Advanced Diploma in Applied Management

Purpose

The competencies captured in this qualification will enable the students to further develop their functional and reflective understanding of business management.

The intention of the qualification is to enhance and enrich the knowledge and skills that are required in all sub-sectors of management; to release the potential of people; and to provide opportunities for people to move up the value chain and between the different sectors of the economy. It is particularly suitable for continuing professional development.

The qualification should produce knowledgeable, intellectually skilled individuals who are able to contribute to improved productivity and efficiency within the organisation. It should provide the means for current individuals in the general management field to receive recognition of prior learning and to upgrade their skills and knowledge base.

The qualification is structured in such a way that it exposes individuals to a set of core competences to give a broad understanding of general and public management. The electives allow for a deep and systematic understanding of current thinking, practice, theory and methodology.

Rationale

The Advanced Diploma in Applied Management is qualification is designed to provide the learners with a deep and systematic understanding of current thinking, practice, theory and methodology in the field of general management. It provides intellectual enrichment and enhances flexibility in the light of changing circumstances.

The qualification is offered in contact mode on part-time basis. As a force contributing to social and economic development, part-time study is fast becoming an accepted and indispensable part of the mainstream of educational systems in both developed and developing countries, with particular emphasis for the latter. Part-time learning freeing learners from the constraints of time and place, and offering flexible learning opportunities to individuals and groups of learners. Part-time learning is one of the most rapidly growing fields of education, and its potential impact on all education delivery systems has been greatly accentuated through the development of Internet-based information technologies, and in particular the World Wide Web. For part-time learning context and the importance of this mode of learning is paramount in our endeavour to meet the needs of working learners.

Investing in education is critical to economic and social development in Africa, especially in providing Africans with greater opportunities for personal and collective advancement. The Programme for the Transformation on Higher Education: Education White Paper 3 (Department of Education, 1997) is very clear with regard to the importance of training effective managers, especially with the view of addressing the imbalances of the past-the following are direct quotes from the document): "There is a chronic mismatch between the output of higher education and the needs of a modernizing economy. In particular, there is a shortage of highly trained learners in fields such as science, engineering, technology and commerce (largely as a result of discriminatory practices that have limited the access of black and women learners), and this has been detrimental to social and economic development." "higher education must provide education and training to develop the skills and innovations necessary for national development and successful participation in the global economy." "Human resource development: The mobilisation of human talent and potential through lifelong learning to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of a rapidly changing society." "Production, acquisition and application of new knowledge: national growth and competitiveness is dependent on continuous technological improvement and innovation, driven by a well-organised, vibrant research and development system which integrates the research and training capacity of higher education with the needs of industry and of social reconstruction." There is a clearly defined goal to further the development of managers and management on national level. Southern Business School, as a provider of open distance learning, focuses especially on national needs and, in line with our mission statement, specifically on the need for quality, accessible, and recognised education in the field of management.

The qualification is intended to contribute to solving some of the regional and national challenges in terms of skills shortages through the intensive programme of study in the area of applied business management. Learners will have a sound understanding of the dynamic environment in which managers operate, enabling them to apply that knowledge at organisational and strategic levels in a range of industries and organisations. Undertake a significant industry-based research project. The program is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in the academic theory underpinning the main principles of Management. Further, the Programme contributes to regional and national goals in a variety of ways, including: Broadening access to higher education; Recognition of Prior Learning; and inclusion of certain generic competencies; inclusion of certain specific management competencies such as monitoring and evaluation, Project management process etc; ensuring that students will be employable on graduation, but at the same time will have the knowledge base to continue with further learning such as to proceed to higher degrees including Post learners Diploma in Business management or Post learners Diploma in should they so wish.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Access with success is the underlying principle embraced. Since there are no serious selection criteria the access in principle is wide open. The current Bachelor of Technology (BTech): Business Administration is very popular and a continuation is expected.

RPL of students will be conducted in accordance with the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy of the institution. A functional system for RPL is in place at the Central University of Technology (CUT) where RPL is used as a mechanism to gain access to programmes.

RPL applications for the institution are received by the Centre for Assessments and Graduations. The candidates are required to complete an RPL application document. Accompanying the RPL application must be certified copies of all previous qualifications and a comprehensive portfolio of evidence, reflecting on extensive work learning. Once the institution's RPL coordinator has deemed the RPL application as being complete, the portfolio will be sent to the Department of Business Support Studies for assessment. The faculty's RPL committee assesses the candidate's portfolio thoroughly against the relevant learning outcomes.

Entry Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for the Advance Diploma in Applied Management is a

• Diploma at Level 6, or equivalent qualification.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Levels 7, totalling 144 Credits.

