Master of Business Administration - Woolf, Malta

CORE MODULES

Module 1:

LEADING PEOPLE, TEAMS, AND ORGANISATIONS: ORGANISATIONAL THEORY

This module is designed to inform and help the students, gain adequate awareness of the various aspects of teamwork, coordination and leading in the organization. One of the most essential requirements in any organization is the skill to get the work done from the people and be an inspiration that keeps the people going. This course hence covers various aspects of leadership, will discuss the reasons of lack of motivation in the team and tips for communicating and leading in a way that the employees are not only inspired but remain engaged in the organization. The learners will also gain in-depth insights about cooperation and various cultural value orientations.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Critically review and analyse the framework of leadership and consider the nature, strengths, and weaknesses of the various approaches: traits; functional; behavioural; style; contingency. The continuum of leadership behaviour should be explored in some depth with consideration of the factors determining the chosen leadership style.

LO2: Define “cooperation” and discuss the concept of cultural value orientations.

Content Covered

• Leadership: A Detailed Overview
• Managers and Management Styles
• Difference between Managers and Leaders
• Leadership Theories and Approaches
• Learning Leadership Skills and Factors Determining the chosen leadership style.
• Cooperation: A Detailed Overview
• Teamwork: A Detailed Overview
• Cooperation in diversified teams
• Competition v/s Cooperation
• Culture Value Orientation

Module 2:

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY

The core concepts that have been covered up in this module relate to the strategical aspects of the company. The learners will be able to understand about the strategic management and various skills that are required by a leader or the top-level management in order to attain the vision and mission of the firm. This module is focused giving enough knowledge to the learners about the strategy formulation and implementation process. Furthermore, it is also focused on various changes that an organization can bring in based on the current market situations. These changes are inevitable and hence the module will prepare the learner with choosing the right types of leaders to implement right strategies in the times of changes.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Define "Strategic Management" and discuss how knowledge and skills in leadership and strategic management support the creation and achievement of organisational vision and strategy.

LO2: Evaluate the significance of strategy when initiating effective change management in an organisation. Furthermore, analyse the impact of strategy on leadership and human behaviour in the organisation.

Content Covered

• Vision and Strategy: A Detailed Overview
• Strategic and Operational Managers
• Stakeholder Management
• Strategy Implementation
• Leadership and Factors Contributing to the attainment of the vision of the company.
• Leadership and Strategy
• The VUCA World
• The right type of leadership in change management strategy
• Competing Values Framework
• Personal Change
• Kubler-Ross Change Curve
• Different Personalities in Change Management Process

Module 3:

EFFECTIVE MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

The module has been structured to make the learners aware about the concept of communication in the workplace. The only thing that connects one person with the other is the communication. Verbal or non-verbal, it is the communication that helps people comprehend the objective or agenda of the conversation. As simple as the concept looks, when the communication becomes a part of professional outlook, it has to be understood very clearly. Hence, the main focus of this module will be to uncover the details about workplace communication, its modes, and barriers. Following the understanding of the basics of the concept, the learners will be made aware about the organizational structures and different management styles and its link with the organizational communication. Lastly, the module will be completed by enlightening the learners about the technology and its influence on managing the workplace communication effectively.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Define Managerial communication. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of communication within an organisation by reviewing the principles and barriers in workplace communication.

LO2: Analyse different models of workplace communication and review the impact of organizational structures and leaders on the workplace communications. Discuss the type and influence of technological advancement in managerial communication.

Content Covered

• Workplace Communication
• Channels of Communication
• Modes of Workplace Communication
• Principles of Effective Communication
• Barriers of Effective Communication
• Overcoming Barriers to Effective Communication
• Models of communication
• Organizational Structure and its Impact on Communication
• Management Style and Impact on communication
• Types of technology used in workplace communication.
• Role of Technology in Managing Effective Communication

Module 4:

TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Technology and Operations Management provides a comprehensive overview of technology utilization to drive a competitive advantage for company operations. Learners explore various technology solutions for business process automation, including value proposition analysis across organization functions.

