By: Syazwan
The Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation under the Management and Organisation (MNO) department is one of the seven specialisations offered by the NUS Business School and is the one we espouse as the NUS Human Capital Society. We firmly believe in the value that this specialisation brings to the undergraduate community in preparing them for their future careers even outside the field of Human Capital Management (HCM).
What makes the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation such a viable choice as a primary or secondary specialisation to a NUS Business School student?
“The MNO Specialization is unique in that it touches upon the very intangible human element that is present in any relationship, be it business or otherwise,” says Deon, a Year 4 NUS BBA (MNO) student.
In fact, there is so much to cover that a one-liner or even a paragraph would be insufficient to elaborate on this response hence we have written this article to raise awareness of what the specialisation can do for you! We have divided the article into 3 main sections based on 1) the skills set it provides you with and the value it brings to both 2) HCM and 3) non-HCM career paths. We hope that by the end of the article, you will gain a deeper understanding of the specialisation and why you should consider including it in your curriculum toolkit in the NUS Business School!
What are some skill sets one would cultivate within the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation?
The specialisation was developed with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Institute of Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) competency frameworks in mind to prepare our students for a career in Human Capital Management. The lessons, concepts and ideas taught within the various modules in the specialisations fit into the stipulated competencies within this framework. This ensures a holistic development of the skills needed to be an effective member of the workforce upon graduation.
The key objective of the specialisation is to equip us with the relevant Human Resources (HR) knowledge and capabilities needed to excel in the workplace of the future. This can be broken down into two main areas, 1) behavioural-based competencies and 2) HR knowledge.
Behavioural based competencies deal with how we handle different situations and our responses to them. These competencies include areas such as Negotiations, Communications, Change Management among a wider variety of skills. As Natalie, a Year 4 NUS BBA (MNO) student posits, “The deep reflection that goes on in every MNO class allows me to really understand more about myself, and learn and improve to become a more effective person”. By developing these competencies, students would be better equipped to handle the increasingly Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) world of the future.
With regards to HR knowledge, the specialisation aims to provide an even understanding of HR, its functions, duties and responsibilities. This involves intensive coursework in the field of Human Capital Management as well as Employee Relations, the key pillars of HCM. In imparting such knowledge, students would be better able to handle a spectrum of HR-related activities in the future potentially as part of their HR careers.
Encapsulating these two elements is the development of leadership capabilities that are inculcated from the behavioural competencies and HR knowledge taught within these modules. Ultimately, the aim of the specialisation is to merge these two competencies cohesively to pioneer effective leadership within students.
What are the benefits from the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation in the field of HR?
There are a variety of benefits that can be derived from an education in the specialisation. These include the development of leadership capabilities, an understanding of the field of HR consulting and, naturally, an understanding of HR in companies.
As previously mentioned, the specialisation allows for the development of leadership capabilities within individuals. “For modules like BSN3811, it provides us with the same rigour of treating HCM as if we were treating financial capital management, with various theories and concepts that are newer in the currently underrated field of people strategy and people analytics,” says Fanfei, a Year 4 NUS BBA (MNO) student. This has benefited students who wish to start off their careers in management associate programmes where they can exercise these capabilities while rotating across different functions in HR.
Some students from the specialisation choose to focus on the consulting field, leveraging on the lessons learned to design policies surrounding certain HR functions. For example, some may go on to be compensation consultants that handle issues related to this area for instance.
Lastly, naturally speaking, the specialisation prepares students to be In-House HR professionals for their organisations. The broad scope of the specialisation in preparing our students for a range of HR functions ranging from Talent Acquisition to Talent Management and more, allowing them to excel in these fields. Syazwan, a Year 4 NUS BBA (MNO) student mentions, “The lessons learned in the MNO modules have given me a fundamental understanding of what I need to do in my HR internships and how I can add value to companies”.
Overall, the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation, as intended, has a strong level of coverage in preparing the students for a future and career in HR and other fields across a variety of internal roles and functions.
How can the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation value add to those from a different specialisation?
The specialisation can also provide synergistic benefits with other specialisations depending on its application. Given the wide berth and variety of lessons taught within the modules, there is bound to be concepts and ideas that can greatly benefit individuals who choose to pursue it as a second specialisation in their curriculum.
One such example can be found in the synergy between Business Analytics (BA) and the Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation. By combining the skills from these two specialisations together, deeper insights can be gathered to more effectively value-add to the work done. The Leadership and Human Capital Management specialisation can enhance the analytics skills of a person by adding the dimension of behavioural competencies and HR knowledge to their analysis, further strengthening it. From such a cohesion, powerful, people-centric policies can be crafted from the analysis of data and metrics in organisations.
Justin, a Year 4 NUS BBA (Finance) student mentions, “While I’m not an MNO spec (nor have I done a HR internship), the topic of “teams” in MNO really gave me perspective about how to understand and communicate effectively during workplace meetings”. It is evident that the specialisation does indeed have its benefits beyond the intended job scope of HR and HCM.
The above represents just one way that the specialisation can add value to the other specialisations in bringing about hidden synergies that exemplify your work to new heights!
The Leadership and Human Capital Management Specialisation in a nutshell
The specialisation can add value to any student’s educational curriculum be it as a main specialisation or even a secondary one. The values, lessons and ideologies it adds to our repertoire allows for cohesive synergies to develop from within the classroom towards real world applications. Ultimately, the specialisation prepares you to be a leader and an HR professional in the field. “I feel that the biggest takeaway was the practical skills I picked up that can be applied next time in the workplace or even in my own personal life”, says Chong Kiat, a Year 4 NUS BBA (MNO).
Pictured: Prof Wu Pei Chuan, Senior Lecturer with the MNO department
Professor Wu Pei Chuan, our Society’s Advisor and Senior Lecturer with the MNO department mentions that “If HR is a calling for you, for instance, when you look at HR Issues, people, talent management, you may be keen to help people find jobs, find their passion, chart their career pathways, if you are passionate about tasks of these nature, HR would be a good career path for you.”
We hope that this has been an informative piece that has shed light on the specialisation and of what it can value-add to you in your time in the NUS Business School. Feel free to check out our comprehensive MNO Module Infobank to find your peers’ reviews on the modules they have taken under the specialisation to allow you to make a more informed decision during module registration! Should you have any further inquiries or clarifications, do feel free to contact us at nushcsoc@gmail.com.
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