School of Management MBA in International Management Section 1 2014-2015 1
Contents Page MBA INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT AT THE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT... 1 DIRECTOR OF MBA INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME... 1 DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES, SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT... 1 POSTGRADUATE ADMINISTRATOR... 1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION... 2 ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS: INDIVIDUAL COURSES... 4 MN5134 FOUNDATIONS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT... 4 MN5135 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND MARKETS... 4 MN5136 CONSUMERS AND MARKETS... 4 MN5137 STRATEGY, TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS IN A GLOBALISING WORLD... 4 MN5138 PEOPLE, LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONS... 4 MN5139 CROSSING CULTURES (INTERNATIONAL STUDY VISIT)... 4 MN5140 INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PROJECT... 4 MN5142 BUSINESS CONSULTANCY... 4 MN5143 YEAR IN BUSINESS... 4 CONTENT OF INDIVIDUAL COURSES... 5 MN5134 FOUNDATIONS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT... 5 MN5135 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND MARKETS... 5 MN5136 CONSUMERS AND MARKETS... 5 MN5137 STRATEGY, TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS IN A GLOBALISING WORLD... 6 MN5138 PEOPLE, LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONS... 6 MN5139 CROSSING CULTURES (INTERNATIONAL STUDY VISIT)... 7 MN5140 INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PROJECT... 7 MN5142 BUSINESS CONSULTANCY... 7 MN5143 YEAR IN BUSINESS PROJECT... 8 i
MBA International Management at the School of Management The AMBA accredited MBA in International Management whether full-time, part-time, or Distance Learning will provide a thorough grounding in the key aspects of business and management. This demanding course will open your options as you plot your future career pathway. Your will gain a strong foundation in the principles and techniques of management. Embarking on an MBA is a significant milestone in your career. The course ahead will be demanding but highly rewarding. The impact will last a lifetime as hopefully will the friends you make networking is an important part of the experience. So, whether your future career lies in the private sector, public sector or in a NGO, the Royal Holloway MBA in International Management will provide you with the skills and knowledge to help you meet the challenges ahead. It is our job to help you maximise your potential. Royal Holloway is widely recognised on the world stage as one of the UK s leading teaching and research university institutions. One of the larger colleges of the University of London, Royal Holloway s character and location attracts scholars and students from across the world. In the School of Management, there is a full complement of academic experts across the range of subjects forming the MBA programme. We also pride ourselves on providing a friendly, welcoming environment. Director of MBA International Management Programme Justin O Brien, Teaching Fellow in Strategy & Marketing Justin.Obrien@royalholloway.ac.uk Director of Graduate Studies, School of Management Dr Gloria Agyemang, Senior Lecturer Gloria.Agyemeng@royalholloway.ac.uk Postgraduate Administrator Michelle Casey Michelle.Casey@royalholloway.ac.uk 1
Programme Specification The MBA International Management Programme specification can be found at the following link: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/studyhere/progspecs/management/pg/programmespecificationmbainternationalmanagement2014-15.pdf This document describes the Masters in Business Administration programme and Postgraduate Diploma in International Management. This specification is valid for new entrants from September 2014. 2
Figure 1: Course Structure of the MBA in International Management Master s Degree MBA in International Management 2014/15 Core Courses Autumn Core Courses Spring Core Courses Summer MN5134 Foundations in Professional Development 0 Credits MN5135 Financial Analysis and Markets 30 Credits MN5137 Strategy, Technology and Operations in a Globalising World 30 Credits MN5138 People, Leadership and Organisations 30 Credits MN5139 Crossing Cultures (International Study Visit) 10 Credits MN5142 Business Consultancy (June) 10 Credits MN5140 Individual Business Project 40 Credits MN5136 Consumers and Markets 30 Credits Alternative Option MN5143 Year in Business 40 Credits 3
Assessment Regulations: Individual Courses Marks for assignments, tests, presentations, examinations, and the dissertation area weighted in each course as follows: MN5134 Foundations in Professional Development (0 Credits) Individual Coursework Portfolio (60%) and Practical Skills Assessment (40%) MN5135 Financial Analysis and Markets (30 Credits) In Class Test 1 hour (20%), a Group Presentation 30 minutes (20%), Coursework Report (word count 2500) (20%) and an Individual Annual Report (word count 3,000) (40%) MN5136 Consumers and Markets (30 Credits) Group Report (2,000 words) (10%), Individual Report (1,000 words) (10%), Practical Individual Presentation and Summary Written Report (20%), Practical Group Presentation and Summary Written Report (20%), Individual Portfolio (20%) and a Group Report (20%) MN5137 Strategy, Technology and Operations in a Globalising World (30 Credits) Individual Essay (2,500 words) (50%) Group Report (3,000 words) (30%) Practical Group Presentation (20%) MN5138 People, Leadership and Organisations (30 Credits) Individual Essay (2,750 words) (20%) Presentation 20 minutes (20%) Practical Exam (Group) (20%) Portfolio Individual (20%) Exam 2 hour written (20%) MN5139 Crossing Cultures (International Study Visit) (10 Credits) Individual Report (2,000) (60%) Practical Group and Individual Presentation (40%) MN5140 Individual Business Project (40 Credits) 10,000 12,000 word (100%) MN5142 Business Consultancy (June) (10 Credits) Group Report (5,000 words) (50%) Group Presentation and Individual Component (50%) MN5143 Year in Business (40 Credits) 4