You’ll also analyze how technology can be leveraged to improve product development during the four lifecycle phases. The course provides a detailed overview of the impact of technology on various operating models such as manufacturing, supply chain management, customer-facing, product development, and support functions (e.g., HR and finance).

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Analyse the various tools, techniques and apply suitable tools and techniques in different alternative scenarios of Operations Management

LO2: Demonstrate operations strategy in a domestic and global context and evaluate how the use of technology has impacted operational functions.

Content Covered

• Overview of importance and impact of technology across an organization
• The intelligent business: mining and mapping capabilities within an organization
• Moving towards industry 4.0
• Decision making for driving value across an operation
• Functional analysis of an organization’s product or service offering
• Deeply embedding technology and practices for continuous innovation
• Understanding OM: Evolution of OM
• Introduction to OM
• Role and Scope of Operations Management to Business
• Tools and techniques in OM
• Planning, Forecasting, Scheduling, Cause and Effect Diagram
• Gaining competitive advantage through Information management
• Need and benefits of Information System in OM
• Value adding role of IT to Operations
• Concept and role of ERP and SAP in OM, Integrating IT into Manufacturing and Services
• POMS (Production and Operations Management Systems)

Module 5:

EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING

This course offers you a basic introduction to postgraduate research to understand how evidence is used for decision-making. By exploring scholarly literature you will become familiar with the objectives and importance of quality research, and the methods of data collection using descriptive statistics and processes involved in carrying it out. Understanding research and the processes involved in conducting, designing, reporting, interpreting, and evaluating research is of paramount importance to success in postgraduate study.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Understand how to critically analyze business data in an organizational decision-making context.

LO2 Demonstrates an ability to produce appropriate graphical and numerical descriptive statistics for different data types and use it for decision-making.

Content Covered

• Introduction to evidence-based decision making.
• Decision-making frameworks used in business.
• Individual and group decision-making
• Systems thinking and scenario development.
• Ethics in managerial decision-making
• Defining and modelling business problems
• Sourcing, processing, presenting and evaluating data and information.
• Evidence based decision making through application of practical tools.
• Effective communication in the decision-making context
• Trends in Business analytic
• The future of big data and decision-making

Module 6:

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

This module supports strategic decision makers and operational managers in international and domestic markets to manage successful logistics across their business. It demonstrates the concepts of supply chain in detail and helps in exploring the relationship of the same with the business objectives. Logistics and procurement which are the crucial area of any business firm, are also understood through the learnings of this module. This course will give the learners an opportunity to gain a detailed outlook on various logistics drivers and the ways in which companies can make their supply chain a factor of competitive advantage.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Understand the relationship between supply chain management and organizational business objectives.

LO2: Understand the role of logistics and procurement in supply chain management.

Content Covered

• Introduction to Supply Chain and Operations
• Logistics Management: A Detailed Overview
• Strategic Operations and Management Decisions
• Supply Chain Management Strategies
• Six Sigma: A Detailed Overview
• Procurement in Logistics
• Components of Logistics Management
• Relationship of Logistics to Marketing and Production
• Challenges and Solutions related to Logistics Management

Module 7:

STRATEGIC ECONOMICS

The Economics course explores basic economic principles (theories and applications) that are relevant to the business core in the MBA program. This course is about learning to think like an economist and amassing the tools necessary to do so, including the study of microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Course objectives are to learn the determinants of market demand and supply and how economists model markets; to examine production and cost analysis; to learn how firms manage in competitive and monopolistic environments; to study strategic firm behavior, including basic game theory, entry and deterrence, collusion and cooperation, and bargaining; to develop an understanding of information, auctions, and incentives; to analyze gross domestic product and its components as well as monetary policy and the supply and demand for money; and to provide a strong foundation for understanding the business cycle.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Critically analyze the knowledge economy and the various drivers of economic changes which impacts business activities.

LO2: Demonstrate how macroeconomic and microeconomic objectives impact business growth.

