental and field evidence with insights from neighbouring disciplines such as psychology, to develop richer economic models of decision-making. This unit will develop the key research methods and major findings of each of these fields, and explore both theoretical and practical implications. Students will read a number of seminal research papers in both experimental and behavioural economics, and will have opportunities to participate in classroom experiments, to analyse experimental data, and to design and program their own research projects.

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the methods of health economics and demonstrate how these methods can be applied to analyse issues in health policy and management. This course will teach the student to use economic analysis to understand critical issues in health care and health policy. Topics covered include the institutions of the Australian system of health care and health statistics, evaluation techniques, production of health, demand for health care and technology, moral hazard and adverse selection in health insurance markets, health labour markets, including physician-patient interactions, managed care, regulation and payment systems for providers, comparative health systems, the pharmaceutical industry, health policy and social insurance.

Study of a special topic in Economics. Topics will vary from semester to semester according to staff availablity and the presence of visitors. If taught in both smesters, the topic in Semester 2 will be different to that of Semester 1.

Students wishing to undertake a Study Abroad program must enrol in this unit to receive credit for a unit equivalent to an ECON2000-level subject

Students wishing to undertake a Study Abroad program must enrol in this unit to receive credit for a unit equivalent to an ECON2000-level subject

Students wishing to undertake a Study Abroad program must enrol in this unit to receive credit for a unit equivalent to an ECON2000-level subject

Students wishing to undertake a Study Abroad program must enrol in this unit to receive credit for a unit equivalent to an ECON2000-level subject

ECOS3901 Advanced Microeconomics is the second course in the microeconomics sequence in the Economics Honours program. The goal of the course is to provide a working knowledge and understanding of the most powerful methods of analysis and discourse in modern microeconomic theory. We build on the foundations of ECOS2901 and ECOS2903 to continue progress toward the frontier of microeconomics.

ECOS3902 Advanced Macroeconomics is a third year honours course in macroeconomics. Its main objective is to develop a framework for thinking about macroeconomic questions. This course is designed for the students enrolled in the Economics Honours stream. ECOS2901, ECOS2902, ECOS2903 and ECOS3901 are prerequisites and the corequisite is ECOS3903, unless you have received an exemption from it.

This unit is designed to provide students with estimation techniques frequently used in applied microeconomics. It will mainly cover cross section and panel data methods. Various empirical topics in labour economics, international trade, etc., will be discussed.

To complete the requirement for Economics (Honours), students need to complete six semester-length options from a list of options offered and complete a thesis. The list of options available may vary from year to year, but usually include advanced macroeconomics, advanced microeconomics, development economics, economic classics, industrial economics, international economics, labour economics, and public economics. Candidates must enrol in ECON4102, ECON4103 and ECON4104 to complete the honours year.

see ECON4101

see ECON4101

see ECON4101

This unit provides an introduction to basic concepts in corporate finance and their application to (1) valuation of risky assets including stocks, bonds and entire corporations, (2) pricing of equity securities, and (3) corporate financial policy decisions including dividend, capital structure and risk management policies. An emphasis is placed on the application of ideas and current practices in each of these areas.

This unit builds on FINC2011 Corporate Finance I, by extending basic concepts in corporate financing, investing and risk management. The first half of the unit is devoted to current theories of corporate financing and their practical application in corporate investment and capital budgeting. The second half of the unit examines securities and securities markets with an emphasis on pricing, investment characteristics and, importantly, their use by corporations to manage risk. The securities examined include: bonds and related fixed income products; futures; options; and securities denominated in foreign currencies. The goal of the unit is to broaden students' knowledge of corporate finance in preparation for further study in finance in third year.

The principle objective of this unit is to introduce students to the basic elements of mathematical finance. Students are exposed to key areas in the modern theory of finance and corporate financial policy with specific emphasis on their development and treatment from mathematical and statistical foundations. The unit provides necessary mathematical background. Topics that are introduced from a more mathematical perspective include: principles of modern financial valuation and analysis; asset pricing theory and market efficiency; theory of portfolio selection and management; and measurement and management of financial risk.

This unit develops the conceptual and theoretical foundations of modern finance theory. Students are asked to understand and critique existing theories and to see their connections with other disciplines and with financial industry developments.

Markets are increasingly globalised. There are very few businesses or industries that are not required to deal with issues such as foreign currency, foreign competition and direct investment. This unit is designed to allow students to extend their understanding of basic principles in finance to an international environment. Globalisation of markets introduces risks but also opens up profitable opportunities. Topics covered include: foreign currency valuation and markets; international parity conditions; measuring and managing foreign exposure; international portfolio management; capital budgeting and foreign direct investment; international tax management and international financing strategy.

Options, futures and swaps are derivatives of underlying securities such as commodities, equities and bonds. These types of securities are increasingly used to manage risk exposure and as a relatively low-cost-way of taking a position in a security or portfolio. They are also being used as part of senior management compensation as a way of attempting to align the interests of shareholders with that of management. This unit is designed to provide an introduction to this important area of finance without requiring a high level of mathematical sophistication. However, a strong quantitative base is an advantage.

