Bachelor of Commerce

Foundation of Business is a core unit that provides learners with a broad overview of the various disciplines and functions within a business and how they interrelate to create value. Key business dimensions such as structure, type, sector and purpose are explored in the local, national and international contexts. The unit will also serve to illustrate the connection between business ethics, legal and regulatory frameworks, and the responsibility of business in society. In addition to the unit content, learners develop skills in communication, critical thinking, research, and the use of information technology at ECU. These skills are crucial for success in their academic careers and underpin employability beyond.

Accounting and Finance Essentials is an introductory unit designed to help students understand, use and analyse financial information. This unit is relevant for students across all business disciplines and enables them to make informed decisions in diverse organisational settings using accounting and financial information. Students will learn about basic accounting principles and transactions, analyse financial statements, budgeting and different personal financing and investment options. Completion of the unit will equip students with effective problem solving and critical thinking skills to interpret and analyse financial performance of an organisation.

Business Environments and Markets introduces students to the complex external environment in which businesses operate. The disruptive power of new technologies, rapid social change and the shifting political scene are just some of the factors that exert considerable influence on how managers make business decisions that will deliver competitive advantage in a given marketplace. Students will trace the product and service development practices of businesses and explore new ways of connecting and engaging with customers and stakeholders at a local, national and international level.

The unit provides students with a basic understanding of business analytics using MS Excel and other data mining tools to support data driven business decisions. It aims to provide students with an early appreciation of the fundamentals of using analytic skills to enhance reasoning in business decision-making across various business disciplines, and to solve complex problems through anticipating change and managing risk factors, considered essential knowledge for a business graduate.

The contemporary business landscape carries deep-seated ethical values and assumptions that stem from political, economic, institutional, and cultural foundations. A variety of agents (managers, leaders, social entrepreneurs) and institutional arrangements (ethical codes, corporate social responsibility, sustainability partnering) are involved in managing and transforming these values and associated practices. In this unit students will examine the ethics of business, the origins and assumptions underpinning these ethics, and the agents and institutional arrangements that manage them. Recognising that ethical responsibility can never be safely or fully outsourced to others, students are led through a structured program that develops their awareness of their own value systems and their individual abilities to voice ethical issues to have real social impact in their professional lives.

Future Work and Career provides students with the opportunity to explore contemporary labour markets, including global megatrends which can impact on employment trends and opportunities. Students will analyse and orally present on graduate roles and longer-term career pathways, developing their appreciation of labour market demands and priorities across diverse sectors and industries. Through learning experiences which incorporate hands-on activities, reflective practices, and opportunities for feedback, students within the unit develop their self-awareness and understanding of professional self’, supporting the creation and articulation of their own personal brand. Students will engage with a series of modules to learn about aspects of professional practice, including practice and responsibility in work, health and safety; diversity and inclusion at work; risk, legal and ethical considerations; managing well-being and self-care at work; professional conduct and organisational culture. This will prepare students for undertaking a virtual work activity where they will apply their discipline skills and knowledge and reflect on their experience to clarify career goals.

Professional Engagement and Planning enables students to collaborate with industry partners and their peers on a client-based project. Projects will provide valuable insights into contemporary work and support students in developing and applying their discipline and professional skills. Students will also familiarise with graduate recruitment processes, identifying a short-term career plan and developing a suite of documents for graduate and internship opportunities. They will be guided and supporting in sourcing a professional practice capstone opportunity in preparation for SBL3800 Professional Practice. Recognition of Prior Learning will not be considered for this unit. Students with substantial course-related work experience and an established career profile can discuss the possibility of replacing the unit with their course coordinator.

Students will complete a minimum of 80 hours of professional practice in their major or chosen career area, taking significant responsibility for their own learning outcomes. During the 80 hours, students will be immersed into professional life, actively engaging with industry/community partners and applying their discipline learning and professional skills in a meaningful way. Examples of professional practice could be an internship, client-based project, consultancy, service learning, simulated practice, competition, or combination of. Students will reflect on their professional practice to inform their longer-term career planning and professional development. Students are responsible for sourcing their own professional practice opportunity, with the support of the School of Business and Law’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team. All opportunities are vetted to ensure they can provide a meaningful learning experience. Recognition of Prior Learning will not be considered for this unit.

Effective management is at the core of every successful organisation. It addresses essential questions: how do we strategize for execution, structure our enterprise for efficiency and productivity, inspire and rally our workforce, and establish mechanisms to support our plans and achieve objectives? Proficient management is essential when launching, expanding, and sustaining a business, regardless of its scale or stage of development. This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to management and is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective managers.

