MANCOSA celebrates its first graduate of the DBA programme

Magical moments were captured when Dr Emmanuel Jengwa defended his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) thesis at MANCOSA. It was the first DBA thesis to be defended at the institution.

Dr Jengwa who hails from Brakpan in Gauteng undertook research and presented a thesis titled, “The design of an operational excellence strategy implementation model for growth in a VUCA environment” before a panel of international and national examiners, academics and management of private higher education institution, MANCOSA.

MANCOSA’s DBA programme has been designed for candidates who have completed a relevant Master’s Degree and are looking to further develop their practical and theoretical knowledge of the principles that govern private and public sector organisations, through research.

The strength of the DBA programme is centred in MANCOSA’s mission to have an impact on the student’s developing knowledge and skills and to conduct rigorous research that is directly relevant to one’s organisation, industry and community

Professor Magnate Ntombela, principal of MANCOSA, said the milestone of a doctoral graduate is a gratifying one, as it demonstrates MANCOSA’s commitment to societal development along the lines of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 as well as the search for innovative solutions needed for today’s challenges. Importantly, the development of doctoral graduates serves to reinforce MANCOSA’s research agenda whilst entrenching the institution’s position as a prestigious, private higher education institution.

“Dr Jengwa and his fellow students, who are soon to follow his example, showed resilience, and worked hard to overcome challenges, especially during the pandemic,” he said.

In Dr Jengwa’s abstract he states that Global organisations are faced by overwhelming pressure exerted on businesses due to competition. The impact of the global pandemic, COVID-19, technological development, global warming and the recent war in Ukraine, all pronounce characteristics of a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) business environment.

It was against this background that Dr Jengwa pursued a holistic approach to Operational Excellence (OE) implementation for business efficiency and growth through designing a more suitable model for VUCA environment (South African context).

Dr Jengwa said that his DBA programme, from beginning to end, was an incredible journey.

“The guidance, mentoring and supervision that I received from MANCOSA made the burden of adult learning easier. I am grateful for this amazing achievement.

“My dream of becoming the first graduate of the MANCOSA DBA programme came true,” he said.

His final words of encouragement to those embarking on this journey: “You do not have to see the whole staircase.

“Just take the first step, keep your eyes on the prize and that success and excellence is achieved not only by hard work but setting targeted goals, consistence, resilience, perseverance, determination and agility.”

ENDS