South Africa: Leading in a Complex World in Stellenbosch
Vineyards outside Tokara Restaurant, Stellenbosch, South Africa
The Stellenbosch, South Africa program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study how to lead people and teams in one of the world’s unique travel destinations. Fulfill three elective credits of your degree amongst the lush hills and burgeoning markets of South Africa. Enjoy everything from corporate visits to some of South Africa’s most innovative and impactful companies to a safari through the wild and wonderful plains of a national park. Expand your horizons personally and professionally alongside your peers during this unforgettable program!
Participants will review and discuss general ways of enhancing teamwork in their organizations. Myths and misconceptions about teams will be exposed and answers to the most commonly asked questions about using organizational teams will be answered. Participants will be asked to discuss their own experiences and challenges working in, and leading, teams. An applied case study will also be used to illuminate additional challenges associated with forming and leading organizational teams (i.e., David Fletcher). This course examines challenges and opportunities associated with one of the most commonly used types of teams in today’s organizations: generationally-diverse project teams. Participants will get hands-on recommendations for leading cross-functional generationally-diverse project teams and determine key differences in leading this type of team compared to other existing types such as work teams or management teams. A case study (i.e., Gen Y in the Workforce) will be used to illuminate the specific issues with working in, and leading, multi-generational teams.
In this course, students will:
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of teamwork and how to leverage the former and compensate for the latter.
Determine whether or not teams make better decisions than individuals (and how to fix things if they do not).
Understand the role of team leaders in enhancing team performance in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business environment.
Differentiate between transformational and transactional team leadership and learn the behaviors of both.
Understand emotional intelligence and how it relates to leading multi-generational teams.
Start to better understand generational differences in the workplace.
MBA 538: Women as Leaders
(1 credit)
This course focuses on helping women uncover and reflect on their leadership styles so that they can become more empowered leaders, take responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and have the courage to develop that potential.
MBA 590: Systems Thinking for Leaders
(1 credit)
Sample Itinerary
*for illustrative purposes only
Saturday, June 28
Arrival in Stellenbosch Walking tour of the city Welcome dinner
Sunday, June 29
Program Orientation Course Content
Monday, June 30
Course Content Cultural Experience
Tuesday, July 1
Course Content Cultural Experience
Wednesday, July 2
Course Content Corporate Visit Cultural Experience
Thursday, July 3
Course Content Corporate Visit
Friday, July 4
Safari Day
Saturday, July 5
Depart from Stellenbosch for home
“Great program. I want to do it again! The ability to have open dialogue between professors and students on leadership perspectives [were most valuable]. “
