Master of Actuarial Science

This subject focuses on the nature of accounting for organisations from the perspective of a preparer and user of financial reports. The subject examines the methods of recording and reporting transactions and events and how to both prepare and analyse financial reports.

This includes obtaining an understanding of the judgements and decisions involved in the preparation of financial reports. The subject examines how these different judgements and accounting policy choices can impact the analysis of profitability, liquidity, financial stability and efficiency outcomes.

Development of an understanding of the processes and practices involved in external auditing of general purpose and other financial reports within the framework of Auditing Standards and the Corporations Law, exploration of underpinning theory as to why audits and other assurance services are demanded, the role these services play in reducing information risk and the various threats to auditor independence that present themselves.

The framework within which regulatory aspects of corporate reporting are conducted, the preparation of general purpose financial reports in accordance with the Corporations Law, the Australian Accounting Standards, and Interpretations.

Analysis of contemporary accounting issues within the frameworks of agency theory, capital markets theory and human judgement theory. The aim is to develop a critical understanding of established theories and assumptions underpinning financial accounting.

Financial Statement Analysis seeks to introduce students to the analysis and use of financial information for decision-making purposes. The subject considers how the information disclosed can be best utilised by creditors and investors in making their lending and investing decisions. Students consider the environment in which financial reporting exists, including the incentives faced by preparers of financial reports. From their assessment, students learn to adjust reported data as is typically done by analysts.

This subject provides a broad introduction to the key business processes that generate accounting transaction data and accounting information. Through an understanding of how information systems support business processes, you will acquire the skills to analyse, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of business processes through the use of controls to ensure the reliability of accounting transaction data and the quality of information contained in accounting reports.

Topics include the general legal framework as it relates to the business environment; the basic law of contract; the responsibilities and risks that arise in business, with a particular emphasis on the law relating to corporate entities; the Australian corporate law framework as legislated; and the application of corporate law to the business environment.

Decision making in accounting and finance is enabled by information technology. This subject examines the concepts, tools and application of information technology in organisations by and for accounting and finance professionals. The focus is on enabling effective and efficient decisions, and enhancing productivity in accounting and finance practice. This subject seeks to empower accounting and finance professionals to advance from user to strategic owner of a firm’s IT resources.

Strategic Cost Management examines the interface of cost accounting and managerial decision making.  Students are introduced to the concepts and processes that underpin the development of cost accounting systems and are taught a range of techniques to analyse and evaluate the cost information captured by these systems.  Students investigate the role of cost accounting information in managerial decisions that relate to the efficient and effective management of organisational resources and the creation of customer and shareholder value. 

The subject focuses on the role of managerial accounting information in strategic performance management. The subject explores the issues around goal setting, the role of budgets in performance management, performance measurement and evaluation, incentives, motivation and compensation, strategy implementation and the role of control systems.

Diverse stakeholders are increasingly demanding information about the broader social and environmental dimensions of organizational performance. Incorporating this information into decision-making is complex because it tends to be non-financial in nature and traditional models tend to focus on financial information. This course will investigate issues associated with production, reporting, and use of sustainability related information for decision-making. At a broader level, the course will help students to develop their critical thinking and analytical skills to help them apply their knowledge to settings where extant models do not fit well.

Topics include Australian income tax law and its application to the business environment; compliance with statutory and professional requirements in relation to taxation; the taxation of capital gains; fringe benefits tax; goods and services tax; superannuation and the application of taxation law to selected current issues; and ethics for tax practitioners.

This subject introduces students to the field of forensic accounting. The subject examines in-depth the elements of forensic accounting investigations in the context of the Australian legal system. Specific issues in dispute analysis are covered including, the quantification of loss, business valuation in the context of disputes, and the preparation of expert witness reports. The legal underpinnings of forensic accounting investigations, such torts, contract law and the law of the expert witness are reviewed. Further, the subject covers the role of the forensic accountant in the investigation of fraud and the management of fraud risk within organisations, including both fraud prevention and detection.

Risk management is a key business activity that impacts the full range of organisational activities and functional areas across the enterprise. This subject surveys a spectrum of business risks from operational to strategic risks. It provides a foundation in enterprise risk management principles, tools and techniques such as risk scenario planning.