Compulsory modules, Level 7, 144 Credits

• Management Fundamentals for First Line Managers, 12 Credits.
• Project Management Fundamentals, 12 Credits.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Fundamentals, 12 Credits.
• Procurement Management, 12 Credits.
• Strategic Management, 12 Credits.
• Quantitative techniques and basic financial analysis tools, 12 Credits.
• Supply Chain Management, 12 Credits.
• International Management, 12 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship principles and practices, 12 Credits.
• Responsible Business Practice,12 Credits.
• Research skills-Compulsory, 12 Credits.
• Industry Project, 12 Credits.

1. Understanding a variety of business concepts, processes and procedures relevant to public and private organisations.
2. Selecting and applying a range of quantitative methods and techniques to resolve business problems and in making business decisions.
3. Demonstrate ability to integrate and apply various practices in the field of management.
4. Lead a business with integrity and in a sustainable manner.
5. Lead a business in a multi-cultural setting.
6. Develop the entrepreneurial mind-set; gain a good understanding of how to run a business in an entrepreneurial manner; be able to identify opportunities, solve problems and achieve business objectives and develop the ability to analyse the socio-economic challenges of South Africa and the role that entrepreneurship plays in solving socioeconomic problems.
7. Managing procurement of goods and the provision of services while achieving organisational goals through being efficient and effective; gain a good understanding supply chains and supply chain management.
8. Demonstrate understanding of basic research skills and how to use it to collect basic information for business decision making; select and apply appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative techniques.
9. Integrate knowledge of all the modules studied into solving an industry problem within a specified time.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate understanding of how to use business concepts, processes and procedures to manage a public or private organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Solve hypothetical business problems using quantitative techniques.
• Translate a given management or business problem into a research problem.
• Formulate research questions based on a given research problem.
• Formulate research design appropriate for investigating a particular management research problem.
• Apply research skills in an integrated manner in the business management context.
• Transfer knowledge acquired into practice through effective communication.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Use strategic management; project management; monitoring and evaluation and quantitative techniques etc. in an integrative manner in managing business processes and resources.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Discuss the key sustainability challenges shaping the way businesses operate in today's business environment.
• Explain how progressive businesses are responding to them in terms of mind-set, leadership in managing their social, environmental and economic impacts.
• Evaluate how business action can be best configured to promote responsible and sustainable business strategies and how organisational action can be aligned to promote ethical, responsible and sustainable values.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Explain the concept of culture and its importance in international business.
• Explain how cross-cultural issues impact upon the management of business functions across national borders.
• Apply theories of culture in international business contexts.
• Identify and explain high-performance people management practices in an organisation.
• Explain performance contracting, reviews and balanced feedback in creating and maintaining a culture of performance.
• Describe and apply talent management practices in recruiting and retaining high-talented people.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Explain the role of entrepreneurship in value creation and value capturing in the economy.
• Evaluate the role of entrepreneurship in socio economic development.
• Describe the key entrepreneurial characteristics.
• Distinguish the critical elements in entrepreneurial start-up firms, including opportunity finding or creation, selection, the business case, business planning, funding sources and pitching, resourcing and Start-up.
• Apply the steps required to formalise and establish an entrepreneurial business, identify and deal with obstacles.
• Explain the nature of and conditions for entrepreneurship.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Apply the fundamentals of operations strategy and to apply them to given organisational setting.
• Evaluate operations performance objectives and how they are integrated with operations strategy.
• Apply the principles of capacity strategy and its linkages to key capacity decisions.
• Explain the role of supply strategy in managing relationships with suppliers and apply them to given organisational setting.
• Explain the principles of sustainable supply chain and apply them to given organisation.
• Explain the differences between managing large breakthrough improvement and managing continuous improvement.
• Evaluate the impact of operations strategy on the development of new products and services.
• Describe the key issues that need to be considered when designing and implementing monitoring and control systems in organisations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Demonstrate understanding of a range of research methods of enquiry in the management field, and practice, and their suitability to specific investigations.
• Demonstrate ability to identify analyses, critically reflect on and address management problems.
• Demonstrate ability apply evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments to solving management problems.
• Apply appropriate processes of information gathering for the managerial context.
• Independently validate the sources of information, and evaluate and manage the information.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Apply a range of quantitative and strategic management methods to resolve industry problems.
• Demonstrate ability to apply a range of quantitative and strategic management methods to resolve problems or introduce change within the middle management practice.

Integrated Assessment

All work and assessment are required to preferably start with situations and required decisions in an industrial setting. Such practices enable the programme and its lecturers to achieve the required integration of assessment which by definition means to:

• Treat a number of outcomes together.
• Treat a number of assessment criteria together.
• Promote an awareness of the connections and relationships between the knowledge, processes and skills inside the different modules.
• Practice a combination of assessment methods and instruments used to achieve outcome/outcomes.
• Collect naturally occurring evidence (such as in the workplace setting).