Content of Individual Courses MN5134 Foundations in Professional Development Using a blend of theoretical and experiential learning approaches this introductory course aims to support and accelerate personal and team based development, through extensive use of facilitated group work, individual consultations, personal and group reflective exercises and experiential open space learning approaches, the following topics will be covered: Theme of self-awareness and gap identification Personality type indicators (e.g. Myers Briggs) Personal development planning Goal and target setting networking strategies Theme of teams building teams An experiential introduction to leadership and management roles An introduction to working effectively in cross cultural teams Giving and receiving feedback Theme of skills presentation skills Academic skills for UK Universities MN5135 Financial Analysis and Markets This course draws together key MBA content strands from micro economics, accounting, finance and business analysis, this course seeks to provide you with a broad understanding of the management of decision-making, control and reporting. The business topic level is used as a context for introducing project management skills and a range of financial and quantitative analysis and evaluation techniques. Financial reporting and management accounting techniques are applied at the organisational and industry level, which include sources of funds, business planning, structuring for growth, capital budgeting, cost allocation, key performance indicators and critical international dimensions including comparative accounting and transfer pricing. A critical and qualitative perspective is used to examine the interplay between organisations and society to consider current issues in modern capital markets, financial institutions and corporate governance and to weigh the importance of risk, ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. MN5136 Consumers and Markets This course is organised into five key topics: marketing management by way of ab initio introduction global brand and consumers integrated marketing communications focused on social and digital media marketing research marketing the self Creativity will be integrated into learning approaches throughout the topic, in particular through the use of hands-on projects which include brainstorming and the creation of communication campaigns, brand audit and market research. Marketing management provides students with an introduction to consumer behaviour, segmentation, targeting and positioning, brand management, and the 4 Ps (product, price, place and promotion). This topic 5
features extensive use of real world interaction in the form of case study analyses and guest speakers, and also introduces the students to the ethical issues inherent to marketplace development. Global brand and consumers covers important aspects of consumer behaviour that every manager should know, from the perspectives of consumer psychology and consumer culture. It also covers the fundamentals of brand management, from how to determine brand equity to managing brand image. It encompasses understanding consumers cultural differences and taking a brand international. Utilising a social and digital media focus, the integrated marketing communications topic challenges students to develop appropriate plans harnessing creativity to engage consumers, while at the same time delivering a unified, consistent message across platforms. In marketing research, you will select relevant quantitative and qualitative methodologies to address a real world problem. A critically reflective experiential learning approach allows you to demonstrate your theoretical knowledge of practical research methods in preparation for the individual business project. Marketing the self is orchestrated by careers specialists, students will undertake a portfolio of activities aimed at enhancing their employability skills, including writing effective cover notes job applications and resumes, interview techniques, giving presentations and networking. MN5137 Strategy, Technology and Operations in a Globalising World Essentially this course provides a nuanced answer to the question, what do we mean by globalisation from a strategic, technology and operational context. In so doing, this course first surveys and establishes the globalised environment before moving on to consider the key concepts appropriate to the study of strategic management, information technology and operations. It draws together key MBA content strands from strategy, economics, operations management, information systems, knowledge management and sustainability, this course seeks to provide students with a substantial understanding of business in a dynamic global context and some of the more important inherent interrelationships that underpin it. As part of this topic you will learn how sustainable development may be achieved and the increasing importance given to responsible organisations to support this and will develop your critical understanding of globalisation from different strategic and operational perspectives. Starting with an appreciation of the development of international trade, regulation and the functioning of the global economy, the course will progress you with critical awareness of a range of strategic and operational issues and dilemmas in a globalised world. In so doing, you will be encouraged to advance and apply your awareness of various strategic and operational analytical tools deployed by companies operating in a globalised context. MN5138 People, Leadership and Organisations The course draws together key MBA content topics from: Human Resource Management Leadership and Organisation Theory Philosophy of Management This course aims to provide you with a broad understanding of the management of individuals and groups in organisations. The course aims to develop your understanding of organisations, the functions of management and leadership, and their scope and limitations, in different organisational contexts and draws on students' 6
