Executive MBA

• David Carew

“Organisational Behaviour: Personal and People Management” is one of the key themes of the Cranfield Transformation MBA .

This module will explore current conceptions of Organisational Behaviour; awareness of self and others, responses and the development of insight as a requirement for further development, and action to enhance personal effectiveness.

The module contributes to the development of the necessary capabilities for effective personal and professional people management with self-awareness highlighted as a critical initial prerequisite.  This module therefore aims to develop an awareness of self and others – and one way of examining this is in relation to individual and team contexts.  These provide a microcosm of subsequent work. Individual development includes personal aspects such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, ability to motivate others, maturity, integrity, and personal impact.

This module is founded on well developed areas that ultimately contribute to the overall leadership agenda including human resources, personality, learning styles, individual differences, diversity, motivation, decision making, power and influence, politics, and interpersonal and group dynamics all essential elements to be effective in senior management and board roles. The module is explicitly not atheoretical; it introduces various sound organizational and behavioural concepts, theories, models and empirical data going back many years, and currently being developed.

This module will inter alia contain important elements of professional development such as stress and wellbeing, teamwork, decision making, open mindedness, synthesis and analysis, and, critically in senior managers and leaders, point to the tolerance of ambiguity and complexity in organisations.

This initial module will provide the foundation of awareness on which several other modules will build.
 
• Introduction to self-awareness as a key foundation and contributor to the formation of manager and leader identity and effectiveness.
• Practical and theoretical input on a variety of Individual Differences and their impact; including Learning; Personality; constructs; resilience, unconscious  processes, touching on evolutionary and neurological perspectives.
• Giving and receiving feedback and practical implications for performance for example in the next steps in the learning process.
• Theoretical and practical aspects of a manager and leader’s role both in self-motivation and motivating a team.
• Emotional intelligence development through awareness of self and others.
• Practical aspects of self in relation to social context; team behaviour and team dynamics; leading and collaborating in real time with others, for example through leading learning teams effectively to gain personal insights to their own   behaviours in real time and enacting change through feedback.
• Organizational politics and personal influence with integrity.
• Coverage of key HR concepts and applications including an introduction to Strategic People Management; Managing People in the Changing World of Work; Acquiring and Developing Talent and Managing, Rewarding and Recognising Performance.
• Synthesis across a variety of models, theories and ideas through assessment
• This module considers the implications of AI and other emerging technologies within its subject area, including their impact on professional practice and decision-making to support student learning, for example, considering the role of AI in recruitment and selection processes.

• Critically appraise, apply and evaluate a range of relevant models, theories ideas and frameworks, including both OB and psychological approaches, related to their own development and management of others.
• Evaluate key aspects of team membership which impact effective group working, including strengths and weaknesses.
• Contrast organisational rhetoric with the reality of structures and processes within organizations.
• Develop an initial understanding of organisational, group and individual levels of analysis to identify key issues and themes with a specific focus on HR, people management, recruitment, reward and talent management.
• Conceptualise and influence complex organisational contexts by considering the key role of ‘the human factor’. This may include ‘sustainability’ as applied to the people dimension of the organization (for example in considering stress and wellbeing).

• Professor Andrew Angus

What is it that business students need to learn from a course in economics? Few if any intend to become professional economists, instead the vast majority seek a career in management and here at Cranfield many MBA students are focused on senior management positions. Yet, to operate as a successful manager requires an economic way of thinking, in particular a clear understanding of efficiency and the working of markets. The more senior a manager the more important are two overriding concerns if they are to perform well: the ability to successfully formulate and implement strategy; and the skills to coordinate and motivate those they manage. Organisational behaviour, personal development and strategy are backbone subjects of a good MBA programme but these three subjects, indeed practically all subjects you will study on the programme, draw to a greater or lesser extent on microeconomic theories in order to gain insights into how people are motivated and markets work.  Thus, the role of economics as part of an MBA Programme is to provide the depth and rigor necessary to properly understand and analyse real world business situations.

Part I: The Basics. 
• This serves as an introduction to the core microeconomic concepts of demand, revenue, costs and profits.  


