There are no average courses within our MBA programme. We are bound to provide an exceptional learning experience, and there is no better way to achieve this aim than with outstanding courses. They have been carefully crafted by experienced professors and are all meant to make you a more successful and efficient manager.
There are no old-fashioned exams. Instead you are given real-life case studies and essays, which allow you to think critically about your company and your own career. All this might seem too glossy but there is one catch: we do not accept average candidates. Only individuals as outstanding as our values can find their way toward admission at the Robert Kennedy College.
Induction
Not-for-credit module
A not-for-credit induction module will be the starting point of the programme. The induction process is designed to familiarise you with the programme design, requirements and resources, as well as with the way online interaction, learning and grading will take place. After the induction you should be familiar with academic life, including academic writing, library services and library access, OnlineCampus access, and academic support services.
Organisational Behaviour
Aim of the Module
The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to core concepts of the way people are managed in organisations. To that end it will offer opportunities for study by developing as well as experienced managers, to consider the history and development of management thinking and theory, using modern ideas to assess and evaluate their own personal experiences of organisations and dynamics. The introduction to the module will act as the bedrock upon which other managerial ideas and processes can be developed later in the course.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Evaluate critically and explore theoretical approaches to management and organisational behaviour, in areas such as motivation, group performance, conflict, individual and organisational learning, organisational structures and cultures
- Examine critically and reflect upon the applicability in specific situations of a range of management and soft skills for managing themselves, others, and relationships in the workplace
- Make soundly based judgments on the relevance and suitability of applying these concepts to your own working experience
- Make critical and informed judgments concerning key concepts and practices of human resource management in your own and other organisations.
Indicative Module Content
- Introduction to organising, organisations and management
- Group dynamics and teamwork in organisations
- The psychological contract and its implications for managing motivation and reward
- Individual and organisational learning and development
- Effective communications in organisations
- Issues of power and politics, conflict and co-operation in organisations
- Conceptualising organisational structure and culture
- Managing human resources: controversies and prospects
- The nature of the employment relationship
- Recruitment and selection
- Managing performance
Leadership and Sustainability
Aim of the Module
The aim of this module is to examine the nature of leadership, and in particular its role in the development of sustainable business and business practices. Students will analyse and evaluate sustainable practice in selected sectors and the potential for implementing sustainable business practices, and evaluate the personal relevance of and implications for leading sustainable change in business.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Assess critically competing theories of leadership and evaluate their application to current issues
- Reflect critically on the contextual complexity of global environmental pressures on countries and individual organisations, and evaluate the resultant challenges for leaders
- Undertake a critical appraisal of the use of theories and tools of sustainability, such as Lean Systems, the Triple Bottom Line or Environmental Sustainability to address the need for a systematic and evidence-based approach, and consider their applicability to your own organisation
- Evaluate critically the means for organisations to develop sustainable strategies, and assess the emerging development from corporate social responsibility to shared value
Indicative Module Content
- Leadership development theory and notions of organisational leadership
- Global disparities and UN Global Compact
- Foundations of sustainable development
- Business ethics and political ecology
- Theoretical themes and debates will be studied in the context of selected contemporary issues in sustainability which might include climate change, pollution, waste management, economic development, urbanisation, financial sustainability and environmental accounting.
Digital Marketing
Aim of the Module
The primary aim of this unit is to provide the student with a deep understanding of the issues facing digital marketing managers, by examining the strategically significant issues facing e-commerce such as environment and online marketplace, consumer behaviour and digital influence. The aim is to actively develop students’ knowledge of key marketing and digital marketing theories and apply this knowledge to strategic issues based on current research and industry practice, and facilitate the effective strategic decision making of a digital marketing professional.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Critically analyse the digital “playing field” and critically evaluate the value and relevance of different tools in practical situations
- Critically evaluate and develop the capability to think strategically about a company, its business position, and how its digital marketing strategy can be implemented and executed successfully
- Critically analyse key marketing and digital marketing theories, frameworks and tools and how this informs business strategies
Indicative Module Content
- Digital Marketing Channels
- Search Engine Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Content Automation
- Campaign Marketing
- Data-Driven Marketing
- E-Commernce Marketing
- Social Media and Mobile Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Digital Media
Information Management
Aim of the Module
This module enables you to develop a conceptual and comprehensive understanding of the manager's role in relation to the leading of the effective management and use of information, information technology and information systems and to apply these within both organisational and strategic contexts.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Reflect critically on the senior manager's role and responsibility in leading information governance within a service or organisation - with particular reference to data protection; record keeping and ensuring service user information is secure
- Perform a critical appraisal of the use of information systems in the context of ensuring effective flows of communication between services within the organisation
- Reflect critically on the use of information technology and information systems, in order to be able to support effectively staff development in line with organisational goals and to support service planning and decision making processes
- Appraise critically information systems used within your organisation or service, evaluating their effectiveness and suggesting any developments which could enhance the service.
