Centre for Research in Accounting and Finance
Director: Professor Graham Peirson
The Centre for Research in Accounting and Finance provides organisations in the private and public sectors with access to a research facility, and is available to undertake commissioned research projects. The centre promotes a range of related services in all the discipline areas covered by the Department of Accounting and Finance: financial accounting and reporting; management accounting; business finance; auditing; taxation law; company law and information systems.
The centre undertakes a range of other activities including workshops, professional development and in-house training courses, publication of books, monographs and research materials, preparation and distribution of software, preparation of technical material and advice and publication of workshop and professional development papers. For more information telephone 905 2477
School of Business - Gippsland
Gippsland Research and Information Bank
Project manager: Ms Betty-Anne Foster
The Gippsland Research and Information Bank (GRIB) is a specialist centre which provides a range of economic, social and demographic statistics for the Gippsland region. It has regional data base that can be accessed by academics, market researchers, local businesses, research students, libraries and government enterprises.
The Gippsland Research and Information Bank undertakes a wide range of consulting projects and has collaborated with academics, in the field of business on a number of research projects providing expertise in survey design and statistical analysis. It has a strong relationship with the Latrobe Regional Commission (LRC) which makes use of the staff and services of the information bank.
The Gippsland Research and Information Bank provides a quarterly profile of the region in conjunction with the LRC. For more information telephone 902 6872.
Syme Accounting
Syme Monash Accounting Research and Training Centre
Executive director: Professor Claudio Romano
Advisory board: Professor P Chandler, Mr A Pritchard, Mr R Cochrane, Mr J Levine, Professor J Ratnatunga, Professor C Romano, Mr E Waldmann, and Mr D Corea.
The Syme Monash Accounting Research and Training Centre (SMART) is an initiative of the Syme Department of Accounting and Finance. The centre provides a comprehensive range of professional training and educational services which are designed to meet the needs of the accounting profession and the community at large.
The centre is self funding and its mission is to generate funding for independent research in the accounting discipline. This is achieved by developing training and development courses which are relevant to the needs of management and the professions and which are responsive to the needs of the marketplace; marketing the full range of SMART services in a professional manner to the target markets; and delivering these services in a timely and professional manner. For more information telephone 903 2912.
Research Unit for Chinese Accounting and Finance
Director: Ms Wei Lu
Advisory board: Professor P Chandler (Chair), Professor J Ratnatunga, Professor L West, Professor M Aitken, Mr M Aiken, Mr Qin Xiao and Mr W O'Shea
The Research Unit for Chinese Accounting and Finance provides a focus for the consolidation and enhancement of the university's research activities in Chinese accounting and finance. The research unit also acts as a gateway for professional activities through academic exchanges into China. The mission of the research unit is to promote and facilitate applied research in accounting and finance on China; coordinate the development of team research by various leading authorities in Australia and overseas; host visiting fellows and other visitors between China and Australia; sponsor the publication of an international journal on Chinese accounting and finance, and organise international conferences and seminars. For more information telephone 903 2972.
Syme Banking and Finance
Monash Syme Centre for Banking, International Trade and Taxation
Director: Mr Kevin Tant
A simulated treasury dealing laboratory has been established which centres on a personal computer-based simulated treasury dealing room which replicates Australia's financial institutions.
The system integrates real-time financial data and a back-office assessment bringing together market information, development of strategies, communication and profitability. Market information is conveyed on one screen and multi-landline telephones are used to ascertain views about the expected outcomes from other participants - the Reserve Bank of Australia, banks, brokers and corporations.
Courses in treasury operations and dealing room management are conducted for undergraduates and postgraduate students as well as industry. For more information telephone 903 2386
Asian Financial Research Unit
Executive director: Ms Alice de Jong
The AFRU was created to support academic programs in banking and finance, international business and Asian business within the Department of Banking and Finance. The research unit has been active in hosting a number of seminars, guest speakers, and visiting scholars from the Asian region. For more information telephone 903 2587.
Asian Business Research Unit
Director: Dr Kevin Wong
The major focus of the Asian Business Research Unit is to support the department's academic programs in international trade and international and Asian business through seminars, research projects and publications. For more information telephone 903 4630.
Australian Banking Research Unit
Director: Mr Michael Vincent
AUSBANK supports the department's banking and finance programs through seminars, research projects and teaching programs. Fore more information telephone 903 2390.