Part II: The Firm and the Creation of Value.  
• This section turns the focus on the firm itself, its role in dealing with uncertainty and the contribution its internal structure makes to strategic opportunities and competitive advantage.  
• Alternative explanations of firms are explored as well as the issues that determine vertical (supply chain) relationships and horizontal boundaries.  
• The sessions also explore the ways in which owners seek to ensure their interests are paramount, the ways in which internal control and reward systems deliver efficiency and the ways in which the focus on economic sustainability has increasingly had to take account of the demands for social and environmental sustainability.  
• The purpose is to integrate organisational and economic theory in order to explain why the rate at which firms grow and profitability vary.
 
Part III: Capturing Value from the Market.  
• This examines the strategic behaviour of firms which to a significant extent is influenced by alternative market structures. 
• Market structures and market power are related concepts and this section of the module largely focuses on oligopolistic markets and the behaviours such firms engage in to achieve competitive advantage.
• Throughout the module traditional microeconomic models are combined with game theory and reality is further enhanced by an emphasis on uncertainty and the role of governments.  
• In keeping with the School’s policy to embed corporate social responsibility in the curriculum, the economic perspective on sustainability and associated micro policy is also discussed.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Appraise how the behaviour and performance of economic organisations are influenced by their external and internal environments;
• Evaluate the key economic theories and relevant research regarding the nature and distinctiveness of individual organisations;
• Critically assess and comment coherently on economic explanations of the management of organisations and their competitive behaviour;
• Demonstrate practical skills in using economic models to measure and analyse the economic performance of organisations and individuals;
• Assess the contribution economics makes to showing business how to create sustainable economic, social and environmental value.

• Professor Vasilis Theoharakis

This module presents a strategic perspective of marketing, whereby understanding of the needs and wants of customers is used to guide and direct the organisation. It focuses on the input of the marketing perspective across all functions hence prepares students for general management responsibilities. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed.

The content demonstrates how the organisation adapts to continually create and deliver value to customers and shareholders. The primary means of operationalising this is Cranfield’s Strategic Marketing framework: a roadmap, and set of theories / frameworks that students learn and integrate into a broader perspective. These roughly divide into the following topics:
• Market sensing – understanding markets, customers and competitors
• Market design – growth, innovation and value propositions (brands)
• Aligning to customers – strategic customer management, channels
• Engaging with customers – advertising, digital media, sales, measurement

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Evaluate the organisation-wide implications of being a market-oriented and customer-led organisation and its impact on management and business performance.
• Select appropriate marketing theories, tools and frameworks to apply to business opportunities and problems.
• Compose a written strategic marketing plan for a senior management audience.

The module aims to provide knowledge of the key issues in accountancy and finance from the point of view of business leaders needing to make practical decisions in their organisation.

There are three themes of learning which taken together will aim to shed some insight into reporting performance and embracing finance in decision making.

• Interpreting Financial Information: Understanding financial information remains key to understanding business performance. We will look at internal and external measures of success and how to interpret financial results and cash flow position.
• Financial tools and techniques for planning, control and decisions: Financial tools need to be accessible to be effective. We will examine some of the key concepts and tools that can help managers exercise their responsibilities and look at practical applications of these.

The impact of non-financial factors: The role of the CFO and finance departments is evolving and while numbers will always be important broader measures of success and failure need to be considered and reporting. We will look at emerging Governance, CSR and Ethical developments.

Interpreting Financial Information
• Understanding financial position (balance sheet) and financial performance (income statement)
• Interpreting financial position and financial performance (ratio analysis)
• The importance of cash and working capital
• External (the Cash Flow Statement)
• Internal (cash flow forecasts, working capital management, cash ratios)
• Alternative performance measures (non-GAAP KPIs)
 
Financial tools and techniques for panning, control and decisions
• Using budgets for control (setting and managing budgets covered)
• Understanding costs (proposing to share understanding of approaches rather than calculation-based)
• General (eg fixed, variable, direct, indirect)
• CVP
• Overheads
• Transfer Pricing
• Appraising Capital Investment projects
• Assessing available sources of finance


The impact of non-financial factors
• Interpreting non-financial information and KPIs
• Risk management & the financial control environment
• Broader factors affecting decisions
• Financial Regulatory Environment
• Corporate & Social Responsibility and sustainability
• Governance, legal, procurement and ethics