This unit will provide: an understanding of the economic and strategic drivers of corporate restructuring activity and their use in the design and analysis of restructuring transactions. Understanding of the evaluation of outcomes from restructuring transactions, both the theory based explanations and the empirical tests of the theories. It will develop the ability to identify synergies in a restructuring transaction and use Discounted Cash Flow methods to assign a value to these benefits. A detailed understanding of the design and economic impacts of deal structures used to effect corporate restructuring transactions. A detailed awareness of the process of merger arbitrage and its contribution to outcome of restructuring transactions. An appreciation of the regulatory environment for restructuring transactions and the impact of these regulations on the process and outcomes of restructuring transactions.

This unit is concerned with the processes which turn orders into trades in securities markets, and the forces which mould and affect both order flow and order execution. The unit is an introduction to some fundamental market design and structure ideas. At the end of the unit, students should be able to understand (1) how the international markets for foreign exchange, swaps, bonds and equities are organised, (2) how trading is conducted in these markets and how these transactions are cleared, (3) how the markets are regulated, if they are supervised and what risks different counterparties face in these markets. The unit aims to equip students to independently analyse international investment and financing alternatives and to estimate expected returns and costs taking into account liquidity risk, price volatility and credit risk.

This unit applies all aspects of finance theory to the general problem of valuing companies and other financial assets. This requires a synthesis of the concepts of present value, cost of capital, security valuation, asset pricing models, optimal capital structures and some related accounting concepts. The subject aims to reach a level of practical application that allows students to understand both the theoretical frameworks and institutional conventions of real world corporate valuations.

This unit is designed to provide a comprehensive analytical approach to the modern theory of investments. Topics covered include: the valuation of bonds and stocks; mean-variance analysis; Markowitz type portfolio analysis; duration and convexity analysis; term structure of interest rates; option pricing; portfolio insurance; performance evaluation; and forecasting. Basic statistics and probability concepts are reviewed at the beginning to ensure that all students have adequate understanding. Although analytical aspects of investments theory are stressed, there is also an equal amount of emphasis on the intuitive as well as practical aspects of the subject.

The central objective of this unit is to expose students to the basic principles of commercial bank management. The topics that are covered include: the theory and practice of banking from a financial management perspective; banks and the financial services industry; regulatory restrictions and financial management; performance analysis and strategic planning; asset management and liquidity; investment and loan management; liability and deposit management; capital structure and dividend decisions; and financial management implications of electronic banking, international banking, and other developments.

This unit deals with more advanced aspects of information transfers between interested parties and modelling of corporate issues such as productivity, remuneration and value.

The unit considers who trades, why they trade and how trading takes place. It examines how technology and regulatory changes affect trading behaviour. The unit introduces students to market microstructure research. By studying and critiquing the academic literature, students become familiar with the research questions which have examined and research methods used. This allows students to develop the necessary skills to design and undertake their own research projects in the honours year.

The honours program in Finance is directed at producing extremely high quality graduates who are capable of undertaking research in finance, either via an advanced research degree at the Master's or PhD level or in the financial community in technical/research-related positions requiring both a high level of analytical skills and an ability to work independently. Graduates are highly sought by investment banking, stockbroking, funds management and management consulting firms. Actual offerings in any year depend on staff availability. With approval, the equivalent of a semester unit can be taken from other disciplines or faculties. Students are required to write a research report in the style of an academic article but with a more extensive literature review. Candidates are encouraged to undertake research of an original nature and of publishable quality. Typically the subject areas relate to securities market micro-structure, investments and corporate finance, as these are the areas in which the Discipline has expertise and supervisory skills.
Students who have completed majors in both Finance and Accounting, Finance and Econometrics, Finance and Economics or Finance and Marketing, and who are eligible to undertake fourth year honours programs in at least one discipline area of their two majors, may be eligible to undertake joint honours programs, subject to the approval of the Honours Coordinator in both disciplines. Candidates must enrol in FINC4102, FINC4103 and FINC4104 to complete the honours year.

See FINC4101

See FINC4101

See FINC4101

The aim of this unit of study is to understand how international firms win and lose in global competition. Major topics include building corporate capabilities and competencies for competitive advantage; optimal strategies for international business competition; dealing with different market structures and government policies; choosing between equity and non-equity alliances, licensing and joint ventures; understanding the differences in economic, political and legal environments; challenges of operating in emerging economies; managing across borders, including selecting effective types of MNEs and subsidiaries; managerial decision-making and internal MNE organisational design; and management of global networks.

Critical to effective management in international and multi-cultural business environments is an understanding of cultural differences and how to manage such differences. The aim of this unit of study is to provide conceptual frameworks and evidence from practice that will develop an understanding of the ways in which cultures differ, how these differences can impact on management, and how cultural issues can limit organisational effectiveness. Strategies for managing and relatively harnessing cultural differences are also evaluated. Major topics include the significance of culture in international management; the meaning and dimensions of culture; comparative international management styles; managing communication across cultures; ethics and social responsibility in global management; cross-cultural negotiation and decision-making; managing global teams; culture and international leadership; and developing the international and global manager.

