Capstone Reflection Essay on Skills Developed During MBA Course

Question

Task: Prepare a capstone reflection essay reflecting on the learning gained from undertaking the capstone subject and assessments by writing a 2500 word reflective essay.

Answer

Introduction
It is stated herein capstone reflection essay that reflection assists in the development of skills as well as reviewing the effectiveness, rather than carrying out the things that are always done by them. This is also linked to questioning basically in a positive way i.e. why an individual does and what he/she does. Moreover, this also assists to arrive at a proper decision to choose which one is correct or appropriate in an efficient and improved way. The leaders and the managers must conduct a reflection on the past events, develop connections and assumptions that are linked to the events and thus can be considered to be critical in this world. This study will highlight a discussion on the importance of reflective practices for the managers and the leaders, the reflection on the leanings of the capstone and the consultancy research process, the skills developed during MBA, and how these skills will assist me in my future career.

A brief discussion on the value of reflective practice for leaders and managers
Greetham and Ippolito (2018) have opined that reflection assists the leaders and the managers to review themselves as leaders and thus it is considered to be essential for the development of leadership. Self-reflection also accelerates the improvement in leadership skills and practice to enable a better and improved level of understanding.

I think that the reflective practices also equip the leaders with the skills to manage the entire process more effectively as well as to carry out innovation and organizational development. It also lowers the gaps in knowledge, the conflict management and steers away from the problematic culture. An example of this can be cited of the manager who has attained the position of the manager through promotion and thus lacks the specific skills that are necessary to carry out further innovation in the company. On the other hand, Oeij et al. (2017) have stated that there are different reasons for the integration of the development of reflective practice in the learning process of the leaders or the managers. This includes the management of the managerial effectiveness, the effect of leadership development program on the growth or capability in the organizational context. I think that the managers must take responsibility, make the decisions and thus be prepared to work across different areas and in different functional areas. An example of this can be cited of the manager in a start-up company where it is the responsibility of the manager to focus on his/her leadership and managerial skills to carry out further growth in the organization.

Oh et al. (2018) have highlighted that reflective thinking for the leaders and the managers can be considered to be an external as well as an external process that is essential for the improvement of critical thinking skills along with self-understanding. This type of thinking is considered to be important to carry out logical and informed decisions as well as to accomplish the professional and organizational objectives accordingly. I think that the business environment has grown more complex and volatile and it is the responsibility of the leaders to adopt a bias for action and thus reflect on the past experiences accordingly.

Allen et al. (2017) have stated that leaders and managers can improve their emotional intelligence, integrity as well as confidence with the help of reflection. With the help of emotional intelligence, I have found that there can be the development of self-regulation and self-awareness and thus this assists the leaders to develop their weaknesses, strengths, values, emotions, and goals accordingly. Further, I can also say that this integrity is essential to tackle the stressful situation of the leaders during difficulty. It is the responsibility of the leaders to take sufficient time to review the actions and the decisions that are to be taken during this recent past. I also think that there should be subsequent attempts made to increase the expectation of the team members and thus encourage them to perform their best. Confidence is considered to be essential for leaders because it assists in the development of effective communication, influence building, and the decision-making process. Further, the leaders must also make proper efforts and thus take adequate time to reflect on the decisions that are required to develop organizational health. An example of this can be cited of the leaders in the healthcare organization who is responsible for the protection of the patient’s privacy as well as the ethics in the organization.

According to me, the reflective practice includes carrying out things in such a way so that there is an increase in the effectiveness of the situation. This is required to tackle the present happening and thus act spontaneously and purposively towards the attainment of a specific goal. The managers must also be confident of the knowledge and thus they need to control the situation to maintain or build credibility. The process of reflection includes seeking judgment, feeling comfortable as well as actively seeking out their assumptions to work on those areas that they are stuck in. I also think that the leaders or the managers must try their best to find out instant solutions to the problems and this is possible with the help of correct information.

Reflection can thus be considered as the crucial strategy for the managers or the leaders to improve their performance accordingly.

