Economics & Public Policy (BUSA90073)

Global Business Economics examines the broad environment in which firms operate and explains factors that affect the output growth, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and exchange rates of a country in a globalized world. These economy-wide variables are beyond a firm’s control but critically influence the decision-making of any firm. The course presents a macroeconomic framework to illustrate the dynamic inter-connections among markets (e.g. those for financial assets, goods and services, labor, and money) and government policies. With the aid of country case studies and current policy research, the course aims to demonstrate that economics is not primarily a set of answers but a method of reasoning.

Having completed the course, a student should be able to read The Australian Financial Review or The Economist intelligently, and make informed judgements on questions of economic policy. The course seeks to demystify economics and to enable students to form their own opinions on economic issues. A related aim is to prepare future general managers to deal with professional economists, both those on their own staff and those in government. A student who completes this course should never again be intimidated by economists or economics.

The course will be aimed at students with little or no background in economics, though students who have completed some undergraduate courses in macroeconomics will benefit from the more practical nature of this course.