Development of Skills

The core modules that were focused on were very appropriate and provided the author with a strong foundation to move forward in their career.

I want to expand / continue my career within self - employment as I have a good understanding of this area. This course modules and dissertation research that was carried out has helped to develop and expand this skill – set. The skills and knowledge learnt throughout the coursework of the MBA has proved to be of great benefit in developing this research.

On completion of the course and research dissertation, one can look back in time and realise that there were a number of skills that were missing from my skill set but have since been developed to a competent level.

Throughout the course of my career, I have held positions in information technology, strategic/business planning, business intelligence and market research. Although each of these positions required distinct skill sets, I was always eager to attempt new tasks and strive to succeed in new areas. In order to achieve this, I understood that there were knowledge gaps that I first needed to fill. Although the course did not specifically cover topics such as ‘Running your own small business’, the modules that

were covered throughout the MBA are of benefit to the management aspects of this profession. Some of the knowledge and skill set gap that were improved included: Increased Team – working skills

According to Marden (2008), “no employer today is independent of those about him. He cannot succeed alone, no matter how great his ability or capital. Business today is more than ever a question of cooperation”.

While pursuing the MBA program, I have considerably expanded my team working skills. Throughout my undergraduate studies, work and social activities, I have always struggled team – working skills. I struggle to delegate workloads, as I tend to lack confidence in my colleagues.

I carried this trait into group work within this MBA course and I must admit that I admit that it proved difficult to move away from it. I am inclined to take a leadership role within group situations, but have used this course to my benefit to help in my lack of team working skills. I began to work more closely with team - mates and began delegating work in a more effective way. This is a work in progress but I must master it if I am going to be successful on my career path. This new skill will be essential when the time comes for me to take on a number of new employees within my businesses.

Multi – Tasking in Business

Upon finishing my MBA, I will be involved with operating a number of small businesses. Before starting this course I had always struggled with trying to achieve a number of goals at once. Multi – tasking had not come easy for me, however, throughout this course I have begun to manage my studies, work and business opportunities in a better manner. I believe that group work throughout this course has helped with this, as we had to set deadlines, allocate work and juggle a number of assignments at the same time.

Planning Skills

Skok and Legge (2002) explain that the requirements for success in all areas of a business organisation require good planning.

Since starting this MBA course I have begun to see the importance of planning and executing ideas that I believe are worth moving forward with. Through extensive reading of case studies throughout the course, I have seen how companies have advanced themselves with new ideas and well-constructed plans.

One can look to a quote by Benjamin Franklin which clearly shows the important of the above discussion.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” (Benjamin Franklin). 7.4 Research and Investigative Skills

Researching and writing a dissertation, particularly one based on qualitative research methods, demanded a different set of skills and offered some special challenges because of its nature and scope. In reflecting on that experience, I can identify various lessons learned along the way.

Never stop reading

The first lesson I learnt, and that was stressed throughout our module on Research Methods, was to read extensively. This was an essential part of the course as one needs to know what research exists and how others have treated a particular topic so that one can identify gaps in the research and where additional information is needed. Prior studies published within academic journals and articles provide a foundation, background and possible context for future research. Lecturers throughout the course also stressed the importance of reading past and present business periodicals.

Ask the Experts

Through the course, I learned to consult with lecturers and supervisors. They provided necessary oversight for my final dissertation. All phases of my research were subject to their scrutiny and review. They were my consultants and advisors, and I was quite fortunate that they also played the role of mentors, providing counsel and guidance along the way.

One of the primary lessons I learned as I prepared my dissertation was that details are not just necessary but vital. I realized that I needed to spell out the methodology in detail to make the process as transparent as possible. A research supervisor stressed the importance of outlining the conceptual or theoretical framework of the study. It is important, as well, to provide a theoretical rationale for the selection of central concepts and to define these concepts in operational terms. Details should also include the population of interest, the research subjects and how they were recruited or selected for the study, and the units of analysis. It is especially important to give details of the data collection methods and instruments as well as the data analysis techniques and procedures.

For a period I did not see the importance of recording the methodology for this project and thought that it may be a waste of words since the word count is quite limited, but through discussion with my supervisor and from further reading, it became apparent as to why such importance is weighted on the Research Methodology section of this dissertation.