Advanced Diploma in Business Management

Purpose

The qualification is directed at those with existing vocational qualifications, those wishing to gain entry into Postgraduate study, as well as those with technical qualifications seeking to enter into management positions. Graduates will develop the skills required to effectively perform the key management tasks. By way of coursework, the qualification will build skills in business management by taking a holistic approach and covering core areas in business management.

The qualification is designed to equip students with sound understanding of the key management theories, methodologies and practices. The qualification provides a blend of theoretical and practical aspects of business management. The qualification will equip students with the skills to undertake Postgraduate study in the field of management by developing their ability to understand and solve complex problems, while maintaining a holistic approach to managing organisations.

With the current skills need and the scarcity of Advanced Diploma qualifications in general business management, this qualification aims to produce graduates to have the following attributes:

• Critical thinking.
• Fundamental problem solving skills.
• Communication skills.
• Ethical conduct.
• Accountability.
• Being customer oriented.

Rationale

The institution offers distance education. Students are drawn from both South Africa and the Southern African Development Community where the Advanced Diploma in Business Management will contribute towards developing management skills in the region. The qualification is aimed at building skills in the field of general business management.

Management skills are necessary to provide direction and leadership to contribute to the national priorities of economic growth and development by supporting and enhancing organisational performance in both the public and private sectors. In the 21st Century, organisational dynamics have evolved into a multi-dimensional element of business, incorporating both opportunity and risk. Management education plays a pivotal role in developing critical skills to ensure that managers and organisations are capable of managing risk and taking advantage of opportunities to drive growth and profitability.

The qualification responds to the need for management qualifications that not only develop fundamental understanding of management practice but also complements and adds benefit to an existing qualification. This will prepare graduates for positions in middle management and serve as a platform to develop and prepare them for further postgraduate study.

This qualification provides an articulation pathway for graduates with Diplomas to gain entry to Postgraduate study. The qualification addresses the national skills development imperative that has been highlighted in the 2014 List of Occupations in High Demand (Department of Higher Education and Training, 2014). The list highlights the scarcity and need for management skills in South Africa. The list identifies many management positions in high demand and it is apparent that there is a need for diversity of specialisation in terms of management positions. Areas of need include manufacturing managers, finance managers, quality systems managers, and public health managers. This implies that not all managers will have a commerce background. It is this gap that the qualification seeks to address. Whilst it is understood that some entrants to the qualification might have a commerce background, this will not always hold true for the entire cohort.

The qualification will complement and supplement existing technical or specialist qualifications by providing students with strong knowledge of the theories, methodologies and practices of business management. This qualification is strongly suited to continuous professional development.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

This qualification may be obtained in whole or in part through the Recognition of Prior Learning. In the case where prior learning is to be recognised for purposes of access to the qualification, it is assumed that the learning derived from work or life experience will be a major element in the profiles of entrants primarily by means of a portfolio of evidence. Candidates will be selected on the recommendation of a senior manager from applicants' organisations/companies.

Where appropriate, interviews will also be conducted to assess applicants for selection purposes. Some of the key criteria that will be used in evaluating applicants include:

• The applicant's motivation, maturity and realistic approach to postgraduate studies.
• Job description covering the relevant area of work, examples of tasks carried out - possibly supplying references - linked to a portfolio of evidence.
• The nature and level of life/work experience and prior study, and the learning which has resulted from such experience.
• Details of in-company short courses: length; content of material covered; standard achieved.
• The clarity of the applicant's educational goals and objectives.
• The extent to which the applicant can provide evidence of the threshold skills and knowledge for the qualification.

Where prior learning is recognised for advanced standing, credit will be given for prior certificated learning in accordance with established practice at South African higher education institutions

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirements to this qualification are

• A Diploma, Level 6.

And

• Competence in the language of instruction.

This qualification comprises compulsory and elective modules at Level 7 totalling 140 Credits.

