Professor of Business Administration

The Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Forest Sciences are in the process of creating a joint platform for the Business Administration subject area within SLU. This platform will adopt a two-fold focus on agri-food chains and networks, and on rural-based enterprises. The research will span the entire value chain for food and fibres.

The Department of Economics is now collaborating with the Department of Forest Products at the Faculty of Forest sciences to establish a theme-based approach concerning economic analyses of agri-food and fibre chains networks. This is an integrative approach that seeks to relate to, and include, competences and skills from other key departments within SLU.The two departments offer a stimulating research and teaching environment of a high international standard.

The Department of Economics conducts research related to economic activities regarding the management and sustainable use of natural resources. The profile is based on how business entitles, organisations, and consumers actually behave, their roles within the agri-food sector, and how they can accomplish their formal and informal aims. Subject area: Business Administration, specialising in the organisation and management in food-related supply chains and networks.

Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to lead and develop an internationally strong research group within the stated specialist area, and capable of attracting external funding. It is important that the successful applicant is able to develop and explore collaborative opportunities within the department, as well as with research groups and stakeholders within and outside SLU. The research area represented by this position integrates social, economic and environmental aspects related to the agri-food networks. This means that the successful candidate must interact with the industry, government bodies and other stakeholders in order to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the food sector. Within the specialist area, the successful candidate will also be expected to take responsibility for the planning and development of teaching activities at all levels; to supervise students on a bachelor,master and PhD level and to take part in teaching activities at all levels.The successful candidate should be able to use Swedish as a working language in due course.

MBA Programme

The Edinburgh Business School MBA Programme is a long-established and highly successful programme. Since 2003, the distance-learning route has ranked as the second largest in the world. The Edinburgh Business School MBA Programme is a demanding and broad-based  management degree It enables students to gain core knowledge of subjects fundamental to  management, develop analytical skills which are indispensable in problem solving and  decision making, understand the process of management and human behaviour in  organisations, and gain insights into the changing business, economic, social and political environments which affect the commercial world. 

Student Numbers

The effectiveness of the Edinburgh Business School MBA Programme is demonstrated by its success.  To date, some 12,500 students have graduated from the MBA from 150 countries making it the world’s largest international MBA programme.  All students, no matter which mode of study they pursue, must pass the same examinations and there is no difference in  standards amongst the different modes.

Self-study

The Edinburgh Business School MBA Programme is based on the principle that individuals learn in different ways.  In order to make it possible for students to achieve the MBA who did not wish to, or could not, attend campus the self-study course texts were developed containing the learning resources necessary to succeed. Today, the course texts are augmented by the Edinburgh Business School Course Website. This allows you to post questions to the Faculty through the Faculty Web Board and access case studies and past papers.  The interactive Profiler software also allows you to check your exam readiness by monitoring your performance in the questions at the end of each module. In addition, you have access to both PDF and HTML versions of the course text that make it very easy to search.  You can register for exams, defer exam entries, notify us of any change of details and access your exam results with speed and security through our Student Services website. We find this enhanced learning experience reduces the sense of isolation felt by some distance learning students.

On-campus

Other study routes include the full-time and (part-time) executive on-campus programmes at Edinburgh Business School.  Students learn using the course materials and course websites and receive tuition support from Edinburgh Business School Faculty.  Teaching time is devoted to the value added application of real life situations and case studies/simulations.

In addition to the full-time or executive programmes, it is possible for self-study students to attend intensive four-day seminars or two-day revision sessions. Attendance is not mandatory, and students can choose which, if any, of the course(s) they wish to attend in Edinburgh. Approved learning partners Edinburgh Business School has a network of Approved Learning Partners (ALP), approved by Edinburgh Business School and Heriot-Watt University, which provide academic and administrative support. ALP are appointed only when they have satisfied the approval procedures of Heriot-Watt University.

Business strategies

The concept of sustainable development has received growing recognition, but it is a new  idea for many business executives. For most, the concept remains abstract and  theoretical.  Protecting an organization’s capital base is a well-accepted business principle. Yet organizations do not generally recognize the possibility of extending this notion to the world’s natural and human resources. If sustainable development is to achieve its potential, it must be integrated into the planning and measurement systems of business enterprises. And for that to happen, the concept must be articulated in terms that are familiar to business leaders.

The following definition is suggested: For the business enterprise, sustainable development means adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting, sustaining and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future. This definition captures the spirit of the concept as originally proposed by the World  Commission on Environment and Development, and recognizes that economic  development must meet the needs of a business enterprise and its stakeholders. The latter  include shareholders, lenders, customers, employees, suppliers and communities who are  affected by the organization’s activities.  It also highlights business’s dependence on human and natural resources, in addition to  physical and financial capital. It emphasizes that economic activity must not irreparably  degrade or destroy these natural and human resources.

This definition is intended to help business directors apply the concept of sustainable development to their own organizations. However, it is important to emphasize that  sustainable development cannot be achieved by a single enterprise (or, for that matter, by  the entire business community) in isolation. Sustainable development is a pervasive  philosophy to which every participant in the global economy (including consumers and  government) must subscribe, if we are to meet today’s needs without compromising the  ability of future generations to meet their own.

A business strategy describes how a particular business intends to succeed in its chosen market place against its competitors. It therefore represents the best attempt that the management can make at defining and securing the future of that business. A business strategy should provide clear answers to the questions:

• ·         What is the scope of the business (or offering) to which this strategy applies?
• ·          What are the current and future needs of customers and potential customers of this business?
• ·       What are the distinctive capabilities or unique competence that will give us competitive advantage in meeting these needs now and in the future?

·         What in broad terms needs to be done to secure the future of our business?

These questions should have been addressed during the process of strategy formulation. The processes and techniques and processes described in Part III may have contributed to answering them. In this chapter, we are concerned with some of the practical issues that arise when thinking and analysis leads into action and commitment. We are concerned also with what makes the difference between good and indifferent business strategies. We suggest that a good business strategy will meet six tests of quality:

• ·         It will be correctly scoped.
• ·          It will be appropriately documented.
• ·         It will address real customer needs.
• ·          It will exploit genuine competencies.
• ·          It will contribute to competitive advantage.
• ·          It will lay the ground for implementation.