Unit Type: AQF 8 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:

1. Examine current leader theory, thinking, and practices, the historical foundations underpinning them and the role of power and influence in motivating others
2. 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
3. Display knowledge and self-awareness related to authentic leadership and the reflective practices that help to develop and sustain trustworthy leadership
4. Exhibit working knowledge of the interplay between leadership and management and the associated responsibilities in assuring organisational purpose, values, vision, and goals are achieved
5. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the principles of adaptive leadership and related change management models including the interplay between organizational culture, structure, politics, and people in leading effective change

Unit Type: ACF 8 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:

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

Unit Type: ACF 8 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:

1. 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
2. Develop working knowledge of effective team dynamics including trust, communication, productive conflict, engagement, commitment and accountability leading to results
3. Implement effective communication, coaching, and conflict resolution strategies including giving and receiving feedback, difficult conversations, influencing and negotiating, and related transformational leadership practices
4. 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
5. Analyse key factors that influence people management strategies including organisational change, political influence, legal requirements, industry relationships, and related environmental factors

Unit Type: AQF 8 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:

1. Examine and describe the functions of a financial manager in contemporary businesses and within the current regulatory and legal context
2. Demonstrate knowledge of financial concepts such as revenue, cost and profit to analyse company working capital
3. Critically evaluate the role and content of the four principal financial statements using effective strategies and apply accounting information for informed business decision making
4. Understand and evaluate future cash flows and their impact on long- and short-term business decisions
5. Demonstrate a sound knowledge evaluation and appraisal concepts and make investment decisions using appropriate capital budgeting techniques
6. 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

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10

Unit Description:

Marketing Strategy in a Digital World explores how businesses can create and market value to ensure business success in today’s digital environment.
In this unit you will learn how to identify what customers need and prepare a compelling value proposition that satisfies that need. You’ll then communicate it effectively, using fundamental methods and digital technologies, as a product-based solution that takes in to account major trends occurring in the external environment and business capabilities.

Learning outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate the different forms markets take and identify and evaluate customers’ needs in a target market
2. Make research-informed recommendations to business clients that demonstrably satisfy customer needs
3. Evaluate and apply the principles of marketing to contemporary business scenarios and use economic theories to explain how firms set prices and allocate resources in those markets
4. Develop a communication plan that informs and educates internal and external stakeholders
5. Critically reflect on the ethical issues that the marketing discipline presents to business practitioners

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10

Unit Description:

The advent of Digital Transformation has radically changed both business processes and customer experience. This unit looks at the implications of these changes for both customer experience as well as for contemporary business practice. It takes a systems approach in analysing an integrated view of technologies, people, policy, and process. The unit emphasises the opportunities of utilisation of data, platforms, and ecosystems in business environments.

In this unit you will investigate the need for change in a continuing evolving global environment. You will also appreciate that digital transformation is largely business transformation with a digital lens, rather than a specific focus on technology. You will debate a framework of five essential elements of digital transformation. You will explore how to redefine customer experience in a digital world and explore the technique of journey mapping to reimagine both the customer and process journey.

You will explore key developing digital technologies and processes such as AI, the importance of data, blockchain and their implications for business development and strategy. You will also explore key elements driving digital transformation such as platforms and ecosystems, and why they are so essential in a digital world.

You will develop skills to plan and lead data-led digital transformation processes across the business. Digital processes are one thing, however as a leader you need to bring the entire organisation along for the journey. You will dep-dive into a methodology that allows this to happen.

You will also discuss digital governance, cyber-security.

Learning outcomes:

1. Use models and theories of digital transformation and the digital economy to analyse business needs and opportunities
2. Integrate data led business analysis and decision making to reimagine the customer experience in a digital world
3. Develop and execute a high-level digital transformation strategy that integrates technologies, people, policy, and process, addressing both opportunities and risks
4. Identify and evaluate existing and emerging digital processes such as AI and data analytics that impact business workflows and customer experience
5. Lead digital transformation processes that change business cultures and consumer experience through clearly communicating value and opportunity. Identify a change process to embed the transformation
6. Identify and evaluate global opportunities of digitally distributed systems

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10

Unit Description:

This unit covers the system of rules that controls a company, how its performance is assessed and how organisations can positively influence environmental, social, and
economic development through their governance practices.
You will learn how to identify the stakeholders and their interests to develop a robust system of controlling a company. You will examine historical events that have led to modern models of corporate governance, and develop a company governance position on a contemporary issue that fosters sustainability.