The formation and implementation of successful global business strategies involves alliances with a range of stakeholders including international customers and suppliers, overseas agents, international franchisors and franchisees, international joint venture partners, and international merger relationships. The aim of this unit of study is to provide conceptual frameworks and evidence from practice that will develop an understanding of the motivations underlying international alliances, the alternative approaches to alliance formulation and development, and the problems involved in promoting effective alliance management. Major topics include the motivations for international business alliances, analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of alliances, factors influencing the choice of alliance arrangements, alliance structure issues, partners selection and relationship management, the reasons why alliances succeed or fail, and the management of alliance processes.

This unit is designed to introduce students to the nature of risk management, particularly the identification of risk, its analysis and consequences for international business actors. Emphasis is placed on surveying some of the environments that can potentially generate risk, how these risks can impact various aspects of market composition and market participation, the integrity of business actors and their profitability and viability. The business environments surveyed include the international financial system, government and regulation of business activity, compliance risk, corporate social responsibility and activism, as well as issues associated with country and political risk.

Developing entrepreneurial and innovative businesses is very different to managing large established businesses especially in a global context. In addition to exploring the special problems (and advantages) associated with entrepreneurial small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the course will bring together the skills you have acquired across many disciplines. In this unit, you will develop a funding proposal for a real technology, invention or design and pitch that to a panel of potential investors. Topics include international entrepreneurship theory, opportunity recognition and selection, developing an innovative business strategy, and sourcing appropriate finance (whether angel, venture capital, debt or corporate investment). Central to this course is the integration of theory and practice through workshop sessions, group work, and talks from industry professionals.

To be able to succeed in international business, both corporations and individuals need broad decision-making abilities. Business decision-making tools yield more coherent and justifiable results when used with an understanding of the ethical, social and environmental aspects of the process. This applies to various situations in the international business setting including business relations with government, customers, employees, and NGOs. Using a case study approach, this unit is designed to look at these non-financial elements in the decisions made within the international business context. Following the completion of this unit, students will have enhanced skills and knowledge relevant to the development and management of international business organisations.

The special project in International Business provides students with an opportunity to undertake a supervised reading and research project on an approved topic. Special projects will be undertaken depending on the availability of appropriate staff expertise. Special projects may also be organised by the Discipline to include the opportunity to travel in a group to another country and conduct various case studies in international business. The focus will vary each year based on the specific country and industry focus. As well as being of interest to those intending to work internationally, the unit of study will be appropriate for students intending to work in 'big' business as well as smaller entrepreneurial enterprises.

The purpose of this course is to help you understand the theory of negotiation as it is practiced in a variety of strategic settings. The aim is to help you feel more comfortable and confident with the negotiation process. The course is designed to be relevant to the broad spectrum of negotiation problems that are faced by managers but we use specific examples from international strategy such as M&A and joint ventures. The course will provide participants with an opportunity to develop skills experientially and to understand negotiation in useful analytic frameworks. Considerable emphasis will be placed on role-playing exercises and case studies.

IBUS4101 studies the recent theoretical and applied literature in international business and management strategy. Topics are organised around four key research themes:
(i) the boundaries of the multinational enterprise;
(ii) internal organizational design and structure;
(iii) location decisions;
(iv) and competitive dynamics.
Specific topics include the critique of theoretical models in international business, including new institutional economics, internalization, transaction cost, resource, path dependency, contracting and dynamic capability-learning approaches; the relationship between the new trade theory, increasing return models and theories of the MNE, including location tournament and clustering; the organizational design of non-equity and equity strategic alliances, including the nature of headquarters-subsidiary relations; investment incentives and country impact of foreign direct investment; and competitive and strategic interaction of multinational enterprises. Candidates must enrol in IBUS4101, IBUS4102, IBUS4103, and IBUS4104 to complete the Honours year.

Honours study in International Business is directed at the development of the analytical and conceptual skills required to conduct independent research in the field. The focus of this unit is on understanding research methodologies, the design of a research project and preparation of a research proposal. In addition students undertake Special Topics in International Business (IBUS4101) and the Seminar in International Business (IBUS4103). Candidates must enrol in IBUS4101, IBUS4102, IBUS4103, and IBUS4104 to complete the Honours year.

IBUS4103 is a seminar required of students undertaking their Honours year in International Business. The seminar builds on the work in IBUS4101 and considers selected issues of current importance in the field, including work related to the research of members of the discipline and recently published cases. In addition topics may be adjusted to reflect student interests and needs. Because of the focus on current issues, the research of members of the discipline, and the interests of current students, topics covered will vary from year to year. We would normally expect to deal with current issues in the following areas: (i)The link between firm structure and international strategy; (ii) Analysis of changes in the international operating environment; (iii) Current studies of entry modes and alliances; (iv) Issues in international risk management; (v) Issues in cross cultural management; (vi) Ethical issues in international management. In addition to in-class discussion, the seminar will require a series of short papers analysing works of particular interest to individual students. Candidates must enrol in IBUS4101, IBUS4102, IBUS4103, and IBUS4104 to complete the Honours year.

Honours study in International Business is directed at the development of the analytical and conceptual skills required to conduct independent research in the field. The primary focus of this unit is the conduct of research and the writing of a thesis of some 15 to 20,000 words. In addition students undertake Special Topics in International Business (IBUS4101) and the Seminar in International Business (IBUS4103). Candidates must enrol in IBUS4101, IBUS4102, IBUS4103, and IBUS4104 to complete the Honours year.

