Course Summaries

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	Elective course

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-- choose category -- List all Core Elective Accounting and Finance Economics Marketing Org. Behaviour and Industrial Relations Statistics and Operations General Management Management Projects Integrative Program (IP) Skills Program

	Accounting
	Teaches the basic concepts and principles underlying accounting and the economic issues in reporting. It focuses on how accounting information is collected, processed and presented to users outside the organisation, as well as the trade-offs that a manager faces in deciding how to present financial results. Sample Course Overview: Accounting

Data analysis and decision making under uncertainty

This course develops expertise in a standard set of statistical and graphical techniques, which will be useful in analysing data. These techniques are widely applied in a number of areas of management, including marketing, finance and economics. The course provides a change in mindset from “statistics can be used to show anything” to “statistics provides a methodology to cope with uncertainty” via the art of statistical thinking, that is, the ability to collect, understand and use data. Sample Course Overview: Data analysis and decision making under uncertainty

Economics

This course is an introduction to microeconomics (the economics of the market) and macroeconomics (the economics of the country) for people who have done little or no economics. It covers how we model the behaviour of firms operating in their diverse markets, using the concepts of demand, supply and market equilibrium. Critical tools such as elasticity, opportunity cost and game theory are developed and used. The macroeconomics section shows how we measure economic production for entire countries, what determines long-term growth of nations, and why money and the institutions that manage it are important elements affecting economic behaviour. Sample Course Overview: Economics

	Finance
	Provides an introduction to the three basic ideas in finance: the time value of money, diversification and arbitrage. These ideas are used to evaluate investment and financing decisions. In particular, we look at how managers can apply these concepts to add value to the firm. Sample Course Overview: Finance

	Financial Strategy
	Financial strategy is a process of identifying and exploiting value-creating opportunities when raising the funds needed by an organization and managing the employment of those funds within the organization. This course explores ways in which managers can adopt a strategic approach in corporate finance to increase the value of cash flows for their organizations.

Mathematical Concepts and Methods

Teaches the mathematics essentials needed to complete the program and is for those who need to build their skills in this area. (A quiz will determine which students are required to undertake the course.) It covers the rules of algebra, roots, powers, logarithms, linear functions, power functions, exponential functions, rates of change, compound growth, future and present value, and equation resolution. Sample Course Overview: Mathematical Concepts and Methods

	Operations Management
	Discusses how organisations create value within their operations. It shows how to analyse a company’s processes in terms of capacity, lead time and variability, with the aim of achieving excellence in all dimensions. Learn how to develop strategies for improving supply chain performance, and apply the key techniques of project management. Sample Course Overview: Operations Management

Organisational Behaviour

Organisational behaviour draws on concepts from the social sciences to identify and solve some of the challenges faced by managers. Learn how to design effective work units and gain an insight into how leadership influences individual and organisational performance. Each of the topics in this course provides the tools for building and sustaining high performance at the individual, group and organisational level. Sample Course Overview: Organisational Behaviour

	S/T Financial Modelling Techniques
	The aim of this course is to provide students with the skills required to model and analyse business problems that have financial (revenue and cost) implications and to enable them to effectively present data for effective communication to a business audience.

Supply Chain Modelling

The main objective of this course is to introduce students to key concepts, best practices, innovative ideas, practical thinking and critical thinking of integrative demand and supply chain management. Students learn a powerful approach to structuring managerial problems and visualizing the interconnectedness of business units and organizations within the supply chain. The course consists of two main parts: In the first part we use primarily quantitative methods to analyze Supply Chain problems while the second part will be focused more on qualitative analysis using case studies from a variety of industries.

	S/T International Entrepreneurship
	International Entrepreneurship has the aim of introducing students to the process of starting a new enterprise in any industry that is international in some respect. The knowledge acquired can be used in starting a for-profit business, a nonprofit organisation, or a new venture within an established organisation. The focus will be on starting an independent for-profit business.