Syme Taxation Research Unit
Director: Mr Stephen Barkozcy
This unit supports the department's academic programs in taxation and commercial law through seminars, research projects and publications. For more information telephone 903 2144.
Syme Management
Leadership Research Unit
Director: Associate Professor James Sarros
The Leadership Research Unit (LRU) conducts leadership research in the public and private sectors, has run a series of public seminars featuring well-known business leaders, and is engaged in numerous consultancies examining the nature of business leadership. Research articles, monographs, tests, and reports have been and are being produced by the LRU annually. For more information telephone 904 4278
Quality Management Research Unit
Director: Professor Amrik Sohal
The unit provides research opportunities for staff members and students of the Syme Department of Management in all aspects of quality management, including total quality management (TQM) and manufacturing/operations management. The unit has developed a unique partnership between the Syme Department of Management and business enterprises in Victoria. These enterprises provide opportunities for staff and students to carry out research work on-site, enabling the sharing of information and ideas. The development of Australian case studies relating to quality management and manufacturing/operations management is a vital part of this activity. Current research projects include: impediments to the adoption of quality management in Australian industry; quality costing in Australian industry; dynamic modelling of manufacturing and quality management systems for policy decision making; performance evaluation of advanced manufacturing techniques; and management of service operations.
Professor Sohal is editor of a journal associated with the unit, entitled Asia Pacific Journal of Quality Management.
The Quality Management Research Unit also offers executive short-courses in quality management, both on-campus and on-site, and undertakes on-site research and consultancy. For more information telephone 903 2033.
Systems Thinking and Organisational Learning Research Unit
Director: Mr John Barton
This unit has been formed to provide a framework for research work. Current research programs have been established relating to the development of learning organisations in the hotel industry and the modelling of chaotic behaviour. Proposed research areas applying systems thinking include the relationship of quality management to corporate financial performance, the management of networked organisations, the management of volunteer organisations, the regulation of utilities and the role of leadership. The aim is to establish learning clusters of both private and government sector organisations that wish to share experiences and be involved in collaborative research. For more information telephone 903 2672.
Syme Centre for Enterprise Development
Executive director: Associate Professor Denis Kiellerup
Advisory board: Dr C Coogan (Chair), Professor P Chandler, Mr R de Lautour, Professor J Miller, Mr D Moody, Mr H A Seeley, AM.
The centre was established to encourage people in Australia and in neighbouring nations to understand that entrepreneurial activity is vital to economic development, and to provide practical advice on how individuals and organisations could become more enterprising. The aims of the centre were initially supported financially by the Federal Department of Science and Technology and the Victorian State Department of Industry, Commerce and Technology. Since 1987 the centre has achieved self-funding status.
Commercial reality runs as a powerful theme through all the education, training and consultancy activities of the Syme Centre for Enterprise Development. Individuals are directly assisted through the centre's programs, and existing businesses and companies are provided with advice on a fee-for-service basis.
One significant activity of the centre is the conduct of the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS). The Department of Employment, Education and Training has appointed the centre as a managing agent to provide the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme on the Caulfield and Peninsula campuses. The aim of this intensive business skills training program is to help unemployed people initiate and conduct their own businesses.
To conduct this and other programs, appropriately experienced and qualified consultants are hired from the business community and from the Monash academic environment. For more information telephone 903 2346.
Syme Marketing
Agribusiness Research Unit
Executive director: Mr Michael O'Keeffe
Advisory board: Mr G Latta (Pacific Brands Food Group)(Chair), Mr I Backman (Linfox Distribution Group), Mr B Calder (Department of Primary Industry and Energy), Dr M Dalling (Strategic Industry Research Foundation), Dr N Evans (Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation), Mr J Gregg (Du Pont), Dr S Heilbron (SG Heilbron), Mr J Lawrenson (Australian Wheat Board), Mr A Morrison (F S Falkiner Pty Ltd), Mr M Taylor (Victorian Department of Food and Agriculture), Mr M Wheatley (Bunge), Mr P Wilkinson (Myer), and Mr M O'Keeffe.
The ARU aims to extend knowledge and improve practice in agribusiness marketing through research, education, and interchange. The overall objective of the unit is to assist Australian agribusiness in maintaining international competitiveness. This is achieved through support of academic research; promotion of industry - academic interaction; tailoring conceptual marketing developments to the unique needs of agribusiness; and providing tailored education and training. For more information telephone 903 2307.