This unit examines the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on human behaviour in an organisation. Students investigate the factors that affect behaviour including personality, emotions, values and attitudes. Students apply the theories and concepts towards improving an organisation’s effectiveness.

This unit provides an introductory overview of the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). The unit emphasises the nature of the generalist practitioner, and develops a holistic approach to the integration of HRM activities and strategies with those of the organisation as a whole. The unit enables students to develop an understanding of HRM policies and processes that enable organisations to acquire, develop, reward, and retain high-performing employees.

Student learning in this unit focuses on developing cross-cultural intelligence and competencies in business and intelligence whilst taking a practical approach to self-discovery and working with people from diverse backgrounds. The ultimate aim is to build individual and professional capacity, and develop management knowledge through a better appreciation and understanding of culture and how it manifests in organisational and business settings.

This unit explores sustainability as a global ethical challenge, examining how businesses can contribute to responsible management and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Experiential leaning opportunities enable students to develop management frameworks for sustainability that take into account strategic, structural, and stakeholder issues that promote responsible organisational practicThis unit examines the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on human behaviour in an organisation. Students investigate the factors that affect behaviour including personality, emotions, values and attitudes. Students apply the theories and concepts towards improving an organisation’s effectiveness.es.

This unit develops a structured and systematic way of understanding and successfully engaging with negotiation situations. Students are encouraged to learn about their own, and others’, preferences in negotiation, which is central to understanding effective communication and negotiation practice. The skills developed in this unit will be directly relevant for individuals pursuing business careers across international, multicultural, and cross-cultural environments.

This capstone unit aims to establish and expand on the fundamental concepts underlying the study of strategy, the process of strategic management, and the role of strategy in matching an organisation’s competencies with its environment. The student will apply concepts in the analysis and development of strategies for business organisations.

Leadership is a fundamental part of professional development in every field. This unit encourages students to develop their own leadership capabilities by examining different leadership theories, with an emphasis on contemporary positive approaches. Students then consider important leadership skills such as building self-awareness, effective communication, and leading teams. Authenticity is key for successful leadersthey remain true to themselves, drawing strength from their diverse constellation of experiences, perspectives, and heritages. This unit challenges traditional norms about leader identity and enables students to develop their own positive leadership behaviours. A transformational approach to leadership development empowers students to critically examine their beliefs, values, and experiences, to foster a reflective self-knowledge base, an appreciation for multiple perspectives, and a sense of personal agency. The unit offers a clear, concise overview of leadership, emphasising that there isn’t a single best way to lead; true leadership emerges from within. The skills that students learn in this unit will be useful both inside and outside of the workplace, at all stages of their career. Important topics such as ethics, change, and cultural diversity are discussed throughout to develop a holistic perspective. Students do not need to be in employment to be able to learn and grow from this unit.

Effective management is at the core of every successful organisation. It addresses essential questions: how do we strategize for execution, structure our enterprise for efficiency and productivity, inspire and rally our workforce, and establish mechanisms to support our plans and achieve objectives? Proficient management is essential when launching, expanding, and sustaining a business, regardless of its scale or stage of development. This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to management and is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective managers.

The unit offers a balance of sound business management practices that can be applied in a multicultural or an overseas setting. The International Business unit provides analysis of critical subjects and essential knowledge and skills in theory and practice in the field. Students will be offered challenging and exciting opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills in the field of International Business. These skills are highly relevant to business/management strategies in the new millennium.

Student learning in this unit focuses on developing cross-cultural intelligence and competencies in business and intelligence whilst taking a practical approach to self-discovery and working with people from diverse backgrounds. The ultimate aim is to build individual and professional capacity, and develop management knowledge through a better appreciation and understanding of culture and how it manifests in organisational and business settings.

This unit examines Human Resource Management (HRM) in an international context. Students investigate the impact of culture on HRM functions. Students also explore the transition of an organisation from a domestic to an international organisation and compare different International Human Resource Management (IHRM) practices.

This unit develops a structured and systematic way of understanding and successfully engaging with negotiation situations. Students are encouraged to learn about their own, and others’, preferences in negotiation, which is central to understanding effective communication and negotiation practice. The skills developed in this unit will be directly relevant for individuals pursuing business careers across international, multicultural, and cross-cultural environments.

Reduced trade barriers, internet connectivity, and economic globalisation mean that business activities cross international borders more than ever before. This unit applies Global Value Chain theory to provide a structural understanding of the factors that influence trade. Students are exposed to key free trade agreements that enable trade, as well as firm strategies for success in today’s international trade system. The role of the state in facilitating and inhibiting trade and global value chain upgrading is considered in relation to regional development consequences.