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Interpret financial information from key accounting reports and selected non-GAAP performance measures and consider the broader factors that influence finance decisions.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts through gaining an understanding of the differences between cash and profit and the significance of working capital management
• Identify how budgets are used for control and how to interpret variances
• Examine different types of cost and consider the challenges of allocating central costs and internal pricing
• Select and apply investment appraisal techniques to compare capital investment projects and assess the suitability of different sources of finance available to a business

• Mike Sutliff

Modern leadership operates under conditions of uncertainty and continuous change, and no leader, however senior, can meet these demands alone. The most effective draw capability and contribution from those around them, and coaching is an essential approach through which they do so. Leadership theory establishes the wider context within which a coaching approach operates; ethical leadership surfaces the dilemmas it raises in practice; inclusive leadership creates the conditions in which every voice can contribute; and organisational culture determines whether the approach becomes embedded and delivers results. More specifically, this module offers students the opportunity to develop their leadership capacity through the use of leadership and coaching practices. The module equips future leaders with strategies to foster growth, address challenges, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement.

The coaching sessions will offer students the opportunity to apply coaching in a range of leadership settings, understand the concept of performance coaching, and dig deeper into key coaching practices with sessions covering the following topics. The first session will make connections between coaching and leadership styles and will introduce the learner to the concept of coaching. In foundations of coaching and reflective practice, participants engage in practical scenarios, honing their ability to provide effective feedback, facilitate development conversations, and inspire teams toward excellence. The coaching sessions concludes with a discussion on coaching ethics, ensuring that leaders uphold integrity, respect, and fairness in their management and coaching relationships. Students will have the opportunity to practice these key skills in live coaching sessions.

Through a blend of theory, practical application, and ethical considerations, this module equips leaders with the tools and mindset needed to thrive in today's dynamic business environment.

Module content will include the following:
• Leadership theories
• Leader-as-Coach
• Foundations of coaching and reflective practice
• Coaching for performance
• Coaching for change
• Ethical leadership and coaching ethics
• Inclusive leadership
• Guest lecture
• Organisational culture and coaching

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Evaluate a coaching approach in relation to other leadership and people management approaches, and judge where it is most appropriately applied in contemporary organisations.
• Critically evaluate different leadership and people management practices, in theory and in application, to generate a personally meaningful perspective on leadership and coaching.
• Apply coaching practices thoughtfully within a leadership setting, adapting them to the context and to the people involved, and with due regard to ethical and inclusive practice.

• Dr Mikko Arevuo

Strategic Management is concerned with the future direction of the organisation; determining its scope, establishing objectives and formulating strategies to achieve them. In order to do this, leaders must understand the needs and priorities of the organisation’s stakeholders, anticipate and react to changes in the organisation's environment and harness and develop the organisation’s internal resources and capabilities.  The overriding aim of this module is to build students confidence in undertaking these activities, so that as leaders they can form and communicate a credible and believable view of their organisation’s future direction and scope..  

 The module will cover:

• Levels of strategy, five key questions, corporate value logics
• How to gain and sustain competitive advantage 
• Managing strategic assets
• Analysing the competitive environment
• Identifying required capabilities and enabling structures, systems and culture
• Managing strategic change 
• The strategy process 

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Describe and appraise the key issues, theories and concepts involved in formulating both competitive and corporate strategies and discriminate between corporate, business unit and functional strategies.
• Analyse strategic positioning strategies of firms and evaluate them against the necessary competencies and resources of the organisation
• Critically evaluate strategic challenges facing organisations and
• evaluate factors and variables that potentially impact strategic decision making.
• Select, justify and apply strategic management concepts and techniques
• Think strategically and confidently in making and defending strategic decisions

• Dr Abdelkader Aoufi

To develop a theoretical and practical skill base of Strategic Operations Management including its key concepts, as well as supply chain management and the main tools and techniques used by a variety of organisations in different sectors of activity.

