Overview
The Centre for Business Analysis and Research (CBAR) is home to a variety of important programmes and initiatives at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
CBAR has been created to nurture collaboration and identify critical synergies among the various programmes and initiatives undertaken at GIBS. The full weight of GIBS' renowned faculty and academic networks are brought to bear on delivering pertinent academic programmes and building a central core of knowledge and research to support business.
Over the past few years GIBS has initiated a number of programmes, the central purposes of which are to
- bring to the fore the most critical and pressing issues facing businesses in developing countries
- extend and deepen the content of GIBS' academic core
- facilitate and enrich GIBS' interactions with broader society and the business context
- contribute to the internationalisation of GIBS' perspectives and networks
- promote the GIBS brand in the field of management education
- position GIBS as a leading expert on South African-focused management research.
These programmes take a variety of forms, ranging from both academic to practical, and are led by experts in their fields who wish to make a contribution to research, global best practice and sharing this knowledge with South African businesses to enhance competitiveness.
GIBS is fortunate to have attracted support and funding for many of these initiatives, and to work in close collaboration with these partners to develop general management.
Established programmes include:
Base of the Pyramid HubThe Base of Pyramid (BOP) context is a rapidly expanding area of research. Interest, however, is not only confined to academic communities but importantly also amongst global businesses competing to enter and expand operations into low income markets in emerging economies. The GIBS BOP hub aims to address some of the information shortages which increase risk and prevent companies from being able to serve low income consumers.
The purpose of a dedicated hub will be to foster, aggregate, codify and disseminate knowledge and innovation relevant to the BOP. This information will be drawn from diverse sources including BOP communities, NGO’s, government, academic sources, global best practice models and businesses operating in the BOP space in order to promote the concept of inclusive markets.
Workshops, forums, publications and conferences will be offered to share best practice, discover operational models and encourage innovation. This in order for firms to profitably engage low income communities across the value chain by employing and procuring from and partnering with members of the BOP.
The GIBS BOP hub aims to act as aggregators and disseminators of global BOP knowledge in order to
- Stimulate innovation in BOP
- Assist companies in their low income market strategies and thinking
- Develop entrepreneurs in low income communities
- Contribute toward poverty alleviation and the building of a competitive economy
- Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of BOP pilot projects.
- Build a BOP ecosystem with diverse stakeholders
- Build GIBS’ reputation as a trusted source of BOP knowledge.
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Transnet Programme in Sustainable Development
How business functions in the context of the interdependence of the economy, society and the environment forms the basis of sustainable business. Sustainability presents business with unique challenges that, until recently, were dismissed as relatively unimportant. However, the level of awareness and debate of key sustainability issues such as poverty, energy security, climate change, water and food security, has increased exponentially over the past couple of years. Notably, the King III Code of Governance for South Africa places sustainability, responsible leadership and corporate citizenship at the core of corporate governance.
In May 2008 GIBS established, with funding from Transnet, an academic programme in sustainable development. Managed by Claire Thwaits, the programme aims to mainstream sustainability into GIBS’ activities both externally through its teaching and research, and internally in its campus operations. The programme is made up of the following activities:
- Academic modules – both core and elective
- MBA and doctoral research
- Corporate education programmes including: Executive Education courses and Company Specific Programmes
- GIBS Forums and conferences
- Greening the GIBS campus through internal sustainability activities.
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Programme for Digital BusinessThe Programme for Digital Business covers three focus areas:
• Digital Enterprise
• Digital Media
• Digital Economy
Digital Enterprise
Practically any business today relies on information technology to manage mission-critical functions that drive operational efficiency, establish customer intimacy and improve market competitiveness. Increasingly, senior management need to understand the vital role that IT plays in their organisation and treat Enterprise IT management and governance as a strategic business function. Indeed, the King III report places responsibility for IT governance, performance, risk and expenditure firmly in the hands of the company’s board and its management.
Through executive courses, cases studies and public events GIBS demonstrates to senior management across all sectors how companies can achieve real competitive advantage from computing and information technologies, and what systems to put in place to ensure return on their IT investments.
Digital Media
The global media landscape is changing rapidly as a result of the convergence of telecoms, IT and media. The digitisation of content (music, TV, movies, news, books, etc.) combined with the ever increasing sophistication of computing devices and almost ubiquitous Internet access gives consumers today the ability to access high quality information and entertainment from anywhere in the world, often for free. This is driving competition and innovation but at the same time, threatening long-standing business models as well as challenging incumbents who must adapt quickly or risk declining influence. Governments and regulators are tasked to facilitate this trend to the benefit of consumers and local industry, but in many countries the complexity of the legal, commercial and technology issues involved often outstrip the ability of public bodies to set policy, legislate and regulate in order to stimulate an open, competitive market.
GIBS contributes to the pan-African regulatory environment, enhancing the skills and capabilities of public- and private-sector role players. GIBS offers educational and networking opportunities that focus on leading-edge technological and commercial advancements in digital media, and their impact on society and local industry. GIBS also offers general management and leadership skills development to ensure the establishment of effective regulatory authorities in Africa.
Digital Economy
Africa is too often portrayed in negative terms, creating a false view of the continent as a place of insurmountable problems. The reality is very different. Using the old maxim of ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, there are many examples where local innovation and entrepreneurship are creating solutions that tackle directly many of the challenges faced throughout sub-Saharan Africa, as well as developing local skills and nurturing small businesses. ICT has been shown to be a key driver of a nation’s economic growth. As Africa goes increasingly online, the opportunities are increasing for entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the continent, often in partnership with multinational companies, to apply computing and communications technology in areas such as education, health, financial services and rural development, as well as opening up Africa to a global market.
GIBS sources international best practices from leading ICT companies operating in Africa and beyond and combines this with its base of research knowledge to create a blueprint for innovation and business growth in emerging markets.
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IMPERIAL Logistics Supply Chain & Logistics ProgrammeThe Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and IMPERIAL Logistics, a global leader in logistics and supply chain management have partnered to form the Supply Chain and Logistics Programme at GIBS. The partnership provides advanced teaching and research in the fields of logistics, supply chain and transportation management. The essence of the partnership between GIBS and IMPERIAL Logistics, in creating the Programme for Supply Chain and Logistics Management, is to establish a centre of excellence along several dimensions.
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