MGN533 Strategic Business Intelligence for Managers
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | MGN533 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | 24 credit points of completed study |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,596 |
| International unit fee | $6,180 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | MGN533 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 24 credit points of completed study |
Overview
The digital revolution has transformed business practices and created access to vast amounts of data that can support decisions, deepen understanding of customers, and improve organisational performance. You can only realise the value of this data when you translate it into meaningful information that enables informed decision-making. In this unit, you will learn how to extract value from complex datasets. Through theoretical frameworks and real-world application, you will develop the skills to address contemporary organisational challenges, evaluate ethical considerations, explore artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and craft data-driven business strategies using industry-accepted analytics processes. You will learn how to incorporate evidence-based decision-making at all levels of an organisation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse, evaluate, and synthesise contemporary and emerging issues affecting organisations in the design and implementation of data-driven business strategies. [KS 1.1, HO 2.1]
- Investigate, critique, and recommend strategies for addressing complex ethical, privacy, and security challenges in data governance and stewardship. [HO 2.2, SE 5.1]
- Critically justify and evaluate the application of big data and advanced analytics to support complex, evidence-based decision-making in organisational contexts. [KS 1.1, 1.2]
- Communicate complex research findings, data insights, and strategic recommendations persuasively in written form to professional and specialist audiences. [PC 3.1]Relates to: PG Business Capabilities: PC (3.1)
Content
This module equips you with the foundations, analytical tools, and critical perspectives needed to understand how data, technology, and evidence-based decision-making shape organisational strategy and performance:
- Data – information – knowledge – intelligence
- Evaluating trends in emerging technologies and business information systems
- Data modelling to support decision making
- Biases in decision making, bounded rationality
- Dealing with misinformation
- Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
- Economics of information systems and markets
- Strategic impacts of evidence-based decision making
- Evaluating ethical considerations for using data in decision making
QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate)
The content and assessment in this unit are aligned to a selection of the following set of QUT Business Capabilities, also known as Assurance of Learning Goals (AoLs). Developing these capabilities will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT and equip you with the knowledge and skills to succeed in your chosen career.
Knowledge & Technical Skills (KS)
1.1 Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced discipline and professional practice knowledge, including knowledge of relevant research principles and methods.
1.2 Apply technical, technological and technical research skills to organise and interpret discipline knowledge, including theory and practice, to investigate business issues.
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HO)
2.1 Critically investigate real world business issues and problems drawing on analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, including theory and practice.
2.2 Exercise creativity and intellectual independence and make informed decisions and judgements in planning, designing, and executing strategic and research-based responses to address real world issues and problems.
Professional Communication (PC)
3.1 Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
3.2 Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in oral forms appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
Teamwork & Self (TS)
4.1 Exercise self-reflection and accountability in applying knowledge and skills for own learning and effective practice.
4.2 Apply teamwork knowledge and skills for effective collaboration across a range of complex activities and contexts.
Social, Ethical & Global Understanding (SE)
5.1 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business in critically analysing and effectively responding to complex business issues.
5.2 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues and critically reflect on the responsibilities and impacts of organisations in national and international business contexts.
Learning Approaches
The teaching and learning strategies applied in this unit are intended to maximise your involvement and engagement with the concepts that are being presented and to provide opportunities for you to develop thinking and practical skills in a supportive environment. Learning activties are structured to provide a dynamic learning environment to promote critical and analytical applications of theory and frameworks to real world cases. A wide range of approaches are utilised to create interactive learning experiences across learning activities.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
- Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary
- Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- Indirect: to the whole class
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit develops your ability to critically analyse contemporary data-driven business challenges and apply strategic business intelligence principles in real-world contexts.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Emerging Topics Discussion Paper
You will select and research contemporary data driven business challenges as the organisation seeks to leverage large-scale datasets or deploy emerging technologies. Based on your research, you will prepare a discussion paper where you will critically analyse your chosen contemporary data driven business challenges and explain how business intelligence and information systems can be used to address these challenges, noting ethical, privacy, and security considerations.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorized in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1, 1.2), HO (2.1), PC (3.1), SE (5.1)
Assessment: Final Exam
The final exam will assess your understanding of how to utilise big data to drive strategic decision-making, and your ability to identify issues and provide evidence-based recommendations for implementing a data-driven management approach.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
The invigilated examination requires attendance on campus or at an assessment center, regardless of your attendance mode for the unit.
This assessment item is a Verified Identity Assessment. Requirements are provided on the unit canvas site
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1, 1.2), HO (2.1, 2.2), PC (3.1), SE (5.1)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Weekly resources will be provided on the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with learning and teaching activities in this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate)
HO (2.1): Critical Analysis
Relates to: ULO1, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam
KS (1.1): Discipline and Professional Practice Knowledge
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
KS (1.2): Technical, Technological and Research Skills
Relates to: ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)
Relates to: ULO4, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
SE (5.1): Ethical and Legal Understanding
Relates to: ULO2, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BS11 Master of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced discipline and professional practice knowledge, including knowledge of relevant research principles and methods.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues and critically reflect on the responsibilities and impacts of organisations in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: Emerging Topics Discussion Paper - Apply technical, technological and technical research skills to organise and interpret discipline knowledge, including theory and practice, to investigate business issues.
Relates to: ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Critically investigate real world business issues and problems drawing on analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, including theory and practice.
Relates to: ULO1, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Exercise creativity and intellectual independence and make informed decisions and judgements in planning, designing, and executing strategic and research-based responses to address real world issues and problems.
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam - Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
Relates to: ULO4, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business in critically analysing and effectively responding to complex business issues.
