Code | Faculty | Department |
---|---|---|
07254010 | Gordon Institute of Business Science | Department: Gordon Institute of Business Science |
Credits | Duration | NQF level |
---|---|---|
Minimum duration of study: 1 year | Total credits: 180 | NQF level: 09 |
See General Regulation G.31.
The Dean has the right of authorisation regarding matters not provided for in the General Regulations or the GIBS regulations.
Prescribed modules, LEAD 1 and 2, a compulsory research project (which has to be completed in the final year of study) and a compulsory international tour are required.
The language of tuition for the MBA is English.
In the event of deferral of studies due to extenuating circumstances, a student must complete the degree one year after the graduation of his/her cohort class. Failure to complete the degree within this period will disqualify a student from further registration. Any student who fails more than two core modules will be deregistered from the programme.
Students are required to complete 5 electives of 6 credits each during the final year of study. More information on electives will be shared in class.
Module content:
*Attendance module only
Available from the relevant international institution.
Module content:
This module is designed to equip participants with the necessary skills to analyse and interpret financial information. Actual financial statements are analysed, and participants are expected to be familiar with real cases in the current financial press. You will become familiar with how financial statements such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements are structured. Various methods of critically evaluating them in order to make conclusions about the company’s financial strength or weakness, and future possibilities such as financial failure or the probability of takeover will be discussed. Management accounting provides managers with timely and appropriate information – firstly in order to understand the cause and behaviour of costs and to meaningfully allocate these costs to products, customers and inventories; secondly to assist in planning, budgeting and decision making; and finally in order to measure performance. This module is intended as an introduction for individuals who will plan, make business decisions and evaluate the performance of business units using information derived from the accounting system.
Module content:
This module explains both how human resource systems should support the achievement of strategic objectives in context, and how line managers should manage people to achieve those objectives. Module topics include the management of strategic human resources (aligning HR and business strategy, succession planning, and the war for talent), management of HR-firm infrastructure, training and development, managing employee contributions (performance management and industrial relations), and integrating HR strategies and business strategies. The role of the line manager in managing performance will be considered, and underpinned by an overview of the causes of human behaviour in organisations. The module will include case studies to illustrate unique problems and approaches to HR strategy. You will learn the strategic value of effective management of human resources and how alternative HR strategies deliver different results.
Module content:
This module teaches a systematic approach to marketing decision making in order to match continuously changing market opportunities with the internal resources of the company in terms of production capacity, people and finance. Key topics include understanding the market and the customers, analysing marketing opportunities, developing marketing strategies, planning marketing programmes, and assessing new directions for marketing, particularly the impact of e-business. By critically examining an extensive theoretical base of marketing literature, and reviewing local and international case studies, you will develop the skills and insights required to formulate and evaluate an effective marketing strategy within the context of overall corporate objectives. You will evaluate the changing role of marketing in the knowledge economy, and how marketing interfaces with other functional areas within the organisation.
Module content:
This module examines how an organisation’s structures, systems and processes contribute to its competitive position. This involves management of the processes whereby inputs such as labour, materials and equipment are converted to products or services that meet customers’ needs at an acceptable cost. Improving performance cross-functionally and across the value chain is an important focus. Topics include functional versus corporate operations strategy, operations’ reactive role, service-delivery systems design, process choice, quality management and improving operations, time and productivity, aligning operations to markets, and the impact of technology developments on the service-delivery system. You will be able to analyse an operating system’s efficiency in terms of process design, capacity and quality of service, and make recommendations to improve its design or operation. You will have a greater appreciation of the need to manage integrated processes across the value chain to achieve business success.
Module content:
This course is based on the premise that everyone has the capacity to succeed in an entrepreneurial setting, although some people may have a greater propensity to succeed than others. The intention of this course is to demystify the phenomenon broadly referred to as entrepreneurship; to make it easily understood as a business concept, readily accessible as a career option and practically applicable as a style of management. The course provides a broad perspective on entrepreneurship and its strategic importance and social relevance. It also provides an understanding of and approach to managing the issues involved in pursuing an entrepreneurial career path. It integrates different aspects of the MBA in developing a business plan for a potential entrepreneurial idea, and thus provides a practical application of concepts dealt with in other MBA courses.
Module content:
This module will prepare students for the global elective by examining what makes countries and companies competitive globally. The concepts introduced at the beginning of the first year in the competitive organisation as part of the orientation programme will be re-visited and students will be helped to draw on their entire MBA experience to develop the critical ability to identify factors that enhance and restrain competitiveness. Special attention is given to the relative competitiveness of South Africa and the countries and regions to be visited, with special reference to the industries that will be studied.
Module content:
This module examines strategic decision making in various contexts. The aim of this module is to delve into the structure of decision making and decision making styles and practices.
Module content:
This course examines the often conflicting ethical, social and economic responsibilities of business leaders operating in a dynamic market. The aim of the course is to equip business leaders for the dilemmas and decisions that they face because of the dynamic and complex environment they operate in. The course reviews leadership styles and ethical principles and how these impact the quality of difficult decisions. Also covered are the governance principles and processes required to develop the desired culture of responsibility and appropriate conduct in a business.
Module content:
This course is designed to provide insight into the role of Innovation and Design and an understanding of how this is achieved in practice. The course covers the types, drivers, challenges and strategies of innovation, open and closed innovation, the connection between innovation and customer value, strategy, strategic capability and execution, the theory of innovation science, the practice of Innovation in action, how to build an appropriate innovation portfolio, and the challenges of innovation within an existing operation.
Module content:
The subject of business valuation is central to leadership. The major learning objectives of this course will be to make students familiar with valuation methods so that they feel confident making effective financial decisions. Specific outcomes include: analysing historical performance and benchmarking; forecasting drivers of performance and cash flows; effective business modelling and spreadsheet design; estimating the cost of capital; evaluating optimal capital structure and funding decisions; alternative valuation methods (APV, WACC, Multiples); estimating synergies in mergers and acquisitions; negotiating the sale or purchase of a business; deal terms and structuring options for business transactions; leveraged and management buy-outs.
Module content:
The course will introduce students to different challenges faced by the CEO in strategy formulation and implementation. The purpose of the course is to create a deep appreciation of the basic concepts in strategy and their application in real situations both at corporate and business unit levels. The objectives of the course are to provide an understanding of: the determinants of and processes in the formulation and implementation of strategy; an integrated view of the different themes and concepts in strategy and their relevance in different contexts; an integrated view of all the functional areas of management; and the current strategic concerns of South African and International companies in the contexts of significant changes in the business environment. Topics included are corporate strategy, business and competitive strategy, core competencies, strategic intent, growth and diversification models and interface between strategy and leadership.
Module content:
Knowledge creation is a hallmark of a master’s degree and the integrative business research project provides you with an opportunity to apply theories and concepts that you have learned in the core modules to a business problem and also to gain experience in planning and implementing a complex research project. It thus serves as a capstone of the MBA learning experience.
Module content:
Knowledge creation is a hallmark of a master’s degree and the research project in the form of a portfolio provides you with an opportunity to apply theories and concepts that you have learned in the core modules to an entrepreneurial venture. It thus serves as a capstone of the MBA learning experience.
Module content:
Knowledge creation is a hallmark of a master’s degree and the research project in the form of a portfolio provides you with an opportunity to apply theories and concepts that you have learned in the core modules to the consulting environment. It thus serves as a capstone of the MBA learning experience
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