The module covers:

• The strategic role and contribution of operations
• The process and content of operations strategy and supply chain management
• Supply Chain Management : The role, purpose and management aspects of the key supply chain functions, oversee procurement and contracts
• Critically appraise the importance of integration and alignment in the end to end supply chain in achieving business success
• Quality management and Improvement
• Managing the process experience with tools and techniques of process improvement (online)

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Describe and evaluate the strategic role of operations and their supply chains in creating value for organisations;
• Explain different approaches and techniques in operations and supply chain management and describe the appropriate environments in which each approach might be applied;
• Select, apply and evaluate the use of operations management principles and techniques to improve the management of operations and supply chain;
• Design and manage the implementation of an operations strategy for any organisation;
• Identify key issues in the management of change in operations and plan for the critical transitions of both processes and people.

The main aim of this module is to help tomorrow’s business leaders develop a deeper understanding of the impact of developments in the wider macroeconomic environment – at the national and international levels – on strategic planning and management.
 
A deep and critical understanding of the macroeconomy is essential to the formulation of effective corporate strategies particularly in the context of a rapidly changing and challenging global economic and business environment.
 
Business decisions are not taken in a vacuum. Arguably one of the most important influences on corporate leaders at the highest levels is their assessment of the external economic and business environment. Successful business leaders understand how key macroeconomic variables, such as economic growth, earnings, unemployment and inflation, are likely to impact on the markets their businesses serve. The traditional view is that the external environment is largely driven by domestic government fiscal and monetary policies. But increasingly it is external influences at the international level such as global trade and international capital flows that drive the world economy and force reactive policies from nation state governments – with direct and indirect consequences for strategic decisions by leadership in both the private and public sectors. 
 
The module places particular emphasis some of the latest developments and perspectives at the macroeconomy level that now dominate policies and business in an international context – including topics such as: the recent global financial crisis and the importance of global competition; international trade relationships; currency movements and business cycles. This module will provide an opportunity to discuss the causes and consequences of macroeconomic developments and policies, nationally and internationally, in order to deepen understanding of the consequences for governments, society and the corporate world. 

The module is based on a number of core models and empirical research.

Throughout, the emphasis is on the “real world” – theory is included only as an aid to developing a deeper understanding of the practical problems and policy challenges in the context of strategy formulation and analysis of the forces driving change in the external business and economic environment.

The first set of sessions serves as a foundation, explaining:  how economic activity is measured and interpreted; the main macroeconomic flows;  what determines the level and changes in national income as well as the meaning of inflationary and deflationary gaps.   The next group of sessions focuses on management of the domestic economy including fiscal policy, monetary policy, economic growth and supply-side policies.   International aspects of the macroeconomy are then examined in detail covering:  the balance of payments account, trade policy, exchange-rate regimes and the various exchange-rate policy choices available to countries.    The final session brings together the core concepts and explains the causes of business cycles.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Critique the importance and implications of national and international macroeconomic trends and forecasts as a basis for strategic decision making by business leaders.
• Describe the drivers of economic activity at the national and international macroeconomic levels and the implications for economic growth.
• Evaluate the goals (and conflicts) of macroeconomic management including sustainability of growth, low and stable inflation, a stable currency coupled with a “sustainable” international trade position and full employment
• Critique the policy tools used by governments and central banks in their efforts to manage the economy including: fiscal policy, monetary policy, supply-side policies, trade and exchange rate policies.
• Demonstrate practical skills and confidence in preparing an economic situational report for a country as an essential input into the strategic planning process by business leaders.

• Professor Miying Yang

We are all becoming painfully aware of the urgency of taking action on climate change, biodiversity loss, hyper-social inequality and the other myriad social and environmental challenges we face today. We know that only the businesses that respond decisively to them will survive. This module will equip business leaders with the awareness and capabilities they require to steer their businesses towards contributing to positive change whilst reducing costs, managing risk, increasing trust and driving long term sustainable growth.

The module covers:

• Online pre-work
• Assessment of the current state of sustainability in students’ own organization
• Videos introducing key concepts and theories
• Reflection and quizzes
• Sustainability challenges and opportunities
• Business’s role in addressing these
• Drivers for action / stakeholder pressures
• Business purpose
• Strategy and planning
• Exploring sustainable futures
• Sustainable innovation
• Circular economy
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Leadership
• Sustainability performance
• Looking to the future

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

1. Identify global social environmental and economic issues and relate how these present both challenges and opportunities to business
2. Analyse business responses to these challenges and opportunities and assess the capabilities they require to respond effectively
3. Classify the stakeholder groups businesses can work with to develop and implement their sustainability strategies and compare collaboration approaches
4. Consider the role of personal leadership in an organization’s values, strategic direction and ability to execute its sustainability strategy
5. Critically assess the content and reporting of a businesses’ sustainability strategy; recommend improvements and identify barriers to change and approaches to overcoming these

• Professor Javier Marcos Cuevas

Negotiation skills are needed in many management roles such as sales, account management and purchasing when negotiating price; human resources when negotiating labour terms with trade unions, corporate finance the details of mergers & acquisitions; production and supply chain dealing production quotas and transfer prices, etc.