This unit examines the relationships among marketing organisations and final consumers in terms of production-distribution channels or value chains. It focuses on consumer responses to various marketing decisions (product mixes, price levels, distribution channels, promotions, etc.) made by private and public organisations to create, develop, defend, and sometimes eliminate, product markets. Emphasis is placed on identifying new ways of satisfying the needs and wants, and creating value for consumers. While this unit is heavily based on theory, practical application of the concepts to "real world" situations is also essential. Specific topics of study include: market segmentation strategies; market planning; product decisions; new product development; branding strategies; channels of distribution; promotion and advertising; pricing strategies; and customer database management.

Fundamental to marketing is a requirement to understand who your customers are and what they want. Marketing research is the essential activity of discovering information and presenting it in a useful format to marketing decision makers. This unit introduces the skills and knowledge necessary to allow students to accurately formulate research questions and then discover answers ensuring that these are accurate, reliable and timely. Particular focus is given to different approaches to and aspects of data collection, including: qualitative research; secondary data collection; questionnaire design; sampling; experimental design; validity and basic data analysis.

This unit of study will introduce students to Marketing Channels and Logistics and demonstrate the range of ways in which these important functions complement each other. For example, Marketing focuses on managing and enhancing perceived value from the customer viewpoint, while Logistics focuses on achieving cost-efficient delivery mechanisms. Companies prosper when customers perceive high value and the company achieves this at lowest cost. The unit will address key marketing channels and logistics topics such as, the roles and interface between the marketing and logistics functions within the firm; value exchange (from both business and customer perspective); delivering value through marketing channels and the retail interface. It will also familiarise students with managing relationships across the distribution chain; the role of logistics in the economy; logistics as value streams; order management and customer service; the management of inventory in logistics processes; and logistics, information technology and information systems.

This unit examines the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of consumer behaviour on the marketing decisions of public and private organisations. Concepts and principles are drawn from disciplines such as cognitive psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and demography to discover and understand various aspects of consumer behaviour. Specific topics of study include: cultural, demographic and psychographic influences; reference group influences; household decision processes and consumption behaviour; consumer perception and learning; motivation, personality and emotion; consumer attitudes; and purchase decision processes.

This unit of study offers an introduction to and overview of current theory and practice in marketing communications. It will include aspects of advertising in the main media (television, radio, print, outdoor, cinema), sales promotion, personal selling and new media, such as the Internet. It will provide students with a sound theoretical/conceptual foundation as well as the strategic/practical perspectives of Marketing Communications planning and implementation.

New products and services are crucial to successful growth and increased profits in many industries. The goal is to help students learn how to develop and market new products and services in both the private and public sectors. A product development assignment is carried out to reinforce the material covered and to provide realistic examples of how new products are designed, tested and launched.

This unit introduces students to international marketing using the marketing concept. It firstly considers environmental factors and then studies how marketing strategies are affected by those environmental factors. It gives students an awareness and understanding of international marketing concepts and highlights their importance in a rapidly changing global economy. Additionally the unit develops students' skills in designing and implementing marketing strategies in diverse international contexts.

This unit provides an understanding of the concepts and processes specifically applicable to services marketing. Services are by nature different from products, and therefore lead to a set of different marketing challenges faced by service-based organisations such as those in tourism, hospitality, health care, aviation, banking, financial, accounting, medical and legal services industries. The unit focuses on those aspects of services that require differential understanding and execution than in a product-marketing environment. Customer care, relationship marketing, and how to use service as a competitive advantage are the other primary areas of interest covered by the unit

This course will focus on strategic and managerial aspects of marketing. It will cover the development of innovative, business models; segmentation, positioning and lifecycle strategies; and key aspects of managing and organising marketing activities, and measuring performance. The central theme is how marketing strategy and its management can create superior and sustainable value for both customers and shareholders. Assessment will reflect the Unit's strategic decision-making approach, requiring students to take on the roles of marketing advisors and managers.

Every organisation in the public and private sector makes use of public relations in some form or another. Indeed, for many organisations and marketing professionals, the marketing function is dominated by a mix of advertising, integrated marketing communications and public relations. This subject develops the theoretical and applied knowledge for students to better understand and use public relations. This subject provides a detailed inspection of communication processes necessary for the management of organizational relationships with publics by public relations practitioners. The subject addresses topics such as issues management, event management, media relations, ethics and public relations in commercial and not for profit entities to explore the foundations of contemporary public relations management.

The most important intangible asset of any organisation is its brand or portfolio of brands. Marketers use an array of internal and external communications approaches to deliver the brand's overall value proposition and experience to its key stakeholders and target customers, and thereby build brand equity. Names, symbols, and slogans along with their underlying associations, perceived quality, brand awareness, customer base and related proprietary resources form the basis for brand equity. Most brands fail because of the lack of proper market research and analysis that enables the brand's core values to be articulated, accurate positioning strategies to be developed, and complete alignment to be achieved between internal and external brand building communications. This unit helps students understand the concept of brand equity and the management of brand assets by learning how to strategically create, position, develop and sustain brand equity.

