Business Management

Melbourne High School Business Management

menu
Home
Personal Benefits
Message from Coordinator
Business in year 11
Young Achievers program
Stock Market Game
ABW report
Business Alive
Virtual Tours
Updates
Syllabuses
Restricted Area
Contact Information
Links

Each year, Year 12 Business Management students are given the opportunity to participate in Australian Business Week, an intensive learning experience conducted over one week at Deakin University (Geelong). It gives 66 Year 12 students the opportunity to learn business from a practical perspective by working with business mentors. Each student selected will be awarded a $2000 scholarship to cover the cost of accommodation and meals at one of Australia's top business conference centres, full program costs and a certification of completion. Students in groups of eleven take over a company with a $6 million operating budget and the students use a computer simulation to take their organisation through the equivalent of a two-year business cycle. In an experimental, decision-making process they all make decisions affecting the company’s performance in the marketplace, a model of the Australian economy. The teams each elect a CEO and then the respective heads of the Marketing, Production and Finance are chosen. Under these divisional heads two subordinates are chosen to work under the supervision of these heads and the eleventh person works wherever most help is needed.

The six teams of 11 compete to see who can accumulate the most points out of the four criteria teams are assessed. These include:

-The business policy game- 40% of the assessment
-Communications- 20% of the assessment
-Team Building Activities- 20% of the assessment
-Video and Trade Display- 20% of the assessment

The students run their company over a two-year business cycle and each quarter need to make decisions to determine price, volume, marketing strategy, advertising, quality, production processes, staffing, funding, distribution etc. The teams compete against each other and the assessment used to judge the success of the team are the 8 accumulative quarter results in the company’s-

-Stock Price
-Investor Rate Of Investment
-Market Share
-Total Assets
-Assets to Income Ratio
-Income to Equity Ratio
-Sales $000’s
-Net Profit $000’s

The Communications Assessment is equally divided into an oral presentation and an annual report written by the respective marketing, production and finance teams. The oral presentation is assessed on the effectiveness, information and originality of the presentation. The annual report is assessed on the comprehensiveness and presentation of the report as well as its relevance, persuasion and selection of the information that prospective shareholders might want to see when buying into our shares.

The Video and Trade Display assessment is equally divided into an advertisement produced at the Learning Resources Center at Deakin University and the production of a trade display, where the product you are selling is put on display. The advertisement is judged on originality, humour, sophistication and relevance to the product. The Trade display is assessed on how much it grabs people’s eye, how impressive and large the display is and the effectiveness of selling techniques used at guests.

The Team-Building activities consist of an orienteering component as well as the general team-skills and co-operation that teams demonstrate throughout the course of the week.

The week was very challenging, but it wasn’t all work and no play. There were many perks including pool tables, shared 5-Star hotel accommodation, lovely food, an outdoor pool, spa, gym and a syndicate room equipped with a computer and Internet connection. Coke also sponsored ABW, so it was free for the entire week.

Also, we had the privilege to listen to four well-respected business leaders. These Keynote speakers included Steve Outtrim, CEO of Sausage Software Ltd, Sue Maynard, Managing Director of MM Communications, Robert Shannon, Managing Director of Shannons Corporation Pty Ltd and Elizabeth Proust, Group General Manager at ANZ.

At the end of the week our team performed admirably, winning the Victorian section of the ABW and proceeded to the Nationals in Queensland. Our team was named Inferno and the other five teams were Neon Enterprises, Chwastek, Quality Bake, Emeraldia and R.E.D.

In its 10 years, ABW has always had a representative from Melbourne High and we have won the Victorian championships many times and the Australian Title once.

Tarun Doss.
Year 12 Business Management student and Australian Business Week winner.

For more information log on to the ABW website on:

www.deakin.edu.au/buslaw/abw

Congratulations to Sean Rapson who won the Victorian section of ABW in April. This allowed him to represent Victoria in the National Titles held in Sydney during December. It is very pleasing to inform that Sean won the National Title of ABW. This is the first time that a Victorian has won the Australian title of this prestigious competition.

Read Sean's report below.

Well done Sean!

After winning the ABW state program in April, the Victorian team ventured to St.Andrew's College (University of Sydney), a 130-year-old residential college in Newtown. This was the location for the National ABW Championships, where: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia met us in a fierce battle from 2nd-6th December. We faced the added challenge of bringing home Victoria's first National title in the history of the national competition.

The competition surrounded around the hypothetical running of a management fund, quite different from the state program that required the management of a large organisation. This included the research and trading of shares, creating a prospectus for potential clients, making a presentation to trustees and marketing our fund effectively. The criteria of the competition was as follows: ·

Sharemarket portfolio 30% ·

Written prospectus 20% ·

Presentation to trustees 20% ·

Marketing presentation 20% ·

Teamwork 10%

The teamwork component of the competition comprised of: two orienteering exercises, a karaoke night and a sailing race around Darling Harbour. Sailing was one of the many highlights (not just because we won) during the program, taking line honours to the sounding of an air horn and the cheer of a crowd enjoying a sunny day in an overlooking Sydney park. Great friendships were formed interstate and consolidated within each team at events like these.

The program consisted of many knowledgeable guest speakers with various professors of the University of Sydney and leading businessmen including the flamboyant Rene Rivkin. These speakers provided a great insight into the management of funds, giving their different views on how to play the 'game'.

Winners of each component were announced at the presentation dinner where His Excellency the Honourable Governor of New South Wales was in attendance. The final results of the National Championships were:

1st Victoria

2nd Western Australia

3rd South Australia

4th Queensland

5th New South Wales

The competition was a success for all who participated in the program; we took home much more than that winning feeling. This continues Melbourne High School students' dominance on ABW programs at a State and National levels. Good luck to the Melbourne High School representative in the future!

Sean Rapson