- INTRODUCTION
These Regulations shall be read in conjunction with the General Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Diplomas and Taught Masters Degrees and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, hereinafter referred to as the General Regulations.
- TARGET GROUP
The Doctor of Business Leadership (DBL) is a doctoral degree programme for entrepreneurs, directors, general managers, management educators and consultants in both the public and private sectors as well as those not in conventional businesses, such as leaders in religion, politics, clubs and sports. The programme will provide an opportunity to practicing managers to investigate the ongoing practices in their organisations and develop new contextual theories, or theories that will compliment those built around the practices of organisations in more developed markets.
- ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for admission to the DBL programme, a candidate must normally:
- Have a minimum of five (5) years of working experience of which at least three (3) must be in senior positions.
- In addition to a relevant business-related Master’s degree from a recognized institution, the applicant must have passed the first degree with a 2.1 or its GPA equivalent classification. Applicants with 2.2 may be considered if they have more than 5 years of managerial experience and must undergo an assessment interview.
- Be required to provide two references from reputable people certifying their ability and suitability to undertake the programme successfully.
- Submit an acceptable Application Proposal or business portfolio.
- GENERAL PROVISIONS
4.1 The degree shall be awarded to candidates who have successfully completed the programme and passed examinations in accordance with the General Regulations.
4.2 The duration of the degree programme shall normally be a minimum of 6 semesters or three (3) years and a maximum of 12 semesters or six (6) years. An extension of one year may be granted depending on the supervisor’s progress reports.
4.3 A candidate is required to undertake ten (10) modules in the first three (3) semesters of which three (3) modules are research-oriented and the remaining seven (7) are discipline specific.
4.4 At the beginning of the third semester, the candidate is expected to submit a Concept Note to the school. The school will review the Concept Note and recommend supervisor(s) once it is found to meet the minimum requirements for this level of study. Thereafter, the Concept Note will be reviewed by the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee and eventually submitted to the Deans’ Committee on Academic Affairs (DCAA) for approval. Once approved by DCAA, the Research and Innovation Directorate, in liaison with the Human Resources Department, shall process contracts for the supervisor(s) so that the supervision process can begin.
4.5 The candidate, in liaison with the supervisor(s), shall be given one (1) semester to develop and complete the DBL Research Proposal. Upon completion, the candidate shall submit the proposal to the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, through the Graduate School of Business Leadership, for approval. The Faculty Higher Degrees Committee shall arrange for an Oral Presentation of the DBL Research Proposal through the Faculty Seminar Series platform, as part of the approval process. If the candidate does not submit the proposal after two (2) semesters, the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee may recommend that the candidate’s enrolment be terminated. Such candidates shall be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Leadership.
4.6 Once the Research Proposal has been approved by the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, the candidate can then proceed with thesis writing.
4.7 From the third semester, colloquia shall be held every semester to provide open discussions on candidates’ research progress. It is strongly recommended that all registered DBL candidates attend these colloquia since they provide opportunities for constructive interaction between academics and candidates.
4.8 Each taught module will be studied over 60 contact hours.
4.9 Each candidate should get at least 400 credits in order to pass the DBL programme. The thesis on its own carries 200 credits.
4.10 Each candidate is required to submit a doctoral thesis of 40 000 – 60 000 words, excluding preliminary pages and appendices.
4.11 Fees for the DBL programme shall be determined from time to time by the University Fees Revision Committee.
4.12 Fees shall be paid per semester.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
LEVEL 1 SEMESTER 1
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL931 | Communication for Management Research | 20 |
| DBL932 | Philosophy of Science and Business Research Methods I | 20 |
| DBL933 | Advanced Leadership for Excellence in Global and Multicultural Organisations & Organisational Development | 20 |
| DBL934 | Advanced Corporate Governance and Ethics in Business | 20 |
LEVEL 1 SEMESTER 2
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL935 | Philosophy of Science and Business Research Methods II | 20 |
| DBL936 | Fiscal Leadership in the Global Environment | 20 |
| DBL937 | Advanced Strategic Marketing & Innovation in Dynamic Markets | 20 |
| DBL938 | Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 |
LEVEL 2 SEMESTER 1
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL939 | Advanced Strategic Management in Action | 20 |
| DBL940 | Contemporary Issues in Leadership | 20 |
| DBL941 | Colloquia: Proposal Writing, Data Collection and Data Analysis | — |
LEVEL 2 SEMESTER 2
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL942 | Doctoral Thesis 1 | Continuing |
LEVEL 3 SEMESTER 1
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL943 | Doctoral Thesis 2 | Continuing |
LEVEL 3 SEMESTER 2
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBL944 | Final Doctoral Thesis | 200 |
MODULE SYNOPSIS
DBL931 Communication for Management Research
This module aims to develop and enhance students’ ability to communicate their research data and results in both written and oral form. The communication of scholarly research is somewhat different from managerially-oriented writing. This module has the objective of helping new DBL students to improve their writing and presentation skills so that they become successful at publishing and presenting their research at conferences.