Most organisations use advertising to introduce themselves, their products and services to their existing and potential customers. Advertising is their public face and together with integrated marketing communications and public relations is one of the three pillars of commercial communication. This subject explores the creative material that is developed and produced to contact, inform, educate and influence consumer decisions. Advertising is the point where communication theory is put into practice. Through understanding the creative principles and practices of advertising personnel involved in marketing will be able to commission, evaluate and produce creative material to professional industry standards. The subject addresses topics such as the importance of creativity; messaging issues, determining consumer insights; the creative potential and purpose of different media; developing creative concepts; determining the advertising idea; producing the final creative material and taking it to the marketplace.

The honours program in Marketing provides specialist training for postgraduate research in marketing, and provides graduates with the analytical skills for solving problems in marketing practice. The program consists of one coursework unit and a two-semester dissertation, written under the supervision of one or more academic staff members. Marketing Honours A and B involve an expert led series of research seminars which prepares students with the requisite skills to complete their dissertation. In addition, these seminars provide students with research skills that can be applied in either an academic or commercial context.

Marketing Honours B represents the second part of the semester 1 seminar series. It will guide students as they find and narrow down a thesis topic and will help them prepare for the thesis proposal presentation.

Marketing Honours C and D provide students with the opportunity to plan, conduct and report on their chosen dissertation topics. Students work closely under their supervisor's) to complete this exciting challenging research project. The honours dissertation is expected to be a high quality piece of research, of sufficient standard to be published independently in either marketing journals or conference proceedings.

Marketing Honours C and D provide students with the opportunity to plan, conduct and report on their chosen dissertation topics. Students work closely under their supervisor's) to complete this exciting challenging research project. The honours dissertation is expected to be a high quality piece of research, of sufficient standard to be published independently in either marketing journals or conference proceedings.

This unit provides an introduction to basic statistics and its applications in economics and business disciplines. Topics include: methods for data management; analysis and interpretation of data; probability; the normal distribution; an introduction to sampling theory and hypothesis testing; and the concepts of regression analysis. A key component is the provision of instruction and experience in the use of computers and statistical software as an aid in the analysis of data. Students are expected to use data resources on the World Wide Web, retrieve data and analyse this data using Excel.

This unit broadens the knowledge gained in the unit, ECMT1010 Business and Economic Statistics A by introducing further tools (and their applications) for use in economics, finance, marketing and accounting. This unit features practical applications. Possible topics include: further aspects of hypothesis testing including goodness-of-fit models; regression analysis including a brief introduction to logit models, time series and its applications to economics and finance; input-output analysis; index numbers and mathematics of finance. The material is further complemented by mathematical topics including matrices and partial differentiation. In addition, students are expected to use data resources on the World Wide Web, retrieve data and analyse this data using Excel.

Students undertaking this unit have some background in basic statistics including an introduction to regression analysis. Using this knowledge as a base, an extensive discussion of basic regression theory and some of its extensions is provided. The unit covers how linear regression models can be applied to data to estimate relationships, to forecast, and to test hypotheses that arise in economics and business. Guidelines for using econometric techniques effectively are discussed and students are introduced to the process of model building. It is essential that the discussion of regression modelling be complemented with practice in analysing data. An important task is the computing component using econometric software.

Data that are qualitative or discrete present particular problems for data analysts. What influences an individual to work part-time rather than full-time, or use public transport rather than drive to work, or to choose one brand of detergent over another? Why do certain firms choose a particular accounting procedure over another? In these examples of modelling choice data, standard linear regression models are inappropriate. This unit considers the specification, estimation and use of statistical models that are necessary to analyse such questions. These may include the logit, probit and multinomial logit models. Special emphasis is placed on illustrating the appropriate application of such models using case studies and data drawn from marketing, accounting, finance and economics.

Over the last decade econometric modelling of financial data has become an important part of the operations of merchant banks and major trading houses and a vibrant area of employment for econometricians. This unit provides an introduction to some of the widely used econometric models for financial data and the procedures used to estimate them. Special emphasis is placed upon empirical work and applied analysis of real market data. Topics covered may include the statistical characteristics of financial data, the specification, estimation and testing of asset pricing models, the analysis of high frequency financial data, and the modelling of volatility in financial returns.

Management science is an approach to decision making that is suitable in areas where the manager has little experience or where the problem for decision is complex. It provides an effective decision-making approach to problems important enough to justify the time and effort of quantitative analysis. This unit considers modelling in areas that practising managers might encounter in their roles as decision makers. The intended outcome of the unit is to increase the effectiveness of management decision making. The focus throughout is on practical solutions using readily available spreadsheet software. Topics may include resource allocation, capacity planning, logistics, and project planning.

The course is focused on economic and statistical models of decision analysis and their application in large and small business settings, as well as in a public policy framework. It will be shown how use of the models can improve the decision process by helping the decision-maker understand the structure of the decision; incorporate subjective probabilities as a way to portray risk; measure outcomes in a way that is consistent with attitudes toward risk; and understand the value of information. The importance of sensitivity analysis will be emphasised, as well as the need to combine both quantitative and qualitative considerations in decision-making. Cases will be drawn from small business scenarios, the public policy arena, and corporate settings.

