| Code | Faculty | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 07121020 | Gordon Institute of Business Science | Department: Gordon Institute of Business Science |
| Credits | Duration | NQF level |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum duration of study: 1 year | Total credits: 120 | NQF level: 07 |
Refer to General Academic Regulations G1-G15.
Refer to the GIBS student guidelines and regulations.
The Dean has the right of authorisation regarding matters not provided for in the General Academic Regulations or the GIBS regulations.
Refer to the GIBS student guidelines and regulations.
Where a student has passed all modules on the first attempt and achieved an overall weighted average of 75% or above (not rounded) a distinction will be awarded.
Minimum credits: 120
Prescribed modules, and a compulsory action learning project are required.
Students must complete 4 electives of 9 credits each.
Module content:
The aim of this module is to provide students with a global perspective and understanding of the ways in which the business environment is changing. This module offers students the knowledge and tools to better understand, and to begin to assess the global economic environment and its impact on strategic decisions - particularly designing business strategy and enabling performance.
Module content:
The objective of this module is to enable students with theoretical and practical knowledge of the major aspects of strategic financial management. There will be an emphasis on models for improving decision making in a competitive environment. Students will be able to plan more effectively to take the financial impact of decisions into consideration and understand capital structure, growth, cash-flow and profitability considerations. In addition, students will be able to understand the dynamics of healthy high performing businesses and what it means for a business to create value.
Module content:
Senior managers have unique leadership challenges. As the custodians of strategy, the pioneers who deal with environmental and organisational complexities, and the visionaries who look to the future and drive organisational vision all eyes are on them to take the organisation and its people into a brighter future. They also need to consider the long-term wellbeing of the organisation, gearing it for sustainable success in the world of tomorrow.
Module content:
Strategic management is the art and science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable the student to achieve its objectives. It involves the strategic thinking, systematic analysis of factor affecting the organisation, identification and clarification of objectives, nurturing policies and strategies to achieve these objectives, and acquiring and making available resources to implement the policies and strategies to achieve objectives.
Module content:
Students will develop an understanding of the strategic role of marketing in business decision-making through covering elements such as the difference between customer services and experience, creating customer value through understanding customer decision-making to sustain customers through loyalty and how to create value through optimisation of the marketing mix.
Module content:
The module examines how an organisations 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 meets customers’ needs with an acceptable value proposition, while at the same time allowing the organisation to achieve its goal of profitability now as well as in the future. Designing and improving performance cross functionally and throughout the value and supply chain is key to successful operations management.
Module content:
All students will be required to complete an Action Learning Project. This is based either on a strategic business problem identified by members of each syndicate group or provided to the students. The students then begin the process of applying what has been learnt in theory into a real and practical business opportunity or problem. This project is designed to push the delegates to further explore, in theory and in practice, several of the qualification subject areas – particularly in relation to how they integrate within the workplace and align with overall organisational strategy.
Module content:
Executives are starting to see the importance of project management not as an operational response to execution, but as a form of management, with its multidisciplinary skills and particular demand in South Africa. With this being said a senior manager’s ability to execute and deliver is becoming more pertinent to their role than any other measurable performance indicator. Management need to be strategic in how they approach and drive overall delivery within their areas of responsibility.
Module content:
At the end of this module, students will have an understanding of the ethical underpinnings of good governance and be able to asses ethical standards and practices contextually. Students gain a conceptual and working knowledge of governance, ethics and reporting principles in the South African environment, especially King IV, and be familiar with and apply the concepts, key terms and perspectives thereof.
Module content:
The aim of this module is to improve the student’s knowledge, competencies and skills regarding the sales process. Students will be able to apply the concepts covered in the module to integrate sales processes into the organisation’s strategy. At the end of this module, students will be able realise the potential value that is created through this process.
Module content:
This module will develop personal mastery in relation to one’s personal and leadership development. It will support the building of competence by enabling greater self-awareness, insights into personal strengths and developmental areas and understanding core skills required for personal mastery and managing effective change in self and others. Students will gain deeper insights into their impact on others and how they influence a community of people towards greater connection, collaboration and mutual understanding to achieve personal and business objectives and develop resilience strategies for application in the workplace and personally.
Module content:
This module aims to equip students with knowledge, skills and approaches to knowledge management and the management of intellectual talent in organisations by defining and understanding Knowledge Management (KM), innovation, innovation culture and vision. This module will explore various facets of technology in the business environment including information technology and how this supports and enables innovation. Through a range of practical tools, thought-provoking concepts, real-life examples, hands-on activities, and robust discussion sessions, the module will enhance the students’ competency to formulate and deliver innovation successfully.
Module content:
This module will assist students to understand their role as leaders in creating the future and leading change by deciding on the strategic change that is required and reflecting on the competencies that need to be developed. Students will be able to understand how to build an organisation that is ready for continuous change and how to become an effective leader of change.
Module content:
The 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 develop entrepreneurial skills relating to opportunity identification and evaluation, resource gathering (with a particular focus on financial and human resources) and opportunity exploitation. The course considers these skills from the perspective of entrepreneurship in start-up and established organisations.
Module content:
Human resource strategy focuses on the strategic management of the organisation’s human resources (HR) to deliver a competitive advantage, as well as the role of HR in achieving strategic corporate objectives. We explore the management of HR infrastructure, performance management, and the integration of HR and business strategies.
Module content:
We live in a world that is changing faster and challenging us more than ever before. Great progress has been made in lifting people out of poverty, advancing scientific frontiers, connecting the globe with technology and making knowledge more accessible. This course will introduce you to the mega-trends and futures-thinking tools you will need to be more resilient and successful in the 21st century. We take a holistic view of sustainability to incorporate economic, social, environmental and ethical factors that are shaping our future.