DBL932 Philosophy of Science and Business Research Methods I
This module introduces students to the philosophy of science. The justification, interpretation and application of scientific theories and models is discussed. It covers the generation of scientific theories with an emphasis on qualitative research techniques and includes topics on observational field research, case histories, narratives, case studies, interviewing, principles of action research, evaluation and grounded theory. It examines the strengths of alternative methods and the connection between qualitative and quantitative research methods.
DBL933 Advanced Leadership for Excellence in Global and Multicultural Organizations and Organisational Development
This module aims at developing a deeper level of appreciation for the issues and trends in Organizational Leadership. It is assumed that students have previously had exposure to the basic issues through formal exposure as well as their own experiences of organizational practices. This overview of the field is designed to enable students to discover connections between theory and practice and help them develop an integrated perspective on management. This module also covers the major topics in managing multicultural organizations such as comparative leadership and management issues, the formulation and implementation of appropriate strategies, building strategic alliances, negotiations, cross-culture communications, international human resource management, and business ethics.
DBL934 Advanced Corporate Governance and Ethics in Business
This module will help students to understand and apply ethical decision-making models within an organizational management model. These models will introduce students to good corporate governance and ethical skills, vocabulary, and other tools necessary to behave in an ethical manner, not only within organizations but in society at large.
DBL935 Philosophy of Science and Business Research Methods II
The module aims at providing doctoral students with statistical techniques and skills for analyzing quantitative data that may be required for their research. The emphasis is on the practical uses of these tools in real databases in order to discover and prove new scientific facts and relationships. Some of the mistakes most commonly committed in the process will be discussed.
DBL936 Fiscal Leadership in the Global Environment
The objectives of the module are to explore the important elements and research issues in corporate finance decision-making, to present strategic finance issues integrating with strategy and other functional areas; and to develop in students the competence to manage complex strategic decisions, through the interplay of corporate finance and its linkage to competitive strategies.
DBL937 Advanced Strategic Marketing and Innovation in Dynamic Markets
The module is designed to evaluate and practice case research in the field of strategic marketing and innovation. It provides students with the skills to identify and relate theoretical concepts to the strategic marketing practices of a company. In particular, the module examines the impact of local marketing management practices compared to those in developed and emerging markets and looks at how we can incorporate contextual factors in marketing research.
DBL938 Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This module examines the nature of learning, creativity and innovation and through entrepreneurial leadership the ability to identify market opportunities based on thinking new things. Detailed attention is given to the entrepreneurial process: the concepts, skills, know-how and know-who, information, attitudes, alternatives and resources that entrepreneurs need to manage creatively in the process of developing something with tangible economic value. The module relies on classroom discussion, participation, guest speakers, case analysis, company visits, the creation of a feasibility plan, and building a business plan to develop a strategy for launching and managing a business.
DBL939 Advanced Strategic Management in Action
The module is designed to develop an understanding of the context and practices of strategy and the nature of theoretical traditions in the field of strategic management. Through seminars and case studies the students discover the external and internal challenges faced by leaders and entrepreneurs in the rapidly changing and increasingly complex environments in strategizing and implementing strategic change. The real-life exercises help the students to acquire and develop their strategic skills and competences.
DBL940 Contemporary Issues in Leadership
This module is designed to analyse the modern business landscape, together with the challenges and opportunities currently being experienced by organisations. Through seminars and case studies, students will, among other things, identify the five dimensions of trust, define the qualities of a charismatic leader, Identify the skills that visionary leaders exhibit and explain how to find and create effective leaders.
DBL941 Colloquia: Proposal Writing, Data Collection and Data Analysis
This is a compulsory non-examinable module, with the purpose of assisting doctoral students acquire relevant skills for writing their theses. In this module, students will focus on developing a research topic, conducting literature review, developing an argumentative essay of significant length concerning their thesis proposals, and document sources appropriately while focusing on the critical thinking and writing skills established in DBL901. Fundamental elements of data collection, to help students understand and become proficient in the appropriate methods for collecting data will be covered. Issues to be covered will include research designs, sampling techniques, data collection methods and instruments, negotiating access, data collection procedures, testing for data validity and reliability and ethical issues of research. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques will be covered, together with the use of appropriate data analysis packages. Students use this module as a forum for the ongoing exchange of ideas, input, and feedback with peers and their mentor.
DBL944 Doctoral Thesis
Ultimately, students shall write a doctoral thesis of 40 000 – 60 000 words, excluding preliminary pages and appendices, in which they make a fresh contribution to the field of practice in the professional business environment. The final doctoral study should demonstrate students’ scholarly ability to examine, critique, and synthesize knowledge, theory, and experience, so that new ideas can be tested; best practices identified, established, and verified; and theories, practice, or policy constructs evaluated and advanced. Students engage in rigorous inquiry that results in new knowledge, insight, or practice, demonstrating efficacy in the world of business and management.