Accounting for Planning and Control

The aim of this course is to show how the effective use of financial information can improve organizational decision-making. The course provides a broad introduction to the management accounting function. It examines the design and operation of management accounting systems. Management accounting, unlike financial accounting, provides information for internal users. Accounting is perhaps the most important part of an organisation’s information system and therefore a major managerial resource. Effective decision-making depends on a manager’s ability to acquire and use financial data. This course will provide you with a set of conceptual tools to facilitate this. We assume you have little prior knowledge of management accounting and therefore introduce a number of accounting techniques and terms, so as to equip you with sufficient conceptual and practical skills to make you, (and any professional who may advise you), confident in your ability to understand complex financial strategies.

	Business Ethics
	This IP considers the ethical responsibilities of managers and corporations. It examines the fundamentals of moral reasoning in dealing with the ethical problems and dilemmas of business, providing examples of ethical and unethical behaviour. It also investigates the limits of ethics.

Conflict Management - Special Topic

This course investigates the bases of conflict management in a managerial context. Specifically, we will examine the basic nature of conflict, the framework and dynamics of alternative dispute resolution, and the use of negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and other approaches to settle or resolve conflicts. During the course we will compare traditional litigation with alternative methods of dispute resolution and examine the way that Dispute Resolutions Systems are used in business. There will also be exercises where personal conflict management skills and theory can be learned and practiced.

	Corporate Finance
	Through the use of case studies, this course applies the basic concepts introduced in core Finance (MNGT5220) course to the firm’s financial decisions. We focus on the determinants of the firm's capital structure and dividend policy, estimation of the cost of capital, the valuation of strategic investment opportunities and the application of valuation techniques to the acquisition of other firms.

Corporate Governance

Investigates how shareholders, management and boards of directors operate and interact to establish the direction and performance of corporations. The primary disciplines underpinning the topic are organisational behaviour, economics and finance. The instructors for this IP use case studies and empirical data in class to analyse and discuss varieties of corporate governance and an array of proposals to improve it. A synthesis of key ideas is presented.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) / sustainable development / corporate citizenship / ‘triple-bottom-line.’ These are concepts looming large in every Boardroom and informed debate on the future of business today. More people find themselves needing to understand and have informed opinions on these concepts as part of their daily business life. Even more exciting, many people are finding new meaning and opportunity for competitive advantage in this rapidly emerging new discipline. At the same time, consumers in today’s marketplace are increasingly bombarded by marketing stimuli. How can firms reach consumers with CSR messages? Are CSR messages ‘feel-good’ attempts by organizations or have they taken root in how firms operate and engage the marketplace? Is there a business-case for CSR activities? Questions such as these and others pertaining to the history and emerging global approaches to CSR will be the focus of the IP.

Corporate Valuation

The goal of this course is to have students work in teams to prepare and communicate a detailed valuation of a publicly traded company using publicly available information. Students are asked to analyse corporate performance, project cash flows, and value a firm's financial claims. Participants apply insights and skills taken from past courses and their work experiences to understand an existing business well enough to put a dollar value on it. This intensive approach of 'learning by doing' provides a lasting financial framework for investment and corporate managers. The course is a mixture of lectures/discussions and hands-on computer work. Students are advised that they are highly recommended to undertake Corporate Finance and Financial Statement Analysis before taking this course.

Financial Institutions Management - Special Topic

The course will cover the management and leadership of modern financial institutions in the commercial world and their changing role. The perspective is from the Chief Executive’s view and will primarily focus on the dynamics of the finance industry and the issues and opportunities that confront it. In recent years the strategic priority of banks and other financial institutions has shifted away from growth and size alone towards a greater emphasis on profitability, performance and shareholder value creation. Together with a significantly altered regulatory framework and increasingly discerning customers this has created new paradigms and challenges for the industry which have demanded very different approaches than in the past.