This subject examines the unique institutional, governance and transparency issues affecting corporate valuations in emerging markets. Through lectures, case discussions and the students' real-time analysis of an emerging market firm, this condensed course is structured for students to gain a deeper understanding of the economic pressures behind the value creation, value destruction and valuation process in emerging economies. The course focuses on critically interpreting financial and non-financial information for purposes of assessing firm fundamentals and corporate governance risk in the presence of weak legal systems, strong political forces, limited investor protections, limited market development, strong macro-economic forces, opacity and resultant business arrangements. 

The objective of the subject is to help students understand and analyse the systems used by organisations to measure and manage their performance and to implement their strategies in a changing environment. Traditionally accounting performance measurement and budgetary control systems served this function. The relevance of these systems has been seriously questioned during the last decade and there has been extensive development of new techniques and systems designed to support strategic decision making. These include target costing, activity-based management, the balanced scorecard and economic value added measures, which, coupled with incentive compensation systems, have been developed to reflect the strategic requirements of management. This subject is designed to not only develop the student's ability to design and implement these 'value adding' systems of performance measurement and management, but also to expose students to the current literature that assesses and challenges the efficacy of these systems.

This subject examines auditing and assurance services at an advanced level. It is designed to facilitate detailed analysis of complex situations auditors face in contemporary practice. Instruction is carried out by industry practitioners. Topics covered include the use of data analytics, engagement risk and practice management, and auditing asset and liability valuations. Students will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of contemporary assurance practices.

This subject examines the use of financial statements for the fundamental valuation of listed and non-listed entities. Fundamental analysis will be examined in detail and applied to valuation projects involving local and multinational companies. This subject is built around the use of residual earnings as a means of determining the intrinsic value of an entity using only accounting data. It explores the relation between the residual income valuation model, discounted cash flow valuation methods and dividend discount model. It also refers to EVA as a parallel valuation methodology. The subject will also consider forecasting firms' future performance and how it determines the firm’s price/earnings and market to book ratios.

This subject focuses on the role of government and international governmental or quasi-governmental organisations in world trade and investment with special reference to Asia. The rules and operations of WTO and the OECD; regional trade organisations such as ASEAN, North American Free Trade Area, European Union, APEC and other economic zones. Topics include the impact of government on multinational firms, joint venture and strategic alliances. The material is introduced at a theoretical and analytical level, supported with practical examples and case study material.

The subject provides an understanding of the economic analysis of market and government decisions affecting the environment. Topics include economic principles used in analysing private sector decisions on resource use and preservation, externalities and public goods reasons for government intervention, the theory and practice of benefit cost analysis, case study illustrations to water, forests, greenhouse gases and biodiversity.

The subject covers issues relating to the labour market (employment and unemployment), the product market (consumption, saving and investment) and the markets for finance and foreign exchange. It covers the role of government economic policy as well as issues such as inflation and the balance of payments.

This subject develops the analytical skills routinely used by practicing macroeconomists. These may include: theories of long-run economic growth; the flexible and sticky price macroeconomic models; open economy macroeconomic models; and the analysis of macroeconomic policy making.

This subject provides an introduction to the fundamentals of microeconomics, strategy and key issues in macroeconomics, and applies this knowledge to business and management issues. Topics to be covered include: the working of competitive markets; the operation of business organisations such as cost management and pricing decisions; strategic behaviour and market outcomes in different market environments; the effect of public policy on business organisations; and the main macroeconomic influences on the business environment.

This subject explains and provides illustrative applications of microeconomic theory of the behaviour of households, firms and government and how the behaviour of the private sector and the public sector influence the efficiency of the economy. Topics include consumer theory, producer theory, perfect competition and general equilibrium, market failures associated with market power, externalities and public goods.

The subject introduces students without a strong mathematical background to some of the methods used to collect, present and analyse data and to provide illustrative applications to decision problems faced by business managers. Topics will be chosen from: sources of data; sampling and collection of primary data; presentation and summary measures of data; random variation of data and some implications for hypothesis testing and forecasting; an introduction to decision models with uncertainty; the use and interpretation of estimated regression equations; some forecasting methods used by business.

