IBR Global MBA Testimonials
The process of creating value through work-integrated learning is extraordinary. It shifts the primary learning experience from the confines of academic institutions to the actual workplaces of our students. This transformation leads to an unparalleled sense of purpose, as it transitions skills training from theoretical teaching to the invaluable experience gained on the job.
Additionally, work-integration redirects the traditional focus of study from analysis to practical implementation. It is the act of implementation that has the power to bring about real change in the world. This new approach enables students to realize their potential in effecting positive changes within their work environments.
We invite you to explore the remarkable feedback from some of our students who have been willing to openly share their experiences of creating genuine value in their workplaces.
Charles Stols, Engineering Manager at MegChem, Cape Town, South African Republic
07.2019 |
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This is what I experienced in writing this assignment: also, we as engineers can follow a systematic approach to better communicate with the market. Further, I discovered how many real opportunities are waiting for us in the larger market. It also helped me to think wider, which is eye-opening. |
| Marketing Decisions and Managing Activities |
Alan Krohne, Manager: Retail Infrastructure and Development at Mobile Telecommunications Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
07.2019 |
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The strategic management residential period and finalizing this assignment coincided with our company’s yearly budget preparation for the new financial year. Budget preparation and presentations will be complemented with attending of a strategic management workshop for middle management (of which I’m part off) and the executive committee. This assignment comes at the right time and equips me to be prepared for our discussions on strategy. |
| Strategic Management |
Vincent Bosha, Sales Executive at Rainbow Tourism Group, Harare, Zimbabwe
07.2019 |
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This assignment has created value for me by changing my perception and allowing me to view my organization in a global light. It has allowed me to see how different events that happen across the world can have a direct impact on our day to day operations. I have learnt that there is no blanket approach to conducting operations in more than one physical location, the organization needs to account for cultural differences when coming up with strategies for each market. |
| The Nature of International Business |
Kelvin Mukuku, Metallurgical Manager at Eastplats, Brits, South African Republic
07.2019 |
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This assignment proved to be quite helpful for myself as it gave me a new perspective of analysing a problem. When our sales were lower, we concentrated mainly on reducing unit costs of production in order to offset poor sales. We never conducted a marketing research in order to determine why our sales dwindled. As result we missed out on a chance to properly understand the problem …. The outcome of this assignment will benefit my company in solving problems and actually using this as a predictive tool for opportunities and threats we might meet now and in the future. |
| Marketing Research |
Lerato Mphelo, Strategic Programme Manager at Absa Group, Johannesburg, South African Republic
07.2019 |
| The biggest value add for me is simply by virtue that while at my workplace I am in contact Lean and Six Sigma engineers on a daily basis, I have never been exposed to it as content. This course made me have an even deeper understanding of Six Sigma and Lean and enabled me to even see the opportunity and possibility of applying it not only at my workplace but also in my private business. |
| Operations Processes |
Takunda Togarepi, Zimbabwe
07.2019 |
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In conducting this assignment, I managed to realise how deficient the mission statement for our company was. The existing mission did not include any strengths, needs and beliefs in the current context, let alone to address the future needs of the customer and technology applicable to address the needs. This exercise managed to develop an excellent path for the development of a proper business mission statement which then assisted in formulating strategies to improve the future profit potential of the company into the future. The mission statement will be an important tool against which all. Future decisions will be made. The developed strategies will be aimed at developing strengths, which are necessary to meet the future customer needs. Implementing such strategies will enable the company to be competitive and position itself well in the future profit context. |
| Strategic Management |
Nataliya Kot, Project Manager at Luxoft, Kiev, Ukraine
06.2019 |
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This assignment helped me to take a fresh look at existing performance appraisal process in our company. From one side we already have established process, but from other side we have got issues with implementation on the ground. It was great opportunity for me to identify, understand our shortcomings and think about ways for improving existing processes. People are our main value. Performance appraisal should help us developing and motivating them. Having finished this course, performance appraisal for me won’t be only a formal procedure but a way to develop the capacity of people to meet and exceed expectations and to achieve their full potential to the benefit of themselves and the organization. |
| Appraisal and Performance of HR |
Chido Boka, Managing Director at Boka Floors Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
06.2019 |
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This assignment was a real eye opener for me. As a leader in my organisation, I have been focusing our strategy on what our competitors are doing and what we can do to increase revenues. I now realise that the most important thing in business is meeting the needs of our customers. The harmony between our strengths and beliefs and the needs of our customers will result in success in business. Our strategy sessions will never be the same again. |
| Strategic Management |
Leon Whyte, CSO/Co-Founder at SMC Ltd, Maidenhead, United Kingdom
06.2019 |
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This assignment was very challenging and yet inspiring for me as it touched on some personal issues and forced me to analyse my failures and set recommendations for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed working through this assignment, I have often reflected on my mistakes from the past however, the beauty of this assignment allowed me to put a theorical framework behind these failings in order to provide me with some greater clarity. |
| Principles of Effective Management |
Charles Stols, Engineering Manager at MegChem, Cape Town, South African Republic
06.2019 |