Financial Statement Analysis

The exact type and structure of a "financial analysis" depends largely on the specific decision making context in which the analyst is placed - is it equity investment, credit extension, analysis of supplier/customer health, competitor analysis, regulatory overview or intervention, or valuation for take-over or restructuring purposes? However, many of the techniques of financial analysis are common to each. This course devotes considerable attention to these "techniques" and the difficulties associated with their application; primarily in the context of equity investment/valuation and credit extension decisions. The emphasis is on sharpening analytical abilities in financial statement analysis from a managerial standpoint. Particular attention is placed on developing an ability to "pierce the accounting veil" to get at the underlying bottom line - cash flow and the inherent volatility thereof. The Core Finance and Core Accounting courses are prerequisites for this elective.

Foundations of Management

This course consists of three modules: (1) Reflective Practice; (2) Skills; (3) Teamwork. The first module introduces students to the main theories, models, and tools of reflective practice including self-awareness, relating to others, emotional intelligence, culture and diversity and ethics. The second module consists of written and oral communication, presentation skills, creative and strategic thinking and case analysis. Students are given the opportunity to practise and reflect on their own creative thinking and communication skills under varying circumstances. The third module introduces students to teamwork. This module encourages students to explore self and group efficacy, teamwork skills and their capacity to handle the demands of the course and their personal life. In this way the course aims to encourage students to focus attention beyond graduation and strengthen student's commitment to the program.

Foundations of Management Thought

This is a course in the history of Western ideas and their relevance for management. It traces the evolution of Western thought from major philosophical perspectives, ancient and modern. Various philosophies of leadership and of management are pusued through a critical analysis of the contributions of distinguished thinkers, including Homer, Plato, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hume, Popper, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Freud and Sartre.

Individual Study in Management - ISM

Students may select a business topic to research under the supervision of an AGSM faculty member. This one-to-one working arrangement allows the student to carry out in depth analysis of a topic relevant to his or her career aspirations. A student may do an ISM if: the student has a good academic record (with a minimum high credit average); the study is in an area relevant to management; the topic is in some way relevant to the student’s career aspirations; a suitable AGSM faculty member, or members, are available to supervise the work.

Industry Economics

Industry Economics is all about understanding the competitive environment in which firms operate. It is designed to give you the tools you need to analyse how industry structure and interactions between firms affect firm strategy. These frameworks will also enable you to use industry analysis to anticipate the effects of those strategies on your competitors and in turn, understand how their actions will affect your strategies.

Integrated Marketing Communications

This course is designed from the perspective of managers who will need to make decisions about marketing communication programs. Contemporary cases are used to illustrate the key issues in developing effective advertising. The perspective that I take in this class is that the goal of marketing communications is to convey appropriate meaning to the relevant customer audience in order to build a strong brand. The more specific objectives of this course are: to help you apply the appropriate theories and tools to plan and evaluate marketing communication; to increase your understanding of advertising’s strategic role in the development of markets; to develop your awareness of marketing and communication problems faced by a variety of organizations and to stimulate your thinking about ethical and social issues related to advertising.

International Business Strategy

The study of international business is concerned with the challenges, opportunities and problems corporations face in a global economy. This course focuses on the definition and implementation of corporate strategy for worldwide operations. It explores the unique competitive, socio-cultural and political environments in which international business takes place, and develops skills to deal with these challenges.

International Business Strategy in Asia - Special Topic

This course provides Australia’s future business leaders with the opportunity to not only get a taste for the intricacies of such a culture, which is a vital pre-requisite for the success of any business relationship, but also to forge strong business networks. The value gained from this field trip will give students a substantial competitive edge in future employment opportunities with corporations that do business in Asia. The interaction between Australian businesses and Asian based businesses is consistently increasing. As such, it has become critical for the managers of Australian businesses to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively conduct business activities in the complex, dynamic and highly diverse Asian markets. There is little doubt that future growth in Australia and Asia depend on the ability of managers to understand and function in this culturally diverse environment. This course is a field study-based unit that allows students to apply skills they have developed in the core courses of the MBA. The field study trip will focus on a specific organisation’s new or existing products/services/ventures, or entire industries. Furthermore, it will provide the unique opportunity to have open discussions with leaders from both the government and business sectors, as well as with other MBA students from Asia’s top business schools.