Learning outcomes:

1. Critically assess the key principles and theories in corporate governance in the context of practical models
2. Consolidate and affirm the separation of business management and governance
3. Synthesise recommendations that harmonise an organisation’s legal, ethical and social obligations
4. Initiate and justify a policy suite for an organisation and outline a plan for its monitoring and oversight
5. Outline the relevance to individual consumers and businesses of the role governments play in managing macroeconomic economic activity and in modifying market outcomes and regulating market failures

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10
Prerequisites: None

Unit Description:

This unit uses prior learning to focus on knowledge and skills relating to new ventures. It is an important pathway for the BUS5002 Entrepreneurship and BUS5100 Capstone Project units.
You will gain the knowledge, theory, critical analysis tools and practical skills to develop a full business plan focused on strategic innovation and presentation for a new venture, and present your pitch as you would in the workplace.
Importantly, this unit comprises key milestones for students working towards the Capstone Project.

Learning outcomes:

1. Critically define, evaluate, and analyse the practices of design thinking for innovation, new venture creation and entrepreneurship
2. Demonstrate how organisational culture and risk foster design thinking, innovation, and new venture generation
3. Research, develop and produce a high-level business plan proposal and presentation pitch for an innovative new venture creation
4. Test and assess the viability of the innovative new venture creation from the customer and market perspective
5. Critically analyse the role of investors in innovation and new venture generation
6. Synthesise organisational approaches to venture sustainability from ideation, to growth, pivot and even failure, taking into account some of the principles of design thinking

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10

Unit Description:

This unit considers the way strategic management creates value through balancing organisational activities, practices, positioning and business development with the external business environment. The art and science of business strategy brings together mindset and metrics to meet the demands of competitive environments.
In this unit you will learn to think in multiple dimensions so that an organisation’s improved state is informed by considered risk assessment, organisational capacity, people and culture and viable modelling to the benefit of all stakeholders. With your new knowledge, you will create comprehensive strategic and communication plans to move an organisation forward and devise metrics to assess their efficacy.

Learning outcomes:

1. Critically analyse the strategic environment for given scenarios using models and practices introduced in the unit
2. Characterise the resources, capabilities and risk profiles of a number of given organisations
3. Synthesise and appropriately scope new strategic directions, founded on critical analyses of given organisations
4. Create execution and communication plans for strategy implementation that feature adaptive leadership
5. Appraise the factors that explain market power and analyse the strategies businesses use to exploit the market power they enjoy

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 10

Unit Description:

This unit provides you with an understanding of the nature of enterprise, the process of entrepreneurship and the role of the entrepreneur. You will learn to examine the risk and reward trade-off in starting a new business and will investigate and reflect on successful entrepreneurial characteristics. You will identify an opportunity and develop a full strategy, drawing together learnings from other units. You will also explore the role of entrepreneurs in the economy and different types of entrepreneurship.

Learning outcomes:

1. Evaluate the context, concepts, theories and process of entrepreneurship
2. Examine what attributes, abilities and behaviours make entrepreneurs successful
3. Develop and convert innovative business ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities into a business plan demonstrating creative problem solving and creating thinking skills
4. Demonstrate understanding and application of the tools necessary to create sustainable and viable businesses
5. Differentiate and articulate the various types of entrepreneurship, such as traditional, social, sustainable, ethnic and indigenous entrepreneurship

Unit Type: Core
Credit points: 20

Unit Description:

This unit is the culmination of the MBA learning experience; it brings together the content of previous units of study. You will have the opportunity to put all that you have learned into practice by addressing a meaningful and strategic business question, that may involve working with an existing company, developing a start up business plan, or addressing a business issue via a simulation. You will be supported by mentors and coaches throughout your capstone journey, who will encourage you to continually think outside the square to address your chosen business problem. You will work in small groups of peers with your mentor to create a think tank interactive learning environment.