Master of Business (Executive) in Innovation & Leadership

Course details

A key strategic justification is that the programme will substantially develop the potential of managers in regionally based industry and to develop significant business improvement in participating firms. The MBS (Innovation and Leadership) has a number of important factors which distinguish it from other level 9 offerings in the field:

• It is focused on the private sector; this is particularly important in the context of the unique industrial and employment environment pertaining to the North-West region.
• It combines a strong academic underpinning with the practical management skills required by employers.
• The course philosophy, design and content are strongly linked to industry needs and this is evidenced in the continuing partnership approach with industry adopted in the design and running of this course. External guest presenters of national and International standing are a fundamental part of the programme
• Action learning within the learner’s workplace will form an integral part of the programme, enhancing the use of specialist knowledge in practice, recognising the reciprocal relationship between management theory, professional practice and research.
• It meets the demand for Masters level qualifications among industry and serves to embed leadership and innovation capacity and skills in the regional economy.

By opting for an action learning approach, the programme creates an environment in which participants can engage in applied knowledge acquisition. Relevant project work in sponsoring organisations and sharing of real life experiences will form a richness of case studies where potent lessons can be learned through the process of application, assessment and reflection, referred to as ‘Build and Learn’.

It is essentially a practical programme with rigorous theoretical underpinnings. It contains in-depth critical analysis while promoting a concentration on implementation issues at the core. A firm intention of the programme is that it will help lead and embed the necessary skills for successful innovation and business improvement. It will provide the ‘reflective gap’ for participants to focus on key strategic management and leadership issues that may not otherwise be addressed on a day-to-day basis.

Minimum Academic Entry Requirements

The entry requirement is an Honours Degree, minimum of Second Class Honours, Grade 2 or equivalent and at least three years relevant experience. In exceptional circumstances, applicants not holding a degree but having significant experience as a Senior Manager will be eligible for admission to the programme.

Proposed Modules

• Managing People & Organisations
•  Innovation and New Product Development
•  Leadership
•  Managing Change
•  Driving Innovation
• Action Research
•  Corporate Governance
•  Knowledge Management & Learning
•  Professional Development
•  Dissertation

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of MBS (Innovation and Leadership) programme, the learner will be able to:

• To promote a critical awareness of the current trends in developing innovative organisations  and to enable the participant  to be capable of evaluating the likely impact of these on the current and emerging business environment.
• To develop a participant’s leadership and knowledge skills such that they can lead and renew their organisation in the rapidly changing business environment
• To engender people and organisational management skills for sustained innovation change in their organisations
• To develop analytical and ethical attitudinal approaches to organisational innovation, knowledge and learning.
• To engender a strategic orientation, appropriate to senior organisational leadership positions, of current and emerging corporate governance regulation and to develop an attitudinal perspective on business ethics and ethical decision making
• To expose participants to a range of international best practice implementation techniques so as to act in a wide and often unpredictable variety of ill-defined contexts.
• To use advanced investigative skills to conduct research and to transfer and apply diagnostic skills to improve innovation delivery practices in a complex and increasingly openly networked business environment.
• To enhance transferable and behavioural skills such as reasoning, reflection, critical thinking, communication, self-management and independent learning.