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.
Kornelius Iiyambo, Finance Manager at Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, Walvis Bay, Namibia
08.2018 |
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IBR’s approach to management is far different from the local one. Working on the assignment is came as a surprise as I previously concentrated too much on my subordinate’s weaknesses when agreeing on their training schedule. Having finished the course, I understand that to make them artists of their craft I should target their strengths with more training. I didn’t expect such practical outcomes of an academic study. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |
Samantha Kachikira, Process safety engineer at Ishecon cc, Johannesburg, South African Republic
07.2018 |
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Personally, as an entrepreneur I will be using the learnings fr om this course to improve profitability of my consulting business. Indeed, it will be the business GPS to financial success. No one has the time to go through all financial statements in depth and understand in detail wh ere we made mistakes as a business. And even worse: when finally understanding mistakes, you notice that you are looking at old information that doesn’t help you making decisions today. TARI – introduced by IBR – will be my tool to financial planning and overall business management. Knowledge of TARI combined with the ability to read and interpret financial statement has increased my management confidence levels and I no longer fear questioning the numbers to the financial director until I get satisfactory results. |
| Financial Planning |
Henry Hoveka, Managing Director at Multi-Wealth Management (Pty) Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
07.2018 |
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It is encouraging to acquire management skills at the infancy stages of our company’s evolution as the learning outcome will undoubtedly add immense value to me as a lead manager and to our entire team. The recommendations of this assignment are implemented and acted upon by all stakeholders for our combined benefit. I have always struggled to study management subjects but the way in which this course was presented made it so practical and impactful for my learning. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |
Perseverance Chavunduka, Production Superintendent at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Bindura, Zimbabwe
07.2018 |
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The analysis process of my employer’s financial reports helped me give meaning to the numbers. As am a technical person, this process has tied up the loop for me as I now have a better understanding of the implications of production activities to the financial position of the organisation and how these fit into the greater picture or scheme of things in the firm. This course has been empowering for me as now I have more confidence in going through financial reports and actually make sense of the numbers and determine the various ratios. Previously, whenever I came across these reports I would quickly flip through. |
| Financial Accounting |
Kornelius Iiyambo, Finance Manager at Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, Walvis Bay, Namibia
06.2018 |
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I have been exposed to various management theories and research but the type of thinking and reasoning presented in this module is new to me. The value created for our organization is enormous in the sense that we applied the various management theories and principles with little success as the results have been haphazard. The value created for me personally is more than I expected. I have realized the course outcome guides me at my workplace. Also, I can apply them in all other areas of my life which is not always the case with other management tools. Most importantly, I can share the outcome also with employees at lower level as it ignore the hierarchical nature of organizations and consider all to be managers at their own work station. |
| Principles of Effective Management |
Henry Hoveka, Managing Director at Multi-Wealth Management (Pty) Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
06.2018 |
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Being a trained technical financial services expert focusing on mainly investment consulting and technical pension benefit solutions, the management discipline was the least of my interest areas over the years. However, as I grew in my career paths over the last 20 years, the management discipline became most challenging as I have never formally received management training on the job. In writing the assignment, the build-up to the recommendation and implementation station not only impressed my logical mind flow. I was equally impressed by the fruitful ideas that I could have come up with long ago. I am grateful for this course and I am certain that the recommendations will aid us employees, shareholders and clients. |
| Principles of Effective Management |
Perseverance Chavunduka, Production Superintendent at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Bindura, Zimbabwe
06.2018 |
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This was not a particularly easy course for me. However, after I went through the materials a couple of times, I started getting the sense of it and how I can actually apply it in real life and not just theory. I can now see the essence of understanding the future profit potential for any organisation and not just for my employer. This will help me even as am working on starting something of my own. The other parameters like profit which all along I had used as a measure of business success are now fitting into the bigger picture and I now know that they on their own do not determine the sustainability of a business. |
| Strategic Management |
Kornelius Iiyambo, Finance Manager at Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, Walvis Bay, Namibia
06.2018 |
| In the preceding assignments of this module, I dealt with topics in isolation. This assignment introduced me how to think in aggregate of all issues that I have learned and to use them in order to have a full picture of issues that should be considered by an investor when making decisions. International investors always have questions that look at all issues and especially risks and rewards associated with an investment and using an integrated approach such as this create a better platform in answering these questions. |
| International Business Law |
Lerato Mphelo, Strategic Programme Manager at Absa Group, Johannesburg, South African Republic
06.2018 |
| Having to create a new mission statement for my startup company made me realize that there is still more work to be done in evaluating my core strengths I want to bring to this competitive market of consulting. I got to realize that I need to build a more compelling evidence of how the firm will be able to significantly differentiate itself. |
| Strategic Management |
Sharon Bwanya, Chief Operating Officer at Nurture Invest, Harare, Zimbabwe
06.2018 |
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The timing of this assignment could not have been more fortuitous for me or for our company. I have worked on the assignment during a time when the firm has just done a strategy workshop and was reviewing the strategy report prepared by the consultant. Following the visit to our offices by Dr. Kelling and given the thrust of this assignment, the partnership resolved to shelve the strategy report and to then review it after this assignment has been assessed so that the recommendations herein and the comments made in marking it are taken into consideration in deciding the overall strategic objectives for the firm. It has thus been a great privilege and responsibility to be shaping the future of the firm through this assignment and I look forward to constructive feedback as always. |
