Human Capital Management

My decision to pursue the 9-month Master of Science in Management Studies (MSMS) program on offer at MIT Sloan School of Management was largely influenced by Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Business Administration invitation as one of the participating schools for this prestigious program. CUHK’s inclusion affords me the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong desire of acquiring a top-notch global business education from a world-class university.

If accepted, enrolling for the MSMS program at MIT will be a kind of a homecoming. This is because of my prior sojourn to the United States for educational and vocational purposes. I had my college education at both Bentley College, Massachusetts and Washington University in St.Louis, Missouri, and I also had a professional stint at the Human Capital Practice unit of Deloitte Consulting which took me to American cities like Houston and Los Angeles.

Afterwards, I had to take a diversion to the CUHK to pursue a full-time MBA program with a concentration in China Business. This was to enable me become well-grounded in modern Chinese business practices and also to catch up on developments leading to the emergence of China as the next global economic superpower.

When I learnt about the CUMBA/MIT MSc in Management Studies Dual Degree Option, it turned out to be an opportunity of a lifetime. I discovered that the program will not only permit me to continue expanding on my knowledge of Chinese business but also empower me to develop a solid background on global best practices in international management.

My academic interests will be focused majorly on issues bordering on work, labor, and employment relations as well as human resource management, labor market issues, and related public policies. I will like to investigate how to retain and motivate employees using incentives other than just pecuniary compensation. In addition, I will also be interested in examining key business topics like supply chains and corporate compliance

Enrolling for the MIT Sloan MSMS program will also enable me to take advantage of MIT Sloan’s impressive research facilities and resources. Of particular interest to me is the Institute for Work & Employment Research (IWER), where I will be conducting a considerable piece of the research towards fulfilling my thesis requirements.

I will be glad to tap into the institute’s over 50 years legacy of research and teaching about the changing world of work and employment and discover how I can apply the acquired know-how in the Chinese business terrain.

Also worth exploring for me in greater depth is the MIT Sloan Management Review, the preeminent quarterly academic journal. I am a huge fan of this reliable source of innovative ideas for the 21st century business leader and would love the opportunity to contribute scholarly articles, or even get my Master’s thesis featured in a future edition of the journal.

MIT Sloan’s intellectually engaging student body, forward-thinking faculty, and extensive alumni network complete the list of key reasons for selecting the management school as my preferred destination for advanced degree study.

I look forward to the prospect of meeting and collaborating with great minds, especially Professor Thomas Kochan, Co-director of IWER and George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management. I would be drawing a lot of inspiration from his thoughts and scholarly works on industrial relations, work and employment.

ANSWER TO QUESTION NO. 2

Restructuring Human Capital Management (HCM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China would probably be a thesis topic I would pursue. Why? Because, often times, in China, the primary focus for company managers are how to reduce overhead cost, make huge profits, and deliver the highest possible returns for shareholders.

For managers that care less about long term, this narrow, profit- oriented approach to business may suffice, but only for a very short period of time. However, for companies that want to stand the test of time and survive the vagaries of modern day business, a more balanced management style is non-negotiable.

Of course, most Chinese companies already have structures in place to cater to Human Capital Management, and Corporate Social Responsibility. The essence of this thesis however, is to suggest ways to reform these structures and make it a little more robust and engaging.