The Australian Centre for Retail Studies
Executive director: Associate Professor Michael Collins
Advisory board : Mr P Morgan (Speciality Group - Coles Myer) (Acting Chair), Mr P Davis (McEwans), Mr E Deyzel (Retail Consultant), Mr L Eakin (Retailers' Council of Australia), Mr M Howell (Country Road), Mr J Irish (Target), Mr C Kimberley (Just Jeans), Mr A Kloeden (Brashs), Mr M Mead (Woolworths Safeway), Mr T McCartney (K Mart), Ms N Milgrom (Sussan Corporation), Ms M Paidoussi (Portmans), Mr T Quinn (David Jones), and Mr B Williams (Kinney Shoes (Australia) Ltd), Associate Professor M Collins and Ms S Joy.
The centre was established with the purpose of being a national provider of management education, training, development and research specifically tailored to meet the needs of the retail industry. The Retailers' Council of Australia has subsequently endorsed it as the Industry's centre of excellence.
The centre's major activities include the provision of a wide range of management development and retail courses offered both publicly and in-house. These comprise: store management; retail buying; advanced retail leadership; advanced retail negotiations; executive diploma in retail management; strategic planning and management in retailing; ACRS Diploma in Retail Studies; and a senior executive retail study tour to USA.
The centre undertakes research studies which have included reports on offshore retailing and the development of industry cases for teaching and management training. It is also responsible for the management of undergraduate retail courses, including the Bachelor of Business (Retail Management) by distance education.
The centre maintains close links with the retail industry and is substantially funded by industry. For more information telephone 903 2365.
David Syme Centre for Competitive Advantage
Executive director: Ms Sally Joy
The objectives of the David Syme Centre for Competitive Advantage are to assist private and public sector organisations to improve their business performance and competitive advantage. These are achieved through an emphasis on business information research and analysis, and the application of up-to-date business and marketing concepts.
The centre provides in-house and external training programs in several streams:
* applied business decision-making - making better use of business and marketing information in decision-making;
* business and marketing modelling - using modelling approaches and information technology for better business analysis;
* advances in business and marketing theory and practice;
* implementation - `how to apply' business and marketing concepts in practical situations.
Typical programs include business decision-making, applications of marketing models, advances in customer and employee research, strategic planning implementation workshop, export market analysis, regional marketing training program. For more information telephone 903 2065.
David Syme International Business Centre
Executive director: Ms Sally Joy
This centre was established to pioneer the development of export marketing training programs for the business community and to establish a higher level of international business awareness in the community. While this emphasis has continued, the role of the centre in the training and education area has expanded considerably.
The centre also offers specialised consulting services, primarily in the areas of technology transfer, licensing and joint venture initiatives. A market research capability has been established within the centre offering both primary and desk market research. The centre also contributes to postgraduate teaching within the faculty. For more information telephone 903 2219.
Interdisciplinary centres
Centre for the Economics of Education
Co-directors: Associate Professor Gerald Burke (Faculty of Education), Dr Phillip McKenzie, (ACER), Dr Leo Maglen, (Department of Economics) and Professor Chris Selby-Smith (Department of Management)
This is a cross-faculty and cross-institutional centre. The centre's main purpose is research in the economics of education in Australia. The centre was established because of the need for more coherent and sustained research in the field.
The centre formalises links between researchers in different departments at Monash and at the Australian Council for Educational Research. To encourage collaboration across the institutions involved, the centre is managed by four co-directors. For more information telephone 905 2370.
Centre of Southeast Asian Studies
Director: Professor David Chandler
The Centre of Southeast Asian Studies coordinates advanced work in the Southeast Asian field undertaken by the departments of Anthropology and Sociology, Geography and Environmental Science, History, Linguistics, Music, Politics, the language departments, and the faculties of Education, Law and Business and Economics (Clayton campus).
Graduate students who wish to undertake research in this field must first be accepted by the head of one of these departments.
The centre offers a weekly series of staff and graduate seminars to discuss papers by visiting scholars, or by members of the university. These are open to the public.
Once or twice a year, the centre also sponsors an all-day seminar and a weekend conference on a selected Southeast Asian topic. The centre's publications program consists of over a hundred titles and welcomes new manuscripts. For more information, see the graduate handbook for the Faculty of Arts.