	International Finance
	This course provides a conceptual framework within which the key financial decisions of the multinational firm can be analysed. The course first considers the environment of international financial management, emphasizing the determination of exchange rates. We study international exposures, then analyse investment and financing decisions as they are made by a multinational entity.

International Marketing

This course is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the globalization of marketing activities. Organizations in all locales around the world need to understand the implications of global marketing, whether they are global or local. We will explore a variety of marketing issues (branding, segmenting, positioning, pricing, distribution, advertising, etc.) from cross-national and cross-cultural perspectives, and students will learn how to assess appropriate global opportunities. We will examine in depth the intricacies of marketing in developing countries, and focus especially on growing markets in Asia.

	Investments
	This course will focus on the financial theories and empirical evidence useful for investment decisions. It covers portfolio choice, asset pricing models, fixed-income securities, funds performance measurement, and a brief introduction to behavioral finance. These topics are important for any participants in the investments industry, whether as fund managers or as private investors.

	Law of Corporate Management and Finance
	This course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to corporate law in Australia. While the course presumes no prior legal knowledge, students will find it helpful to have completed the optional course Legal Aspects of Business, as more time is spent in that course introducing students to basic legal concepts outside of corporate law.

Leadership: Concepts and Skills

The course will cover theories of leadership as well as group dynamics within a multi-cultural context. It also incorporates a strong practical and experiential component based on the recognition that leadership qualities and skills are linked to self-awareness, the ability to manage oneself in different situations, and a high level of interpersonal skills. In this context, participants will have the opportunity to assess and explore their leadership experiences and styles of communication, with the aim to define areas of strength as well as areas that need further development. This course is run across four Saturdays. Dates for 2005 are: Saturday 30th April, Saturday 14th May, Saturday 28th May and Saturday 4th June

Legal Aspects of Business

The curriculum of the course will centre on legal concepts of fundamental importance in the business world, particularly the law of contract. The course will also cover negligence law and the law of intellectual property. In moving through the curriculum, the focus will be on the attainment of a thorough understanding of the principles underlying the rules which will be studied. The goal of each student should not be the memorisation of as many rules as possible. While a basic level of familiarity with legal rules is important, more important is the ability to see "the big picture". Rules change, whereas the policy that motivates and informs the rules themselves tends to move more slowly. The understanding of the way in which rules reflect policy and the methods by which they are interpreted and enforced will empower the student with legal ability that will not devalue over time.

Macroeconomics for Managers

What determines interest rates? Exchange rates? The level of economic growth? The rate of unemployment? How should a firm use such information to adapt its short and long term planning? The possibility of studying your own national economy and your government's past and future macroeconomic actions. Topics covered: To explain the economic indicators (e.g. wage and price inflation, unemployment, exchange rates, interest rates, current account) that should be part of every manager's information set; to provide a frame work for analysing macroeconomic policy and to understand the limitations of economic policy; and to enable managers to use the understanding to improve decision-making in their own businesses.

	Management Communication - Presentation Skills
	The presentation skills component of the Management Communication Program focuses on the skills needed to develop and deliver clear, persuasive and engaging business presentations. This one-day intensive program is highly interactive, offering you the opportunity to learn new skills, gain personal insight and receive constructive feedback from both your peers and a professional facilitator.

Management Project

This is an eight unit of credit course. Management Projects offer MBA candidates who have completed their core courses real opportunities in businesses. Teams collaborate with corporate managers and AGSM Academics to apply conceptual frame works and global best practice to management challenges, finding practical solutions for companies. Students are supported in the completion of their project by an Academic Supervisor and the Management Projects Co-ordinator.

