PDBA curriculum

Module 1
Economics: Prices and Markets
By introducing microeconomic theory and its application in real business situations, this course will give you an understanding of how a business works in the context of the economic environment in which it operates. Topics include the theory of the firm, supply and demand analysis, consumer behaviour, how markets work and pricing strategies for different markets.

Organisational Behaviour
The Organisational Behaviour course explores the interaction between individuals, groups and organisations in the context of a rapidly changing global system. The core themes explored include corporate culture, leadership, trust, team and group dynamics, power, organisation design, managing change and interpersonal communication. To motivate people today, managers require insight into individual behaviour and attitudes which affect organisational performance.

Module 2
Innovation and Critical Thinking
An organisation's competitive advantage is determined by how well it responds to global market changes and rapid innovation. The course on Innovation and Critical Thinking is designed to help students improve their thinking and analytical skills to manage their organisations more effectively. The process and management of innovation using partnering, customer needs analysis and time-based competition is an important focus area.

Information and Knowledge Management
An organisation’s competitive advantage increasingly depends on knowledge management – what the organisation knows and how it uses what it knows. This half course focuses on the knowledge economy and how technological advances in information technology impacts on the structure of industries and organisations, the management of people, and how business is conducted.

Ethics and Sustainability
This half course will equip students with the understanding and tools necessary to re-evaluate their planning horizons, their ways of doing things and their value systems in their places of work and individually. The outcome of the course is a thorough understanding of sustainability, sustainable development and environmental issues most relevant to business and society including poverty and human well-being, food security, ecosystem services, energy, and climate change and water, and how society and business are responding to these imperatives.

Module 3
Marketing
This course outlines marketing strategies in the context of overall corporate objectives and introduces a systematic approach to marketing decision-making, including market and customer analysis, the analysis of marketing opportunities and implementation and evaluation of marketing plans. We also explore e-business and strategies of marketing through the Internet.

Financial Accounting
Financial Accounting focuses on the interpretation of the financial statements a company uses to report on its financial position and operating results. You will become familiar with the structure of balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements.

Module 4
Management Accounting
The Management Accounting course introduces basic management accounting tools and techniques used in allocating costs to products and inventories, planning, making business decisions and evaluating the performance of business units.

Human Resource Strategy
Human Resource Strategy focuses on the strategic management of the organisation’s human resources (HR) to deliver a competitive advantage, as well as the role of HR in achieving strategic corporate objectives. We explore the management of HR infrastructure, performance management, HIV/AIDS and employee contributions, as well as the integration of HR and business strategies.

Module 5
Operations Management
The Operations Management course will help you examine how the resources, structures, systems and processes of your organisation could be managed to improve its competitive position. Improving cross-functional organisational performance across the value chain, as well as the design of service delivery systems, is an important focus. This module will include a business simulation component.

Macroeconomics
Focusing on the macroeconomic and socio-political environment in which businesses operate, this course includes a study of the multifaceted ways in which global economic trends and domestic socio-political strategies affect organisations. You will gain insight into how the South African economy operates, as well as an understanding of economic indicators, like business cycles, inflation and unemployment.

Module 6
Integrating Structures and Processes
During this course, we take an integrative view of business and management. We introduce the concepts of strategy formulation and implementation, and study the links between operations, processes and structures. Using the knowledge and skills learned throughout the programme, you will develop a holistic view of business and the organisation. The skill-building session will be a business simulation, with individual coaching on your decision-making position. Improving cross-functional organisational performance across the value chain, as well as the design of service delivery systems, is an important focus.

Entrepreneurship
This course will expose students to the principles of creativity and to frameworks for understanding how innovation creates value and competitive advantage in a business context.

The course is based on the premise that everyone has the capacity to succeed in an entrepreneurial setting, although some people may have greater propensity to succeed than others. This course aims to demystify the phenomenon broadly referred to as entrepreneurship – to make it easily understood as a business concept, readily accessible as a career option and practically applicable as a style of management. The three overall aims of this course are to

develop a new generation of professional entrepreneurs, by encouraging and developing your entrepreneurial capability, to help you better understand and manage the issues involved in pursuing an entrepreneurial career path;
integrate learning about entrepreneurship with practical application, to provide you with an opportunity to integrate different aspects of the PDBA in developing a business plan for a potential entrepreneurial idea; and
develop a broad perspective on entrepreneurship and an awareness of the strategic importance and social relevance of entrepreneurship.