The Director of Human Resources Development Ms Busisiwe Ramabodu has secured a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
Ramabodu, who also has a Master’s degree in Psychology, says the MBA will enhance her understanding of management principles and financial skills which are critical competencies in her current role.
‘I currently manage budgets for my Department and grants provided to the University by the Department of Higher Education and Training involving about R70 million,’ she said. ‘Therefore, it is critical to have a solid understanding of finance in order to add value as Director. I also believe that as a professional services leader in HR you need to have a very good grasp of the entire business operation/ or the academy in order to add real strategic value to the organisation.’
Her study titled: A Critical Review of Innovation Management and Drivers of Innovation at South African Universities, aimed to answer the following key questions: (1) Do universities have clearly defined strategies for managing and driving innovation in order to respond to the new rapidly changing world? (2) What are the drivers of innovation at universities? (3) What factors are enablers and barriers to innovation at universities including human capital factors? and (4) Do staff at universities embrace and adopt innovative practices as key contributors?
The study, supervised by Dr Pfano Mashau, found there were several ‘barriers to innovation such as a lack of strategy, bureaucracy, fear of decision-making, intolerance of risk and failure, social spaces, HR processes, and late adoption of innovation by universities. The study also found that although pockets of excellence exist, there were no commonly understood definitions of innovation within universities, and innovation may not be well understood; and there were no broad strategies for managing and measuring innovation success. The recommendation is for universities to cautiously develop metrics,’ she said. ‘For measuring their innovation activities and success in order to ensure that they are aware of whether they are achieving the innovation aspirations and societal impact. However, caution must be exercised as too much regulation and rigid measures may also stifle innovation.’ The study proposes a framework that universities can utilise in order to analyse, assess and develop broad innovation approaches and strategies, which considers five factors.
As a leader who is dedicated to learning and growing, Ramabodu is looking forward to the opportunities she believes the MBA will unlock for her and her career.
The work environment is characterised by disruptive change such as that caused by COVID-19, and what is referred to as VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Chaos and Ambiguity). This means a leader’s skills and capabilities also have to be constantly evolving and updating in order to drive organisational effectiveness. I also think it’s important for anyone who is in a senior leadership role to have a business management qualification, and not just assume that because they have a specialised qualification, they will also understand leadership and management,’ she added.
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Supplied