The 'operations' of a company or organisation are the direct processes that a company uses to create value, and operations management is the task of managing these processes. This unit is about the fundamentals of operations management, covering both service industries and manufacturing. As a graduate working in the business sector you will certainly be exposed to operations issues - this unit will equip you to approach these issues intelligently, whether or not your role is within the operations function. One focus of the unit will be on processes: considering process organisation, process capacity, and customer service implications. A second focus of the unit will be on the supply chain, looking at the control of inventory and the connections between supply chain partners. We will also consider what it means to have high quality operations and how this can be achieved: both through statistical quality control techniques and the use of lean operations ideas.

This unit extends methods of estimation and testing developed in association with regression analysis to cover econometric models involving special aspects of behaviour and of data. In particular, motivating examples are drawn from dynamic models, panel data and simultaneous equation models. In order to provide the statistical tools to be able to compare alternative methods of estimation and testing, both small sample and asymptotic properties are developed and discussed.

Econometric theory provides techniques to quantify the strength and form of relationships between variables. Applied Econometrics is concerned with the appropriate use of these techniques in practical applications in economics and business. General principles for undertaking applied work are discussed and necessary research skills developed. In particular, the links between econometric models and the underlying substantive knowledge or theory for the application are stressed. Topics will include error correction models, unit roots and cointegration and models for cross section data, including limited dependent variables. Research papers involving empirical research are studied and the unit features all students participating in a group project involving econometric modelling.

The need to forecast or predict future values of economic time series arises frequently in many branches of applied economic and commercial work. It is, moreover, a topic which lends itself naturally to econometric and statistical treatment. The specific feature which distinguishes time series from other data is that the order in which the sample is recorded is of relevance. As a result of this, a substantial body of statistical methodology has developed. This unit provides an introduction to methods of time series analysis and forecasting. The material covered is primarily time domain methods designed for a single series and includes the building of linear time series models, the theory and practice of univariate forecasting and the use of regression methods for forecasting. Throughout the unit a balance between theory and practical application is maintained.

This unit develops the econometric models and methods employed for the analysis of data arising from the financial markets. It extends and complements the material covered in ECMT2130. The unit will cover econometric models that have proven useful for the analysis of both time series and cross-sectional financial data over the last two decades. Modern statistical methodology will be introduced for the estimation of such models. The econometric models and associated methods of estimation will be applied to the analysis of a number of financial datasets. Students will be encouraged to undertake hands on analysis using an appropriate computing package. Topics covered include continuous time diffusions for financial returns, discrete time financial time series, modelling conditional volatility, multivariate financial econometric models, the econometrics of financial derivatives, modelling of high frequency financial data and contemporary asset pricing. The focus of the unit will be in the econometric models and methods that have been developed recently in the area of financial econometrics.

This unit provides an accessible foundation in the principles of probability and mathematical statistics that underlie the statistical techniques employed in the fields of econometrics and management science. These principles are applied to various modelling situations and decision making problems in business and economics.

This unit provides an introduction to modern computationally intensive estimation methodology, its implementation and application for the estimation of econometric models. A key component of the unit will be the instruction in a programming language, and its use to implement computational econometric methods. The computational methods of estimation include Bayesian sampling scheme based approaches and other iterative algorithms for estimation of parameters in complex econometric models.

This unit presents formulation guidelines for management science models to provide practical assistance to managerial decision making. Optimisation methods are developed so the complexity and limitations of optimisation model categories can be accounted for in model selection and in the interpretation of results. Linear programming methods are developed and extended to cover variations in the management context to logistics, networks, and strategic planning. Decision analysis and competitive structures including hierarchy structures complete a rounded program for managerial application. The unit covers a variety of case studies incorporating commercial research processes for decision support.

A project is a set of activities that together achieve a particular purpose and need to be carried out within a given time frame with a limited set of resources. Each project is unique and often complex. The challenges of planning and managing projects arise from the complexity and uncertainty that characterise projects. As a graduate working in business you will almost certainly find yourself involved in project teams, and at some stage or another you are likely to take on project management responsibilities. This unit gives an introduction to the planning and management of projects looking at the problems of defining projects; network techniques for project planning and control; methods for estimating activity durations; resource constraints; and modelling methods to understand the impact of uncertainty. At the same time as discussing the techniques of project management, the unit will also use case studies to discuss some of the challenges that project managers face.

The honours year provides basic professional expertise in the general area of econometrics through instruction in advanced theory, and experience in independent research. Honours students are required to (a) complete four semester units of instruction, (b) submit a dissertation not exceeding 65 A4 pages of typescript, and (c) attend and participate in Discipline research seminars. The dissertation topic must be approved by the Discipline and progress reports are to be presented every semester. Candidates must enrol in ECMT4101, ECMT4102, ECMT4103 and ECMT4104 to complete the Honours degree. Please consult the discipline website for details before enrolling in honours.