This subject provides an extended analysis of capital budgeting, capital structure, dividend policy and corporate risk management. Topics include the effect of the dividend imputation system of taxation on dividend policy, capital structure and capital budgeting; a comprehensive analysis of corporate structure and capital budgeting; a comprehensive analysis of corporate acquisitions and restructuring; a detailed examination of alternative funding mechanisms including leases; and a discussion of current issues in Australia corporate finance.

This subject covers derivative markets and derivative securities. It discusses pricing, risk management and regulatory aspects of derivative securities. Topics include: forwards and futures markets, options markets, arbitrage and trading securities, basic pricing concepts, the cost-of-carry model, the Black-Scholes model, hedging and risk management techniques.

Ethical practices instil a public trust in the fairness of financial markets and transactions, allowing them to function efficiently. Ethical practices by finance and investment professionals benefit all market participants and stakeholders and lead to increased investor confidence in global capital markets. The perspectives acquired in this subject should be useful to students in their chosen finance profession as this subject presents a framework for ethical conduct in the investment profession by focusing on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Citing and discussing examples of the financial scandals that have shaken public confidence in the ethics of financial market participants, this subject explains the importance of ethics in the operation of financial institutions and in the personal conduct of finance professionals.

This subject is designed to equip students with the tools necessary to enable them to make the core decisions faced by managers and investors. The first part of the subject deals with establishing the environment in which organizations operate, namely the objectives of the suppliers of financial and human capital. The subject then considers the basic tools commonly employed by financial managers and investors including discounted cash flow techniques and financial mathematics. Measures and definitions of alternative forms of risk are considered and the relation between risk and expected reward in capital markets is established. Finally, the subject considers the important decisions faced by firms (such as investment, financing and dividend policy) and by investors (the composition of their optimal portfolio of stocks).

The following topics will be covered: Financial Applications using Excel: basic spreadsheeting skills, functions and the function wizard, worksheet formatting and graphics. Financial problem solving tools: Solver, Goalseek and the Analysis Toolpak. Data management tools, subtotalling, consolidation, sorting filtering and pivot tables. Programming principles with applications to finance: object orientated programming, variable and control structures, writing Excel financial functions and subroutines, and creating add-ins. Communicating with the user of financial applications through message boxes, input boxes and dialogue boxes.

This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of finance, financial securities and financial markets. Topics include: key financial concepts such as the time-value-of-money, risk, return, present value, diversification, arbitrage, leverage and voting control; key financial securities such as stocks, bonds, mortgages and other loans; key financial markets such as the stock, interest rate and foreign exchange markets; and key participants in financial markets such as investors, funds, companies, banks, intermediaries, governments and regulators.

This subject is designed for students who seek an understanding of financial concepts and markets, but who do not intend to pursue any further studies in finance.

Investment principles, philosophies and processes. Application of modern portfolio theory; capital asset pricing models; equity valuation models and interest rate theory in managing various types of investment portfolios containing cash; and fixed interest securities and equities both domestic and international. Students use investment software to solve practical problems.

Balance of payments analysis, foreign exchange markets and terminology, international financial markets and international banking, international investments and portfolio allocation, measuring and managing foreign exchange exposure, international capital budgeting and counting risk analysis, international corporate financing decisions.

This subject is designed to equip students with the tools necessary to enable them to make the core investment management decisions that managers face on a daily basis as well as the knowledge as to where they can find the information necessary to apply those tools. This subject is an introduction to investment analysis, with emphasis on equity securities and fixed income securities. The topics covered focus on issues fundamental to financial managers, money managers, risk managers, financial advisors and regulators. These topics include fundamental ideas in asset pricing; modern portfolio theory and its applications; equilibrium theories of asset pricing; portfolio performance evaluation; and key issues in the pricing and portfolio allocation of fixed income assets.

Definitions and examples of project financing; analysis of the risks and potential returns associated with major projects; participants involved in projects financing deals - financing techniques used in project finance; case studies of specific project financing.

