Recommended Study Sequence

This unit is a survey of the marketing process, introducing students to the marketing concept, strategic and marketing planning, marketing research, consumer and customer behaviour, issues of market segmentation, targeting and positioning as well as all the elements of the marketing mix (product/service, pricing, distribution and marketing communication strategies).

The development of business skills in the form of the application of information collection, analysis and evaluation, logical reasoning skills and communication skills relevent to business and economic issues.

This unit provides an opportunity for students to engage with the dynamics of the management of organisations. Students will be introduced to the connection between the way work and systems are organised and managed and their impact on individuals and societies. This is achieved by using case based opportunities to examine real life contexts. This is an essential unit for business students that can be taken by any student needing a broad initial understanding of management.

For information on this unit please contact the Unit Coordinators: Sharon Taylor (Blacktown and Campbelltown Campuses) and Jean McCartney (Parramatta Campus). This unit provides exposure to financial and management accounting information from a user viewpoint. The unit aims to provide breadth of awareness and knowledge in relevant fields of accounting essential to decision making for managers.

Organisational Behaviour focuses on people in the work place, what motivates them, their attitudes, and how they interact with others. The effects of different communication and types of conflict are also examined. The unit focuses on the individual and group processes of organisational behaviour. Students will also gain an understanding of the importance of research in what might be classified as the non-tangibles in organisational effectiveness. This unit aims to develop personal and interpersonal skills of prospective managers for working in contemporary organisational settings.

This is an introductory law unit designed to introduce the fundamentals of law in a commercial context. The unit introduces students to the basic principles of law and the legal system as well as examining some of the major areas of law that impact on commercial dealings. This unit examines the structure of the legal system, the way law is made, legal reasoning and problem solving. The main areas of law covered include contracts, torts and agency.

This unit is an introduction to economic concepts and contemporary economic issues. It introduces students to basic concepts such as markets and their operation, the behaviour of firms, the efficiency and potential failings of free markets, the role of government, key macroeconomic variables and problems such as unemployment. It illuminates these concepts via application to contemporary economic issues and debates over different theoretical perspectives. This unit also exposes students to recent developments in economics via presentations by specialist guest lecturers.

This Level 1 unit introduces the basic concepts and techniques of statistics that are particularly relevant to problem solving in business. It also provides a sound base for more advanced study in statistics and forecasting in subsequent sessions. Topics include: presentation of data; descriptive statistics; the role of uncertainty in business decision making; hypothesis testing; and basic forecasting.

Introduction to Economic Methods will cover basic concepts in Mathematics and Statistics to help their understanding of subjects like accounting, management, marketing, finance, and economics. In addition, the analytical techniques, concepts and models that will be discussed in this unit will play a foundation role in a Business degree. Topics include: Use of summation signs; financial mathematics; differential calculus and its application in business; collection, analysis and interpretation of data using simple descriptive statistical methods; probability distributions, and hypothesis testing.

The Internet and WWW have recast the role of e-business systems in organizations and the management of these systems. Many organizations use web-based technologies to bring about fundamental changes in the way they interact with their suppliers and customers. It is becoming increasingly important to digitally enable the core business processes of their organization. A vital factor for successful e-business organizations is their ability to manage their core business processes and information resources. This unit covers e-business planning, strategies for managing information, knowledge and business networks in e-business, and strategic management for e-business systems including their connection to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, supply chain management systems (SCM) as well as customer relationship management systems (CRM).

This unit is designed for students interested in the processes undertaken by all organisations in providing products and services to customers. The purpose of this unit is to familiarise the student with the internal activities of manufacturing and service organisations as well as external activities to source, produce and distribute products and services. The unit considers both tactical and strategic considerations. The focus is on the complex global environment organisations now find themselves working within. This unit also considers the latest trends in logistics and operations management.

This unit provides an understanding of the concepts of quality management and equips students with tools and techniques for effective quality improvement in business organisations. It covers concepts of quality and total quality management; quality of design conformance and performance; planning for quality in the design of products, services and processes; tools for quality management; quality costs; quality system standards; and accreditation. The importance to quality improvement of culture, strategy, customer focus, leadership and teamwork is emphasised.

The unit focuses on the importance supply chain management has on the success and profitability of the contemporary organisation and the challenges faced in implementing an integrated supply chain management strategy. To help future managers achieve success in supply chain arena the unit articulates a framework for designing and implementing a high –impact supply chain. It introduces students to supply chain management field, activities comprising of logistics, the relationships within the supply chain, both tactical and strategic considerations such as integration and collaboration as well as transport and warehousing. Supply chain management is defined theoretically and practically and critical issues in designing a global supply chain network are discussed. Topics included in this unit are strategic procurement , supplier relationships, product development and order fulfilment, customer relationship management, information sharing , inventory management, enterprise resource planning , transportation and warehouse management and distribution networks, performance management. There will be several global case studies enabling students to understand the complexities of supply chain management.

This unit is designed to provide students the knowledge and skills required in understanding broader concepts of ERP systems and managing global logistics processes within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system environments. The unit introduces data, organisational structure, logistics related processes and the role of enablers in understanding global logistics operations and equips the students with basic decision-making tools, techniques and concepts. It also illustrates how technology can be utilized to better manage logistics across the global supply chain with emphasis on the effective use of data and information, coordination and integration of cross functional activities and processes etc towards achieving best practice performance levels.

This unit introduces students to project management and to the role of project management in organizations. Stages of the project lifestyle are considered in detail and all aspects of project management are covered following the approach recommended by the Australian Institute of Project Management. A range of projects is considered, including organisational change as a project, product development advertising and promotional campaigns, construction projects, IT projects, and the implementation of corporate strategy as a project. Because of the importance of project management to most organisations, the methods and techniques of managing projects from inception to completion is included. Project management skills are required by managers from all areas of management, accounting, economics, hospitality, hospital management, engineering, computing and law. As such this unit can be picked up by students from these varied areas and more as an elective to give them real skills to work successfully in a project environment and to accomplish project objectives.

This unit provides an understanding of technology management and productivity measurement/ improvement concepts at the enterprise level, and examines the necessary tools and techniques to acquire and implement technology, develop productivity improvement programs within global operations and supply chain context. Students also examine the interactions between technological change and competitiveness (productivity and other performance measurement systems) in a competitive business environment. The unit is relevant to managers or technologists with responsibilities for managing technological change.

This unit is structured as session-long, team-based projects and provides an opportunity for students to integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in units they have undertaken previously. Projects are selected by teams for approval by the unit coordinator (under special circumstances, approval may be given for projects to be undertaken on an individual basis). Students prepare a formal project proposal, which covers the problem to be addressed, the methodology to be used and the strategic plan for conduct of the project. The project culminates in the submission of a final report that includes appropriate outcomes and recommendations. Students also deliver a presentation based on their final report.

The purpose of this unit is to help students develop a range of skills and practical insights by presenting operations and logistics models in real world settings. The unit will provide a framework for researching a range of topics via primary and secondary sources. Students will analyse topics and discuss contemporary operations and logistics issues in a workshop environment. The unit will also provide a framework to assist students in researching and assessing trends. Overall, this unit has been designed to provide a more advanced holistic view of operations and logistics management.