Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites: None

Unit Description:

This unit is a comprehensive introduction to the topic of leadership and professional development, addressing a broad range of issues ranging from personal leadership style, exploration of current and foundational leadership theory, through to change leadership in organisations.
You will build the knowledge, skills, self-awareness and confidence to effectively lead in a variety of settings. As you grow in understanding of the role of leading in organisations, you will also develop a deeper understanding of your own leadership capacity, style and developmental needs.

Learning outcomes:

• Examine current leader theory, thinking, and practices, the historical foundations underpinning them and the role of power and influence in motivating others
• Analyse what shapes you as a leader and what it means to be a principled and ethical leader focused on sustainable and socially responsible practices
• Display knowledge and self-awareness related to authentic leadership and the reflective practices that help to develop and sustain trustworthy leadership
• Exhibit working knowledge of the interplay between leadership and management and the associated responsibilities in assuring organisational purpose, values, vision, and goals are achieved
• Exhibit working knowledge of the interplay between leadership and management and the associated responsibilities in assuring organisational purpose, values, vision, and goals are achieved.

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites: None

Unit Description:

Project Management is an established practice for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specified goals and meet specified success criteria for a defined project. Project management is today an established profession driven by a range of best practice standards that are globally recognised. However, the major challenge of project management is to achieve all the project goals within the given constraints of scope, time, quality and budget. Through timetabled activities, personal study, and collaboration with your peers in syndicate work, this unit will equip you with the project management skills required to identify, explain and critically apply the key processes, terminology and concepts relevant to the project management life cycle – including AGILE methods and SCRUM. You will be able to execute independent research and exercise professional judgement in solving complex and ethical dilemmas including contemporary issues such as sustainability and environment. This unit will comprise weekly group synchronous and asynchronous discussions and case study analysis, together with formal assessments. Assessment tasks in this unit support your effective completion of the final MBA Capstone Project – students will be encouraged to consider how the learning outcomes for this unit will inform the continued development and final implementation of their project.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify and critically explain the processes involved in each stage of the project management life cycle
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of contemporary project management standards, terminology, principles and applications
• Determine and apply project management tools and techniques to plan, monitor and control a project to ensure successful project delivery
• Explain the internal and external roles, ethical and other responsibilities and present within project management teams
• Critique current trends in project management research and practice
• Synthesise and reinterpret a past or existing project using standard project management terminology and frames.

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites: None

Unit Description:

This unit focuses on the topic of leading people and change, which also encompasses the more traditional area of human resource management.
You will learn effective people management techniques to develop one of the primary investments a business makes, its people. You will explore what it takes to become a leader who improves workplace communication, prepares employees for success and influences productivity, ultimately creating a positive workplace culture set up to achieve its business goals.

Learning outcomes:

• Effectively assess personal emotional intelligence, communication style, approach to conflict, building relational trust and the impact on the ability to lead and manage people in an inspiring and transformative way
• Develop working knowledge of effective team dynamics including trust, communication, productive conflict, engagement, commitment and accountability leading to results
• Implement effective communication, coaching, and conflict resolution strategies including giving and receiving feedback, difficult conversations, influencing and negotiating, and related transformational leadership practices
• Demonstrate understanding of strategic human resource management whereby alignment of practices and policies related to recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention of people enable achievement of business goals
• Analyse key factors that influence people management strategies including organisational change, political influence, legal requirements, industry relationships, and related environmental factors

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites: None

Unit Description:

This unit covers the concepts, tools and techniques that managers use to make financial decisions in the contemporary business context. It is designed for the professional who will be using, rather than producing, accounting and financial information. Completion of the unit will raise your awareness of how businesses and corporate organisations make short- and long-term financial decisions.
You will learn the main responsibilities of financial managers, types of business costs, budgets and management control, and assessment of financial statements. You will also learn how to evaluate projects, value financial securities, estimate the cost of capital and formulate capital structure and dividend policies.

Learning outcomes:

• Examine and describe the functions of a financial manager in contemporary businesses and within the current regulatory and legal context
• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of basic financial concepts such as revenue, cost and profit, and supporting calculations
• Critically evaluate the role and content of the four principal financial statements using effective strategies and apply accounting information for informed business decision making
• Understand and evaluate budgets and their impact on long- and short-term business decisions
• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of project evaluation and appraisal concepts and make investment decisions using appropriate capital budgeting techniques
• Demonstrate sound knowledge of the tools, methods and language used to evaluate corporate financial decisions related to capital structure and dividend policy aimed at maximising the value of the firm