Huge skill and determination is needed to achieve a Masters in Business Administration, especially when working full-time. Here with a unique inside track on the demanding course, areas of specialism, and reflections on this remarkable experience and achievement is the Airdri Group Technical Product Manager based in Guangzhou – Bill He MBA.
Please share what you covered in your MBA Studies at the South China University of Technology.
“In my MBA studies I consciously constructed a knowledge system focused on ‘enhancing the comprehensive management and transportation of manufacturing enterprises in the context of globalization’. I am particularly focused on the integrated learning of several key modules:
1. With Operation Management as the core: in-depth study of company operation and supply chain optimization aiming to consolidate the hard power foundation of enterprise efficiency and cost.
2. Using Organizational Behavior as an engine: researching how to activate teams, design incentive mechanisms, lead change, solve the problem of ‘people’ in efficiency improvement, and make the system run efficiently.
3. With Brand Innovation and Management as the direction: explore how to transform manufacturing advantages into market brand value and customer loyalty, and find new growth paths for enterprises.
4. Based on Entrepreneurial Ethics: I focused on how to go beyond the role of a ‘factory’ and build sustainable competitive advantages for businesses through responsible operations and brand innovation. All these business practices are based on a sustainable, ethical decision-making framework, ensuring that development is long-term and responsible.
Your favorite parts of the course?
“I liked all courses – most tutors are high-level from different fields. Some of them undertake national projects, some are commissioned by local governments to provide advice on new policies, and some hold positions in enterprises. My favorite courses included Operations Management, Organizational Behavior, Brand Innovation and Management, Entrepreneurial Ethics, and Communication Management.
What was it like to combine working and high-level study?
“This feeling can be summarized as ‘learning in practice, reshaping in learning’. This was a highly condensed and tense life experience. If I use three key phrases to describe it, they are: the ultimate test of physical and mental strength, the rapid construction of systematic thinking, and profound gratitude.
Firstly, it is an honest challenge to personal limits. The previous year and a half I had almost no complete weekends, and I spent every day switching between work and coursework, which indeed made me feel exhausted. Just like driving two high-speed ships at the same time, it requires extreme focus and time management. But this kind of ‘busyness’ and ‘pain’ is precisely the process of instantly applying classroom theory to work practice for verification. The supply chain problems encountered during daytime work may lead to new ideas in operational management cases at night. The confusion of team management suddenly becomes clear in the theory of organizational behaviour. The growth brought about by this cycle of ‘learning and using, learning and using’ is explosive.
Secondly, the greatest happiness comes from the transformation of this ‘pain’. When the theory of human motivation improves the team atmosphere and supply chain management is applied in practice, this joy is not simply acquiring knowledge, but forging a core ability to systematize, structure, and solve complex problems.
Finally, the most precious harvest of this journey is far more than just a diploma. It made me feel the power of support like never before:
·The recognition and motivation that the company has shown me the resonance between hard work and organizational development;
·The unconditional love and tolerance of my family is my most stable backup;
·The friendship that comes from discussing and fighting side by side with classmates late at night is a comradely understanding and support.
The Airdri Group is very proud of you and your success. How did the Group’s support help you?
“Looking back on this learning experience, the support provided by the company was an indispensable cornerstone for me to successfully complete my studies. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude. Firstly, it is practical and crucial economic support. The tuition assistance provided by the company has directly relieved me of the biggest worry of pursuing an MBA, allowing me to devote myself to my studies without any worries. I am deeply grateful for this investment.
Secondly, there is spiritual encouragement from the headquarters leadership. What particularly moved me was that every time my colleagues from headquarters visited Guangzhou, they would pay special attention to my learning progress, especially Bruce, Steve, Simon, and Nicki. In a situation where few people in the Guangzhou team were aware, this inquiry from afar gave me a great sense of identification and motivation to persevere. The feeling of being remembered is very precious.
Finally, it is the silent yet powerful support of the team around us. Although I don’t always say what I’m busy with, whenever I need to coordinate time or share work, team members always lend a helping hand without hesitation. Their understanding and responsibility have created a space for me to balance work and studies. These forms of assistance – from funding, to care, to collaboration – together constitute the warmest support system in my journey. I sincerely thank the company, headquarters leaders, and my team, and look forward to applying what I have learned better to my work, repaying this trust and support.”
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