Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurial Management

Purpose

Entrepreneurship is the process of identifying, creating and realising opportunities for new business or social ventures. Entrepreneurship involves a wide scope of activities such as evaluating ideas, sourcing and organising resources, and weighing the risks and rewards associated with the new ventures. Holders of this qualification will be equipped with the skills of identifying and developing opportunities.

Whether one wants to develop one's own business idea from concept to reality, or learn the tricks of managing an innovative business in today's climate, this qualification will provide you with the confidence to move forward with your future aspirations.

The qualification offers working people the opportunity to study a unique, locally relevant, but prestigious and internationally applicable management qualification. The qualification is a planned combination of learning outcomes with a defined purpose that culminates in applied competence that will serve as the academic requirements for becoming an informed entrepreneur; working in commerce, industry, and academia and/or the public sector. Since the qualification is interdisciplinary, this provides lifelong professional growth in different fields of business, as it will offer membership to different professional bodies.

The competencies captured in this qualification will enable working people the opportunity to further develop their functional and reflective understanding of business management. The qualification is will develop an integrated conceptual understanding, synthesis and critical application of specialised knowledge and skills in business management, as well as in general management, organisational behaviour, human resource management, marketing, accounting, supply chain management, operations management and economics. Students will also master skills inherent in research and decision-making. Students will successfully master the competencies in this qualification and will be able to contribute to the broader society by making business decisions based on specific knowledge of specialised areas in business management.

Given that entrepreneurial flair, successful students can apply their skills in a variety of sectors, either as leaders or owners of business ventures or as managers in organisations that employ them.

The qualification enables learners to develop own business ideas, simulations, guest speakers and community engagement, including elements that provide the foundations necessary to solve business challenges through the application of game-design thinking.

The qualification combines commercial expertise with responsible management practices and a deep understanding of the economic, technological and practical principles of sustainability.

Learners will acquire the core business and management knowledge and skills in the qualification as there is specialist study related to specific sustainability issues-from ethical decision making to sustainable technologies and ecological awareness.

The Managing with Integrity module is ideal for those who want to study business and management. This module will equip learners with the knowledge of how to build a business case for sustainable practices. The Managing with Integrity module will enable learners to learn how to develop business models and plans for establishing a new sustainable enterprise.

Rationale

The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Entrepreneurial Management will contribute to solving some of the regional and national challenges in terms of skills shortages through the intensive qualification of study in the area of applied business management. Graduates 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 South African business requires graduates who perfectly fit the demands of the corporate sector through their knowledge of business conception, business expansion, financial forecasting, market expansion and human resource management, statistical competencies and technological fluency.

Business operates in an environment where

• Knowledge of local markets and niche markets is pivotal to business success.
• Knowledge of service/product differentiation is a key to market segmentation and business success.
• Global markets influence local investment flows and local market operations.
• New venture creation necessitates a more global outlook involving diversifying investments across regions and nations (creating safe havens, relying on tax havens).
• Knowledge of international business and global tax regimes is becoming critical.
• Seamless integration of emerging technologies (e.g. social networking technologies, gamification, traditional technologies) into the corporate business extends the reach to customers, suppliers, competitors and regulators.

Entrepreneurship is not yet fully recognised in South Africa with regard to its impact on potential growth possibilities that it offers the South African economy, and as well as the impact on unemployment and social strains in the country (State of Entrepreneurship SA, 2011). Research conducted by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2012) suggests that Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial activity (TEA) in South Africa dropped to 7.3% from a high of 9.1%, an almost 20% drop from the previous year and the lowest in four years. GEM research further shows that South Africa's pool of intentional entrepreneurs is only 14% - far below the average of 27% among similar efficiency-driven economies. Yet the same study established a positive correlation between early-stage entrepreneurial activity among the youth and the level of education attained,, and the need for entrepreneurial education at tertiary levels for young start-ups and established entrepreneurs cannot be overemphasised.