Indicative Module Content
Information governance; the manager's lead role in ensuring information is secure; storage of information; data protection; record keeping; confidentiality and ethics in relation to information; Linux and open source software; communication within organisations and services; social networking - appropriate use of; supporting staff development. Flows of information between services. Cloud computing and software as a service.
Strategic Management
Aim of the Module
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding across a range of appropriate topic areas, to undertake an analysis of inherent strategic complexity with a view to selecting appropriate conceptual ‘tools’ for strategic development. The module will develop your awareness of the complex inter-relationship of organisational problems and develop your critical ability to select and ‘argue’ for alternative approaches emanating from conceptual alternative dimensions in relation to organisational problems and strategy.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Assess critically the effectiveness of strategic management theory in contexts of dynamic and uncertain industries
- Use strategic management theories, tools and techniques to critically evaluate the effectiveness of existing corporate strategies in context, and be able to apply appropriate tools to the successful analysis of organisations with which you are concerned
- Evaluate critically and plan the implementation of alternative approaches to strategic issues in context, including your own organisation
- Devise and justify alternative multi-strategies.
Indicative Module Content
Definition of strategy, External and internal environments (Market environment; Consumers, shareholders, government, and other stakeholders; Corporate objectives; Strengths and limitations; Significance of specific situations, such as mature industries, turnarounds, not-for-profit, etc), Business and corporate strategies (Functional strategies; Business strategies; Corporate strategies; Internal coherence), Strategy formulation (Nature of the process; Strategic intent; Strategic assessment; Strategic choice; Common models, such as core competencies analysis, scenario planning, benchmarking, value chain analysis, SWOT, PEST, life cycle matrix, 5 forces, etc; Outcome of the process), Strategy implementation (Systems and processes; Organisational structure and form; Culture; Management and leadership).
Data Analytics
Aims of the Module
The aim of this module is to critically explore the range of concepts and functions of data analytics, including preparing and operating with data; abstracting and modelling an analytic question; and using tools from statistics, learning and mining to address these questions, evaluating the techniques dealing with how to go from raw data to a greater understanding of the patterns and structures within the data, to provision making predictions and decision making.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate current theories and practices in data analytics
- Critically analyse various practices in data analytics
- Evaluate and apply data analytics in a practical/business setting
Indicative Module Content
- Introduction to Analytics
- Principles of Data Science
- Data Science Practices, Impact, and Functions
- Modern Applications of Data Science
- Measuring Success through Data Science
- Digital Transformation Strategies
MBA Dissertation
Aim of the Module
This module provides an opportunity for students to use and extend the knowledge and skills acquired during the programme of study. Using appropriate research methodologies and data collection methods, they will critically synthesise a body of knowledge relevant to the taught programme.
Students must bias their dissertation to encompass the specific MBA for which they are studying; this will be carefully checked when the student’s proposal is being approved and a supervisor allocated. The research will usually be undertaken with respect to issues derived from organisations with which they work, or have worked.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Identify issues, research them in detail, analyse critically and synthesise data and ideas, with the aim of developing appropriate conclusions and recommendations
- Engage in critical reflection on the research process and the issues under investigation
- Address critically, develop and satisfy specific research questions based on a systematic and evidence-based approach
- Evaluate critically and present findings and recommendations in writing that confirm your understanding of the subject under investigation
Indicative Module Content
- The research question and hypotheses, justification, aim and objectives
- Research methodology, concepts, definitions
- Inductive and deductive concepts
- Qualitative and quantitative methods
- Inferential statistical analysis where appropriate
- Application of analytical tools using relevant and appropriate software packages
- Research design and ethics
- The research plan
- Content and structure of the dissertation