Category Archives: IT Management series

MBA: Business Research (does it still a must subject in MBA?)

IT Management series, ,
At first, I have a question again why we need to learn this subject in MBA?
This subject is too generic. If we need to know someone opinion, we just simply send out questionnaire. We just set the questions that we would like to know and let respondents answer. Then we just analyze the result that we get back.
When I study more and more, I found that BR is not simple like that. There is a systematic approach and standard procedures how to conduct research.
There are 2 type of research: Applied research (answer specific business questions) and Academic research (conduct to prove theory and set up new theory on top of existing academic research).
I just know from BR that we cannot simply create questions in the questionnaire. We need to follow well studied structure as framework. For example, if we want to know opinion of respondents on service improvement quality, we must use SERVQUAL instrument to do it.
There are 5 categories framework in SERVQUAL that already proved as best practice in measuring service in 5 dimensions
1) Tangible
2) Reliability
3) Responsiveness
4) Assurance
5) Empathy
We need to measure these independent requirements against customer behavioral intention
We need to set Hypotheses on our research and convert them into relationship between independent requirement and behavioral intention. After that, we must set the questionnaire in order to support Hypotheses base on 5 dimensions above.
Once we got the result from questionnaires, we must input them into SPSS and find correlation between each of requirement relationship. This is the difficult part to analyzing statistic data. You must know how to interpret data as well. At the end, you will know that the hypotheses that you set up are valid or not and what is the magnitude of each service items in each dimensions show strong impact on each customer behavior.
In my opinion, the BR method mentioned above try to eliminate bias and finding the blind spot of target audience to get real insight which sometimes the target audience also doesn’t realize the existing needs in their trait.
I got ‘A’ grade for this course although I don’t like it. But I heard that I may need to use it again for MBA project.
I found out that BR concept is old school method. I also found that MBA student may get more benefit to understand more about user experience though consumer journey (CJ). CJ is modern marketing research methodology to find consumer insight. With CJ, it also can help to understand clearly when to use IT solution at which CJ stage in order to acquire and retain consumers to advocate for our product brand. The most important thing is that consumer change their mind very fast by new digital trend. Business needs just more than CJ to react with no loyalty world by introduce design thinking method that can add on and adapt solution to always meet with customer needs.

MBA: Quantitative analysis, do we need it for MBA?

IT Management series, ,
This is the first question that pop up in my mind and most of my classmates sharing the same thought. Even in the classroom, I also put the challenge question at instructor that does it really use in business nowadays?
OK, I believe very rare companies may use in the R&D department but they may not use all topics we studied in class. Anyway, I gave the highest rating to this instructor compare to previous class because the instructor has very keen in topics. The heart of Quantitative Analysis (QA) is to research and analyze for co-relation of data. Instructor knows how to simplify it for the audiences which has variety background (Some of my classmate never know about equation before). In the classroom we learn:
– Linear programming model
– Transportation and assignment model
– Forecasting model
– Network model
– Project management
– Game theory
– Queuing theory

Nowadays, computer is so advance and all of the topics above have been replaced by computer program. Just a few clicks, you already get the answer and ready to use. I also use some of the model in my previous work experience but I’ve never know how to get the figure, only use final result. I got A- for this subject and I’m now knowing how computer calculate safety stock for me, how computer define critical path for me in CPM and PERT. How computer calculate trend and seasonal in forecasting model? I just know that the result figures come from probability concept. Nice to know but who will calculate these manually in this cyber world?

Same question again, do we need it for MBA student? Would it more efficient to MBA student to learn how to use computer program for these QA rather then calculating it manually?

 

MBA: Managerial accounting

IT Management series, ,
I voted Managerial Accounting as the most difficult topic for first trimester for me. I got B+. I accept that I feel stress when take this subject since I have bad experience in accounting during BBA and I feel that I have not enough time to read and do exercise. Anyway, this subject give me the clear concept of cost flow in business and what cost component impact to product margin. More understanding on income statement, Activity Base Costing and cash budget but don’t expect that you will master accounting from MBA. This is just one part of it to focusing on product costing.
Working experience help me a lot in understanding these concepts and make me
through.
Although, Managerial Accounting may not directly related to IT work but it is an essential concept for you to grow up in the organization. You needs to set up your department objectives related to business performance when you are in management position. If you would like to grow up in business world as a salary man, you cannot runaway from business priority and you cannot invent IT project on your own interest. Every resource that you have in IT, you need to have individual IT objective contribute back to business direction and should be able to measure as Key Performance Indicator (KPI).
IT always play important role in providing business reports which related to cost and revenue in order to understand business performance. Yes, this subject will help you understand more the nature of accounting concept.

MBA: Marketing Management (why it so popular in MBA?)

IT Management series, , ,

Marketing Management is my 2nd course in MBA. I got ‘A’ grade for this subject. In fact, I didn’t get much from class room lecturing. But I learnt a lot from group project.

“If you’ve never practicing, you will never know.”

In group project, we need to create marketing plan. It starts from macro scale to understand the whole demands of the world or the country related to your product or service. Then you needs to zoom down bit by bit, to understand demography, geography and psychography of your consumers. You also needs to know your SWOT analysis in competing with competitors. If you thinks that you can gain the market share and differentiate your product from competitors, then you will start to develop famous STP in your marketing plan.

Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) are the heart of marketing plan. It follows the fact that you cannot serve everyone with your limited capacity. Therefore, you must select the best part out of whole consumer demands by differentiate your product with marketing strategic plan and don’t forget to mention about your goals and objectives.

