People always ask what I’m studying here in Dublin. And to be fare, it sounds a bit fuzzy. But I will try to explain.
It is a broad programme, that prepare us to the tasks of a manager. And what does that mean? Well, the Master will provide us with the knowledge of the diversity of a business. How it can/could/should operate, how the different departments correlate with each other, how it could gain competitive advantages through different strategies etc. Simple put, it shows the different aspects a manager should take in consideration.
The autumn, Semester One was mainly focused on business strategies, such as: Marketing Analytics, Financial Analytics, Strategic Management and Innovation and Change Management. What is the core business; what market should it operate within; what are the internal and external factors that might effect the business; how can financial management be beneficial. And so on. Quite ‘hard’ facts.
Semester Two is, since a week ago, up and running; what I thought was going to be a fairly easy spring will probably be as busy as the last. This semester’s courses are: Human Capital Management and Development; Information Systems and Project Management; Business Simulation (individually focused on development) and Action Learning and Research.
These courses seems to revolve around ‘softer’ aspects of a manager, such as communication, leadership etc. I am really looking forward to them!
As from now on and eight months forward, there wont be any reading of other then journals and reports revolving management. Glad I got to read at least two fictional during the holidays.
And in addition, we are soon starting with the dissertation (equivalent to Sweden’s “D-uppsats”). We will have approximately 3 months to write a dissertation of 20 000 words; which have to include a minimum of 60-80 references, of which 80 % have to be journals and reports; a qualitative or quantitative research conducted by our self. And finally, no one can in the past have written a paper about the same topic. It is due the 18th of August, so therefore, I can forget about a summer vacation. (Fortunately, I’m planing a road trip in Sweden with Fiona, as soon as the dissertation is handed in. But I’ll tell you more about that later!).
I have an idea of writing about the Change Management in an industry with high innovational speed, and where the market (and competition) is growing. I want to examine what happens when a company move from being a small, flexible company to a large, structural. What is the behavior of the managers and employees; what is required etc. And as you see, it is still very broad and most likely, someone has already written about this. So, my initial challenge will be to narrow it down.
That’s it Folks, any questions?
At 3,30 am, I was tucked in with 6 blankets and two water bottles.On Saturday we went out to Kinsale, and had a great walk to an old fort. Yet again they could tell about ages when the English, Spanish and Americans fought for Ireland. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, so I don’t have any photos from that.
Tharanga 
