CEMBA CEMPA/Course Objectives

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Welcome to the Commonwealth Executive MBA / MPA Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programmes

Top Quality Management Skills and Education through Open and Distance Learning - in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and South America and the South Pacific

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(Comment.gif: Revised Learning Objectives for CEMBA Program, focusing on Higher Levels in Bloom's Taxonomy - at "Analysis" level)

YEAR 1

C1 - Management of Information Systems

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the major business functions and processes and business strategy planning processes
  • Analyze how information systems (IS) can add value to strategic planning
  • Identify how IS strategies are aligned to organizational strategies.
  • Distinguish key applications through supply chain management principles to the IS applications portfolio.
  • Compare and contrast the factors influencing success and failure in the implementation of IS strategic plans.
  • Evaluate national IT environment issues in respect of legal, ethical and social concerns

Topics

  • Introduction to MIS and Global Concepts of Electronic Business
  • e-Business Markets and Competition
  • Strategic Frameworks for IS and e-Business
  • Strategic Information Systems Planning for e-Business Networks
  • Evaluating Strategies for IS and e-Commerce Applications
  • Creating Global Systems and Global Brands
  • Transforming and Managing Information Organisations

C2 - Management in Organisations

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the basic premises of management and public administration
  • Compare different theories and approaches of organisation
  • Distinguish behavioural patterns, advantages, disadvantages, and dysfunctions of bureaucracies
  • Categorize the different management trends in the work environment.

Topics

  • Introduction to Management and Organisational Behaviour
  • Individual and Group Behaviour in Organisations
  • Decision-making and Communications in Organisations
  • Leadership, Organisational Structure & Environment
  • Power and Politics
  • Organisational Culture
  • Organisational Change
  • Conflict and Negotiations

C3 - Managing Human Resources

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the role and significance of human resources
  • Identify required skills in recruitment, selection, training and development of human resource
  • Compare group dynamics and inter-group processes in different work environments.
  • Categorise the inputs and processes for compensation planning
  • Distinguish key issues regarding union-management relationships, collective bargaining and industrial relations

Topics

  • Introduction to Human Resource Management
  • A Brief History of HRM and Its Origins
  • Strategic HRM & HR Planning
  • Job Analysis and Job Design
  • Acquiring Human Resources: Recruitment, Selection and Orientation
  • Developing the Human Resource: Learning & Development, Training and Management Development
  • Rewarding Employees: Performance Appraisal, Compensation Including Job Evaluation
  • Grievances & Discipline
  • Employee Safety, Health and Welfare
  • Industrial and Labour Relations
  • International Human Resources Management (IHRM)
  • Other Emerging Issues

C4 - Production / Operations Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Examine the scope and relevance of operation management to today’s competitive business environment, and to various organisations.
  • Distinguish among the variables involved in facilities planning, product and process selection
  • Analyze operations planning and control theories and applications, including value engineering and quality assurance
  • Evaluate materials- and logistics-management processes.

Topics

Coming Soon!

C5 - Economic Environment

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain how basic economic concepts operate in organizations
  • Distinguish among environmental variables in the environment and how they influence an organization.
  • Analyse factors operating in different economic sectors - private, public, not-for-profit, etc.
  • Evaluate various economic policies and their implications.

Topics

  • Introduction to the Economic Environment
  • Measures of Economic Activity
  • Understanding the Market Mechanism and Analysing Market Demand
  • Market Demand and Pricing Decisions
  • Production, Costs and Profit
  • Market Structure
  • Aggregate Demand, Aggregate Supply and Economic Fluctuation
  • Inflation and Unemployment
  • Financial Markets, Monetary and Fiscal Policy
  • The Open Economy

C6 - Public Systems Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the importance and relevance of public systems management
  • Distinguish among the components of the public management system
  • Analyse policy/programme/project processes for public management;
  • Evaluate contemporary issues inpublic systems management;
  • Compare and contrast various administrative skills and techniques for public systems management.

Topics

  • Introduction to Public Systems Management
  • Policies, Programmes And Projects
  • Implementation
  • Responsive Administration in Public-sector Management
  • The Public Manager: Skills and Techniques
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Public Systems Management: Contemporary Issues

C7 - Quantitative Techniques

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative techniques for effective managerial decision-making
  • Evaluate information analysis through central tendency and variance analysis, basic portability and sampling distribution concepts.
  • Compare and contrast forecasting methods and applications for short term and long term decision-making
  • Assess quantitative techniques used in network applications, game theory and time motion and work studies
  • Recommend appropriate quantitative tools for specific organizational challenges.

Topics

Coming soon!


C8 - Marketing Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain Marketing's role, functions and applications in a modern economy, and its relevance to business, social and economic life.
  • Analyse consumer behaviour among individuals, business and governments. (B2B, B2C, B2G)
  • Evaluate planning, organising, implementing and controlling marketing efforts through effective decision-making and implementing
  • Compare and contrast approaches to goods and services marketing.