This subject presents the principles, concepts and methods needed to analyse an investment in an existing property, to analyse a potential property development and to raise private and public debt or capital for property investment. Discounted cash flows and real estate economics are the basis of these analyses. The subject introduces students to principles of rent and vacancy determination; the application of real estate market analysis to the investment decision; the financial analysis of properties; mortgage financing and the role of public debt taxation; and raising private capital for property.

The structure of public sector finances; public sector financial accounting; the budget process; cash management and loan raising; public trading enterprises efficiency and accountability; pricing policies; revenue raising; investment appraisal.

This subject consists of a structured reading program and assignments and a series of seminars presented by practitioners on various aspects of Treasury Management and related themes. Topics covered include issues such as treasury functions, international borrowings, corporate ratings, foreign exchange exposure management, interest rate risk management, value based management, treasury performance measurement, liquidity management systems and controls, tax and accounting issues.

This subject will explain and conceptualise the nature of Asian management and business practices from economic, cultural and institutional perspectives. The emphasis of the subject is on the application of contextual knowledge about international business theory as tailored to the Asia Pacific, to analyse and make decisions faced by companies operating or expanding in the Asia Pacific region. Students will be required to apply the knowledge and skills learnt to solve various business issues in Asian business environment.

This subject introduces students to the different types of information that business analysts and decision makers gather, and how that information is processed to make effective business decisions. A wide range of strategic and operational business problems and decisions will be considered, from fields such as financial management, marketing, human resource management, supply chain management and international business. The subject explores how organisations gather and generate multiple forms of information, and how this information is analysed and converted into useful knowledge via individual judgement and organisational learning processes. In applying empirical and analytical approaches to practical situations, students will develop insights into both the nature of the business problems as well as methods that are used for identifying and evaluating alternative solutions. The subject content will include conceptual foundations, practical tools, and case studies to discuss the costs, benefits and risks of the various analytical methods that will be introduced.

Conflict between individual and groups is an inevitable aspect of day to day life. This subject will review the nature of conflict in the workplace and the conflict management strategies of influencing and negotiation. Students will be given the opportunity to apply negotiation techniques to case studies and in simulations.

This subject will critically explore the purpose and value of consulting as a practice and as a profession. Through tracing the consulting lifecycle and the examination of client-consultant relationships, students will learn to emulate the requisite soft and technical skills of effective consultants and develop an understanding of what it means to be an external change agent. Using a case-based approach, this subject will introduce various consulting frameworks and tools used to diagnose, analyse and solve complex but seemingly common organisational problems. In the process, students will gain a firm appreciation of the art and science of professional consulting and learn to apply problem-solving approaches that balance methodological rigour with creativity and lateral thinking.

This subject introduces entrepreneurship as a key driver of success in all organisations, ranging from start-ups to large, mature organisations and in both public and private settings. A strong practical focus will be taken. Students will learn from benchmarked companies and visiting speakers with entrepreneurial backgrounds about the key dilemmas encountered in the entrepreneurial process and the solutions that they can put into practice. A significant part of the course is designed around hands-on experience in an ‘incubator’ environment, where ideas are generated and refined through collaboration and iteration between all participants. Students are expected to demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and use these to take their own innovation (a solution to a real world problem) to the pre-implementation stage.

Through these practical instances, students are expected to develop a boarder theoretical understanding of the critical elements of entrepreneurship, including the entrepreneurial mindset, capabilities and processes, skills that range from financial acumen, through to marketing, production and scale-up, often requiring novel solutions to these matters, under conditions of high uncertainty. Frameworks will be introduced that address the whole process that cover activities from the development and selection of ideas (invention), testing their efficacy and the business planning involved to exploit those ideas (entrepreneurship). The subject will also examine how entrepreneurs can shape their organisations so that they continuously build and commercialize valuable innovations. Many of the examples will focus on how established organisations can become more innovative and entrepreneurial.

