PwC Mini MBA

Corporate & Business Strategy

This module deals with the concept of industry and how it can be analysed  through practical examples of industries. It goes into analysing business  environments at national & international level through the PESTEL (Politics,  Economics, Social, Technology, Environment and Legal) framework before going into the concept of competition and “profitability of an industry” mainly through the 5 forces framework.

This module attempts to explore areas such as barriers to entry, customer switching costs, supplier and buyer power, substitute products & services, the role of international organisations and governments on industries and competition, regulations and opportunities for national competitive advantage.

Topics:

• Industry, Industry types
• Industry evolution & mobility
• Analysis of environments at national & international level (PESTEL)
• Competitive environment analysis (5 forces theory)
• National competitive advantage (Diamond theory)
• Forecasting

This module also deals with the development of strategy. After the main idea (purpose: vision and mission), and  the analysis of the competitive  environment, it is logically essential  for any idea (even a start-us) that the organisation  decide on what strategy to adopt. If the company has already been operating for some time, it is essential at this point for the organisation to match its competencies, skills and knowledge to the environment findings from module 2 to evaluate its  strategy and make any necessary  alterations.

This module asks the main question: how do companies compete? First of all, the concept of cost & differentiation is addressed and analysed. Then the idea of competing in a specific segment (niche); Then the concept of strategic groups is addressed based mainly on two parameters: Price & quality.  Furthermore, the idea of the strategic clock is examined which offers the  “hybrid” strategy option. After the analysis of the above topics, an analysis of products and services is undertaken through classic models such as the BCG  matrix, the GE matrix, the Product Life Cycle (with a special focus on the short life cycles of many products in the  21st century).

One of the most important areas in this module is the analysis of the critical  success factors of an organisation prior to setting the Key performance indicators (KPIs) since these areas need to be part of the strategy (if characterised as critical). Finally, the concept of the value chain is addressed and a short analysis of resources is undertaken in this module but not extensively as there are other modules that cover these areas (HR &  Finance).

Topics:

• How do companies compete?
• Cost vs differentiation
• Niche strategies
• Strategy clock
• Strategic group positioning
• BCG matrix
• Product life cycle
• CSFs & KPIs
• Value chain analysis
• Resources & competencies

Innovation & Creative Thinking

The main objective of this module is to stimulate participants and make them think differently, learning the techniques required to think creatively towards  innovation; it helps participants believe that they can challenge the status quo at their organisation with ideas, and add more value by doing things better.

This can be achieved by helping participants understand that innovation is a necessary requirement for competitive advantage, not an option.

Creative thinking is a skill and there are techniques to develop this skill that  will be delivered in this workshop. This module also covers the importance of  capabilities and Business Intelligence as areas where innovation can be found.

Participants will be inspired:

• By thinking differently
• By learning techniques to think differently that can be applied daily
• By understanding how to generate ideas
• By understanding how to overcome  obstacles in their own areas
• By becoming supportive of innovation and “changes”  in general with their teams
• By making them understand how to screen ideas & implement them

Topics:

• Why innovate?
• Understanding innovation
• Challenges for innovating in the 21st century – the age of acceleration
• Innovation as a competitive advantage
• Obstacles towards innovating (exercise 1)
• Recognising and avoiding mental blocks and mindsets
• De-brief –  The critical success factors for innovation
• Culture & sharing
• Theoretical approaches – models
• The link between creative thinking & innovation

− Capabilities-based innovation

− From problem to solution

− Systematic inventive thinking

− In-class facilitation –  company focus

• Sharing ideas and collaborating
• Avoiding quick judgement
• Main takeaways

Operational Agility : Strategies for Efficiency 

The "Operational Agility: Strategies for Efficiency" module is a natural progression from the “Corporate and Business Strategy” module, designed to equip Mini-MBA participants with the requisite knowledge, skills, and tools essential for steering and overseeing high-performing, adaptable operations across diverse business landscapes.

This module explores in depth the day-to-day operational management and process optimisation within a business context. It delineates the distinction between strategic planning, product design, resource management, and quality enhancement, emphasizing the pivotal role of operations management in executing strategic objectives and ensuring organisational effectiveness.

It is dedicated to imparting practical insights and actionable strategies for crafting and implementing operations plans. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to translate strategic vision into operational reality.

By emphasizing the integration of operational tactics with strategic objectives, this module empowers participants to navigate the complexities of modern business environments with agility and proficiency, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Marketing in the Digital Age

Market positioning, combining off-line and on-line marketing tactics; social  media for businesses, the importance of content & video and finding the right  balance; Customer Relationship Management through software systems &  automation.