The heart of strategic planning is how to sit into your targeted consumer heart (listen to your customer) and let them repeat ordering for your product. 4P (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) and 4C (Consumer value, Cost, Convenience, Communication) with IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications, nowadays called as Omni-Channel strategy) play important role here. Once you have a good looking plan, the last part is to make sure that you generate profit within expected time span. Financial plan will be the last part of your marketing plan. If you can do and understand all the above, you will get A.

People love this subject because it allow you to bring out your imagination, there is no right or wrong as long as you cover all topics. Concept is very high level framework, you must elaborate how to win consumer mind. The class continue with less tension compare to other courses. Everybody get a good grade. Once you go deep dive, you will think that Western theory is so deep studying. They are serious and analyze in every possible conditions that may impact to product demand and supply. Many of MBA students impress about it  and would like to know more.

In the old day, I found that it is very difficult to apply IT in marketing world since marketing play with customer emotion much more than logical thinking. Thanks to the digital world, all consumers is moving into digital world and interact with their product via mobile and social media as their main channel. We can say that Digital is the front end of technology toward consumer and IT is the back end engine to present Digital solution.

Once consumer click and browse over internet, IT can capture all the behavior data from their click and moving through the whole webpages. It helps company to understand consumer behavior and personalize into segmentation which leading to personalization marketing. In order to do that, company needs to have big data to keep million customers click, moving along web pages and using data analytic tool to find out consumer insight. Then targeting them with individual digital marketing campaign on all possible channels for particular consumer.

MBA: My impress on Organization Behavior subject

IT Management series, ,
Organization Behavior (OB) is my first subject in MBA which already finished. I got B grade which consider low grade, although I think I understand the whole concept and I also believe that I can do the final exam. Many students in the class also question about grading logic. This subject supposes not to be right or wrong, it is very subjective. It depends on how you would like to interpret your idea toward the theory. Anyway, instructor will do the final judgement on your idea and give you rating. It is totally proved that my instructor think differently from my idea.
Although I got bad grade but I still strongly believe that I got knowledge from this subject which also impress me. OB subject teaches me that in order to understand people behavior toward something, it should start from understand individual person. Each individual combines with 2 factors (heredity and ability).
  • Heredity will guide them in making decision base on past experience, it gives them motivation and also drive them to react to environment which they think it is rights to their feeling. People loves to stay in group and would like to be loved and accepted from the group or searching individual needs from the group base on Maslow hierarchy of needs.
  • Ability: Once they stay in the group, individual person will start to influence each other. The one who has stronger needs, stronger motivation skill will use his/her ability to influence others more easier. Someone in the group who has no experience on particular subject will looking for role model or leader to follow on.

 

Leader has been created from different situation base on his/her Heredity and Ability. Therefore there are many style of leaderships which suitable for different situation. Big group will become social and formal social will become organization.

Organization needs employees who believe in the same goal to improve organization to reach business target. Organization needs engagement and commitment from employees to fully contribute to organization mission. Employees also need organization to fulfill individual needs as return for their contribution. Employee’s needs are vary depend on their needs level in Maslow. Organization needs to find out their needs and balance it to get employee engagement. There are 2 kinds of engagement,

  • organization engagement
  • job engagement

There are many ways to handle the engagement for becoming good organization which I will not explain in detail but all of this are the heart of OB.

Nowadays, we can use IT to create corporate culture awareness faster by using e-learning platform and internal corporate social network channel. Company also can test each employees and use on-line quiz to check and remind their understanding.

Company also can use Net Promoter Score (NPS) on-line survey to understand the level of organization engagement, especially with their supervisor since most employee doesn’t resign because of company culture but their supervisor.

At the same time, company needs to create job challenge or special assignment to each employee with good proportion of recognition to let employees still engaging and proud with their job. 360 degree performance appraisal system may be a good employee tracking system to allow employees interaction to share their opinion toward supervisor and organization.

MBA Professional evening program is suitable for who?

IT Management series, ,
Time is moving pretty fast. I already completed 3 courses of my MBA. I think it is much more enough for me to interpret the program.
Overall rating, I think MBA night program is quite good for experienced worker, not for first jobber or junior worker because you must learn each course within one month which has the same content as normal day program. In order to do that, you need to refer back to what you have seen in your working experiences.
MBA Pro-Eve will let you know the concept behind business operation routine in your organization. The final exam at each month end is the proven result that you understand the concept much more enough. Don’t expect that you will become the professional after complete all MBA Pro courses but you suppose to be a professional before attending MBA Pro-Eve. For me, this program is designed to suit my requirements.
MBA really helps IT manager, like me, understand how business is operating? How to apply IT to increase revenue or reduce cost? The heart of business is to create Return On Investment (ROI) and the heart of MBA is to acquire thinking concept how far we can go in each corporate function (including IT) and how those initiative link back to ROI?
It is enlighten me to understand why company must do this and that activities rather focusing on selling. It also guide me that some approach does not available in my organization yet and it will be great if we can adopt it. This means you must have some powers in your organization to change or adapt the processes. This kind of power does not available in first jobber or junior worker. Unfortunately, most of the students are those no power type (even senior manager like me may also facing difficulty in influencing top management for such new ideas). I believe that I’m the 2nd oldest student of the batch. Anyway, most of my younger colleagues decide to study this program because they already have routine job and this is the only program that convenience to them to attend after working hours because the campus is in the middle of the town. Some of them may just want the certificate (who know?).