Managerial Decision Making

The aim of this course is to improve decision-making skills and to provide strategies for further improvement in the future. We cover how individuals and groups make decisions and solve problems, individually and in organizations. By the end of the course, students will understand their own decision styles and personal dispositions, make decisions more deliberately and systematically will be able to use decision analysis techniques and group processes, integrate their values into their decisions, and, generally, have increased confidence in their decision-making.

Managerial Skills

An intensive introduction to AGSM that kick-starts the development of working relationships and student networks. The aim is to develop key insights and practical skills in understanding and managing people across a variety of contexts. It begins with the premise that leading and managing others requires effective self-management. It then explores the interpersonal skills necessary to understand, influence and manage individuals and teams at AGSM and beyond. A major outcome of the course is the construction of a detailed personal development plan, and is followed by individual coaching during Term 1.

Managing Biotechnology

The biotechnology sector offers exciting new opportunities in fields ranging from human health to agriculture, food, and material science. Biotechnology is poised to enter a period of development unparalleled in human history. Managing that development will challenge scientists, executives, and regulators alike. This course is designed to provide insight into the unique opportunities and challenges of the biotechnology industry. Students will be introduced to the various aspects of the science of biotechnology and the roles that it will play in the products and markets of the future. The course will focus on the processes and skills required to manage both the development of biotechnology products and the organisations responsible for bringing the products to market. Case studies will offer an opportunity to learn about both the science and the business behind the biotechnology industry.

Marketing Management

Seeks to develop an awareness of major marketing problems faced by a variety of organisations, with an emphasis on sound approaches to addressing these problems. The course focuses on the factors influencing marketing decision-making to cultivate proficiency in articulating aspects of the marketing mix, and developing customer-orientated and competitive marketing strategies and plans. Sample Course Overview: Marketing Management

Marketing Strategy

The objective of Marketing Strategy is to demonstrate the benefits of undertaking marketing within a strategic framework. At the end of the course students should be able to conduct a complete audit of the marketing environment facing the firm, understand how to generate new marketing options and develop defensive actions, and use the marketing mix and account management strategies to realize the various roles of products and services within the organization.

	Negotiations and Strategy
	Negotiation is a central element in managerial life. Negotiations are required not only with external parties but also within the firm. The course will consider both co-operative and competitive dimensions of negotiation and examine the ethical issues which arise.

New Product Development

Innovation is one of the primary ways that companies seek to create a competitive advantage in their markets. It is also often used as a principal driver of corporate growth, renewal, and sustainability. Many years ago the Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating tasked Australian researchers and businesses to make Australia “the clever country”. (Something that was much easier said than done!). Innovation only ‘works’ when it leads to a commercial outcome such as a better way of doing something or a new product or service that is better than what it seeks to replace. This course adopts this perspective and explores the key issues that deliver commercial success. The course builds on and draws from all the other marketing courses within the MBA program.

Organisational Structure and Change

Organisations often need to change in order to overcome challenges in their internal or external environment. This course outlines different types of organisational structures and the conditions under which these are more likely to succeed. The course also examines the process of changing organisations, including different types of change and leadership styles associated with each. Sample Course Overview: Organisational Structure and Change

Services Marketing

The objective of this course is to supplement basic marketing and marketing strategy courses by focusing on problems and strategies specific to marketing of services. Problems commonly encountered in marketing services -- such as difficulty in controlling quality, managing service failure and recovery situations and an inability to inventory -- will be addressed. Strategies used by successful services marketers to overcome these difficulties will be discussed. By participating in this course, students will: recognize the similarities and differences between the marketing of services and goods; critically analyse service-related issues faced by real companies and offer viable solutions and gain a deeper appreciation of the number and extent of their own service encounters.