Students will be assigned in small groups to a Practicum Organisation. Working in teams, they will undertake a structured business planning or business development exercise. This will be supported by seminar work equipping the students with knowledge of approaches, tools and techniques for completing the task and an understanding of report formats appropriate for conveying the results. During the practicum, in-depth work will be undertaken in identifying the scope, opportunities, constraints and recommendations of the exercise. Students will learn to work with unstructured and incomplete information in real business settings, to develop research and networks to support their enquiry, to work successfully in teams, to present their findings and seek and received constructive feedback in a range of settings. Students will also be encouraged to plan, reflect and modify their approaches to improve the outcomes of their efforts in managing the business project.

Firms face complex problems of governance and increasing scrutiny. The course will explain the function and features of corporate governance and key corporate governance theories. It will analyse the roles of board members and why good corporate governance practices are important for businesses. In particular, the course will discuss the implications of board membership composition for firms; why independent directors on boards are crucial; how committees are structured; the distinctive function of a CEO and Chairman, among others. It will also highlight corporate governance in an era of 'social responsibility'.

This subject offers students the opportunity to develop skills that can be applied to HR consulting projects. This includes exploring current-practice consulting methodologies and techniques, building and managing client relationships, developing report writing skills, and learning techniques for critically assessing consulting outcomes.

This subject will examine the challenge of managing a global workforce in an international setting. The relationships between the external environment, organisational factors, and international HRM strategies and practices will be studied from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The key issues considered will be cultural diversity in global business; international recruitment and selection; international performance management; training and development for global workforces; international compensation and international comparison of labour relations.

This subject explores two important areas of concern facing managers of multinational corporations. First it examines the relationship and balance between global integration and local responsiveness that lies at the heart of understanding strategies of multinational enterprises (MNEs). This brings with it the question of organisational structure and design and aspects of the internal management of the MNE such as subsidiary tasks, control and coordination. Second, it delves into the many factors within host economies that impact on MNE operations. Third, it also deals with contemporary issues around managing MNEs such as MNEs from emerging economies and sustainability, ethics, and diversity in international business.

This subject is intended to provide students who do not have a business background with grounding in the field of strategy. It will expose them to key themes, issues and theories of strategy, with a particular focus on the role of leadership in developing and implementing strategy for business success. There will be a strong emphasis on using theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems, which will be achieved through the use of case studies and discussion of contemporary business problems. Students who complete the subject should have a sound theoretical and applied understanding of the role of strategic leadership in business success. Topics covered will include: the role of strategy in business performance; the impact of environments on strategy; the role of leadership in strategy formulation and implementation; working with multiple stakeholders; strategic decision making; and leadership in corporate social responsibility.

One of the main challenges for today's managers is effectively communicating vision and inspiring employees to achieve that vision within team-based work structures. This subject deals with this challenge by examining the interaction of leadership and team processes. A focus will be on critically evaluating the role of leaders in organisations with high involvement work practices (for example, employee involvement and empowerment) and the role of human resource practices in identifying and developing organisational leaders. Topics considered will include: contemporary theories of leadership; the role of managers as organisational leaders; human resources and leadership challenges of the team-based organisational structure; managing team dynamics; the effectiveness of shared leadership; human resource strategies for developing organisational leaders; and the impact of high involvement work practices on leading and managing teams.

This subject will explore a broad range of issues central to management and business communication. These issues will draw on a number of different theories of management including corporate communication with stakeholders, the impact of new information and communication technologies, encouraging employee voice, and informal communication systems in organizations. The subject will evaluate and contrast different cases of management and business communication and explore the communication challenges facing businesses today.

This subject will give you an opportunity to assess and develop your general management knowledge and skills.  We will focus on practical concepts and frameworks , and experiential learning interventions, to enhance your capacity for communication and decision making, for engaging and motivating individuals and teams, and for effectively dealing with conflict and change. 

Businesses are collections of individuals who are organised and cooperate to solve problems. Thus, all business activity has its roots in psychological processes such as individual and group cognition and emotion, personality, and social influence. In this subject we explore the psychological foundations of management practice by focusing on how managerial problems (e.g., high levels of absenteeism; poor collaboration among team members; etc.) can be understood and addressed using different psychological principals.

