Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

84223 Business Demography
No. of hours per week: three hours
Prerequisite: BQ111 Quantitative Analysis B
(BQI 11 E + BQI 10) Quantitative Analpis A
Instruction: one class, one laboratory
Assessment: individual and syndicate assignments
Subject aims and description
A substantial number of business problems are related to
changes in the population and therefore an understanding
of demography is required to unde~tand business markets.
Th~s unit consists of an introduction to the basic methods of
demographic analysis for human populations, enterprises and
industries. The aim of the unit is to explore the market
impljcations of demographic change. The approach taken in
this unit is a practical one and therefore considerable use
will be made of PC-based business modelling software
packages.
The unit will normally consist of:
sources of demographic data;
measuring demographic phenomenon; fertility; mortality;
internal and international migration;
population estimates and projections;
cohort analysis;
demographics of enterprises and industries: labour force;
skills; markets;
international demographic trends.
Textbook
Pollard, A.H., Yusuf, F. and Pollard, G.N. Demographic Techniques.
3rd ed, krgamon Press, 1990
References
Day, L. and Rowland, D. How Many More Australians? Melbourne:
n Longman Cheshire, 1988
C Mahar, C. and Burke, T, Informed Decision Making. Melbourne:
Longman Cheshire, 1991
National Population Council. fbpulation lrsues and Austmlia's Future.
Canberra: AGPS. 1992
VI -.
3
BQ330 Market Modelling
No. of hours per week: three hours
Prerequisite: BQI 11 Quantitative Analysis B
(BQI IOE + BQ111) Quantitatiw Analysis A
Instruction: lecture/tutorial
Assessment: individual and syndicate assignment
Subject aims and description
This unit aims to familiarise students with some of the
techniques and skills not yet encountered, but needed to
undertake the successful modelling of micro and macro
markets and business relationships.
The unit will normally cover the use of:
regression analysis, in its various forms, to asist the
modelling of demand and supply and other business
relationships;
qualitative forecasting methods such as delphi, panel
consensus and scenario analysis;
Markw analysis for the investigation of market behwiour
(e.g. brand switching) and for the analysis of market
share.
Textbook
Makridakis, 5.. Wheelwright, S.C. and McGee, V.E. Forecasting
Methods for Management. 4th ed, Wiley, 1985
References
Bartholomew, D.J. Stochastic Models t%r Social Processes. 3rd ed,
Brisbane; Wiley, 1982
Jarrett, J. Business Fomasting Methods. 2nd ed, Oxford: Blackwell,
1991
84331 Survey Research Methods
No. of hours per week: three hours
Prerequisite; BQ22l Marketing Data Management
Instruction: one three-hour lecturellaboratory
Assessment: six survey research tasks, one
individual assignment
Subject aims and description
This unit is concerned with a detailed examination of three
aspects of survey research methodology; computer software
used in the data collection, data entry and tabulation of
marketing and sound research data collections: sample
designs for mail, personal interview and telephone surveys;
the analysis of sun/ey data with a particular emphasis on the
measurement of attitudes and opinions.
Software: Microtab - an integrated computer assisted
telephone interviewing system with data entry, coding and
data analysis functionality. SPSS for Windows.
References
Alreck, P.L. and Settle, R.B. The Sui-vey Research Handbook. Irwin,
1985
Henry, G.T. Practical Sampling, Applied Social Resea~h Methods
Series Vol. 21, Sage Publications, 1990
84400 Business Modelling Honours
Students should seek advice from the appropriate Business
Modelling staff when formulating their discipline-specific
course of study and their research project proposal.
To encourage a multi-discipline approach, students may,
subject to approval, undertake selected honours-led
coursework units from other departments, faculties, or
institutions provided that they show the relevance of these
coursework units to their proposed area of research. Such
arrangements are subject to the student having any
necessary prerequisite studies and may be subject to any
quotas imposed on these units by the offering department.
Students must submit their proposal to the Business
Modelling Honours Convenor for approval prior to the
commencement of their honours program. Approval for a
student's discipline-specific course of study and research
project proposal shall be subject to the availability of any
necessary resources and the availability of appropriate staff
supervision.
Advanced Business Modelling Techniques
Students will be required to investigate advanced theoretical
business modelling techniques which support their research
project proposal. In particular, students will be expected to
demonstrate their understanding of these techniques by
applying them to one or more business modelling case
studies and presenting their findings via participation in a
seminar program. Students may also be required to analyse
specific business case studies, consult textbooks, periodicals
and conference proceedings and inwstigate the use of
computer software packages as part of this unit.
Business Modelling Honours Research Project
Students will be required to undertake a substantial research
project utilising business modelling techniques within their
chosen area of speciality. The research project may involve
the collection and analysis of data, an extension of the
student's theoretical knowledge, the use of existing
computer software packages or the production of computer
software via programming. Students will be expected to
report their research activity in the form of a written
dissertation of approximately 15,000 words in length and
will be required to progressiwly present their findings as
part of a research seminar program.
Students intending to complete their degree with honours