Content Covered

• What economics is all about?
• Central problems of an economy
• Concept of Socioeconomics
• Five Determinants of Socioeconomic Status
• Key Macro-economic indicators
• What does GDP tell us?
• The problem with Nominal GDP
• Law of Diminishing Returns
• Utility Theory
• The Business Cycle
• Long-Run Economic Growth
• Inflation and Deflation

Module 8:

INTEGRATIVE AND STRATEGIC THINKING

This collection of stackable topics introduces the fundamental principles of modern strategic thinking and the basic tools of strategic analysis, building your capability to outline a meaningful future direction for an organization. Recognizing the nature of organizations as complex open systems, this course offers an integrative, practical perspective on strategic thinking and puts forward a view of Strategic Management as guided emergence.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Evaluate the role and contribution of the integrative thinking approach in leadership.

LO2: Analyze the role of strategic thinking in strategic management to critically evaluate the relationship between strategy, stakeholder expectations and organizational performance

Content Covered

• Key concepts of Strategic Thinking
• Think Outside-In
• Impact of external environment
• Future environment scanning
• Strategic thinking on a daily basis
• The ABCs of strategic thinking
• The 5 phases and critical questions
• Applications of the ABCs
• Cascade of strategic planning and alignment
• Integration with other management tools
• Ten Tools for Daily Strategic Thinking
• Strategic thinking and change
• Phases of the rollercoaster
• Action Planning

Module 9:

WORKING WITH OTHERS

This module is a critical module to for the learners to explore the concepts of human resource in the company. Any organization can work effectively and efficiently when the people in the company are working in harmony and utilizing their team management skills. Since globalization, the world has become a smaller place where people can easily cross the national borders and move to international borders to gain more experience and grow more. The content of this module will hence highlight the international human resource management concept. A part of this content is focused on the core role of the human resource management department which is monitoring and supporting the workforce. This course will be termed as fully completed as and when the learner will understand the importance of motivation by learning different types of motivation and the time to use them to solve the issues in the organization especially the international organizations.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Discuss IHRM. Identify some of the key HRM challenges facing organisations working internationally with diversified workforce.

LO2: Analyse the ways in which organizations monitor and support people in the workplace. Demonstrate an understanding of importance of motivation within groups and teams. Further exploring the types of motivation and using motivation to solve problems.

Content Covered

• International Human Resource Management
• Expatriation: A detailed Overview
• The Strategic Role of IHRM
• International Industrial Relations
• HRM Policies for Global Organizations
• Repatriation: A detailed Overview
• Human Resource Management
• Methods of Providing Support and Monitor People
• Policies and Procedures Designed to Support and Monitor People
• Motivation: A detailed Overview
• Different ways to motivate teams.

Module 10:

ETHICAL ISSUES FOR MANAGERS

Today's managers must necessarily concern themselves with ethical issues because unethical behavior creates legal risks and damage to businesses as well as employees and consumers. Business ethics have become an integral part of business education in general. A student or manager who is well-versed in ethical behavior in practices, not only in the domestic market but internationally, will find him or herself better prepared to deal with issues or situations that may arise that don't always involve easy answers or decisions. This course introduces the importance of ethics in business. Students focus on the significance of ethics to stakeholders; examine who bears responsibility for monitoring ethics; and explore ethical situations common in organizations.

Learning Outcomes

LO1: Understand and evaluate business ethics theory & corporate social responsibility of various organizations and its influences on ethical decisions.

LO2: Critically evaluate the issues in business ethics and their potential effect on personal, managerial, and corporate decisions in the global context.

Content Covered

• Shaping Ethical Conduct
• Whistleblowing
• Approaches to Ethical Judgments
• Utilitarian Approach
• Classic capitalist theory
• Achieving Organizational goals
• Moral Rights Approach
• Stakeholder Social Responsibility & Business Sustainability
• Evaluating Social Performance
• Stakeholders of Corporate Environment
• Causes of Unethical Practices
• Rest’s Model of Ethical Action