See ECMT4101

See ECMT4101

See ECMT4101

The honours year provides basic professional expertise in the general area of Management Decision Sciences, through instruction in advanced theory and experience in independent research. Honours students are required to (a) complete four semester units of instruction, (b) submit a dissertation not exceeding 65 A4 pages of typescript, and (c) attend and participate in Discipline research seminars. The dissertation topic must be approved by the Discipline and progress reports are to be presented every semester. Students should consult the discipline website before enrolling in honours in Management Decision Sciences.

See ECMT4601

See ECMT4601

See ECMT4601

This unit draws on concepts from industrial relations and human resource management to examine the interests and strategies of workers, unions, managers, employers and the state. It explores the relationships between these parties as they seek to manage their environments and workplaces and to exercise control over each other. The unit enables students to understand how and why the organisation, regulation and management of work are changing in Australia and globally. As well as providing an introduction to all aspects of the study of the employment relationship, this is the foundation unit for a major in industrial relations and human resource management.

This unit serves both as a stand-alone unit for students who wish to obtain an overview of management methods and approaches and as the basis of study for advanced and specialised undergraduate units listed in the Management major. It examines management as a process of planning, organising, leading and controlling the efforts of organisational members and discusses how recent trends such as globalisation, economic change and the effects of new technology have led to profound changes in how organisations are managed. It explores these issues with respect to both large and small, public and private, and domestic and foreign organisations.

This unit introduces the institutions and processes of Australian industrial relations with an emphasis on laws, institutions and social processes. It combines theoretical and historical understandings of Australian industrial relations with a detailed examination of the current problems and strategies of the key industrial relations players. The topics studied include: the regulatory framework of industrial relations; policies of federal and state governments; the history and policies of unions and employer associations; the practices of Australia's arbitral tribunals; the development of wage determination; and emerging patterns of dispute resolution and bargaining.

This unit begins with a brief introduction to sociology as a field of study and to the organising principles of Australian and other societies in a global context. The focus of the unit is on patterns of change and stability in the structure of work and how work is experienced, with an emphasis on the organisational and occupational foundations of working life. Bureaucratic and flexible forms of work organisation are considered, as well as the sociological characteristics of a range of occupational groups. Macro-sociological issues such as the relationship between work and other institutions such as the family and education are considered, as well as the micro-sociological foundations of relations at work.

Building on the foundational coverage of Human Resource Management (HRM) issues and concepts provided in WORK1003, this unit provides an advanced understanding of key HRM concepts, processes and practices, including the employee psychological contract; engagement, motivation and satisfaction; recruitment and selection; learning and development; career planning and development; mentoring and coaching, performance management; reward management; high involvement management, employee wellbeing; HRM and ethics; international HRM; and HRM system evaluation and change. The unit's 'micro'/psychological focus is designed to complement and support the 'macro'/strategic focus taken in the advanced elective unit WORK2211 Human Resource Strategies.

This unit examines the legal framework with respect to labour relations in Australia. In particular it examines the scope of industrial law, the employment relationship, the Federal-State division of legislative power in industrial relations and the industrial arbitration systems, courts tribunals and awards. Current developments in the law and politics of the systems will be referred to throughout the course.

The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the actual processes and structures that influence the way people behave in organisations. It examines different approaches beginning with the individual (micro) level through to the organisational (macro) level. It takes students through a range of topics including attitudes, perceptions, organisational citizenship, workaholism, humour at work, rumour/gossip, romance/sex in organisations, bullying and violence, group dynamics, organisational power and politics and organisational culture. At the end of the unit students have developed the ability to reason, debate and critically examine a range of topical organisational issues.

The aim of this unit is to critically examine the concept of strategy in the management of organisations. It examines different approaches to strategy and strategic management and traces the development of strategic management as an academic discipline. It takes students though the classical strategic management process as it is presented in most textbooks and it also introduces students to a range of current debates in strategic management. This unit can be taken as a stand alone introduction to strategy or as part of a broader program of study in management.

This unit examines the links between human resource management and strategic management in different kinds of organisations, both in Australia and overseas. It provides a critical and in-depth analysis of the human resource management theories, paying particular attention to the concepts of strategy, people management and organisational performance. The unit considers contemporary and controversial issues in human resource management, which may include downsizing, outsourcing, knowledge management, governance and social responsibility.

This unit is intended to go some way towards bridging the gap between theory and professional life. The unit examines the theoretical basis of labour negotiation. It goes on to examine the process of bargaining drawing upon both literature and experience of industrial relations and human resource management practitioners. The process of advocacy and role of advocacy in Australian industrial relations is also examined. Much of the unit is devoted to role-play negotiation exercises where students apply the techniques that have been taught. Students also undertake a period of work experience.

This unit considers the opportunities and challenges associated with managing employees in international and cross-cultural contexts, with specific emphasis on international recruitment, selection, preparation, placement, management development, performance management, reward and remuneration in the international, multi-national and trans-national corporation. Within the context of global labour markets, the unit considers the implications of internationalisation and globalisation for human resource management (HRM), the difference between domestic and international HRM, and the challenges of cross-cultural management. This unit will provide students with a theoretical understanding of IHRM and cross-cultural management, as well as a practical understanding of the issues and challenges associated with managing employees in international, global and cross-cultural contexts.

