From general to specific: from general management theory to real company cases
We invited Evgeny V. Balakhnin to tell the students about the way modern organizations of the automotive industry apply management concepts and tools in real practice. The lecture became a unique opportunity to learn firsthand how a company sets up and optimizes business processes, how the industry and market are developing, and how companies react to external changes.
Evgeny V. Balakhnin
“I would like to warmly thank the colleagues from the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg for the opportunity and the professional organization of the event! It was a pleasure to meet and work with such a thoughtful and interested audience. I sincerely wish the students, our future colleagues, great success in their academic and professional activities!”.
This presentation became the final part of the lecture block on the related topics, and the students already had the necessary prerequisites for better understanding of the speaker’s insightful speech - the development of the company's strategic goals and the implementation of changes, the principles of labor organization and key standards regulating various processes in the company, the core principles of effective data management and the metrics that managers of various levels control. The lecture included bright examples of the ways how modern companies adapt and improve the principles of TQM, set and track objectives and key results, build and develop teams, achieve and sustain competitive advantages in a modern environment. The students highly appreciated the content and practical implication of the guest lecture, and in general positively assessed the course, in which the authors aimed at providing as many practical examples as possible through the thorough analysis of diverse business cases and situations from the activities of real companies in Russia and worldwide.
Baurzhan Samarov, 2nd year student of the International Bachelor’s in Business and Economics studying programme, Teaching Assistant of the course.
“The General Management course is a real gateway to the fascinating world of business for the first-year students! It helps the students not only to get acquainted with the theory, but also to understand what it means to be a manager in practice. It's especially remarkable that the bibliography of the course is not limited to textbooks — the students analyzed real cases of companies connected with the topics of the course, and this provided an opportunity to look at the work of large companies from the inside. Guest lecture held by Evgeny V. Balakhnin deserves special attention. His presentation was devoted to logistics, planning and management of production flows. The lecture allowed the students to better understand how the internal processes at enterprises are organized and the importance of competent management in business”.
Prokhor Senchin, 1st year student of the International Bachelor’s in Business and Economics studying programme
"I was excited with studying the discipline. The level of teaching and the quality of the materials we studied are comparable to the best international universities. I have acquired the knowledge and skills that will help me to develop my career anywhere in the world. I would also like to mention the kindness of the teachers and assistants who made the study of the subject clear and enjoyable".
Mikhail Sheikin, 1st year student of the International Bachelor’s in Business and Economics studying programme
"The General Management course at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg was a real discovery for me and an important stage in my educational journey. From the very first lessons, I felt a practice-oriented approach that makes learning not only interesting, but also as useful as possible for my future career. The teachers of the course are real professionals in their field. They are not only loyal and pleasant in communication, but also know how to present their material in an accessible and fascinating way. Each lesson is filled with live examples from real practice, which allows you to better understand the theoretical aspects and their application in business".
For the teachers leading the course, it was very important not only to explain in theory what the principles and tools of modern management are, but also to provide the students with the ground to practice themselves in solving managerial tasks. Therefore, the students performed a lot of tasks in mini-groups: set up communication, addressed the issues connected with leadership, conducted profound analysis and prepared presentations. We are proud of the results as many students have done excellent work and demonstrated advanced time management skills, well-established teamwork, high level of motivation, ability to systematize and analyze diverse sources of information effectively.
Olga A. Shataeva, Adjunct Instructor at the Department of Management
“We aimed at enhancing the students' public speaking skills, including development of presentations with effective visualization. During the course we addressed not only practical tasks, but also laid the foundations for successful subsequent academic activities by familiarizing students with the databases of the most reliable and relevant publications in the field of management".
Marina V. Matetskaya, Associate Professor of the Department of Management
“Since first-year students are only getting acquainted with their major subjects at the University, we paid special attention to the design of the discipline in order to provide a complex overview of the general idea of management, its functions and tools that are available to modern specialists. Also, it was essential to show the differences between industries and various types of organizations, the role of people and leaders who form the values and rules of work in companies. We managed to look at different types of organizations, including enterprises and small businesses, get acquainted with the history of companies with long-lasting histories, talk about the specifics of markets and industries, show how the models and theories are applicable to the study of the diverse business world with a variety of managerial issues. It was very nice that last year's students joined the course as teaching assistants".
On behalf of the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Evgeny V. Balakhnin for his excellent lecture and participation in the course! We also thank our colleagues and students for their productive work and compelling course, and wish them success in their studies and new interesting projects!
