1997 Swinburne Higher Education Handbook

On completion of the subject students will understand:
the dynamic nature of business and the strategic
management processes employed to gain sustainable
competitive advantage and develop an innovative culture
how to plan the future of the family business in its
competitive environment from the viewpoint of the
Chief Executive
the analytical skills necessary for developing and
implementing innovative strategies that will enable the
family business to achieve competitive advantage
how to apply and integrate the skills and knowledge
acquired in other management subjects to strategic
problem solving.
Content
The subject is structured in four topics:
Understanding the company and its competitive
environment
Financial Analysis
Analysing
. - the Environment
Company Internal Analysis
Crafting Innovative Strategies
Strategies and Competitive Advantage
Crafting a Strategy
Diversification
Portfolio Analysis
Implementing the Strategy
Structure and Controls
Culture and Leadership
Consolidation of experience
The subject is not content driven, rather it is conceptual and
analytical. The main format is the interactive discussion of
case studies in class sessions. There are no absolute
"correct n or "right n answers to case studies, but rather
recommendations or conclusions that are developed from a
factual basis through the logical application of the concepts
and techniques learned in the subject.
Textbooks
Thompson, A A, and Strickland, A J, Strategic Management:
Concepts and Cases, 9th Edn, Irwin, 1995
EF810 New Venture Marketing
V)
-.
3 hoursper week equivalent City Prerequisite: nil
Assessment: a combination of personal assignments, group
assignments, class participation and/or exam
3 A subject in the first year of the Innovation and
Entrepreneurship suite of programs.
Objectives and content
Develops the skills necessary to meet the marketing needs of
new and high growth venture. During this intensive subject
students gain a thorough grounding in marketing principles
and apply them in marketing plans based on live
opportunities in the market place. A blend of theory a,
insight and practicality, the subject provides the opportunity
to gain hands-on experience in understanding market needs .
Topics covered include marketing principles, marketing
research, consumer behaviour, diffusion of innovation,
organisational culture, technology and services.
At the com~letion of the subiect successful candidates will
be able to &velop a practical and realistic marketing plan to
support the launch of new products or services, align the
core competence of their organisation with emerging needs
of the marketplace, drive technology push as well as market
pull strategies, determine steps for market research and
analysis, market entry and long term business development.
Recommended reading
Hindle, K.G. What is a Marketing Case Study and How Do You
Solve It? Hawthorn, Vic., Swinburne Press, 1992
EF811 New Venture Financial Planning
3 hours per week equivalent City Prerequisite: EF936
Opportunity Evaluation Techniques Assessment: a
combination of personal assignments, group assignments, class
participation and/or exam
A subject in the second year of the Innovation and
Enterprise suite of programs.
Obiectives and content
Students who have passed this subject should possess
demonstrable mastery of financial mathematics of the basic
financial principles required for competent financial
analysis, planning and management of a start-up venture.
Students apply those skills by producing a comprehensive
financial plan for a new venture embodied in an accurate
and credible set of projected financial statements suitable for
inclusion in a business plan. Students also acquire the skills
and acumen necessary to evaluate new venture financial
projections from the point of view of a prospective investor.
Finally, the subject provides a broad knowledge of new
venture financing in Australia and a history of venture
capital and the basics of entrepreneurial economics.
The main outcome is the application of skills in practical
financial management, investment analysis and evaluation of
financing alternatives to production of detailed, credible
forecasts embodied in a complex, computerised financial
model. The outputs of the financial model produce the
proforma financial statements used in the business plan.
Recommended reading
Weston, J.F., Brigham, E.F., Essentials ofManageria1 Finance, 11th
edn, Forth Worth, Dryden Press, 1996
EF814 The Business Plan
3 hours per week equivalent City Prerequisites: EF936
Opportunity Evaluation Techniques, EF938 Commercialising
Innovation, and EF810 New Venture Marketing. Normally,
students are expected to be concurrently undertaking EF811
New Venture Financial Planning Assessment: a
combination of personal assignments, group assignments, class
participation and/or exam
A subject in the second year of the Innovation and
Enterprise suite of programs.
Objectives and content
In this 'capstone' subject, students combine and apply the
skills they have acquired in previous subjects by actually