This capstone unit aims to establish and expand on the fundamental concepts underlying the study of strategy, the process of strategic management, and the role of strategy in matching an organisation’s competencies with its environment. The student will apply concepts in the analysis and development of strategies for business organisations.

The International Business Project unit is the capstone unit for studies in international business. To complete this unit successfully, students are required to develop an international business strategy that covers the initiation, development, implementation and consolidation of their own business in an international market. Meeting this challenge requires enhanced knowledge and relevant skills in international business in differing fields and contexts.

This unit introduces students to the core principles and concepts of marketing thought, practice, and research. Students will engage with academic theory and real-world application through the understanding and implementation of fundamental marketing tools and knowledge. The unit’s focus is on understanding how organisations can create, manage and capture customer value through various tactical and strategic marketing decisions. Throughout the unit, students will be exposed to aspects of marketing such as consumer behaviour, segmentation, targeting and positioning, market research, new product development, branding, distribution, pricing and marketing communication. This unit will give students a thorough and grounded understanding of marketing and its key elements. The unit will also introduce students to marketing’s role in sustainability and ethics.

Promotional Marketing

Living in a consumer culture, we constantly engage in consumer decision making; we purchase and covet things that create our lifestyles, express our identities, and define us. Understanding and influencing buyer behaviour underpins consumer-brand relationships and ultimately a brand’s success. This unit will explore the digital, cultural and commercial factors that influence the way people consume. To understand these complex processes, students will be introduced to different perspectives on consumption from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, semiotics and marketing. Students will learn about the techniques that marketers use to understand and influence buyer psychology and behaviour. In this unit, students will be able to contribute their own insights and experiences as a consumer and ultimately, will learn about their own buying behaviour and that of others. This unit will allow the students to appreciate buyer behaviour from consumers’ and marketers’ perspectives.

Understanding omnichannel marketing and its integration is essential for modern business transactions. This unit focuses on the design and integration of different marketing channels to deliver products and services to customers. Students will acquire a thorough comprehension of the complexities associated with integrating digital channels into conventional retail marketing channels to ensure a seamless customer experience. Students will explore various marketing channel systems, the roles of channel participants, and the business environment. With technological advancements, personalised selling processes leveraging high-performance technology and customer-centric models are necessary. The unit equips students with knowledge and skills to effectively manage the movement of products through omnichannel marketing and manage business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) channel relationships. Through the guidance of industry experts and real-world case studies, students will explore the application of omnichannel approaches on online retailing and e-commerce while addressing challenges, disruptions, and responsible distribution practices. The unit also emphasises the roles of wholesalers, retailers, transportation companies, and inventory managers in successfully selling and delivering products. Industry-based assignments and software utilisation facilitate the development of industry-ready skills in digital retailing, including e-commerce design and email marketing platforms.

This unit provides an introduction to social media marketing, specifically, the role it plays in contemporary marketing strategies of businesses in today’s digital age. Social media channels, strategies and technologies will be examined. Students will understand and apply the fundamentals of social media marketing relevant to managing a business brand and their own personal brand. This unit’s assessments will require students to create engaging and effective social media marketing content and to develop a social media marketing plan. Students will also learn about the monitoring and reporting on the performance of social media platforms and social networking sites.

Through innovative and creative product development, an organisation enhances competitiveness, engages customers, drives growth, builds brand loyalty, and is able to respond with agility and flexibility to rapidly changing environments. This unit focuses on the development of creative ideas and new product innovations that respond to opportunities and changes within organisations and society more broadly. It explores each step in the creativity process, including idea generation, strategy development, opportunity identification, design, testing, product launch and profit management. Essential market analysis and creative innovation concepts are studied and applied by students with their own innovative product project.

This unit introduces students to a variety of analytical tools and software products currently used to manage and measure marketing data. The emphasis is not on formulae, but to identify and obtain sources of marketing data (both offline and online), and then investigate that data for marketing insights through various techniques such as survey data analysis, regression analysis, text analytics, market basket analysis, cluster analysis, sales forecasting, and data visualisation and storytelling. The unit also covers the concepts, methods and applications of decision models around the collection and use of data, as well as emerging fields of marketing analytics such as big data and artificial intelligence. Students will learn how to think as marketers by asking questions of their data, setting their own direction for the analysis and recommending to businesses on how to use the results to improve overall business performance.

This capstone unit in marketing features the formulation of competitive marketing strategies in both local and international markets. The key feature of this unit is the comprehensive and in-depth coverage of external and internal analyses of select business situations, popular strategic models, especially the concept of sustainable competitive advantage, and strategy implementation. This unit is designed with the intention of developing and refining the ability to identify key resources within a business both in the micro and macro environment and be able to create and sustain a competitive advantage through the use of marketing tools and theory.