This marketing subject exposes students to an integrated perspective of the firm, how it interfaces with its environment, and how it creates and sustains value. Value creation occurs through interactions of a firm with its stakeholders (including its customers) and is central to marketing. The subject builds a conceptual framework to examine the choices (marketing) managers face in determining how best to create value, and how these choices may be shaped by key stakeholders including government, society, trading partners, customers, employees and competitors. A key focus of this subject is on value creation as a cross disciplinary and cross firm activity. As such, the focus is on value creation from multiple disciplinary perspectives including marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship, HRM, supply chain management and organisational design.

Managing diversity is a strategic approach towards HRM. It is about utilising human resources efficiently and effectively by identifying significant differences in the workforce and labour markets, and exploring the potential advantages of workforce diversity. This subject will examine the key issues of managing diversity from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The focus of the subject is anti-discrimination in all aspects of employment. This will be examined by a consideration of the discrimination and fairness, access and legitimacy, and learning and effectiveness paradigms.

The purpose of this subject is to examine the topics of Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the context of large and small organisations. Innovation is ultimately the lifeblood of organisations, in that it is concerned with the capability to effectively introduce new products and services, new or substantively improved processes or other major initiatives into existing and new organisations. Topics include innovation capability, new product/process technology introduction, and innovation culture and innovation measures The subject addresses the process of innovation exploitation and exploration and the role ambidextrous organisational designs and dynamic organisational capabilities play in this process. The subject will examine the emerging importance of open innovation in the co-evolution of market and customer value and the use of crowd and expert sourcing in this process. Key elements addressed that are part of successful innovation companies are vision and strategy innovation, creativity and idea management, culture and climate, management of technology, organisational structures, intelligence and systems. Firms that have successfully and systematically created such capabilities will be used as case studies. The subject also examines the definition of an entrepreneur as an innovator who recognises and seizes opportunities; converts those opportunities into workable/marketable ideas; adds value through effort, money and skills; assumes the risk of the competitive marketplace to implement these ideas; and realises the rewards from these efforts.

This subject will explore different approaches to managing organisational change. These approaches will draw on a number of different theories of change, which may include organisation development, strategic change, organisational power and politics, organisational culture, leadership, and organisational discourse theory. The subject will evaluate and contrast different theories and consider their implications for change management. The subject will also examine issues related to resistance to change and explore some of the reasons why change attempts often fail.

This subject focuses on the link between HRM and business strategies and operations. The subject examines fundamental tools in strategic human resource management including the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of HR activities. A focus will be on the fit between HR and business strategy, and the congruence among HR activities. The subject will critically analyse strategic HRM theories and practices and their applications to organisational realities. The changing nature of the HRM function and its impact on HR professionals will also be considered.

The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management.

This subject examines the engine of every organisation: its productive processes. These are the systems, processes and activities that convert the organisation's inputs into its outputs. Whether manufacturing of goods or provision of services, the principles and techniques of Operations Management can assist an organisation to achieve effective outcomes in terms of cost, quality, delivery, service levels, flexibility and innovation. This subject is integrative in nature, drawing upon concepts originally developed in other areas. The traditional topics such as: assessing the strategic importance of operations; planning and controlling the use of resources; ensuring quality of products and services; and various human issues involved in operations are examined from a contemporary perspective that involves complex phenomena such as globalisation, supply chains, virtual and e-operations, agile/lean operations and mass customisation. Quantitative approaches are often useful in leading us toward possible solutions and so these are introduced where appropriate. However, in many situations, it is sufficient to descriptively understand the critical issues and major trade-offs involved. Finally, links with other areas of decisions and organisational functions are considered as they are critical to getting the most from the operations system.

An organization's capacity to achieve a competitive advantage through human resources begins with successful staffing. This subject evaluates the decision to “make” (train) or “buy” (recruit and select) employees for the organisation. We examine the strategic implications of staffing the organisation and then, using both theory and empirical research to assess the role and impact of recruitment, selection and training. Topics in the “buy” section of this subject include determining recruiting needs, identifying selection criteria, internal and external sourcing, evaluating recruiting effectiveness, interviewing and selection procedures and the application process. Topics in the “make” section of this subject identifying training needs, learning styles, planning the delivery of training and how to assess the effectiveness of training.