The module addresses different types of negotiation in various contexts. The emphasis is on integrative approaches to negotiation, where parties aim to reach mutually satisfactory agreements.  This often depends on the negotiator’s ability to identify and to create sources of mutual value, and to establish fair standards to distribute value.

The module features an approach to negotiation that blends strong analytical and planning techniques (‘hard’) with interpersonal and individual skills (‘soft’).  The module is multidisciplinary and will draw from Strategy, OB, Marketing & Sales domains.

The module covers:

Distributive negotiation
 
Defining and Scoping Negotiation
Types of negotiation
Fundamentals of negotiation: Reservation Point (RP), Target Point and Opening position and key phases in negotiation
Planning and preparation for better negotiation outcomes: power analysis, definition of outcomes, variables, BATNA, standards and compatible issues.
Bargaining tactics

Integrative Negotiation - Harnessing the potential of win-win negotiations

Communication and listening skills in negotiation
Integrative negotiation strategies (Getting to Yes)
Behaviours of successful negotiators
Psychology and negotiation

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Define influencing and negotiation strategies with both external as well as internal stakeholders
• Critically evaluate the achievement of outcomes and why/why not these were achieved.
• Select and adopt tactics to build and manage relationships with others understanding the parties’ interests.
• Reflect the extent to which one’s own values, emotional and cognitive underpinnings affect the approach taken to negotiation.
• Develop the ability to find creative solutions in commercial negotiations.
• Demonstrate self-control under pressure and question how states of mind such as level of self-confidence, focus and motivation affect the negotiation process.

• Dr Oksana Koryak

This module is designed to enable you to lead AI-enabled transformation at strategic and organisational levels. As AI – including generative and agentic artificial intelligence as well as other emerging technologies – increasingly reshapes competitive dynamics, value creation, and decision-making, the challenge for organisations is not simply to adopt new technologies but to rethink how they create value, how work is organised, and how risks are governed.

The module, therefore, focuses on developing an integrated perspective that combines long-term scenario thinking with practical organisational and business model redesign, alongside robust approaches to governance, risk, and ethics.

The rationale is to prepare leaders who can navigate uncertainty, make informed strategic trade-offs, and exercise effective stewardship in guiding their organisations through the complexities of AI-driven change to capture opportunities that arise from new technologies and changes in operating and business models.

• AI as a strategic leadership challenge, where AI creates and destroys competitive value and what that demands of executive judgement.
• Strategic foresight and AI futures, covering how leaders make consequential decisions when the landscape is genuinely uncertain.
• AI literacy for Executives, addressing what senior leaders need to understand about AI capabilities and limits to govern effectively and avoid misplaced delegation.
• Governance, ethics and accountability, examining who is accountable when AI decisions go wrong and how that is designed before deployment rather than attributed after failure.
• AI operating models and organisational design, focusing on how to structure ownership, capability and governance so that AI can be deployed responsibly at scale.
• AI investment and portfolio decisions, developing how to distinguish efficiency investments from value creation investments and evaluate competing initiatives.
• Business models and AI value creation, exploring when AI reinforces an existing business model, when it reshapes it, and what each pathway demands of leadership.
• AI across functions and executive oversight, addressing how leaders align competing functional perspectives and close governance gaps at organisational boundaries.
• Executive decision-making for transformation, examining the risks and opportunities of AI, why most AI initiatives fail to scale and what leaders must do differently from the outset.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Strategic Evaluation - Critically evaluate the strategic implications of AI for organisations and assess how AI may influence competitive positioning, value creation and business model development.
• Organisational Design and Transformation - Analyse, justify and propose organisational structures, operating models and capability development approaches required to implement AI-enabled transformation.
• Governance and Responsible Leadership - Critically assess governance, ethical and accountability challenges associated with AI adoption and propose appropriate leadership responses.
• Executive Decision - Making Under Uncertainty - Integrate strategic, operational and risk perspectives to design informed executive decisions regarding AI investment, prioritisation and scaling.
• Applied Strategic Leadership - Envisage, formulate and communicate an evidence-based leadership approach for AI-enabled business transformation in a complex organisational context.