| The value of this assignment was immense for me. As engineers we have no clue about marketing. For me the course outcome was eye-opening as I was led to discover how my suggestions with regards to smaller changes and thinking changed my company’s approach to marketing. |
| Strategic Marketing |
Vengai Madamombe, Support Systems Operations Manager at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
06.2019 |
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There was a lot of learning points coming out of this assignment as l have realised the value that invoice analysis and business intelligence tools can bring to the organization as they accurately describe and interpret financial information for a mobile operator business. I have learnt on how to discover the limitations associated with traditional financial statements in previous assignments as they lack some additional critical information that can aid important decisions of a business such as capacity utilization and efficiency levels. |
| Advanced Financial Planning |
Prosper Rugube, Process Operations Manager at MINOPEX, Tete, Mozambique
06.2019 |
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It is amazing how IT and digitalization is fast becoming a key component into companies quest in their strategy for survival. The high amount of traffic/viewership makes it an attractive platform for business to showcase their products and service offering. Whilst going through this assignment, I got to research more on web-based marketing, distinguishing between B2C and B2B marketplaces. Through the research, I carried out, I got to know more information on the IT platforms and strategies used by our organization. |
| Innovation and Digital Technology |
Charles Stols, Engineering Manager at MegChem, Cape Town, South African Republic
06.2019 |
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The personal value created in this assignment was the focus placed on the future profit potential. It challenged me to discover possible future threats as the market changes over time. Traditional strategic management talks about this, but the application in the real world is rather theoretical. I appreciated the down-to-earth approach to plan strategically and to also monitor our activities against plans set. |
| Strategic Management |
Kelvin Mukuku, Metallurgical Manager at Eastplats, Brits, South African Republic
06.2019 |
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By comparing our existing mission statement with the one I developed in this assignment, I realised that a mission statement has to mean something. I realised that some of the strength we had identified, were not going to be strengths in the future. I have also learnt that these have to lead my company into achieving potential profitability. My company benefits from this assignment as we now have a clearly defined mission statement and be able to formulate strategies and implement them. |
| Strategic Management |
Sharon Bwanya, Chief Operating Officer at Nurture Invest, Harare, Zimbabwe
06.2019 |
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This assignment has introduced me to a hitherto entirely new concept of continuous performance management with performance agreements. It may seem like an obvious concept to an expert but as a lay person in human resources management, the content of the reading materials was very relatable and I could clearly see where we have been getting it wrong and the steps we need to take to redress the situation. The value created will be for the benefit of our law firm where I cannot wait to introduce this concept to my fellow partners when we meet for our mid-year partnership meeting next week. Other than being of high pragmatic value, this was also a most enjoyable course. |
| Appraisal and Performance of HR |
Leon Whyte, CSO/Co-Founder at SMC Ltd, Maidenhead, United Kingdom
06.2019 |
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This paper was very challenging to me as it was a completely new topic and as a result, I had to undertake a lot of wider reading. With all that being said, to date this has been the most interesting assignment, this assignment challenge my normal thinking process and as I result, I believe that this is the best assignment I have produced due to the fact that I was relying on research as opposed to experience. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment. |
| International Business Law |
Prosper Rugube, Process Operations Manager at MINOPEX, Tete, Mozambique
05.2019 |
| This course was a refreshing exercise for the writer. I got the opportunity and platform to analyze how digitalization affects our current and future profit potential. The most interesting part was going through the analysis using Porter’s five forces model and value chain analysis but looking at digital technology. Indeed, digitalization can make or break businesses in this day and age. |
| Innovation and Digital Technology |
Takunda Togarepi, Zimbabwe
05.2019 |
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Reviewing this assignment, I realise the principles of effective management, whilst some of them not entirely new, were not fully understood in the depth and magnitude as suggested and recommended. Whilst I applied some of the elements in my workplace, particularly in this project, I realised I had not fully applied them, and as a result used good management principles poorly, reducing my efficiency and effectiveness. I would say this also adversely affected the performance and outcome of my work during the period of this project. Thanks to working on this assignment, I was able to find ways how to use good management principles well that will improve my efficiency and effectiveness |
| Principles of Effective Management |
Alan Krohne, Manager: Retail Infrastructure and Development at Mobile Telecommunications Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
05.2019 |
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It was an eye opener how cultural norms can influence business and subsequently doing business successfully in other parts of the world. I was amazed how interlinked our legal and tax systems are. Searching for positives that will make my country attractive to foreign direct investment, I realized how tough the international economic environments are. I also noticed how easy it is if your country is politically stable and the rule of law applies. Investors see the immediate benefit of doing business in such a country. This is equally true for developing countries. |
| International Business Law |
Kelvin Mukuku, Metallurgical Manager at Eastplats, Brits, South African Republic
05.2019 |
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By analysing my performance, I realised that there are quite a lot of things I take for granted that can actually help me improve my effectiveness and efficiency. Becoming an effective manager, I can actually add more value than I did last year for my company and client. I will apply the learning this year and compare the value I will potentially add with what I did last year. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |