Sponsored by The University of Hong Kong – Faculty of Business and Economics
Management is about more than ‘being a boss’. It’s about great leadership, perfecting the art of communication, being resilient, knowing how to make a good deal, understanding numbers, being an effective and creative problem-solver, as well as making all the right connections.
There’s a myriad of reasons to study a postgraduate degree in global management – but knowing whether it’s right for you is another question.
We spoke to Professor Chun Hui, program director of the new Master of Global Management at The University of Hong Kong to find out more.
You want to understand the inner workings of a multinational organization
If the idea of working in management on a global scale excites you, you may want to consider starting with studying a global management postgraduate degree.
Global management is a distinctive field of business leadership which concentrates on the quality of managing and cooperating of people, resources, facilities and strategies in order to go above and beyond expectations when it comes to the goals and objectives of the business on a global scale.
You’ll have a genuine interest in understanding what makes people behave and work in a particular way, and what makes a manager within a highly integrated setting able to lead and maintain a well-run team.
You want to better your industry knowledge and skillset
Global management comprises several vast areas of business, from strategy and operations to data analysis, marketing to finance. So, no matter how big or small an organization is, it will always require individuals with high-quality management skills.
There’s a lot to learn about when it comes to enhancing an understanding of global management, while also developing specific managerial skills, such as managing people, processes and policies, especially within a global setting.
“When we designed the curriculum, it wasn’t just about teaching basic textbook knowledge,” said Professor Hui.
“It was more about helping students acquire the knowledge – if you see a problem, what kind of knowledge can you leverage to overcome this, and then come up with better solutions.”
You can study it at a world-renowned university
The University of Hong Kong which ranked 25th in the world in the QS World University Rankings® 2020 and second in the QS Asia University Rankings 2019 has developed the Master of Global Management which teaches students to think exclusively in a wider global context, where they learn to address issues relating to working and managing across cultures.
Students also learn how to incorporate individual, organizational and national knowledge which is relevant in the effective management of global issues and function of business.
“We have a very exclusive structure, understanding individuals, organizations, and national cultural contexts,” explained Professor Hui.
“It’s not a typical MBA program in which students will have to take a specific course in finance, marketing, economics, accounting.
“It’s focused on management, meaning that students will learn something about human behaviors, learn something about themselves and how other people behave, they will learn about organizations and they will learn about nations and cultures.
“The content is orientated towards things that are related to this global context,” he added.
You can expand your global perspective with experential learning opportunities
A number of academic institutions around the world offer degree programs that focus specifically on global management studies, with several making global management study and work experiences an integral part of the curriculum.
The Master of Global Management offers students the opportunity to take part in a company field trip, said Professor Hui: “The field trip involves company visits for students so they can meet with practitioners who are really dealing with global management issues.”
It can help you break into the global management sector and prepare you for an international career
Whether you want to branch off and start your own business venture or work for a private business or NGO, working in management is varied, intricate and demanding. Simply having a relevant undergraduate and postgraduate qualification in hand is no longer enough to stand out from the competitive graduate job market.
With today’s marketplaces and businesses integrating on such large global scales, there’s high demand for talented global management professionals. As a result, employers actively seek candidates who have global experience and who can demonstrate their ability to learn and work well with others, be open-minded and display fantastic problem-solving abilities, according to Professor Hui.
Although there’s no quick and easy way to get to senior level management roles, there are many global management entry-level job roles which are a great gateway into the industry, as Professor Hui told us:
“There are companies who are looking to expand their business activities across national and regional boundaries and will hire people within business management and strategy.
“These are companies who want trainees and entry level employees who have some kind of global exposure. And when these people progress in their careers, we hope at a more senior level there are many opportunities for them, such as directors of global business developments,” he added.