In order for the economy to grow, South Africa does not only need more but it requires better entrepreneurs. Regardless of this, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2011 Report, South Africa remains one of the more poorly-performing countries with regards to entrepreneurial activity. It is within this realm that the PGDip in Entrepreneurial Management will equip young entrepreneurs and established SMMEs to run established businesses in entrepreneurial manner.

The skills shortage in South Africa compels businesses not only to focus on the attraction of talented people, but also to ensure that they are equipped and ready for optimum performance. The South African government has recognised the contribution of entrepreneurship and therefore has the goal of establishing an entrepreneurial nation that rewards and recognises entrepreneurship. As such, this qualification is specifically designed to be help individual and managers to be creative and innovative in their business endeavours. The qualification will also be aligned with various professional bodies in South Africa to ensure sufficient national benchmarking and promotion of professional academic standards in the delivery of the qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL of students will be conducted in accordance with the Recognition of Prior Learning policy of the university. A functional system for RPL is in place at the university where RPL is used as a mechanism to gain access to qualification.

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 Co ordinator has deemed the RPL application as being complete, the portfolio will be sent to the Department of 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 requirement for admission to a Postgraduate Diploma is

• A Bachelor's Degree, Level 7.

Or

• An Advanced Diploma, Level 7.

This qualification comprises of compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 144 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 144 Credits

• Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Creation, 12 Credits.
• Project Management Process Theory, 12 Credits.
• Project Management Process Practical, 12 Credits.
• Leadership and Change Management, 12 Credits.
• Marketing for Managers, 12 Credits.
• Managing with Integrity, 12 Credits.
• Global Strategies in Business, 12 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital, Multi-Culture and Behaviour in Organisations, 12 Credits.
• Operations and Supply Chain Management, 12 Credits.
• Accounting for Managers, 12 Credits.
• Research Methodology-Theory, 12 Credits.
• Research Methodology-Practical Project, 12 Credits.

1. Develop comprehensive theoretical and applied understanding of key concepts, processes, methodologies and frameworks in within each module.
2. Think logically, analytically and critically through dialectical debate of paradoxes in respect of each topic.
3. Relate management and entrepreneurship theories to the practical and professional management environment.
4. Synthesise academic or professional literature and effectively communicate research orally and in written form through the dialectic and case presentations in each class, and further through the research assignment.
5. Apply quantitative techniques in planning and executing their research and managing their businesses.
6. Communicate with a client and managing stakeholder relationship in an ethical and professional way.
7. Manage complexity.
8. Demonstrate interpersonal communication and influencing skills in leading their entrepreneurial team.
9. Critically evaluate the international, cross-cultural, economic, social and legal factors that impact on business success.
10. Anticipate, adapt to and promote changes important to business success.
11. Demonstrate evidence of self-directed learning and for taking responsibility for self-learning in the qualification.
12. Stimulate and manage the creation of new business enterprises both within and existing corporate structure and as start-up enterprises through product and process innovation.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be assessed in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes.

• Demonstrate evidence of self-directed learning and for taking responsibility for self-learning in the program.
• Demonstrate understanding of key concepts, processes, methodologies and frameworks in within each module.
• Apply management and entrepreneurship theories to the practical business problems.
• Synthesise academic or professional literature and effectively communicate research orally and in written form through the dialectic and case presentations in each class, and further through the research assignment.
• Apply quantitative techniques in planning and executing their research.
• Demonstrate understanding of the implications of effective communication with a clients and stakeholder relationship management in an ethical and professional way.
• Demonstrate understanding of ways of managing complexity.
• Demonstrate knowledge of interpersonal communication strategies and skills necessary for influencing and leading their entrepreneurial team.
• Critically evaluate the international, cross-cultural, economic, social and legal factors that impact on business success.
• Demonstrate understanding of tools to anticipate, adapt to and promote change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for stimulating and managing the creation of new business enterprises both within and existing corporate structure and as start-up enterprises through product and process innovation.

Integrated Assessment

All work and assessment are required to preferably start with situations and required decisions in an industrial setting. Such practices enable the qualification 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).