• Professor Catarina Figueira

In the current competitive environment, it is vital that managers are able to understand the relationships between different business variables in order to appreciate the risks associated with their actions. It is also important that they are able to forecast business trends and to optimise their business strategies, given the level of uncertainty and time constraints they continuously face.

This course aims to provide you with the ability to critically examine existing literature which can underpin the decision-making process and also to provide students with the skills to collect, process, analyse and present relevant data that will support their decisions. In addition, the module will also provide a platform which will help students engage with internal or external “clients”, undertake a consulting project and, consequently, be able to make coherent and compelling recommendations to senior managers.

The principles of management research:
• Strategies
• Research designs
• Planning a management project and formulating management questions
• Using literature to inform the research processes


The nature of quantitative analysis:
• Sampling
• Structured interviews and questionnaires
• Statistical analysis of data and probability theory
• Correlation and regression analysis
• Cluster analysis
• The nature of qualitative analysis:
• Ethnography and participant observation
• Semi-structured interviews and focus groups
• Mixed methods project: breaking down the quantitative/qualitative divide


The analysis of business processes in the context of:
• Business analysis tools which enable the identification of specific opportunities aligned to strategic goals
• Consulting skills as pivotal in the success of a consulting project:
• Principles of building strong relationships with clients
• Key components on how to give advice
• Attitude(s) of an effective consultant
• Framing the issue(s)
• Envisioning an alternate reality
• Key stages in writing up a management project and presenting recommendations

• Select and make use of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques for the analysis of business issues.
• Use frameworks and analytical tools to structure analysis and recommendations which are supported by data in a consultancy engagement.
• Locate, interpret and critically appraise and use research evidence.
• Build effective internal and external “client” relationships.
• Present key findings from a consulting project effectively to senior managers; ensuring that substantive recommendations are developed as a result of competent data collection and analysis.

• Dr Lakshmy Subramanian

The module aims to develop participants' ability to contribute effectively and independently at board level by integrating governance knowledge, strategic judgement, financial awareness, risk oversight, ethical leadership and effective boardroom behaviours.

Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) play a critical role in the governance, strategic direction and long-term sustainability of organisations. They are expected to provide independent judgement, constructively challenge executive management, oversee organisational performance and risk, and contribute to effective board decision-making.  However, the role of the NED is generally one of influence and oversight – a role of influence without power is one description

This module develops the knowledge, judgement and practical capabilities required to operate effectively as a Non-Executive Director or board-level adviser. It is designed for MBA participants seeking to develop board readiness, as well as executives, entrepreneurs and senior professionals who interact with boards.

The module combines corporate governance theory with practical boardroom application. Particular attention is given to the distinction between governance and management, director responsibilities, strategic oversight, financial stewardship, risk, organisational culture, stakeholder accountability, ethical decision-making and board effectiveness.

• The Role of the Non-Executive Director
• Corporate Governance and Director Responsibilities
• Strategy and the Board
• Finance for Non-Executive Directors
• Risk, Control and Assurance
• Board Effectiveness and Dynamics
• Leadership, Succession, Culture and Ethics
• Stakeholders, Sustainability and Responsible Governance
• Board Committees
• Becoming an Effective NED

• Critically evaluate corporate governance frameworks, director duties and the role, responsibilities and potential liabilities of Non-Executive Directors, distinguishing these from executive management responsibilities.
• Evaluate organisational strategy and performance from a board-level perspective, using independent judgement and constructive challenge to support long-term value creation.
• Critically assess organisational risk, internal controls and assurance arrangements, including emerging and systemic risks.
• Evaluate board composition (including skills, experience and diversity), culture, dynamics and effectiveness, and demonstrate appropriate boardroom behaviour including questioning, influencing, challenge, support and collective decision-making.
• Exercise ethical and stakeholder-aware judgement in complex board-level situations and critically reflect on personal board readiness and continuing professional development.