Contemporary organisations are characterised by a high degree of change. One of the most pervasive, and widely debated, changes in organisations has been the growing use of various forms of teamwork. Contemporary forms of teamwork include project based teams, virtual teams, and self managing teams and are found across a broad spectrum of organisational types- from manufacturing to professional service organisations. This unit of study introduces students to theories about the impact of individual, group and organisational factors on people and organisations and uses these concepts and theories to examine the factors that can make working in and managing teams more effective. As such, People and Organisations is designed to provide students majoring in Business insight into a set of critical issues that will impact their professional and business careers. Because of the increasing significance of teamwork, this unit of study also provides an important foundation for further study in Management and Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.

Ethical issues are occupying an increasingly prominent place in work, organisation and management studies. This unit of study focuses on ethical aspects of management and organisational practice. By applying relevant ethical frameworks, students will be encouraged to enhance their understanding of the role and responsibilities of management, the impact of organisations on employees and the ethical implications of contemporary trends in employment. This unit builds on foundational units of study in Management, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.

Knowledge management is designed to increase the ability of firms to exploit knowledge as a resource. However designing and acknowledging strategies to exploit knowledge does little to advance our understanding of the characteristics of knowledge work or the challenges it throws up for management. This subject aims to ground abstract notions of knowledge and knowledge management within an understanding of the different behavioural and organisational contexts of workplaces. The unit analyses the meaning of knowledge and knowledge work and recognizes the importance of knowledge management as a response to wider changes in contemporary advanced economies.

Communication is integral to many organisational processes; for instance, effective planning, decision-making, negotiation, conflict management, change management and leadership all rely upon effective communication by organisational actors. At the same time, organisational communication has become more complex due to increasing levels of diversity in the workplace and an increasing reliance on emergent and rapidly changing communication technologies. Drawing on communication research models, theories and case studies, the unit will provide students with insight into how to manage the complexities of contemporary organisational communication. The unit will focus primarily on internal organisational communication and will examine communication processes at various levels: interpersonal (dyadic), group and organisation.

Leadership is increasingly seen to be a key factor affecting the performance of contemporary organisations and is an important area of study in the fields of management and organisational behaviour. While leadership principles are often associated with the work of senior management, they also have potential application to all members of organisations. This unit explores conventional and alternative perspectives on leadership and also examines the practice of leadership in diverse organisational contexts. Practitioner perspectives, experiences and case studies of business leaders are also presented. The unit builds on foundational units of study in Management, IR and HRM and International Business.

In an era of globalisation, the regional and national prospects of welfare and growth are continuously contested. This course offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how work, workers, organisations and management are influenced by (and in turn influence) economic, social, cultural and organisational processes in an era of global capitalism. Applying three fundamental geographical concepts - place, space and scale - Work and Globalisation analyses the paradoxes and dilemmas which workers and managers face, the changing dynamic of the regulatory and industrial relations environment, and avenues and effects of worker action.

This unit forms part of the Work and Organisational Studies honours program. It introduces students to the roles of theory in science, particularly social sciences and examines the development of different models of theory development in the social sciences. The unit also examines a selection of different theoretical approaches to explaining work and organisations. This is done so by identifying several different issues or themes that have emerged in work and organisational studies and discussing the manner in which these themes have been studied and the consequent explanations that have emerged.

This unit seeks to develop the skills, practices and understandings necessary to undertake a research-based thesis in work and organisational studies. Students gain an understanding of the theoretical basis and design requirements of the main qualitative and quantitative approaches to research, as well as the techniques of questionnaire design, interviewing, observation and documentary analysis. There is an emphasis on the development of methodological expertise relevant to the students anticipated dissertation topic and the preparation of a viable research proposal.

The primary focus is on an original dissertation of approximately 20,000 words to be submitted at the end of Part B. In addition, students must undertake coursework as specified. Candidates must enrol in WORK4102, WORK4103 and WORK4104 to complete the honours year.

See WORK4101

See WORK4101

See WORK4101

This unit aims to enhance oral and written communication skills and in the process provide a greater understanding of the philosophy underlying academic discourse. Weekly classes are oriented around a progressive series of tasks which consider academic texts in context and require learners to understand, analyse and produce spoken and written texts appropriate to the context of academic English. The contextualisation of these tasks is the philosophical aspects of critical analysis. Themes, such as the difference between convention, fact, opinion and preference; deductive and inductive proof; validity and truth; evidence; and the ethics of persuasion, are the basis on which the skills are taught.

Many organisations are faced with fast-paced change. The ability of organisations to develop effective strategic responses to these changes has become central to their survival and success. While the traditional focus of the academic study of business strategy has been on the formulation process, more contemporary analyses suggest that, in a context of fast paced change, effective strategy is a product of well developed strategic thinking throughout the organisation and the ability to rapidly and effectively implement strategic change. This unit of study, which acts as a capstone unit for students undertaking a Bachelor of Commerce, focuses on these two key issues. The first section of the unit of study revisits some of the core economic concepts introduced to students in their first year of study and examines how they can be used to analyse the strategic challenges facing commercial organisations. The second section of the unit of study focuses on the implementation and management of strategic change. Drawing on research on organisational change and strategy implementation, it provides students with insights into the process of managing strategic change.