Master of Business Administration

This course provides an in-depth study of concepts relating to leadership and people management within organizations. The work integrates theory, research and applications, with an emphasis on context- driven learning. Students apply principles of leadership and people management to their own occupational situations and will investigate topical case studies. The material is delivered from the perspective of people-management practice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and internationally.

The course deals with managerial and financial accounting techniques and practices. The course examines the impact of cost and cost allocation on business performance analysis, using a variety of costing schemes. It presents accounting as an information system construct, and looks at methods for recording, presenting and analyzing accounting information. The course also looks at budgeting, ratio analysis and other fiscal management measures. The course discusses the impact, on Management and Financial Accounting, of contemporary management philosophies and techniques including JIT practices, quality assurance and performance measurement.

The course deals with the formulation, implementation and evaluation of strategies designed to give organizations a competitive edge. Corporate, business and operational - level strategy types are treated, and the use of various strategy analysis frameworks and models are discussed. Additional emphasis is placed on strategy formulation in the context of business practice in the UAE/GCC.

The course looks in-depth at techniques for crafting effective marketing strategies, for a variety of market environments. Customer-focused marketing strategy design, implementation and management are discussed using contemporary frameworks within a market-driven setting. The course emphasizes managerial aspects of marketing, including integrating specific elements of the marketing process. The course additionally places stress on case analysis, within the UAE/GCC context.

The course studies techniques and practices for analyzing business information systems performance with emphasis on support for business processes. The course gives a strategic and integrated view of the exploitation of information and communication technology, with particular emphasis on e-business for improving business performance and business efficiency. The course discusses IT-driven business strategy, and reviews IT-related factors that are necessary for enhancing the performance of organizations in the current competitive global business environment.

The course looks in-depth at salient aspects of managing in a globalized environment, including consideration of theoretical concepts. It offers a practical treatment of political-economic aspects of international trade. The course discusses foreign direct investment, global monetary systems, and strategy formulation for international business practice. The course additionally places stress on international business case analysis, within the UAE/GCC context.

This course provides the necessary underpinning support for the MBA dissertation and general business domain research. It allows candidates to make informed decisions and appropriate choices pertaining to research methodology. A range of business research tools, approaches and analytical techniques are discussed, and guidance is given on optimal structuring of business research documents and MBA dissertations.