Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

References
Hofer, C.W. and Schendel, D. Strategy Formulation. 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 edn, New York, Macmillan, 1986
~ ~ 6 0 3 Business Policy
Prerequisites: because of the nature of this
subject, Business Policy is taken in the final
semester of the MBA course. Candidates must
have completed all of Group A subjects and two
of the Group B subjects before commencing
this.
Subject aims
This subject 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 subjects will thus be utilised.
Specific objectives of this subject 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.
Subject description
To~ics 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 a 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, M.C. and Buffa, E.S. Corporate Strategic Analysis. New York,
The Free Press, 1986
Christensen, C.R. et al. Business Policy: Text and Cases. 7th edn,
Homewood, Irwin, 199 1
Kanter, R. The Change Masters. London, Unwin, 1985
Ohmae, K. The Mind of the Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business.
Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1983
Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H. In Search of Excellence. New York,
Harper and Row, 1982
Porter, M. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
Performance. New York, The Free Press, 1985
Porter, M.E. Competitive Strategy New York, The Free Press, 1980
Quinn, J.8.and Mintzberg, H. The Strategy Process: Concepts,
Contexts, and Cases. 2nd edn, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice
Hall, 1991
~ ~ 6 0 6 Marketing Research Methods
No. of hours per week: two hours
Prerequisites: BQSOO Research Methodology,
BM501 Marketing Management 1 or equivalent
subjects
Subject aims and description
This subject introduces the theory and practice of research in
a marketing environment. Students will be instructed in using
appropriate research methods and techniques to provide
information for marketing decision-making. The importance.
of research to strategic and tactical problems will be
emphasised.
Topics to be covered are: the importance of research to
marketing; the research brief and proposal; defininq the
marketing research problem; specifying research 06jectives;
determinina the research desian; information sources:
qualitative research; quantitahe data collection methods:
measurement and scaling procedures; sample designs; field
work and data collection; data analysis: - . reaort . areaaration . ,
and result presentation.
Textbook
Details will be provided at the first lecture.
BM~OI
Marketing for Management
Prerequisites: normally Management 1;
Economics for Management; Accounting for
Management; Computing for Management.
This subject is compulsory (conversion students
excepted)
Subject aims
The principal objectives of this subject 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 manaaement) 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;