South Africa: Leading People — Residency #2 and Leading Teams in Stellenbosch
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 the MBA Residency #2 requirement and three 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 trip!
Program Facts
| Courses | MBA 590: Leading Teams, 1 credit MBA 532: Leading People, 2 credits |
| Program Cost | $4,100 Please see the “Costs/Scholarships” page for more details. |
| Dates | July 1-9, 2023 |
| Location | Stellenbosch, South Africa |
| Contact | Dr. Leigh Shamblin (lsbrown2@ncsu.edu) Dr. Brad Kirkman (blkirkma@ncsu.edu) Office of Global Programs, Poole (poole_global@ncsu.edu) |
| Applications | Applications are due February 7. |
| Detailed Information | To learn about accommodations, eligibility, health & safety and logistics, please visit the PackAbroad program page. |
| FAQs | Get your general questions answered by visiting the FAQ page. |
Academics
MBA 532: Leading People
(2 Credits)
This two-credit course is about the fundamentals of managing people, a critical aspect of every management position. The course will focus on three levels of analysis: the individual, the group and the organization. Students will gain exposure to topics and issues in the field of organizational behavior and human resource management. These include knowing about and dealing with individual differences, international and cultural issues, working in groups (both virtually and geographically co-located), motivation, leadership, organizational structures and cultures, empowerment, delegation, communication, and management ethics.
In this course, students will:
- The fundamentals of negotiation
- Evaluate the effectiveness of human resource management processes
- Apply organizational theories of motivation, equity theory and procedural justice to specific management issues
- Identify appropriate strategies to empower employees and colleagues while avoiding common pitfalls
- Identify the major challenges for today’s teams and how they affect leadership tensions
- Explain how cultural values influenced the way individuals perceive and work with people from other cultures, including working in teams
- Apply 3D Team Leadership skills to specific leadership situations
MBA 590: Leading Teams
(1 credit)
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.
Sample Itinerary
*for illustrative purposes only
| Saturday, July 1 | Arrival in Stellenbosch Walking tour of the city Welcome dinner |
| Sunday, July 2 | Program Orientation Content Day 1: Global Leadership/3D Team Leadership |
| Monday, July 3 | Content Day 2: Managing People Cultural Experience |
| Tuesday, July 4 | Content Day 3: Empowerment and Decision Making Cultural Experience |
| Wednesday, July 5 | Corporate Visit Content Day 4: LPOE Cultural Experience |
| Thursday, July 6 | Content Day 5: Generational Difference Corporate Visit |
| Friday, July 7 | Safari Day |
| Saturday, July 8 | 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].
Past Program Participant
Summer 2022