This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives.

The way in which an organisation defines, assesses and rewards employee performance has implications for its ability to attract, motivate and retain employees. This subject uses theory and research to identify practical insights into systems for assessing employee performance and linking performance to pay outcomes. The subject will also address contemporary issues such as the employee and supervisor gender and transparency on the implementation and effectiveness of performance and reward management practices.

The use of project management techniques has risen sharply. Examples of projects include research and development studies, reorganisation efforts, implementation of change programs, installation of a new piece of equipment, advertising campaigns, construction, organising special events and other one-off endeavours. The subject will cover the key drivers of project success, training and leadership in project environments. Project selection is the first critical set of decisions. Matching of the projects selected to the organisation’s strategy is taken as the starting point. Practical tools and techniques will then be introduced to manage the project or special event for success. The subject will also involve the use of an appropriate Project Management software package such as MS Project.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.

This subject is aimed at developing an advanced understanding of the principles, concepts and approaches employed in the management of supply chains between industrial, commercial, and governmental organisations. It includes the management of materials and information in trading partner relationships. It also includes cost-savings, time-to-market, new product development, and consideration of supply chain management in these and other strategic contexts. Strategic issues relevant to the management of supply chains are covered. These include management of trading partner relationships, use of information technology, configuration of logistics networks and managing international supply chains.

This subject addresses the sustainability related challenges confronting business organisations, and how these can be overcome. Many organisations find it difficult to balance short and long-term objectives relating to economic, social and environmental outcomes. The subject addresses the complexity and multi-faceted nature of social and environmental issues and why they present significant challenges to organisations. Principles of sustainability will be discussed with reference to concepts such as corporate social responsibility, corporate political responsibility, triple bottom line thinking and creating shared value. It will then review how organisations respond to these challenges, both negatively and positively, and why they respond in these ways, including strategic, ethical and critical perspectives. The subject then addresses approaches that increase organisations’ capability for continuous renewal and long-term success, whilst also promoting social and environmental benefits. This will be done through a focus on topics such as managerial competencies and organisational capabilities for sustainability, stakeholder management, industry and transnational guidelines for sustainability, national regulation and self-regulation, and an integrated supply chain perspective.

The world of work is undergoing significant transformation in response to a wide range of economic, social and technological changes. These changes have important consequences for how work is organised, how people are managed and how labour markets perform. This subject looks at how these developments are managed by organisations as well as the macro-level through public policy responses aimed at balancing competing policy objectives. This subject draws on both theory and evidence to explore new Human Resource Management and employment issues and policy responses emerging in many countries around the world, including: new actors and institutions; the transformation of professions and careers structures; investing in and managing human capital, voice and representation at work; workforce diversity; technological change, new business models and new forms of working; online labour markets; the quality of jobs and work-life; labour market inequality and insecurity; and the global competition for jobs.

This subject examines the rise of the new information technologies within a wider organisational, social and historical context. It relates them to the emergence of "information-based" societies, where work, organisations and society are said to be changing fundamentally. In particular, it examines some of the competing claims made about such developments and examines the actual impacts of new information technologies on a range of issues that may include work organisation and behaviour, culture, power and knowledge. It also looks at the broader social and ethical implications for the wider society and globalisation within an increasingly globalized and marketised world.

This subject concentrates heavily on advertising, but also addresses the issues of internet advertising, public relations, and sales promotions. The emphases will be on understanding the theoretical foundation underlying persuasive communications, promotional strategy selection, integration of communications with other marketing activities, strategy implementation, and budgeting. The subject incorporates both lecture and cases as instructional vehicles.

This subject focuses on the task of developing and managing brands. It examines the way in which brand decisions may contribute to creating competitive advantage and explains how to analyse industries, make changes in brand strategies over time, and respond to competitive moves. Students also gain an understanding of the issues involved in the development and management of new products, how to manage product lines, and how to measure, develop and manage their brand equity.