• Dr Ioannis Koliousis

The aim of this module is to allow students to:
• Synthesise relevant concepts and methods learned and
• Apply their action learning skills to get an in-depth understanding of a particular topic/industry that provides tangible impact.

Due to the nature of this Module, there is no set syllabus. Instead, the module will involve independent, self-directed learning in learning teams. This process of action learning will be facilitated through a set of agreed workshops.

• Compile and apply relevant concepts and methods learned on the programme to address an identified organisational problem
• Critically appraise complex situations in a business context and describe the challenges involved in designing, researching and delivering a work-based project
• Identify and evaluate the impact of recommended and justified interventions aimed at addressing an organisational problem
• Develop an impact assessment as an integral part of a reflective project report
• Demonstrate an action learning mentality in a business context

• Dr Ioannis Koliousis

This module provides the students with the opportunity to place their learning in the context of a global perspective by visiting a foreign country and within it a number of organisations.  Although there is no set theme – we do not want to be prescriptive as far as our host organisations are concerned – the IBA offers the opportunity to explore issues around diversity, sustainability and corporate responsibility as they affect organisations and society in the host country. The overall aim of the module is to equip participants with an understanding of how their learning is aligned with international businesses and in particular the way different businesses are using the tools and techniques taught on the MBA Programme to cope with specific national issues and more generally the process of globalisation.  The module consists of a number of study tours each led by a member of Faculty who is involved in the MBA Programme and knowledgeable of the country and its business culture.

The module enables students to:

• visit a range of businesses and senior executives in their home base.
• gain a balanced insight into business governance and social life in another country; as well as engaging with alumni and their post-Cranfield business experience in different parts of the globe.

For some students the IBA will consist of hosted visits.  For students who seek a more hands-on experience, there is the option of Group Projects - undertaken by small project teams (3 or 4 people to a team) – in emerging economies.

The IBA module is intended to reinforce the MBA Programme’s core values, including a commitment to personal development, inter-disciplinary learning and diversity.  A secondary aim is to encourage students to share the knowledge gained as part of their own personal and professional development.

• The students choose from a list of countries drawn up by the School of Management e.g. China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Uruguay, Malawi etc. 
• The visits generally start with a day at a partner business school or similar where they receive a number of lectures on issues such as the state of the economy, employment practices and business culture.
• For students undertaking company visits, the rest of the week is devoted to hosted visits to commercial and public sector organisations, during the days and a number of additional events such as meetings with journalists, politicians and alumni during the evenings. For those on field trips, the rest of the week is spent undertaking a small project with a host company.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Examine and develop a balanced but critical view of the key political, social (cultural) and economic drivers of a country.
• Assess a country’s industrial structure, workforce skills and government policies and how its businesses are responding to domestic circumstances and the process of globalization.
• Test and debate how the learning gained on the MBA programme can be applied to organisational issues in a foreign country and alternative business cultures.
• Relate, and be sensitive to, the differences between business practices, diversity and attitudes across cultures.
• Manage and refine behaviours in response to the international working environment in which the individual may be operating.

• Professor Neil Turner

This is an introduction to the subject. However, it is our contention that projects are the building blocks of strategy. Also, the module provides a logical and simple process by which you may approach their own modules and objectives, and may well be a valuable source of confidence for taking on major elective projects later in the year. 

Project Management Introduction (PMI) demonstrates how management respects no boundaries (either in terms of functional silos – departments, etc. or theoretical disciplines). PMI provides additional opportunities to practice personal communication skills, and generally the module provides a basis for personal development and increased confidence and self-awareness.

The central aims of this module are to develop an introductory understanding of:

• To be confirmed

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Analysis: You will have worked on your own and in a team to dissect the information provided and then define, scope and schedule a project
• Synthesis: Based on your analysis you will create/formulate a project management plan to execute the project through the simulation with your team
• Evaluation: As a result of this module, you will improve your abilities at team building, identifying a project, evaluating the most appropriate approach for your team, monitoring and tracking your performance, and finally, bring the project to completion.
• Evaluation: Evaluate and assess your team’s performance, describe issues that contributed to the outcome you achieved and interpret your outcome.
• Overall: Through these activities you should feel more aware of what is involved in a project from start to finish and be better able to judge what is important and what is not to your project outputs. Project management has very little clear information and our aim is to help you develop confidence in the level of your competence to make important project related decisions correctly most of the time.