Topics

  • Introduction - What is Marketing?
  • The Marketing Mix & Product / Service Positioning
  • Marketing Strategy, Planning and Advertising Management
  • Consumer Behaviour Models & Influencing Factors
  • Key Factors: Psychological & Personal, Social & Cultural

C9 - Accounting & Finance

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain basic accounting concepts and standards
  • Evaluate accounting information and applying it for decision-making purposes
  • Analyse cost-behaviour and costing applications
  • Examine financial statements, key ratios and investment analysis
  • Evaluate financial decision-making for capital structuring, dividend decision-making and management control.

Topics

  • Types and Forms of Business
  • Accounting Theory & Forecasts Defined
  • The Recording Process
  • Cash Flow Statements
  • Stocks 141
  • Activity Based Costing (ABC)
  • Common Size and Indexed Statements for Trend Analysis
  • Risk and Return, Ratio Analysis
  • Management of Working Capital, Managing Cash Needs
  • Cost of Capital
  • Dividend Policy


YEAR II

SC1 - Public Policy

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the scope, objectives and importance of public policy.
  • Examine the role of ministers and civil servants in the formulation of public policy, particularly in a Westminster-system of government.
  • Analyse the role and relevance of policy making networks and influence
  • Distinguish between various policy making models.
  • Compare and contrast contemporary policy-making issues.

Topics

  • Case Studies of Policy-Making
  • Understanding Public Policy
  • Public Policy-Making: Contextual Settings
  • The Policy-Making Process
  • Policy-Making Networks and Influence
  • Optimal Policy-Making
  • Policy-Making: Contemporary Issues

Specialist Core Courses

SC2 - Development Planning & Administration

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain key concepts of development, development administration, and development planning;
  • Evaluate planning mechanisms for contemporary development issues;
  • Compare the strengths and weaknesses of development strategy planning / techniques


Topics

  • Development Administration: Meaning, Nature, Scope and Significance
  • Models of Development Administration
  • Development Administration: Political, Economic, and Socio-Cultural contexts inn Developed and Developing Nations
  • Development Planning: Concept and Rationale, Retrospect and Prospect
  • Poverty in South Asia
  • Planning for Sustainable Development
  • The Mixed Economy Model
  • Multilevel Planning: Concept and Practice, Inter State and Inter-District Imbalance
  • Planning of Contemporary Development Issues in Education and Health, Agriculture and Industry
  • Participatory Approaches to Development Planning and Administration
  • Strengthening the Local Elected Leaders Capabilities
  • Central Place Theory
  • Scalogram Analysis
  • Development Planning and Administration: The Road Ahead

SC3 - Strategic Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the scope of strategic management in a competitive and dynamic global economy.
  • Analyse strategic processes and various sequences.
  • Analyse an environmental challenge and formulate strategic objectives.
  • Examine criteria for strategic decision-making and strategy implementation and control.
  • Compare and contrast relevant strategies for global markets.

Topics

  • Introduction to Strategic Management
  • Managing the Strategy Cycle
  • Organisational Analysis
  • Strategic Analysis and Choice
  • The Industry Environment
  • Strategy Implementation
  • Control Processes


SC4 - Quality Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Analyse key definitions of quality, focusing on a customer-centric approach.
  • Examine the Baldridge Award system and its focus on Total Quality Management (TQM).
  • Identify key characteristics for management's role and responsibility for TQM in organizations and functional areas.
  • Analyze the relationship between leadership and management in the context of TQM.
  • Compare and contrast quality assessment and interpretation measures for organizations.
  • Explain the ISO family of quality standards and its role as a systematic international framework for managing quality.

Topics

  • Introduction to Quality Management
  • Leadership and Strategic Planning
  • Customer and Market Focus
  • Quality in Human Resources
  • Tools and Techniques for Quality Management
  • The ISO 9000 Family of Standards
  • Change Management in the Context of Quality

Electives

E1 - Electronic Commerce

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Examine current and emerging issues of managing E-commerce.
  • Evaluate infrastructure planning and frameworks required for E-commerce.
  • Analyse business models for E-commerce applications.
  • Distinguish the legal and ethical issues involved in E commerce.
  • Explain the marketing strategies aligned to E-commerce.
  • Analyse how E-commerce can be leveraged for business applications.

Topics

  • Introduction to Electronic Commerce
  • Infrastructure for Electronic Commerce
  • Business Strategies for E-commerce: B2C, B2C, B2B and E-Commerce Business Models
  • Introduction to Intranets and extranets
  • Marketing Strategies for E-Commerce
  • Legal and Ethical Issues in E-Commerce

E2 - Project Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to: - Coming soon!

Topics

  • Introduction to Project Management & Project Integration Management
  • Scope and Time Management
  • Cost and Quality Management
  • Human Resource and Communications Management Project Risk Management and Procurement Management
  • The Project Management Process Model
  • Portfolio Management
  • Project Management Maturity
  • Business Integration Models

E5 - Managerial Economics

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

- Coming Soon!

