Experiences in Industry

This subject is not offered in 2013.

120 hours

Students must have completed 150 points of the 200-point Master of Construction Management OR 250 points of the 300-point Master of Construction Management.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject examines the industrial behaviour of different types of firms active in the construction market through the experiences and organised reflections of key representatives.

Organised as a series of structured discussions within a seminar format, the subject will expose students to a variety of industrial pathways while positioning challenges and achievements of the sample of firms selected within precise historical, economic and technological contexts.

• To enable introspective examination of construction industry and markets in Australia, as well as the factors determining firms’ success and survival.
• To help students gain an insider’s view of the construction sector in Australia, which will strengthen their ability to make strategic decisions about their future.
• To connect firms’ dynamics with socio-economic cycles and strategic leadership.
• To help students identify and understand critical success factors in construction-related enterprises.
• To review empirical links between public policies, market demand and entrepreneurial fortunes.

• Class participation (10%).
• Case studies and professional reports equivalent to 5,000 words (90%).

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Ability to read and understand socio-technical circumstances in construction;
• Ability to distinguish between construction sub-sectors in terms of opportunities and constraints;
• Ability to appreciate the importance of technological and market rents in construction;
• Ability to derive theoretical positions from real-life examples;
• Ability to appreciate value and limitations of strategic decisions.