Module content:
To create new wealth rather than having a focus on fighting competitors with regards to products and price, an enterprise needs to be truly customer centric. What this means and how to go about strategically transforming an enterprise, business unit, or industry in order to achieve this, is what this module is about. Students will gain understanding of the broad business variables impacting on customer centricity and which should be levered to optimise on customer centricity.
Module content:
This module covers organisational and systems level aspects of organisational behaviour, by looking at the need for dynamic capabilities and learning organisation methods to remain relevant. Secondly, it touches on group level requirements of effective organisational behaviour, specifically focusing on the use of power in group decision-making. Lastly, it delves into multiple facets of individual level determinants of effective organisational behaviour, namely motivation, retention approaches, ways to recognise individuals, the value of diversity and the importance of creating purpose and meaning.
Module content:
Transformation of an organisation’s employee base is more than just numbers, it is focused on the purposive and meaningful development of them. Transformation is not only an imperative from an economic perspective but is essential to both the growth of organisations and the South African economy. In this module students will be exposed to what is needed to better drive transformation from within South Africa by gaining a deeper understanding of why change is not taking place, the role of social identity and find new innovative ways to build inclusion and identity.
Module content:
This module explores information technology and how the strategic planning thereof should firmly be rooted in the business strategic plan. As senior managers, you are required to have a knowledge of what needs to be extrapolated from the organisations existing architecture, operating processes, skills, sourcing, governance, and culture to achieve the organisations strategy.
Module content:
This module explores information technology and how the strategic planning thereof should firmly be rooted in the business strategic plan. As senior managers, you are required to have a knowledge of what needs to be extrapolated from the organisations existing architecture, operating processes, skills, sourcing, governance, and culture to achieve the organisations strategy.
Module content:
International and local studies show widespread acknowledgement of the benefits of gender-diverse leadership teams and of leadership diversity for the disruptive and VUCA times in which we live and work. Notwithstanding these findings, the percentage of women in executive teams (business) and leadership roles in general has remained constant for the last 5 years. In addition to understanding causes we look at practical tools and techniques that can help students (both male and female) optimally navigate their careers in these dynamics. Students will also study the trends and practices to address constraints and biases that prevail in maintaining the status quo.
Module content:
As leaders, we are aware of and acknowledge external risks more frequently than internal risks. Through conducting competitor and market analysis, we are continually aware of new competitions, new product offerings from competitors and emerging trends in the market. However, many companies make the mistake of ignoring internal risks within the company that can be just as damaging. These organisational risks are often hidden and difficult to spot until it’s too late, unless you know what you’re looking for. This module will equip students with the ability to analyse business challenges, gain familiarity with different risk mitigation tactics and formulate a comprehensive plan.
Module content:
In this module students will examine the macro and microeconomic and socio-political environment in which business operates. The aim of this module is to demonstrate the multi-faceted way in which global economic trends and domestic socio-political strategies impact existing and start-up businesses in the private sector.
Module content:
A simulation (for example business process or operations simulation) offers delegates an opportunity to learn experientially. Delegates are required to implement learning from several of the modules in a simulated business setting. Learning is enhanced and embedded as delegates grapple with application of theory and best practice in a simulated, real-life business context.
Module content:
This course places impact entrepreneurship in the context of the broader entrepreneurial process, enabling students to explore the complexities of hybridity and its consequences in managing the process of startup, development and growth. The role and importance of impact entrepreneurship in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and building more inclusive and just economies is also explored. By the end of this course, students will be able to distinguish impact entrepreneurship from other types as well as having a deep understanding of its importance and consequences for future development.
Module content:
This course focuses on building an appreciation of the funding landscape for impact enterprise in SA. Participants will learn to understand impact enterprise from the funder’s or investor's perspective, and to appreciate the concepts of 'bootstrapping', 'bricolage' and ‘funding readiness’. By the end of this course, you will understand which sources of funding are appropriate for particular stages of development, and how to prepare for and apply for them, as well as what is involved in the due diligence and decision processes undertaken by funders and investors.
Module content:
Impact entrepreneurs must develop and manage complex business models, which meet the needs of funders, clients and beneficiaries. The development and innovation of such business models involves a deep understanding of the jobs-to-be-done of different stakeholders, and the definition of value propositions that meet these needs. By the end of this course, you will have a sound understanding of different types of business model, and how to develop and innovate your business models using techniques such as design thinking and the business model canvas.
Module content:
The impact enterprise is characterised by the complexity of its stakeholder relationships, making the management of partnership dynamics and cross sector collaborations a critical success factor. This course focuses on how to build and sustain effective relationships with stakeholders, which may include: government and communities at multiple levels; corporates, funders and investors; volunteers and employees; NGO's and other impact enterprises. By the end of this course, you will understand how to identify appropriate partners, initiate a relationship through delivering an effective 'ask' for resources, and use the key principles of contracting to manage relationships effectively.
Module content:
The goal of impact enterprises is often to maximise their impact through scaling. This course enables participants to evaluate when the enterprise is ready to scale, compare and contrast different options for scaling, recognise stakeholder responses to scaling and learn how to respond to them. By the end of this course you will understand how to develop a strategy for scaling and manage the implementation of scaling processes, including how to manage the change inherent in the scaling process.
Module content:
The monitoring and measurement of impact is central to the operations and effectiveness of the Impact Enterprise. This course introduces process and practices for effective monitoring and evaluation systems. By the end of the course you will understand how to design a ‘theory of change’, as well how to link inputs, outputs and outcomes in implementing an M&E system for your enterprise
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