| Strategic Management |
Vander Mutenga, Finance Director at BancABC, Harare, Zimbabwe
05.2018 |
| I learnt the principles of effective management on this course. This was an exciting course as it gave me insights into some of the principles that I wasn’t aware of. Having gone through training sessions that focused on addressing weaknesses and very few that sharpened my strengths, IBR introduced me to a different approach to achieving my goals where my main developmental focus shall be on utilizing strengths. The other principles also enhanced my understanding of how management works and by implementing my recommendations, I am going to be a better manager going forward. |
| Principles of Effective Management |
Annabelle Moller, Head of Internal Audit at MTC, Windhoek, Namibia
05.2018 |
| It was very enlightening to see and explore how the first two courses, international business and cross-cultural management are used to build a business proposal. It highlighted to me the importance of the various aspects to consider, from a company, country and investor’s perspective. So, when doing or review investment proposals I will definitely be looking for more than only financial considerations. |
| International Business Law |
Prosper Rugube, Process Operations Manager at MINOPEX, Tete, Mozambique
05.2018 |
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The writer thoroughly enjoyed going through this course. Whilst the writer has had previous training in quality management and process improvement tools, this course allowed me the platform to refresh those skills and learn more aspects of six-sigma. As seen from the recommendations, the writer has started implementing some of the concepts learnt through this course. The way in which the six-sigma tools are streamlined in the mandatory reading material, allowed me further knowledge on which tool is more appropriate in various stages of the DMAIC concept. There have been significant benefits to the organization as well. This is evidenced by the reduction in the amount of screen panel failures which will assist in achieving our annual production target. |
| Operations Processes |
Prosper Rugube, Process Operations Manager at MINOPEX, Tete, Mozambique
05.2018 |
| As a developing manager working my way up the corporate ladder towards executive management, this course has helped me to have a deeper understanding of financial accounting and analysis. This will allow me to participate actively in monthly performance meetings with executive managers. In our monthly performance meetings, we discuss issues related to EBIT/EBITDA, cash flows, market analysis, peer group analysis etc. |
| Financial Accounting |
Perseverance Chavunduka, Production Superintendent at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Bindura, Zimbabwe
05.2018 |
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With my technical background, this course has demystified some of the misconceptions I had on what a good and effective manager is. Also, this course has shown me the HOW bit of becoming an effective manager. The assignment helped me putting my thoughts systematically together. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |
Henry Hoveka, Managing Director at Multi-Wealth Management (Pty) Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
05.2018 |
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During my 20 years career, I have encountered many engagements and negotiations with international correspondents and businesses in which I found difficulties with one or more facets of miscommunications be it verbal or expressive that prevented me fr om reaching my desired outcome. I never realized that the key contributor to such fatal error and hence in wrong communication behavior was a subject of the cross-cultural management. I am therefore personally grateful that I was introduced to this course as it opened my eyes to a world wh ere cross cultural communication can make a vast difference. The assignment helped me in designing an action plan that will allow us to develop needed skills. |
| Cross-cultural Management |
Tinashe Murwisi, Maintenance Superintendant at Cimentos Da Beira, Beira, Mozambique
05.2018 |
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It was a very interesting experience studying this course as we had to think out of the box. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone. The aspects we are learning about here are mostly common issues that we're used to on a day to day basis, but the way they are presented is very deep and mind stretching. It was a very enriching and exciting course for me. My company will surely reap great benefits from the lessons I got here. I had a discussion with our HR director on how we are managing our performance appraisal system in relation to the points I mentioned in this assignment, which I wanted us to implement. She expressed great interest in this global MBA programme as well. Since I started more and more senior managers at Cimentos da Beira are getting interested and curious about this MBA programme. I hope that they will join as well in the near future. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |
Kornelius Iiyambo, Finance Manager at Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, Walvis Bay, Namibia
05.2018 |
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In the past when we went to negotiations, the most important thing was to get the best deal possible in order to achieve the aspiration of the us. Little did we know or realize that culture has an equal importance to the negotiations just as much as the actual terms and conditions of the agreements at the end. This has been a good lesson which will allow our management to prepare adequately for future negotiations, in terms of cultural differences. |
| Cross-cultural Management |
Lerato Mphelo, Strategic Programme Manager at Absa Group, Johannesburg, South African Republic
05.2018 |
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This course has been an eye opener and a new awareness for me, while I knew that it is best to always take time and weigh options before making any decision, I was not aware that there is a scholarly thought around this subject and the amount of material on research that is available just on decision making. Applying the course content at in our company, I noticed a fundamental shift in my thinking and how I view my colleagues or team members. I have benefited from writing this assignment even beyond work in my private life. |
| Tasks and Tools of Effective Management |
Perseverance Chavunduka, Production Superintendent at Bindura Nickel Corporation, Bindura, Zimbabwe
05.2018 |
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By going through this course, I have learnt that I do not need to be conventional in my thinking or way of doing things. As such I have learnt that I need to be confident and remain steadfast if am convinced that am doing something right. The organisation therefore stands to benefit from my application of these principles as am certain that as I continue exercising these my performance will greatly improve as I guide my team, their thinking, their attitudes and their actions towards what the organisation needs – MAKING MONEY FROM NICKEL PRODUCTION! |
| Principles of Effective Management |