Compulsory modules, 120 Credits

• Management Principles, 20 Credits.
• Business Information Systems, 20 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 20 Credits.
• Microeconomics, 20 Credits.
• Business Statistics, 20 Credits.
• Financial Management, 20 Credits.

Elective modules, 20 Credits (Choose one module)

• Ethical Business Management, 20 Credits.
• Operations and Supply Chain Management, 20 Credits.
• Principles of Project Management, 20 Credits.

1. Understand the role of management and leadership in organisational success.
2. Employ integrated knowledge to solve complex problems in an organisation.
3. Demonstrate understanding of financial management within an organisation.
4. Understand the key management theories used to manage organisations.
5. Engage in self-directed learning.
6. Display an understanding of marketing principles and practices to promote and grow the business.
7. Assess problems in organisations and propose viable solutions.
8. Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of ethics and accountability.
9. Apply the concepts of economics and data analysis to process information for decision making.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Use management theories to understand the concept of management and leadership.
• Use elements of management techniques to assess the difference between management and leadership.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply problem solving concepts, techniques and tools to help solve real work-life situations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Use financial concepts and terminology to understand financial management.
• Apply financial formulas and calculation of ratios to understand the financial state and health of the business.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Unpack and apply management structures to various organisational designs.
• Use theories of the evolution of management theories, from classical approaches to human relations approaches, to understand the various theorists' contributions to management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Engage business management techniques independently to understand organisational operations and how appropriate management gives effect to well-run organisations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Use marketing principles and practices to evaluate business potential and product need.
• Use marketing strategy as a company's competitive advantage.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Apply problem solving concepts to work-life situations.
• Apply problem solving techniques and tools to propose viable solutions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Integrate ethics and good corporate governance principles in management and leadership.
• Apply management policies, procedures and practices to manage an organisational ethics programme and intervention.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Use Economic Circular Flow to understand the economy and various role players.
• Use micro-economics to guide business operations for efficient production.

Integrated Assessment

Formative and Summative Assessment

Assessment will attempt to integrate knowledge, skills, attitudes and applied competence

• Integrated assessment centres on the extent to which the student has grasped the concepts of each module.
• Application of management theory to a practical context.
• Methods of research used and its relation to theory.
• Balance between theory and practice and its relevance to the level of the qualification.
• Development of strategic and leadership capabilities of the student.
• Use of appropriate technology to ensure effective communication of ideas.
• Development of critical thinking and problem solving.

The assessment methods measure the extent to which the student has achieved competence in the different areas of study delivered through the modules. These assessment methods include:

• Interpretative and analytical problem solving in the written examination.
• Research and work-based assignments.
• Classwork.
• Self-assessments activities.

Formative Assessment

The scheme of work includes assignments based on the learning material and students are given feedback. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and limited number of outcomes.

Summative Assessment

This includes examination or equivalent assessment, such as a research essay or portfolio, in order to determine a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed in the formative stage. Summative assessment also tests the student's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a module.

Principles of assessment

• Appropriateness: The method of assessment is suited to the performance being assessed.
• Fairness: The method of assessment does not present any barriers to achievements, which are not related to the evidence.
• Manageability: The methods used make for easily arranged, cost-effective assessments that do not unduly interfere with learning.
• Integration into work or learning: Evidence collection is integrated into the work or learning process where this is appropriate and feasible.
• Validity: The assessment focuses on the relevant academic standards.
• Direct: The activities in the assessment mirror the conditions of actual performance as closely as possible.
• Authenticity: The examiner is satisfied that the work being assessed is attributable to the person being assessed.
• Sufficient: The evidence collected establishes that all criteria have been met and that performance to the required academic standard can be repeated consistently.
• Systematic: Planning and recording is sufficiently rigorous to ensure that assessment is fair.
• Open: Students can contribute to the planning and accumulation of evidence.
• Assessed candidates understand the assessment process and the criteria that apply.
• Consistent: The same examiner would make the same judgement again in similar circumstances. The judgement made is similar to the judgement that would be made by other examiners.