Who should attend

The Executive Development Programme is aimed at high-calibre executive managers with strategic management responsibilities who manage a function or an enterprise through systemic transformation processes.

Admission requirements

No formal tertiary qualifications are required. Candidates must have relevant experience and must have held a senior and/or executive management position for at least two years. Sound general knowledge/experience of functional management (marketing, finance, human resources, etc.) is a further entry level requirement for admission to the Executive Development Programme. Admission is subject to a selection process which may include a personal interview.

Faculty profile

Dr. Sarah Riordan (Click through to CV)
Dr. Lloyd Chapman
Prof. Andre Roux
Mr. Mike du Plessis (Click through to CV)
Mr. Martin Butler (Click through to CV)
Dr. Roger Stewart (Click through to CV)
Mr. Terry Meyer
Prof. Dave Flynn
Mr. Daniel Malan (Click through to CV)

Contact person (Enquiries)

Arina Basson
Tel: +27 (0)21 918 4472
Fax: +27 (0)21 918 4478
arina.basson@usb-ed.com

How you will benefit

After successfully completing the Executive Development Programme, participants are equipped to:

• identify the organisational strategy and strategic direction of an organisation, evaluate the validity of this strategy in relation to given environmental factors and recommend future strategies
• analyse the external and internal environment, develop strategic direction and strategic options for a business, implement the chosen strategies and control the implementation of a strategy in a simulation exercise
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the strategic dimension of the functional management fields, identify problems within the respective fields in an organisation from a strategic perspective, analyse the dimensions of the problem, and make recommendations regarding solutions, systemically aligning the functional strategies with the overall business strategy.

Certification

On successful completion of the Executive Development Programme, participants will receive a certificate from the University of Stellenbosch.

Other

Optional Study Tour

Executive and Senior Management Development Programme alumni have the opportunity to partake in an optional study tour abroad. The tour takes place between June and July each year. Attending lectures at leading business schools and company visits will form part of the itinerary. This study tour complies with the EQUIS recommendations of international exposure to top-level business schools. The annual study tour is arranged by the USB's International Affairs Office. Registrations for the international tour close in January.

Content overview

INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION:
Participants are provided with broad-based, structured material to study before attending the programme.
CONCEPTUAL PHASE:
During the contact sessions, participants are introduced to the main dimensions of strategic management and are assisted with developing an integrated conceptual framework for strategic management.
EXPERIENTIAL PHASE:
Participants return to their organisations where they apply their newly acquired strategic management skills. This is followed by an integrated assignment in the form of a reflective essay on the strategic realities of their organisation and their contribution to this.
INTEGRATION PHASE:
During the Executive Development Programme, the acquired strategic skills are reinforced to ensure that they have been adequately integrated into each participant's future strategic management approach. These phases enable participants to progress from knowledge of strategic concepts to insight and understanding, and eventually to the integration of strategic management skills. This approach ensures that client organisations derive optimal benefit from their participants' programme attendance.

The programme focuses on the development of personal effectiveness and leadership. Participants are equipped with practical tools to facilitate the process of strategic analysis, strategy formulation and strategic transformation; the formulation of a corporate business unit and functional strategy (marketing, finance, human resources); the implementation of strategy (culture, ethics, structural development and the management of diversity); optimal regulation of approaches to strategic management; and management of information systems.

The Executive Development Programme content has been designed along the following themes:

WEEK 1: "Different ways of thinking for executives"

• Understanding the philosophy of learning
• Understanding thought patterns
• Executive coaching for alignment
• Systems thinking

WEEK 2: "Reality check for modern business executives"

• Personal mastery for executives: Gain insight into your own leadership profile, develop career opportunities and learn about effective communication.
• Developing strategic leadership: The role of leadership in the organisation; realities of business leadership roles; strategic high performance leadership in practice; managing organisational culture; aligning context, roles and competencies for leadership effectiveness; the role of emotional intelligence
• Economics: Building blocks of an economy; quantification in economic reasoning; markets in the economic process; macroeconomic perspectives; money and financial markets; role of the public sector; international trade and finance; what scope for economic policy?

WEEK 3: "Gaining cooperation through strategic management"

• Winning negotiating strategies
• Creating sustainability in a corporate environment
• Commercial effectiveness
• Leveraging human capital: An exploration and definition of the drivers of competitive human resources strategy and workplace practices; evaluation of the imperatives for developing sustainable improvements in human resources competitiveness; the development of organisational responses to competitive status and formulation of appropriate human resources strategies

WEEK 4: "Finding strategic solutions"

• Financial strategies: Financial management and value creation; understanding financial statements; driving financial performance; making value-creating investment decisions; the drivers of cost of capital
• Strategic marketing: Marketing trends in the new economy; the contribution of marketing to the strategic management process; online marketing strategies; measuring marketing success and efficiency
• Strategic management: Components, logical process and contents of strategic management, i.e. analysis, formulation, implementation and control; the integrative nature of strategy; the impact of increasing environmental turbulence; e-business and application of real-time strategy; driving strategic change

Guest lectures will be presented by captains of industry.

Please note:

The structure and content of the Executive Development Programme is kept relevant on an on-going basis, and is therefore subject to change.

NQF complexity level

The Executive Development Programme is presented on the complexity level of NQF level 7.

Date and Venue

Timetable

Fees

R49 900

Executive Development Programme fees include programme material, lunch and refreshments, and are payable before the commencement of the programme.

Payment Policy

It is of utmost importance that USB-ED be formally notified in writing of cancellation 14 days prior to the commencement date of the programme.

A cancellation fee of 10% will be payable for cancelling fewer than 14 days prior to the commencement of the programme.

Please note that the Executive Development Programme fees and dates are subject to change.

Payment options