Topics

  • Introduction to Managerial Economics
  • Decision Making Under Risk and Uncertainty
  • Quantitative Demand Analysis
  • Production Analysis, Cost Theory
  • Pricing Practices
  • An Overview of Strategic Business Concepts for Managers


E7 - Policy Analysis & Implementation

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Examine the development of the policy analysis framework, various policy models and implications.
  • Analyze the four main types of policy issues and their impact on the policy development process.
  • Evaluate different information sources and methods and how they can add value to policy analysis and planning.
  • Explain the role of legislatures and their impact on the policy-making process, various policy-making instruments, and the roles of different groups' access to policy-making.
  • Compare and contrast different approaches to public policy and its implementation.
  • Identify and describe international organizations involved in development and institution building in developing countries.
  • Explain monitoring policy, and outline the components in program evaluation.
  • Examine the potential impact of program evaluation on policy, programs and organizations.
  • Demonstrate your skills in policy planning, analysis, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Topics

  • Foundation of Policy Analysis
  • Policy Formulation Process
  • Information and Policy Analysis
  • Policy Analysis Theories
  • Instruments of Government Policy
  • Globalisation and Policy Analysis
  • Policy Implementation
  • Monitoring and Evaluation

E8 - Contemporary Administrative Systems

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the key attributes of comparative administrative systems.
  • Analyse contemporary issues faced by legislatures.
  • Examine how the bureaucracy works in comparative administrative systems.
  • Analyse issues and trends in public administration.
  • Evaluate broad-based budgeting processes - applicable to national, state or provincial levels of government.
  • Compare and contrast the role of major international organizations regarding legislative development and institution-building in developing countries.


Topics

  • Dimensions of Comparative Study
  • Contemporary Administrative Systems
  • Trends in Public Administration
  • Legislative Development
  • Budget Administration in Emerging Democracies
  • Financial Administration


E9 - Disaster Management

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain the basic concepts, aims, and elements of disaster and emergency management
  • Analyse the relationships among hazard, vulnerability and disasters
  • Evaluate the range of available preparedness/mitigation approaches, limitations and modalities of implementation through development
  • Examine the purpose, functions and responses of UN agencies involved in emergency situations' in particular the UN Disaster Management Team.


Topics

  • Introduction and Overview of Disasters
  • Proactive Approach to Disaster Mitigation
  • Capacity Building and Training for A Disaster Resilient Society
  • Preparing for Emergency Response
  • Institutional Arrangements and Legal Frameworks for Disaster Mitigation
  • Post-Disaster Management
  • Business Continuity Planning
  • Goal Setting and Decision Making in Managing Disasters


E10 - Corporate Finance

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

- Coming Soon!

Topics

  • The Financial System and the Economy
  • Financial Modeling
  • Leasing, Derivatives and Hybrids
  • Managing Financial Risks
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • International Managerial Finance

E13 - International Marketing

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain consumption patterns in your country and others in the global environment.
  • Distinguish between the factors supporting or inhibiting international marketing activities
  • Explain the importance of cultural and social differences and the importance of politics in global marketing.
  • Examine regional economic cooperation agreements, and the consequences of different legal systems
  • Apply the process of international marketing research and global market segmentation.
  • Analyse global strategic partnerships and global value chains.
  • Analyse global marketing channels, distribution and logistics management.

Topics

  • The global cultural, economic and political environment
  • International marketing intelligence
  • Global segmentation and positioning strategies
  • Global competitive analysis
  • Global product policies
  • Global pricing
  • Global channel management
  • Global communication strategies
  • International marketing and the Internet, marketing planning, implementation and control


Research Methods

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain frequently-used research methods in business or public administration studies.
  • Discuss various sampling, measurement and analysis issues associated with different forms of research strategy.
  • Explain the limitations associated with each kind of research method, and read and evaluate research reports critically
  • Identify a research problem that warrants further investigation as either a thesis topic or major paper topic.


Topics

  • Introduction to Research Methodology
  • Data Collection and Measurement
  • Data Presentation and Analysis
  • Report Writing and Presentation

Project

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Explain project management and project integration management, including: scope, time management and project management scheduling tools.
  • Compare and contrast core project management functions: cost and quality management.
  • Evaluate facilitating project management functions: HR and communications management, risk management and procurement management.
  • Explain how portfolio management can assist an organization to manage multiple projects.
  • Distinguish between project management maturity models and business integration models.

Topics

The project course is to help the student develop the ability to apply multidisciplinary concepts, tools and techniques to solve organizational problems.

Type of Project

The project may be selected from among the following studies:

  • Comprehensive - (covering single organization / multi-functional area problem formulation, analysis and recommendations).
  • Inter-organisational - aimed at inter-organisational comparison / validation of theory / survey of management or developmental practices.
  • Field study - empirically-based.

The learner will select his / her project in consultation with a project guide.