Special Message from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad

MESSAGE FROM PATRON

Successful corporations require a pool of high-calibre managers in respective fields. As Malaysia strives to climb the economic ladder, this workforce is critical in the country’s endeavour to develop and sustain an economy that is sustainable, competitive, dynamic and resilient. I acknowledge the active role of the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia in organising senior management development programmes in Malaysia that are conducted by the Harvard Business School professors. As Patron of the Club, I find your efforts in guiding young and middle-level managers commendable as it opens up an avenue to sharpen their thinking skills in the area of business and management strategies, based on actual case studies of other established companies. However, the Club must be fully committed not only to providing training in the field of management of business and finance, but also in the areas of ethics, morality and values. Ethics in business and government are important. Wealth without work, knowledge without character, and business without morality leave a trail of scandals and failures that we can only be ashamed of. Members of the Harvard Business School Alumni Club comprise those who had served or are serving in the Malaysian government and the private sector at senior levels. You have a common interest. You should contribute and share your expertise and knowledge in business and management with the younger generation. The future leaders in business and government are the youth of today. They must be given ample opportunity to acquire knowledge, gain experience and explore new things, especially in this Digital Age. The graduates of tomorrow should also aspire to be job creators, not mere job seekers.

The advent of the gig economy, the sharing economy and the K-economy demands a thorough overhaul of how things are taught in classrooms and on campuses. The Harvard Business School alumni should take the lead by sharing the ethics, relevant ideas and useful feedback with policy-makers and other stakeholders in reshaping our education system to meet the fast-changing pace of the Digital Age. Former prime minister of Malaysia & Club Patron, TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD

SENIOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

& ASEAN SENIOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Senior Management Development Program

The Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia (HBSACM) Senior Management Development Program (SMDP) is a fully residential two-week program organised since 1980. Based on the Harvard Business School model for its Executive Education Program conducted in Boston, the SMDP uses the Case Study Method as the medium for learning and involves full participation of the students in a real-case scenario. Four senior professors from Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, will conduct the program covering four modules. The SMDP has successfully trained more than 2,500 senior managers and contributed to the professional development of the practising managers, who have potential for bigger responsibilities.

Asean Senior Management Development Program

The HBSACM Asean Senior Management Development Program is a one-week fully residential program facilitated by two senior HBS professors. It is designed to emphasize the broad elements of business and to provide key tools and concepts for competing in a global economy. This program is purposefully structured to promote dynamic interaction, sharing of thoughts and experience among participants with significant managerial experience and professional backgrounds in diverse industries both from the public and private sectors.

The Case Study Method

The Harvard Business School case study method encourages participants to assume the roles of the managers involved, as they analyze and discuss management challenges. This learning by analogy challenges conventional thinking and maximises the takeaway value for the sponsoring companies. Under the faculty’s guidance and probing, participants will learn to appreciate the different issues affecting the various cases.

They learn, analyze facts and situations, define problems, formulate solutions, compare options, commit to an action plan and sell the merits of their respective positions to their colleagues. All case studies are written and selected to encourage in-depth examination of the critical issues addressed in each course. A single case, for example, might involve operating policies, accounting methods, marketing strategies and management styles. Cases also involve a vast range of organisations.

Participants

The selection of participants ensures that the group of men and women involved in the Program are from diverse industries and professional backgrounds to provide them with the opportunity to draw from each other’s experiences. The Program is designed to actively engage the participants and sustain a high level of stimulation and involvement. To ensure in-depth discussions, participants would have reached a fairly high level of seniority in management within their respective organisations.

Group Interaction

Every facet of the Program from the selection of participants to the design of living groups to team-building activities is purposely structured to promote dynamic interaction among participants. This constant interchange not only produces a rich pool of knowledge, but also allows participants to share their business and professional experiences, challenges and motivate one another and provoke new ways of thinking.