Reflection on learnings from the capstone subject and consultancy research process
From this capstone subject strategy, I have received critical ideas on the diverse range of theories. The sources of competitive advantage assist the firms to carry out the business activity. I have learned that most firms develop competitive advantages to attain a higher profit. Further, I have found that with the help of the strategic planning process, it becomes easier for the companies to develop the competitive advantage accordingly. The operational process that exists within the firm assists in the formulation as well as the implementation of the strategy. On the other hand, the strategic planning process has also provided me an immense idea in diagnosing the performance, appraising the performance as well as carrying out the industry analysis accordingly. It will also assist in the analysis of the fit between the performance of the firm and the strategy to analyze the strategic options (Field and Roy, 2017).

In this case, I can cite my example of how the concept of competitive advantage of the firm has assisted me to carry out the internship during my MBA program.

I have also gained knowledge on the internal source of competitive advantage that assists in the improvement of competition between the firms. I have learned from the resources that there should be successful and proper attempts made to develop the dynamic capabilities that are necessary to maintain corporate agility. This will also assist in sensing, seizing as well as transforming the procedures through improved and developed means. Further, I can say that with the help of the resource-based view of the firm, the internal resources assist in the provision of competitive advantage as well as the development of casual ambiguity through vital means. There should also be specific attempts made for the development of competitive advantage that is generally based on the specificity of the asset(Hammer et al.,2018). Further, I have also received an idea on the dynamic capability of the firm that is a crucial source of competitive advantage. This dynamic capability has provided me an idea of entrepreneurship as well as creative destruction. From this dynamic capability, I have learned that there should be significant and proper attempts made to tackle the internal and the external opportunities to a great extent. This is essential for the transformation of the process, the resource matching as well as the development of adequate pace and speed. On the other hand, after going through the module, I have also received an idea on the isolating mechanism that prevents the competitors from the erosion of superior profitability of the firm. There has been the development of the improved level of mechanism to tackle the inimitable capabilities as well as the resources through improved means(Hammer et al.,2018). An example that can be cited in my case is how I have received ideasbased on competitive advantage while carrying out the internship i.e. the cost advantage as well as the differentiation advantage that is crucial for the sound and effective development of the firm. This knowledge has assisted me to save the loss-making firm and thus improve its competition with others in the particular industry. As the strategy of a particular organization is framed based on the industry as well as the requirement of the firm, it is my responsibility to gather an in-depth idea of the structure of the firm and how this assists in the fulfillment of a proper strategy in the organization. There are some of the vital steps that need to be followed by the firm for tackling the structure as well as the strategy accordingly. This includes the acquisition of the resources, the adoption of the diversification and the growth strategy, the establishment of the functional structure as well as the effective allocation and gathering of the resources.

After going through the module, it has also become easier for me to link the concepts of Porter’s five forces of competition of the firm with the effective operation of the organization. I have received the idea on the industry competitors as well as the potential entrants, the suppliers, the buyers as well as the substitutes of the firm. Further, with the product marketing strategy, it becomes easier to explore the different aspects linked with brand positioning, competitive differentiation as well as the enablement of the sales process. The different stages of the product life cycle also assist in the growth and the development of the improved strategy of the firm accordingly. This is critical to the identification of the product and thus it will assist in positioning the firm through improved means. Moreover, after going through the contingency theory, it has become easier for me to develop the strategic fit concept and thus manage the firm through improved means. The different types of the strategic planning process that is associated with the resources have taught me to tackle the financial stability, the cash flow and the management of capital of a firm. An example that I can cite in this case includes the assistance provided by me to my peer related to the positioning strategy of a new start-up consultancy by my peer that has been planned to solve the strategic problem of the customers and thus carrying out the competitive strategy through improved means.

Reflection on skills developed during pursuing MBA
The skills that have been developed by me during the MBA course include strategic analysis and the thinking process, communication skills, networking rights, time management, professional pragmatism as well as the decision-making process. With the help of all these skills, it has become easier for me to learn how to balance different aspects and thus keep time for myself even if I am involved in pursuing the course (Ginting et al., 2020). An example that I can cite in this case includes the decisions that had to be undertaken by me during my internship process as I was provided with the sole responsibility of managing the HR department of a start-up company.

Moreover, this internship process has also assisted me to develop my leadership skills as I am involved in working towards the same agenda and thus carrying out the task accordingly.

