PARTNERSHIP CREATES STRONGER WORKPLACES

Andrew Jefferson Editor

A$15 million Building Leadership Simulation Centre has helped Swinburne University of Technology to be ranked top of the class as the best university in Australia to study an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) by CEO Magazine. Through a ground-breaking partnership with Master Builders Victoria, Swinburne University students have access to a purpose-built leadership facility specialising in immersive learning experiences. As part of the Leadership, Innovation and Creativity unit in the Master of Business Administration (Executive), students are given a unique opportunity to practice and apply their skills in a simulated, but realistic, worksite. Master Builders Victoria welcomes partnerships with institutions like Swinburne University that recognise the benefits and value of immersive learning experiences to give a competitive edge in the workplace. The MBA (Executive) is delivered through Swinburne’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE). As with all AGSE courses, substantial industry collaboration in course development and delivery is a key component of the postgraduate program. Swinburne placed first in Australia, and 17th in the world in the Global Executive MBA Rankings 2021 and maintained its tier one ranking for its MBA and MBA online. Swinburne’s MBA (Executive) focuses on building and teaching the key skills business leaders and managers need to enter the ‘next phase’ of their budding careers. Meaningful industry experiences are embedded into the program, including guest lectures from experts in their fields, first-hand insights into a variety of workplaces, and authentic assessments and problemsolving for industry. Director of the MBA (Executive), Professor Peter Holland, said the Building Leadership Simulation Centre provided students with real-life experience of managing workplace issues and critical incidents. “Simulators are the future of work,” he said. “We just did it as an experiment (with Master Builders Victoria) to start with and I brought my Masters of HR students through it, and I was absolutely shocked by how poor they were at dealing with situations. “If you gave it to them on a piece of paper or asked them to draft an essay, they were fantastic. “But if you asked them to deal with a bullying or aggressive person – they just didn’t know what to do.

“I was just worried about what we were doing at universities to be honest. “We were sending them out qualified to be managers without actually giving them the actual experience in management.” Prof Holland said the simulator helped students to identify their leadership styles, strengths, and weaknesses before entering the workforce and challenged them to deal with real-life issues that cannot be learned in the classroom. “I think that was the original argument for the simulator,” he said. “A lot of 21-year-olds with a degree were going onto building sites and dealing with middle-aged men who were telling them that ‘this is the way it’s going to be’. “In collaboration with MBV we develop ideas, and we use a lot of ethical dilemmas and wicked problems. Prof Holland explained how the simulator typically worked. “People know they are being monitored, but once the simulation starts the student has a brief given to them and while they’re reading the brief an actor may storm in angrily. And it really throws them,” he said. “We sit there and watch and if we feel one team is getting too easy a ride, we will ask the actors to be more assertive, tell them less information, or storm out just to keep them on edge.

“We use all sets of techniques to challenge our students. “After they have done the sim, they get the video sent to them and we have a reflection in class. Some of them are very critical of their responses. We emphasis it is not what you did, it is what you learnt from the experience in a safe environment. “It’s a bit like us all watching a football game – people will have different perspectives – and they all learn off each other. “The ones who think they have the least to learn are often the ones who get the most out of the sim.” Building Leadership Simulation Centre manager Chris Kulesza said Master Builders Victoria was “extremely excited” to learn that Swinburne University’s MBA and MBA online courses were ranked number one in Australia and 17th globally. “Swinburne University’s achievements are a celebration of a six-year collaboration that continues to grow from strength to strength,” he said. “The knowledge sharing and trust that exists between Swinburne University and MBV is what drives both parties to consistently deliver innovative solutions that challenge tomorrow’s leaders.”

Simulators are the future of work. We just did it as an experiment (with “ Master Builders Victoria) to start with and I brought my Masters of HR students through it, and I was absolutely shocked by how poor they were at dealing with situations.” Professor Peter Holland