• Dr Oksana Koryak

The aim of the module is to promote productive and self-sustaining entrepreneurship. It provides students with a rigorous grounding in business analysis to learn how an idea can be transformed into a business opportunity. This may be in the context of a new venture or as a project within an organisation, driven either top down or as an intrapreneurial venture. Students will be prepared for the risky, uncertain, and challenging environment for new business ventures and internal innovations.

• Entrepreneurial Process
• Idea Generation and Opportunity Recognition
• Industry and Market Analysis
• Strategy and Business Model Analysis
• Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurial Team
• Resourcing and Finance: preparing financial projections and funding the venture
• Intellectual Property Protection
• Business Planning
• Pitching

• Identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities
• Explain how to plan, manage and resource (early stage) entrepreneurial businesses
• Articulate the importance of business models and be able to develop an appropriate business model for an entrepreneurial venture
• Assess the financial needs of the venture in preparation for fundraising
• Evaluate, research, write and present business plans/feasibility studies utilising key relevant frameworks and concepts

• Professor Andrey Pavlov

Strategizing – to devise a strategy - is a key task for any organisational leader. In the core strategic management module the fundamentals of both competitive and corporate strategy were introduced, together with a set of well-established generic concepts and techniques available to assist the leader in the development of a credible and believable strategy. However, these traditional strategy approaches can reach the limits of their applicability in a number of specific, but increasingly encountered, environments, where they may need to be complemented with approaches tailored to the context. For example, how should strategy be devised in highly dynamic environments where strategic assets face almost immediate redundancy; or in market sectors where business model innovations make incremental improvements in customer value of little relevance?

In this module we explore approaches to strategizing a number of such challenging contexts, which are increasingly encountered by today’s leaders, and which are the subject of contemporary Cranfield research.  In addition, we end the module with a more general and reflective look at the role of “strategy” itself. In a world of complexity, what are the limits to “strategy” and how much choice and control do we as executives really have over its formulation and its ultimate influence?

The module will be delivered in blocks, each block devoted to strategy development in a specific context.  The exact contexts examined and example case-studies may vary slightly from year to year dependant on topical, relevance and faculty expertise, but the following are indicative:
 
Strategizing in dynamic environments
• What dimensions make environments dynamic?
• What are the implications for strategy development?
• Lessons from Formula 1
Strategizing in financial crisis
• How do firms make sustained recoveries following a period of sharp decline?
• Lessons available from the business turnaround literature
Strategizing in not-for-profit contexts
• Strategic challenges of NFP contexts
• Rethinking Perceived Use Value in NFP contexts
• Realities of strategizing in NFP contexts
Strategizing in digital contexts
• How digitization transforms industries.
• Managing the strategic challenges and rethinking strategy in the face of digital disruption.
• Strategizing in contexts characterised by business model innovation.
• What is business model innovation?
• Building an innovative business model
• Responding to business model innovation
• How can synergies within an SBU be maximised?
Strategizing and Complexity
• In a complex world, what are the limits to “strategy”?
• How much influence do executives really have over strategy?
• To what extent do your previous strategic choices determine the future options available to you?

• Professor Yacine Belghitar

This module extends the learning from the core course, to cover the basics of financial strategy for corporates, in terms of their financing structures and needs.

An understanding of finance is necessary in making most business decisions.  This module is primarily designed to equip an MBA who goes on to become a general manager with knowledge about finance and financial markets in order to help the business meet its objectives.

• Introduction to financial strategy
• Capital structure and financial choices
• Advanced investment appraisal including real options
• Corporate lifecycle and financial strategies
• Financial strategies in mergers and acquisition and restructuring

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate a corporate and business strategy from a financial perspective.
• Analyse capital structure of a business and appraise how financial choices can enhance business strategy and add value
• Apply and evaluate different financial strategies across corporate lifecycle.
• Assess financial strategies and value creation via acquisitions and business restructuring.