Profile of a business discipline

A brief review of the history of the School of Business at the Phillip Institute of Technology shows that the School has undergone considerable and positive change over its relatively short life, largely in response to professional, academic, socio-economic and political pressures. One such pressure emanates from the current educational rationale of the State Government which includes the rationalisation through amalgamation of higher educational institutions. As a result of this rationale, in late 1991 the Phillip Institute of Technology and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology announced that they would amalgamate in July 1992.

The Phillip Institute of Technology is no stranger to amalgamation. In fact it originated by way of amalgamation when the Preston Institute of Technology amalgamated in 1982 with the State College of Victoria at Coburg. Throughout the period 1988-1991 Phillip Institute of Technology was involved in protracted amalgamation discussions with La Trobe University. These discussions failed, but were followed very quickly by the amalgamation proposal with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

This paper provides a review of the development of the School of Business at the Phillip Institute of Technology prior to the proposed amalgamation with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.