As companies transform themselves to remain relevant in today’s tough economic climate, the workplace has grown into a pressurised and competitive environment where continuous learning is important to guarantee future career opportunities. Under these conditions, leadership becomes a vital quality that enables people to not only differentiate themselves from others but to add value to their work contributions, says Dr Renosi Mokate, chief executive and executive director of the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL).
“Given today’s often complex internal corporate structures, leaders are no longer those special few inhabiting the executive suite at the top of the building,” says Dr Mokate. “Nowadays, leadership must occur in different departments and at various levels. As such, leaders are deemed to be integral to the strategic functioning of the company as whole.”
Unique to the SBL is the Master of Business Leadership (MBL), a professional, three-year postgraduate management development programme offered on a distance-learning platform. The programme enables students to continue working without compromising their current positions, while being able to hone their skills to help shape their career trajectories.
“The blended programme is highly supportive in that not only does it include self-study online but enables face-to-face tutorials and group work,” says Dr Mokate. “The programme is led by high-profile professors from relevant business disciplines such as human resources, marketing, supply chain and project management, and ethics and sustainability. It promises to provide a robust combination of both theoretical and applied content.”
Alick Granger, a recent MBL graduate, put this promise to the test when he was invited to take part in a two-week international exchange programme. A business development manager focused on broad-based black economic empowerment and transformation at Bearing Man Group (BMG) in Johannesburg, Granger was a top MBL student of 2014, and one of only 40 students selected from across the globe to take part in the Shanghai Open University International exchange programme.
“During the programme, it became apparent to me that my MBL qualification has equipped me to make both an impact and contribution towards business locally and internationally,” says Granger. “As my major is in business leadership, I was fascinated to see in action how the theory on the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace is truly a source of competitive advantage in application.”
A further compelling aspect to the MBL is its focus on management in both the private and public sectors. “Today, South Africa’s government and business sector have become increasingly aware that entering into multi-sectoral partnerships not only benefits socio-economic sustainability, but is good for business. Thus it is relatively common for local businesses to actively embark on strategies that include public-private partnerships,” says Dr Mokate.
“The MBL reflects this growing trend in its unique programme structure that supports contact and collaboration from students within the business and public sectors, equipping them with the skills to make a meaningful contribution in the management of organisations from within both these sectors.”
For those hoping to gain a strong grounding in business management theory combined with the sound practice of management, Unisa’s MBL is worth serious consideration as a vehicle to continue learning and add value as a leader in business. Registration for the 2015 intake closes on December 15 2014.
Visit the SBL website unisa.ac.za/sbl for application information