I have also learned to develop and maintain professional pragmatismwhile pursuing my MBA degree. This was possible only when I was assigned to manage a team of my juniors who collaborated with me to complete an assignment. On the other hand, another example that I can cite in this case is my team management during the period of my internship where I was incharge of the entire HR department and I had to manage 20 employees who were working with the company(Ginting et al., 2020). Though I had an idea of professional pragmatism, but during this period, I have learned how to be level-headed as well as realistic in carrying out the task. Further, as most of the companies are involved in searching out the correct vision as well as finding out those employees who are open to improved avenues of the networking process, I have learned the importance of this aspect and thus I think this would assist me in future to handle the critical position (Rubens et al., 2018). I have also understood the importance to take control of the stock of information, the data, and the other linked aspects associated with solving the broad problems quickly.

Reflection on how these will assist in future career endeavors
I can say that the development of different skills such as leadership, time-management, professional pragmatism, strategic analysis, and thinking, networking as well as tackling the high-pressure situation will make me fit to handle any position. Moreover, all these skills will also help me to handle the organization single-headedly and thus grow myself in any organization. I can also interact with my seniors and thus gather an in-depth understanding of the situation. On the other hand, with the help of my networking skills, it will be much better for me to attain the best offers as well as the network-driven success that is crucial to be successful in any particular position(Wickam, 2018). The different types of learning tools will assist me in my academic and professional career as there is no such position better than the MBA.

I will also learn to make ethical decisions after pursuing the MBA course and thus I am sure that this would assist me in the future There have been systematic attempts made for the development of knowledge and experience through interpersonal and people management skills. This will assist me in sharpening the business skills and thus I can achieve an improved sense of professional fulfillment(Turner et al. 2018). I have also tried my best to explore the business culture, develop a responsible leadership strategy and thus improve my professional values to improve the knowledge and confidence for making future decisions related to my career.

Conclusion
Therefore, I can say that reflective thinking assists the leaders and the managers to take proper decisions and thus control the entire situation. The complex business environment can be tackled with the help of self-reflective leaders and managers within the stipulated time frame. It is also my responsibility to check that I possess adequate knowledge of the internal and external resources so that it becomes easier for me to control my teammates and thus advise them to work for the growth and the development of the organization. I must possess the skills to tackle or control critical situation in the organization. Therefore, I can say that reflective practices will assist me to take responsibility, makes decisions, and prepare me to work across different departments in an improved way.

References
Allen, J.G., Harper, R.E. and Koschoreck, J.W., 2017. Social Justice and School Leadership Preparation: Can We Shift Beliefs, Values, and Commitments. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 12(1), p.n1.

Field, R. and Roy, A., 2017. A compulsory dispute resolution capstone subject: An important inclusion in a 21st century Australian law curriculum. Legal Educ. Rev., 27, p.73.

Ginting, H., Mahiranissa, A., Bekti, R. and Febriansyah, H., 2020. The effect of outing Team Building training on soft skills among MBA students. The International Journal of Management Education, 18(3), p.100423.

Greetham, M. and Ippolito, K., 2018. Instilling collaborative and reflective practice in engineers: using a team-based learning strategy to prepare students for working in project teams. Higher Education Pedagogies, 3(1), pp.510-521.

Hammer, S., Abawi, L., Gibbings, P., Jones, H., Redmond, P. and Shams, S., 2018. Developing a generic review framework to assure capstone quality. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(4), pp.730-743.

Oeij, P.R., Gaspersz, J.B., Van Vuuren, T. and Dhondt, S., 2017. Leadership in innovation projects: an illustration of the reflective practitioner and the relation to organizational learning. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 6(1), pp.1-20.

Oh, J., Cho, D. and Lim, D.H., 2018. Authentic leadership and work engagement: the mediating effect of practicing core values. Leadership & Organization Development Journal.

Rubens, A., Schoenfeld, G.A., Schaffer, B.S. and Leah, J.S., 2018.

Self-awareness and leadership: Developing an individual strategic professional development plan in an MBA leadership course. The International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), pp.1-13.

Turner, A.D., Stawicki, S.P. and Guo, W.A., 2018. Competitive advantage of MBA for physician executives: a systematic literature review. World journal of surgery, 42(6), pp.1655-1665.

Wickam, M.J., 2018. Using service-learning to enhance employability skills in graduate business capstones: A dissertation overview. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 22(1), pp.163-174.