First semester of classes officially ended last week, and I am in the process of wrapping up my last few assignments of semester! The first semester of the Business Management masters program was filled with interesting classes, an array of group assignments, and relevant individual papers. Our first semester courses consisted of Human Resource Management in its Strategic Context, Applied Economics for Managers, International Business, Business Innovation, and People, Organizations, and Society. We put what we learned to practice in all of our modules through group assignments. We had to collaborate and write a cohesive paper between up to six group members. Everyone had to take accountability, and as a group everyone had to ensure that there would be no instances of a free rider problem where someone did not do their work. Overall the group assignments went well; the most interesting group assignment was actually in the Business Innovation module because we actually had to come up with, design, and market an innovative project.
The individual assignments were so important because they related not only to our personal lives and careers, but beyond. For example, one of our individual assignments for the People, Organizations, and Society module was designed so that each student picked a particular organization and assessed the employees’ attitudes and motivations, group dynamics, leadership, and organizational culture. We also had to identify a problem within the organization and propose a solution. This assignment was particularly interesting for me because I focuses on a nonprofit law office that I worked at in college. I was so interested because I got to look at the organization more closely than when I worked there, and I also got to understand the financial implications of a nonprofit more in depth. My favorite individual assignment, however, was the individual assignment in my Economics class where we had to look at the economic implications for Irish businesses in response to Brexit. I was so interested in this assignment because Brexit is so relevant right now not only for Ireland, where I am currently living, but also in the Untied States, where I am from. I analyzed the industries in Ireland that would be particularly affected by Brexit, but I also looked at the role of US multinationals in the UK and Ireland and how they would be affected after Brexit.
I really appreciated the opportunity to learn from such knowledgable professors this semester and the opportunity to work so closely with my classmates who are from all over the world. I also appreciate the opportunity to be educated in Ireland this year because it is an interesting time to be in Europe right now, and specifically Ireland, so I am interested to see whether or not the UK will stay in the customs union or the single market first hand.