Marketing involves identifying the customer’s needs and wants and satisfying them through the appropriate “marketing mix”. Together with an analysis of the external environment (from a marketing viewpoint), customers and competitors, these will be the focus of this module. In addition, it should be noted that areas such as branding, internet marketing, marketing through social media and other concepts and ideas will be explored.

There is a dominant move in the market towards visualisation (videos) and content marketing and these will be explored along with other important trends. Participants should be able to use various marketing tools and theories in real life examples.

Topics:

• The process of marketing
• Marketing research
• Market positioning
• Customer segmentation
• Marketing mix (7 Ps) – special emphasis on price & distribution
• Branding (brand prism)
• Internet marketing
• Viral marketing
• 6 I’s theory
• CRMs and their benefits
• Adding value & loyalty and CSR
• Marketing & social media

The Enabled Organisation

This module explores the link between organisational structure and management effectiveness. It addresses key topics like complexity and change, and looks at the management skills needed to respond intelligently. It is based on the idea that more traditional management styles (that place an emphasis on command and control) are becoming less suited to a business environment where talent is mobile, innovation is essential and connection is everywhere. 

The module will challenge participants to explore the impact of change on themselves and on the people they manage. It will also look at the  importance of differentiating between  ‘performance’ and ‘contribution’ when  giving feedback and creating a more engaged workforce. 

The module will also identify and rehearse a set of skills (including coaching skills) that are aimed at helping staff cope with, and respond positively to, the changes they are facing.

Topics:

• The changing world of work
• The impact of organisational structure on our response to change
• Simplification and subsidiarity
• 5 Trends that need to be addressed
• The impact of change on staff
• The role that ‘Mindsets’ play in efficiency…and incompetence
• Management skills for a nimble organisation
• Coaching
• Communicating change effectively

Leadership in the 21st century

High-quality leadership is the hallmark of successful organisations. Some people have a natural talent for the role but good leadership can be learned through training, coaching and practice. The quality of the leadership in place through the ranks of an organisation will in large part determine the success of that organisation in the long term. It is therefore essential that anyone entrusted with a position and responsibility for leading people fully understands and appreciates what this leadership role requires of them in practice.

In this module, the emphasis is placed upon the leader as a person and on efforts to understand individuals and to create an environment where differences, new ideas, curiosity and innovation are encouraged and cultivated. Various dimensions of leadership will be analysed, with reflection  on the rapidly changing business environment and people’s needs.

Topics:

• Leadership challenges in the modern business environment
• Role modelling –  cultivating and embracing followers
• Leadership theories
• Understanding individuals
• Understanding conflict
• Team dynamics
• Leadership during the change
• The leader as motivator and visionary
• 5th level leadership
• Situational leadership

Accounting Basics  & Financial Management

This module attempts to provide the basic principles of Accounting & Finance as it includes the areas that people involved in business should be aware of, mainly at an understanding level (not necessarily synthesis).

It covers areas such as budgets, analysis of financial statements the concepts of assets, capital, profit, revenues, margin, dividends, cash flows and other items (see below).

Topics:

• Strategy and financial strategy
• The role of finance in modern companies
• Accounting and the accounting cycle
• Understanding financial statements:

− Income statement

− Balance sheet

− Cash flow

International financial reporting standards

Financial decisions

Vertical and trendline financial analysis

Ratio analysis:

− Profitability indicators

− Working capital indicators and management

− Liquidity indicators

• Investment Appraisals and time value of money
• Budgets, controlling budgets & understanding variances

Project Management in Everyday Business 

This module has been designed to provide understanding of the importance of project management methodology and approach in everyday business. The goal of the module is to help participants develop a unified approach towards project management challenges. It is also designed to help reduce the stress  associated with project management, and to increase the chances that the project will be completed on time, within budget to the required quality. In addition, through practical exercises, participants will learn about the most important project management tools and techniques and to compare theoretical models with their previous experience.

During the module we will focus on how to:

• Initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project
• Understand and manage stakeholder requirements and expectations
• Manage a project in line with organisational strategy
• Understand the processes necessary for the successful completion of a project

Topics:

Introduction to project management – creating common language

• Roles and responsibilities
• Common challenges
• Working with project constraints

Project life cycle

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring and controlling
• Closing

Linking it All Together - Preparing a business plan or a business analysis plan

Through this module, the programme puts the pieces of the puzzle together. It is common knowledge that many programmes do not link modules  effectively, and many participants fail to understand when, how and where each module affects and is affected.

With the use of a business analysis map all participants will be able to understand  the logic behind the programme and the logic behind the organisation. The balanced scorecard will also be examined in attempting to evaluate the performance of organisations and finally a special section on how to be entrepreneurial will be delivered.

Cases will be introduced as base for a Harvard Case Study Assessment Paper.