Statistical Modelling and Forecasting for Business

This course extends the concepts of hypothesis testing and interval estimation. In particular, these concepts are developed and applied in one and two-sample problems, simple linear regression, multiple linear regression and time series. A consistent theme throughout the course is the concept of model building, in which the data are used in the development a parsimonious summary of the given situation. It will be identified that the resulting models can be used to validate decisions and/or for predictive purposes. The techniques developed in the course are widely applicable in a number of areas of management, including organizational behaviour, marketing, finance and economics.

Strategic Game Theory for Managers

Game theory provides a simple, but rich, framework for analysing once-off and repeated interplay between people or firms, where the manner in which each reacts depends upon the other's reaction: strategic interaction. These interactions occur in markets, in organisations, and in the household. This course (through lectures, experiential learning, and computer simulations) will attempt to provide students with understanding of many interactions they may encounter as managers, including price wars, wars of attrition, the value of cooperation interactions, and the value of information.

Strategic Human Resource Management

Human resources represent among the firm’s most vital, irreplaceable, and difficult to manage resource. In fact, some authors have argued that effective management of human resources is one of the few ways in which firms can gain long-term, sustainable competitive advantage. This course examines how managers can develop and implement effective and efficient human resource practices that support the strategic objectives of their firms. The course focuses on everyday human resource decisions made by all managers (e.g., selection, evaluation, compensation, termination).

Strategies for Growth

This elective course on Strategies for Growth is a follow-up course to the core Strategy course offered at full time MBA program. Growth is possibly the most important concern of a firm after survival and the ability to manage growth has become a priority in the corporate agenda for sustaining competitive advantage. Strategies for Growth will provide students with an understanding of how to think strategically for growth. The course is structured around different growth strategies available to managers, including internal research and development, corporate venturing programs and corporate venture capital, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and globalization.

	Strategy
	Looks at the competitive strategy of the firm, examining issues central to its long and short term competitive position. It explores a variety of conceptual frameworks and models to analyse and gain insights about how to achieve or sustain competitive advantage. Sample Course Overview: Strategy

The Management of Knowledge and Intellectual Property

In today’s business environment an increasing amount of value is becoming associated with the firm’s ‘intellectual’ assets - those components of the firm that cannot be readily attributed to ‘physical’ assets but which represent human intelligence applied creatively to the recombination of existing assets and the discovery of assets. A key dimension of this is the intellectual property (IP) owned by the firm - that component of the intellectual assets that are subject to legal protection. As more and more organisational value resides within intellectual property, firms risk being left behind unless they are able to manage these assets to the fullest. This course allows students to: (1) understand the process by which knowledge is turned into assets; (2) understand how to manage that process; (3) understand the legal and extralegal mechanisms that allow those knowledge assets to be protected as intellectual property; and (4) manage the process of intellectual asset protection for superior performance.

Trade and International Business

All organisations are impacted by the international environment in which they operate. An understanding of international trade and finance issues is crucial when business is conducted across national borders. This course develops a framework for understanding these issues and applying them to develop sound business strategies for global expansion. By the end of the course you should be able to: interpret international trade/finance statistics; understand the determinants of trade; evaluate trade policy; explain the motivation for trade agreements; understand the operation of foreign exchange markets and the international monetary system; evaluate the risks of investing in developing countries. The over-riding objective is to use these skills to articulate comprehensive/cohesive global expansion strategies for any firm.

Venture Capital Finance

The venture capital and private equity industry has expanded by at least 3000% over the past fifteen years and is playing a critical role in shaping our economy and supporting innovation. Yet venture capital firms often operate in mysterious ways, with little real public visibility. This course seeks to understand what venture capital is, what venture capitalists do and the way venture capital organisations work. This course is primarily geared towards students interested in working in venture capital, or other private-equity organizations. It is also intended for students who expect to work alongside venture capitalists or other private equity investors, whether as managers of firms financed by such investors, as investment bankers taking their firms public, or as money managers investing in these funds. Finally, it is designed for students interested in exploring how aspects of private equity investing can be transferred to the management of projects in established organizations.