Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice

Purpose

Managers need to engage with real and varied management issues (in relation to national and global business, which forms part of the curriculum) and to devise appropriate solutions that are practiced and fine- tuned in the workplace. The intended practice-orientated programme hence focuses on the interaction between context, theory and practice in the management and organisational domains-managers are expected to use their own work context to apply learning in practice.

The qualification is targeted at middle and senior managers (who are required to effectively manage the interface between the operational and strategic levels of the management pipeline, as mentioned above) to enable them to:

• Develop an understanding of the meaning of organisational viability and sustainable growth within the context of a rapidly globalizing and increasingly complex business environment.
• Develop an appreciation of the managerial capabilities required to establish and maintain the conditions for viability and sustainability within this context.
• Provide learning opportunities to develop the ability to manage future learning and self-development and, in the process, develop a range of the above managerial competencies.

Rationale

Management qualifications are essential in the South African context as management skills are seen as scarce and critical. So often, in our landscape, a manager finds himself or herself promoted or 'fast-tracked' without the relevant training and skills set - this can have dire consequences for both the manager and his/her team or unit. Many newly-promoted managers hold a professional qualification, yet lack development in the managerial arena. Organisations are seeking to address this important issue and, as a result, are seeking offerings that are modular, yet span many months in duration in order to change behaviours over time, to ensure tangible, sustained results without having the manager out of the office for too long. In addition, organisations are expecting their employees to undergo experiential development - interactive contact sessions incorporating plenary sessions, group work and study, self-study, business simulations, field trips and contextualised learning, interspersed with ample time back in the workplace to translate their management theories into plausible and 'actioned' solutions in their own work context. Group study gives rise to rich learning (due to fluctuating group dynamics) around inter alia, dealing with multiple perspectives, conflict, negotiation and complexity.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners without a Bachelor's Degree, or its equivalent, may be accepted onto the qualification if they can prove, via their management summaries, that they have at least four years' relevant management experience and as a result the relevant competencies and skills with which to manage and succeed on the qualification at NQF Level 8.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entrance requirement is

• Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules: 60 Credits

• Systemic Management Practice, 30 Credits.
• Action Learning Technical Report, 30 Credits.

Elective Modules: 60 Credits (Choose two)

• Managing Value Streams, 30 Credits.
• Innovative Wealth Creation, 30 Credits.
• Applied Marketing, 30 Credits.
• Managing in a State-Owned Enterprise, 30 Credits.
• Professional Sales Management, 30 Credits.
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 30 Credits.
• Marketing Principles, 15 Credits.
• Supply Chain Practice, 15 Credits.
• Leveraging Technology and Information, 15 Credits.
• International Block, 15 Credits.

Total Credits: 120.

1. Practice as managers in complex, ill-defined and unfamiliar territory in a variety of sectors.
2. Learn autonomously and professionally, exercising full personal responsibility and initiative within the organisation.
3. Critically evaluate alternative solutions to management challenges within the organisation.
4. Understand and achieve the requirements of an Action Learning assignment or Technical Report.
5. Make ethical decisions according to relevant ethical practices in the context of corporate governance systems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• An effective strategic plan for a business or business unit is developed.
• Different management disciplines are applied and integrated to achieve solutions outside of the manager's core discipline.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Knowledge of the core functional areas to give effect to executive general management is demonstrated.
• Action is taken and decisions are made in keeping with the values and ethics of the organisation.
• The skills and applied competencies needed to operate across the various business areas (marketing, finance, decision-making and people) are demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• High-level problem solving skills appropriate to a variety of sectors and industry challenges are applied.
• Decision-making skills in keeping with the problem-solving requirements of the contemporary business are applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• A research or technical problem is defined in keeping with the requirements.
• The varied requirements of the project to work independently and as a team member are achieved.
• A variety of solutions to the problem identified in appropriate registers for varying contexts or purposes are produced, presented and defended.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• A keen awareness of the value of ethical decisions for corporate governance in the work context is demonstrated.
• An analysis of the impact of sustainability and governance in a business is produced.
• The ethical parameters and values in the promotion of corporate citizenship are given effect to.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment of knowledge and understanding of content is continuous throughout the programme. Assessment provides a balance between summative and formative approaches, recognising the needs of the learners and the learning outcomes.

Formative assessment is intended to provide opportunities for improvement, through feedback; and summative assessment contributes to the marks across each individual course and determines a pass or a fail for that particular course.

To attain the qualification Learners must achieve a mark of at least 50% (or more) in each module.