Our courses
Course 1: Management Research: Theory and Methodology (4.5 units)
This course aims at the development of an understanding of the key issues in the philosophy of social science and management research as well as providing an overview of the main research methods and their appropriateness for management research. The focus is on understanding the nature of research and the philosophy of science that informs research.
Course 2: Analysis and Critique of Research-based Literature (4.5 units)
Analysis and Critique focuses attention on how to critically analyse and assess the research-based literature by requiring candidates to review examples, develop defendable appraisals of research question formation, methodological development, and the presentation of research findings. This course is concerned with providing a sound foundation to literature analysis as the basis of research and it will focus on the area of cross-cultural management. Analysis of style, content and structure are examined. Candidates will be required to review a number of research-based literatures and submit substantial critique papers.
Course 3: International Business and Global Management Trends (9 units)
International Business and Global Management Trends offers the exploration of the emerging and leading ideas in business and management. It is an interdisciplinary study, an integration of what have become recognised areas of international business, management and, more recently, strategic management, and organisational theory. It builds upon the traditional knowledge base brought together in MBA study (or equivalent), relating it to current times, extending it both in breadth and depth. It recognises the value of the experience a candidate’s cohort brings and seeks to draw this out while linking it with the literature and knowledge involved in scholarship. The themes explored centre around the change to the service and knowledge economy, globalisation, international business practice and international business and trade forums with their international protocols, the design of organisations in this global context, (boundaryless organisations, transnationals and multinational corporations, virtual organisations), alliances and networks, risk management and addressing complexity.
Course 4: Changes in Business and Organisational Process (9 units)
Changes in Business and Organisational Process focuses upon the different paradigms and approaches taken to evolving organisational processes. Critical to this are action approaches, systems thinking, organisational learning, knowledge management, organisational culture and creativity. Understanding of cross-cultural dynamics and leadership in different contexts will be explored. A general theme through all of this is the management of change.
Course 5: Annotated Literature Review (9 units)
Annotated Literature Review extends candidates’ skills in conducting the literature review as a discourse by engaging them in an analysis of related research-based and conceptual papers (journals, books etc.). The identified related literature will be annotated and those considered directly relevant to the candidate’s proposed research topic will be subjected to critical assessment leading to a summary overview. The candidate is required, entirely from their own initiative, to source literature from their areas of research interest and to compile an annotated bibliography of referenced works.
Course 6: Management Research: Design, Methodologies and Practice (9 units)
The purpose of Management Research is to develop candidates’ skills in designing a research proposal in accordance with sound research principles and good practice. It extends the knowledge and skills required to research business and management issues. As background context, the general nature of evidence-based and ethical research is examined before focusing attention on the two major paradigms of investigative knowledge: the positivist-empiricist and the interpretative-naturalistic approaches, or more simply, quantitative and qualitative research. Specific attention is paid to individual methods, such as the population survey, focused interviews, case study and action research. As these various approaches are frequently used in management research, an understanding of their strengths and limitations is also examined.
Course 7: Research Project Development Proposal (9 units)
Research Project Proposal Development aims to prepare candidates to develop and present a research-based proposal that they intend to use as the basis of their doctoral research. The focus of the course is the development of the candidates’ ability to write a research proposal that is well conceived, logically organised and planned, and manageable within the time frame of the program. The outcome will be a PhD or DBA research proposal that covers thematic concerns, relevant body of literature, methodology and research design and plan, together with an ethics protocol that will be submitted and reviewed in tandem. The candidate will nominate and present their research proposal for consideration as either a PhD or DBA proposal and it will be assessed accordingly against established criteria. This process will involve an oral presentation to an appropriate academic panel of the University of South Australia. Research Proposal Advisors are appointed at the commencement of each course.
Research components of the program
Candidates will normally produce three research papers during the course of the program.
The first of these, Research Paper 1: Broad Concepts and Literature Review (7,000 to 10,000 words), will comprise an analysis of broad concepts which give context to the research topic, and a literature review intended to address the candidate's research.
The second paper, Research Paper 2: Research and Findings (12,000 to 15,000 words), reports on the research carried out.
The third paper, Research Paper 3: Implications for Practice (5,000 to 6,000 words), examines the implications for the application of the research findings.
The papers are then considered and finalised for submission in a portfolio of three papers, Research Portfolio: Portfolio of Papers, containing up to 30,000 words (or a dissertation), with an extended summary (3,000 words), for examination at the end of the program.
If a dissertation is chosen as an alternative to a portfolio of papers 1, 2 and 3 or as an alternative to papers 2 and 3, it would be expected to be up to 30,000 words in length.