Tour De France - Part 1

At the Le Havre Port

Bon jour everyone. I am now back from the France trip and have lot of things to talk about. This study trip organized by the University has been a great source of learning and exciting at the same time. We have visited Rouen Business School which is among the top 5 business schools in France and is one hour drive away from Paris. Rouen is a small town but is considered to be a global village as it is home for internationally diverse students from different continents. It has world class infrastructure and some really high profile teaching staff. We have been so lucky to be part of the study trip with Rouen Business School and I would like to thank Salford business school for providing this opportunity. First things first, it was a nice time off after the hectic and demanding schedule of the second semester. Then it was a great experience to meet students of this business school and share our thoughts with each other. We were put up in student accommodation which was 10 mins walk away from the school and had lectures for three days on variety of topics which were not only interesting but also very educating. First day lectures started off with international finance and world economy from a high credential professor who was part of advisory board of French government at one point of time. That speaks volumes about his credit and the kind of insights we had on European economy from him. The session was very informative and also gave us an index on how these elements would impact the future business leaders. We then had wine tasting session in the evening where we were explained about different types of wine and how they were produced in France. You can’t separate wine form French and it is essential to know about it. The next day session was on Ports, how it functions as one entity with several sub-entities in it functioning on their own. Port functioning is a very complex structure and requires extraordinary levels of co-ordination among several departments. The story behind a small fruit which we buy form a super store starting from its origins and what does it take for that to cross oceans and reach you on time enlightening. The session was followed by a visit to the Le Havre port to witness the daily operations by being present physically. On the last day we had two sessions starting with French culture and followed by HRM in globalization. This was a very engaging session as everyone shared their thoughts on experiences with French people and how unique they are in certain aspects. The second session complemented this with different theories on HRM and how to formulate HRM strategy for a multinational business especially which has a presence in France. The next day we were off to Paris for a day and you all have to wait for my next blog to know more about it J

Strategy - The more I read, the more fascinating it gets

I know I been away for few days but hope everyone is doing excellent. Still enjoying the summer with trips to York and Bolton Abbey but at the same time finishing assignments and preparing for exams. While I consider the first semester of my MBA as a big eye opener, the second semester has been a great learning in terms of education. I have already mentioned about Strategy module and how enlightening the theories are. During my professional career, I always had questions about the functioning of the organization on few opportunities and the idea behind few decisions taken by the top management. Some of the theories discussed during the module and the research I have conducted personally while attempting the assignments have enabled me to relate it to the unanswered questions I encountered in my professional career. The module is also educating by unravelling the strategies behind enterprise organizations like Apple, Dell etc and critically analysing their strategic moves.  The primary benefit of this MBA is the critical analysis ability that is developed in the process. For instance, while my friends talk about introduction of a new technology or a gadget or one company acquiring another, I personally question myself what was the reason behind that particular move, what mileage can it gain by performing that certain task, what could possibly be the benefits and disadvantages in the long run etc. This is the difference MBA brings to one’s personality. The inputs gained form the lecture sessions, questions the professors leave you to speculate and explore, the assistance you receive whenever you hit a road block are all satisfying. While I say this, it is also intensive and not for those who want to come here and have some fun. This is a course which tests your time management skills, dedication and diligence. It demands efforts from your end but these can definitely pay off at the end. The second semester has been quite demanding in terms of group work, presentations, shuffling between different teams for different assignments but at the same time has also prepared us to meet the challenges in the business life that lay ahead of us after the course. The assignments are done, presentations delivered, group brainstorming sessions completed and now it all comes down to the exams next week. I sign off on that note to continue with my preparation and request all of you to wish me luck with my exams. Love and more to all.