experiences as leaders and followers to enable them to understand a wide range of organisational phenomena, including motivation, teamwork, culture and change management. The course introduces you to the key concepts and policies underlying international human resource management (HRM) in organisations. With the growth of `knowledge work and what some see as a knowledge economy, human resources have increased in importance for the firm, and therefore appropriate strategies for managing these resources have become critical to competition between companies. The course examines the impact of labour markets and other factors on the changing nature of human resource management over recent years, focusing on the core HR issues that firms have to deal with in a globalising economy. It explores HRM strategies in multinational corporations and, discusses the problems and issues in managing workforces across national borders. The course will provide you with an understanding of how philosophical issues, techniques and skills can contribute to their effectiveness as managers and enhance your ability to deploy the knowledge, expertise and skills gained in this and all other programme modules. The course provides not only concepts and theories but also some practical tools to help you develop your own potential as a leader and manager. MN5139 Crossing Cultures (International Study Visit Crossing cultures is a capstone module situated towards the end of the formal MBA programme. Using a residential international study visit, experiential engagement with organisations and critical theoretical input from Royal Holloway eminent guest lecturers, it aims to provide you with a rounded consideration of organisations and some of their functions using a strong, international perspective. Interaction with a range of guest speakers and field visits should allow you to further integrate your theme based learning and practice. MN5140 Individual Business Project This employability enhancing, capstone, independent research project aims to help link learning derived from the other courses on the programme, whilst blending new skills and knowledge to demonstrate learning drawing from experience working in a business context. You will be given the choice of topic, which is likely to be a current issue or problem, and take responsibility to identify and select an organisational or industry context. You are encouraged to consider a full range of enterprises, which may comprise a family business, SME, charity, division of a leading multinational organisation, public sector organisation or even be related to a summer internship opportunity. You are expected to demonstrate strong scholarship skills by undertaking a substantial review of secondary sources, comprising both academic journals and industry publications. Using relevant market research techniques highlighted in a clear and concise methodology, students will undertake a substantive and unique primary research study. A critical analysis will intertwine key insights developed from the primary and secondary research. In addition to a clear introduction and conclusion, an executive summary will take the place of an abstract. Particular importance will be given to justified and feasible managerial implications and students will be required include an additional summary communication in a presentation format. MN5142 Business Consultancy This module will include engagement with critical conceptual materials delivered by academics and industry practitioner guest speakers, aimed at providing students with a clear understanding of the function and importance of the consultancy sector. Students will learn the consultancy process, gain insights into key 7
analytical tools and techniques commonly applied, and through the use of case study and examples, garner an understanding of good and poor practice, which includes consideration of ethical consulting principles. The group based practical consultancy case(s) will be set in co-operation with organisational partners and seek to address a material and current business problem, where feasible. Where possible, cross functional challenges will be offered to enable students to draw on a range of MBA topics and learn from the experience of putting their new knowledge and experience into practice. Each group will work with an organisational partner to scope the study and gather relevant secondary research. The student groups will collect primary research using a range of appropriate techniques such as; market analysis, interviews, focus groups, participant observation and questionnaires. Groups will crystallise their conclusions, prepare their analysis and management recommendations for presentation to the course team and the partner organisations. MN5143 Year in Business Project If you are able to obtain a suitable work placement offer, you may be considered for the option to extend your MBA programme (requires a modest additional registration fee) by up to one full year, with a view to using your work experience context for your individual business project. The placement should include the equivalent of five days of formal training and an end of placement performance review. 8
School of Management Royal Holloway, University of London Egham Hill, Egham Surrey, TW20 0EX Telephone +44 (01784) 276213 Email: management-school@royalholloway.ac.uk www.royalholloway.ac.uk/management/home.aspx 9