1996 Swinburne Higher Education Handbook

B1721 lnternational Trade and Finance
2 hours per week .e Hawthorn .e Prerequistite: BI601
Foundations of International Business Assessment: to be
advised
A subject in the Masters of International Business
Credit may be given for a comparable unit completed at an
appropriate academic level.
Objectives
The intention in this unit is to provide students with the
theoretical and analytical skills necessary for the
understanding and evaluation of international financial
issues which are of importance to the Australian
business community and government and specifically:
to provide an understanding of the nature and
significance of international trade to the Australian
economy;
to increase awareness of current international trade
issues of importance to the Australian business
community and government;
to equip students to appreciate and evaluate the ways in
which government and business can improve Australia's
international competitiveness; and
to provide the practical skills necessary to pursue that
competitiveness.
Content
This unit provides an applied study of international finance
and trade and how it is arranged with special reference to
Australia. Topics covered include:-
Australia's external position (balance of payments -
concepts, trends and outlook, external debt, foreign
exchange markets, exchange rate determination, fixed versus
floating exchange rate mechanisms, foreign exchange risk
management); the international financial system (events
since 1945, international financial centres, current outlook
and problems); the basis of international trade (gains from
trade, explanations of trade Australia's trade
pattern (trade restrictions, arguments for protection, costs of
protection, policy instruments); trade, growth and economic
development (regional integration, GATT); policies relating
to trade and growth (Australia's trade and industry policies,
past approaches to industry assistance, current issues and
problems); . . improving Australia's international
competitiveness.
Recommended reading
To be advised.
B1722 lnternational Marketing Research
3 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequistite: B1602
International Marketing and an understanding of
undergraduate level statistical methods. Assessment:
(i)Cornputer tasks (ii)An assignment (iii) Final examination.
A subject in the Masters of International Business
Credit may be granted for equivalent work at an appropriate
academic level.
0 bjectives
provide the environmental context in which
international marketing research is conducted, including
consideration of the marketing, government, legal,
economic, structural, information technology and the
socio-cultural environment;
demonstrate how and where sources of information can
be obtained in relation to international markets;
expose course participants to a range of data sources,
both print and electronic which are essential for
marketing research;
provide course participants with an understanding of,
and some experience in using, statistical, demographic,
geo-demographic and computer aided telephone
interviewing and telemarketing software; and
to provide the technical skills necessary for planning,
executing and reporting marketing researching
conducted using either quantitative or qualitative
methods.
Content
Problem definition; data sources and the review of related
literature; international demographic trends; research
designs; data analysis and interpretation; preparing written
and oral reports.
Recommended reading
Malhotra, N.K., Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation.
Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1993
B181 l lnternational Financial
Management
3 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequistite: Nil; though a
basic understanding of the Accounting discipline is assumed.
ie. balance sheet, profit and loss, cash flow statements, ratio
analysis. Students without this knowledge may be required to
undertake an additional bndging unit in this area.
Assessment: Assignments and examination.
A subject in the Masters of International Business
Credit may be given for a comparable unit completed at an
appropriate academic level.
0 bjectives
The current push is for Australian businesses to think
and trade in an international dimension. There are
aspects of managing business finance which must be
considered and applied by any business operating
internationally, whether large or small. This unit is
designed to facilitate students' appreciation of the
difficulties and benefits of operating internationally,
from a financial viewpoint. To achieve this, the
objectives of this subject are for students to:
gain a conceptual and practical framework within which
the key financial decisions of a company operating
internationally can be analysed;
gain an understanding of the use of the financial analysis
techniques appropriate in solving international financial
problems and how to apply them;
understand the principles of asset and liability