This subject examines the factors affecting the purchase, usage and disposal of products and services. Topics include the introduction and application of customer behaviour concepts to marketing decision making; consumer behaviour models of information processing; the identification of psychological variables which influence customer decision making; social factors affecting consumer behaviour; and an introduction to a variety of consumer-related market research techniques.

This subject examines the planning and marketing of products and services on the internet. It analyses the economic, social, and technological opportunities and challenges presented by internet-based marketing. Topics include: internet business models, online consumer behaviour, the nature of social interaction and its effect on marketing, analytics, web design, and Search Engine Marketing.

International Marketing Management provides students with an introduction to basic marketing concepts as they apply in an international context. More fundamentally, it discusses some of the most important topics facing both international marketing practitioners and academics. These include global marketing strategy, assessment of market opportunities, type of market entry, international product and brand, pricing, distribution and promotion policies. Students will experience all aspects of international marketing management first-hand by playing a simulation game throughout the semester.

This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and activities of marketing and how to manage an organisation's marketing effort. Some of the principal topics include value-based marketing, market research, selecting target markets, product and brand management, marketing communications (advertising and promotions, as well as personal selling), management of distribution channels, pricing decisions and marketing ethics. Students are also introduced to the nature of buyer behaviour, including decision-making patterns, purchase behaviours, and customer satisfaction.

Business managers request, assess, purchase and use marketing research to make a wide range of informed decisions about target markets, product offerings and the performance of marketing activities. To be able to do this competently, managers need to know what benefits marketing research can provide, what research methods are appropriate for the different types of problems, and how data should be collected, analysed, interpreted and presented so that it is meaningful to other users. These are skills students will acquire through their participation in a 'real-life' client-sponsored project.

Research techniques and insights from the cognitive neurosciences are increasingly used in marketing research and practice. This subject examines the research tools and insights from the neurosciences relevant to marketing theory and practice. Topics include functional implications of key brain systems for consumer judgements and decision-making; examination of neuroscientific and psychological techniques used in marketing research; applications of tools and insights from cognitive, emotional and social neurosciences for strategic marketing planning, product development, packaging and advertising research, and ethical considerations associated with use of brain imaging technology for marketing research.

Product development is an important source of profitability as existing markets become price competitive and saturated. However, the process of product development is fraught with risk. In this course we study the process of managing products and how companies can manage their introduction and elimination from the product portfolio. We review how these decisions are made within the context of profit seeking and not-for-profit organizations. We then review the implication of these decisions for performance.

This subject examines the practices of public relations management. Topics include an introduction to public relations, the evolution of public relations, public relations theory, ethical issues in public relations, public relations strategies and tactics, the various stakeholders/publics that organisations interact with and the issues that they face with their major stakeholder relationships, crisis management, and also an examination of the difference between marketing public relations (MPR) and corporate public relations. Marketing public relations (MPR) is a key focus in the class.

Retailing is fundamental to the marketing mix. Retail stores are all around us, and provide marketers with a means to attract and retain customers, and build brand value. Retail Management examines the strategic issues relating to retailing management and the frontiers of retail innovation. Subjects covered include developing retail strategy in highly competitive environments, experiential retailing, multi-channel retailing (online and offline), managing customer and supplier relationships, merchandise and range management, retail branding and flagship stores, global retailing strategies, big data in retail, and responsible retailing. Theoretical discussions will be complemented with practical case studies and current examples in the world of retail.

This subject aims to equip potential leaders in organisations with current knowledge and tools to compete through the strategic use of service. Suitable industries include consulting, advertising, finance, healthcare, legal, retail, hospitality, transportation and public services to name a few. The management of a service organisation presents unique challenges and opportunities because of the intangible nature of the offering and the critical role of service personnel, customers and technology in service creation and delivery. This subject will focus on the enabling practices, theories and frameworks that help improve the customer/client or citizen experiences for enhanced brand loyalty and organisational success. Subject content includes: developing a service culture; sales training; building trusting relationships; metrics for customer service; blueprinting desirable customer experiences; managing supply and demand of a perishable service; enabling service personnel, IT and customers for superior value creation; designing effective servicescapes; recognising and managing role stress in service personnel; planning for feedback and effective service failure recovery.