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Online
| Unit code: | MGN533 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 24 credit points of completed study |
Overview
The digital revolution has transformed business practices and created access to vast amounts of data that can support decisions, deepen understanding of customers, and improve organisational performance. You can only realise the value of this data when you translate it into meaningful information that enables informed decision-making. In this unit, you will learn how to extract value from complex datasets. Through theoretical frameworks and real-world application, you will develop the skills to address contemporary organisational challenges, evaluate ethical considerations, explore artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and craft data-driven business strategies using industry-accepted analytics processes. You will learn how to incorporate evidence-based decision-making at all levels of an organisation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse, evaluate, and synthesise contemporary and emerging issues affecting organisations in the design and implementation of data-driven business strategies. [KS 1.1, HO 2.1]
- Investigate, critique, and recommend strategies for addressing complex ethical, privacy, and security challenges in data governance and stewardship. [HO 2.2, SE 5.1]
- Critically justify and evaluate the application of big data and advanced analytics to support complex, evidence-based decision-making in organisational contexts. [KS 1.1, 1.2]
- Communicate complex research findings, data insights, and strategic recommendations persuasively in written form to professional and specialist audiences. [PC 3.1]Relates to: PG Business Capabilities: PC (3.1)
Content
This module equips you with the foundations, analytical tools, and critical perspectives needed to understand how data, technology, and evidence-based decision-making shape organisational strategy and performance:
- Data – information – knowledge – intelligence
- Evaluating trends in emerging technologies and business information systems
- Data modelling to support decision making
- Biases in decision making, bounded rationality
- Dealing with misinformation
- Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
- Economics of information systems and markets
- Strategic impacts of evidence-based decision making
- Evaluating ethical considerations for using data in decision making
QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate)
The content and assessment in this unit are aligned to a selection of the following set of QUT Business Capabilities, also known as Assurance of Learning Goals (AoLs). Developing these capabilities will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT and equip you with the knowledge and skills to succeed in your chosen career.
Knowledge & Technical Skills (KS)
1.1 Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced discipline and professional practice knowledge, including knowledge of relevant research principles and methods.
1.2 Apply technical, technological and technical research skills to organise and interpret discipline knowledge, including theory and practice, to investigate business issues.
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HO)
2.1 Critically investigate real world business issues and problems drawing on analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, including theory and practice.
2.2 Exercise creativity and intellectual independence and make informed decisions and judgements in planning, designing, and executing strategic and research-based responses to address real world issues and problems.
Professional Communication (PC)
3.1 Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
3.2 Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in oral forms appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
Teamwork & Self (TS)
4.1 Exercise self-reflection and accountability in applying knowledge and skills for own learning and effective practice.
4.2 Apply teamwork knowledge and skills for effective collaboration across a range of complex activities and contexts.
Social, Ethical & Global Understanding (SE)
5.1 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business in critically analysing and effectively responding to complex business issues.
5.2 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues and critically reflect on the responsibilities and impacts of organisations in national and international business contexts.
Learning Approaches
The teaching and learning strategies applied in this unit are intended to maximise your involvement and engagement with the concepts that are being presented and to provide opportunities for you to develop thinking and practical skills in a supportive environment. Learning activties are structured to provide a dynamic learning environment to promote critical and analytical applications of theory and frameworks to real world cases. A wide range of approaches are utilised to create interactive learning experiences across learning activities.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
- Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary
- Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- Indirect: to the whole class
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit develops your ability to critically analyse contemporary data-driven business challenges and apply strategic business intelligence principles in real-world contexts.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Emerging Topics Discussion Paper
You will select and research contemporary data driven business challenges as the organisation seeks to leverage large-scale datasets or deploy emerging technologies. Based on your research, you will prepare a discussion paper where you will critically analyse your chosen contemporary data driven business challenges and explain how business intelligence and information systems can be used to address these challenges, noting ethical, privacy, and security considerations.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorized in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1, 1.2), HO (2.1), PC (3.1), SE (5.1)
Assessment: Final Exam
The final exam will assess your understanding of how to utilise big data to drive strategic decision-making, and your ability to identify issues and provide evidence-based recommendations for implementing a data-driven management approach.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
The invigilated examination requires attendance on campus or at an assessment center, regardless of your attendance mode for the unit.
This assessment item is a Verified Identity Assessment. Requirements are provided on the unit canvas site
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1, 1.2), HO (2.1, 2.2), PC (3.1), SE (5.1)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Weekly resources will be provided on the unit Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with learning and teaching activities in this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate)
HO (2.1): Critical Analysis
Relates to: ULO1, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam
KS (1.1): Discipline and Professional Practice Knowledge
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
KS (1.2): Technical, Technological and Research Skills
Relates to: ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)
Relates to: ULO4, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
SE (5.1): Ethical and Legal Understanding
Relates to: ULO2, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BS11 Master of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced discipline and professional practice knowledge, including knowledge of relevant research principles and methods.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues and critically reflect on the responsibilities and impacts of organisations in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: Emerging Topics Discussion Paper - Apply technical, technological and technical research skills to organise and interpret discipline knowledge, including theory and practice, to investigate business issues.
Relates to: ULO3, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Critically investigate real world business issues and problems drawing on analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, including theory and practice.
Relates to: ULO1, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Exercise creativity and intellectual independence and make informed decisions and judgements in planning, designing, and executing strategic and research-based responses to address real world issues and problems.
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam - Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes, contexts and audiences.
Relates to: ULO4, Emerging Topics Discussion Paper, Final Exam - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business in critically analysing and effectively responding to complex business issues.
Relates to: ULO2, Final Exam