Edinburgh Business School Heriot Watt MBA

Economics for Business

Business Negotiation

People Work and Organisations

Delivering Successful Projects

This course develops the students' appreciation for factors that influence how people behave at work and how these link to performance. Emphasis is placed on understanding individual differences, how these differences affect group dynamics and how organisational factors affect individual behaviour. Students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to positively impact individual, team and organisational performance in a variety of dynamic organisational contexts.

This course equips managers and business professionals with the knowledge, skills and competence to manage projects effectively using integrative concepts, tools and techniques. The fundamental concepts of the project management discipline are covered including how to set the decision-making mindset and how to assist organisations in materialising their strategic and change objectives.

The course critically examines the concept of leadership in organisations, explores major theoretical developments in how leadership is understood and provides opportunities for managers to reflect on real-life leadership issues. Across eight modules, key developments in leadership theories and how they apply to modern organisations are explored. The course hones in on some example settings for practice, including creative industries and projects, to explore alternative approaches to leadership. The role of leadership in setting and shaping organisational strategy is also examined, and contemporary issues of gender, culture and ethics are discussed. 

This course introduces students to fundamental economic concepts and the workings of the market system. Different market structures and their impact on organisations are reviewed and the role of government in the economy is examined. Macroeconomics is explored in the context of business impact and decision-making and international economic issues are also discussed.

The philosophy underlying this course is that marketing-oriented companies put customers first, are geared for long-term success and that this orientation must be championed by top management and infused throughout the whole organisation. Students are introduced to the requisite strategic marketing techniques such as strategic analysis and planning, implementation - via a number of integrated and synergistic marketing functions and activities - and marketing control, aided by an array of marketing metrics and digital developments. 

The course begins with a closer look at the current ‘financial landscape’ before examining the application of financial and management accounting tools relevant to critical financial decisions. These tools include: key performance indicators, break-even analysis, working capital management techniques and the budgeting process. Students also examine financial management techniques and consider the decisions that organisations face on investment, finance and dividend, and how an organisation ultimately makes those decisions.

This course is the capstone course in the online MBA programme. The core areas of strategic management are covered and the general management setting is used to integrate ideas across the core disciplines covered in the other MBA courses. Developing and Executing Strategy examines the evolution of management and academic thinking around strategy and strategic management over the past 50 years, reviews the diversity of contemporary strategy theory and practice and examines the role of strategy in the management of different types of organisations.

The course then examines different aspects of strategy including strategic intent, analysis, strategic options and implementation. The other management disciplines such as: leadership, organisational behaviour, economics, marketing and finance are also considered. Finally, an integrative framework for strategic decision-making is presented, which facilitates a holistic approach to complex business and management issues.