Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

References
Hofer, C.W. and Schendel, D. Strategy Formulation: Analytical Concepts.
St. Paul, Minn: West Pub. 1978
Steiner, A. Strategic Planning. New York: The Free Press, 1979
Steiner, G.A., Miner, J.B. and Gray, E.R. Management Policy and
Strategy 3rd ed, New York: MacMillan, 1986
BM603 Business Wlicy
Prerequisites: because of the nature of this unit,
Business Policy is taken in the final semester of
the course. Candidates must have completed all
of Group A units and two of the Group B units
before commencing this
Subject aims
This unit is studied in the context of a dynamic global
environment of social and technological change. All basic
business skills must be integrated for strategic planning and
the other MBA units will thus be utilized.
Specific objectives of this unit are:
to introduce the strategic planning process and the range
of techniques used in business planning;
to develop skills in using a variety of frameworks for
making strategic decisions;
to emphasise the importance of the current development
phase of the industry in which an enterprise operates as
a basis for appropriate strategy development;
to develop skills in organising for effective business
planning and for the implementation of the business
planning process.
Topics to be covered include:
the nature of corporate objectives, hierarchy and conflict
of objectives, personal dimensions of objectives,
management by objectives;
analytical frameworks for business planning and their
bearing on the content of business plans and the process
of planning;
defining the business, the central strategic issue of 'What
business are we in?';
the search for opportunity including scenario analysis;
industries and their evolution: competitive advantage;
planning for entry into new industries and new markets;
the Business Plan:
- management expectations of a business plan
- criteria for an effective plan
- preparing for business plan
- defining the business situation
- establishing the value proposition
- defining the business strategy and action programs
- establishing the key processes and tasks
- establishing monitoring procedures
- updating of the business plan.
Texts or references
Bogue Ill, M.C. and Buffa, E.S. Corporate Strategic Analysis. New
York: The Free Press, 1986
Christensen, C.R. et al. Business Policy: TText and Cases. 7th ed,
Homewood: Irwin, 1991
Kanter, R. The Changemasters. London: Unwin, 1985
Ohrnae, K. The Mind of the Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business.
Hanondsworth: Penguin, 1983
Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H. In Search of Excellence. New York:
Harper and Row, 1982
Parter, M. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
krformance. New York: The Free Press, 1985
Porter, M.E. Competitive Strategy New York: The Free Press, 1980
Quinn, J.B., Mintzberg, H. and James, R.M. The Stmtegy Pmess:
Concepts, Contexts, and Cases. 2nd ed, Englwod Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, 1991
Marketing Research Methods
No. of hours per week: two hours average
Prerequisites: 89405 Research Methodology and
BM501 Marketing Management 1
Assessment: group assignment (pairs) 45%. final
examination 5590
Recognition of prior learning
BM605
Credit will be given for a comparable unit successfully
completed at the graduate level.
Subject aims
This unit will build on the skills introduced in BQ405
Research Methods and more specifically apply these to
situations involving consumers and the marketplace. Rather
than the independent research focus of 84405, this unit will
also look at commercial research. Emphasis will be on
developing skills such as defining the research question,
designing research, qualitative research and analysis
techniques, questionnaire design and analysis, buying
research and evaluating research results. Within this, students
will be introduced to the special research situations applying
to policy and program evaluations and business to business
services and cross-cultural research.
Subject description
Market research in Australia. The research process. The
research problem.
Cross cultural research.
Qualitiative research: focus groups, depth interviewing,
delphi techniques, projective techniques, participant
observation.
Quantitative research: overview of methods. Sampling and
sample size, questionnaire design - measuring attitudes and
developing scales. Questionnaire design - designing
questions. Fieldwork management, editing and coding.
Using research in program evaluations and policy
development. Buying research. Evaluations research.
Textbooks
Babbie, Earl. Survey Research Methods. 2nd ed. Belrnont, Wadsworth.
1990
Gordon, W. and Langmaid, R. Qualitative Market Research: A
Practitioner's and Buyer3 Guide. Aldershot: Gower, 1988
BM70l Marketing for Management
Prerequisites: normally Management 1;
Economics for Management; Accounting for
Management; Computing for Management. This
unit is compulsory (conversion students excepted)
Subject aims
The principal objectiws of this unit are to provide a strategic
orientation to the study of marketing management and to
ensure that candidates obtain a firm foundation in marketing
concepts.
Specific objectives include:
to examine the development of marketing strategies at
the product (middle management) level which is
concerned with developing and implementing marketing
plans in regard to positioning, product policy, pricing,
promoting and distributing the product, commissioning
and undertaking research;
to examine the development of marketing strategies at
the corporate (top management) level which is concerned
with the more general concerns of corporate growth and
the firm's overall product mix as included in the strategic
marketing planning process;
to develop marketing plans to exploit opportunities and
deal with the threats before they arise;