Facts and figures
The programme at a glancePart of School
Programme information
What to expectAbout the programme
The integrative approach used in Business Pressure Cooker emphasises the connections between the fields of finance, accounting, marketing, operations, human resource management, strategy, and more. By starting with challenges and concepts, rather than lectures, you will develop a holistic and realistic way of doing business.
Over the course of the semester, you will work on a series of case challenges—some of them involving visits to companies. You start with a problem that you will examine in-depth over the course several weeks. In time the pressure to work quickly and efficiently will be increased; culminating in a business case that must be solved in just 24 - meaning you get better and faster with each round.
Moreover, you can choose electives from a broad range of options, for example Critical Thinking, Turning Data into Strategtic Assets, and Presentations & Negotiations.
Method
The way we work at this programme:
- No central lectures, but intensive team coaching and (central) interventions by the coach whenever necessary. This is NOT a traditional programme. The students are in the lead and master their own learning process.
- We use agile consultancy principles, e.g. by helping teams pick and choose the best methods or framework for their unique situation, coaching teams to follow best practices, identifying anti-patterns and ironing these out. And last but not least, ensuring the team isn’t working to work, but is working toward developing recommendations that companies will use.
- Performance and presence in class and during team work are essential. Together with fellow students and lecturers you work towards a possible solution of business problems.
- Self-study is crucial and will be facilitated by recommendations regarding literature (books, articles, websites and videos), and each team has the possibility to reserve specific time slots for question & answer sessions.
- All activities will be executed in teams. All teams have the same problem to solve. However, only the best solutions will earn points for the prestigious Agile Consulting Team Award.
- All activities will be executed in teams. So it is an excellent way to boost your intercultural and multidisciplinary team working skills.
Type of assessment
- Presentations
- Reports
- Portfolio
- Individual assignments
Conclusion: the programme is intense, but very rewarding and an excellent preparation for the “real” world of business.
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this exchange programme then you are able to:
- Work under time pressure and in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team;
- Analyse the current position of the company and the key issues of the situation (The strategic position);
- Develop possible solutions for the business problem at hand and decide on the best one (Strategic choices);
- Construct an implementation plan, integrating operations, marketing, finance and HRM, aligned with your strategic choice (Strategy in action);
- Experience what it is like to be a manager (dealing with time pressure, coping with different personalities and cultural differences within a team, convincing others, making decisions);
- Reflect on your personal skills and your business skills.
Calendar
Block 1
NOTE: Spring 2023 calendar will be published soon. The programme will start on February 6th and finish on June 9th, 2023. The calendar below is from last year.
| Week 1 | 7 Feb - 11 Feb | Intro / events / test |
| Week 2 | 14 Feb - 18 Feb | Immersion - Deep Diving into Business Fundamentals |
| Week 3 | 21 Feb - 25 Feb | Experimenting with Business Fundamentals |
| / | 28 Feb - 4 Feb | Holiday |
| Week 4 | 7 Mar - 11 Mar | Connecting the dots |
| Week 5 | 14 Mar - 18 Mar | Exam / Teaming up |
| Week 6 | 21 Mar - 25 Mar | Exam / Teaming up |
| Week 7 | 21 Mar - 25 Mar | Company, case solving & competing |
Block 2
| Week 1 | 4 Apr - 8 Apr | Case solving & coaching / resit exam |
| Week 2 | 11 Apr - 15 Apr | Case solving & coaching (15/4 public holiday) |
| Week 3 | 18 Apr - 22 Apr | Case solving & coaching (18/4 public holiday) |
| Week 4 | 25 Apr - 29 Apr | Case solving & competing (27/4 public holiday) |
| / | 2 May - 6 May | Holiday |
| Week 5 | 9 May - 13 May | Reflection portfolio / case solving & coaching |
| Week 6 | 16 May - 20 May | Assessment / case solving & coaching |
| Week 7 | 23 May - 27 May | Assessment / company & competing |
| Week 8 | 30 May - 3 Jun | Resits; outro / events Farewell dinner & handing over of certificates |
Please note the following:
- This is a preliminary calendar and subject to changes, start and end date are fixed.
- Your presence in Rotterdam is essential for the programme.
- The programme will be blended, mostly offline combined with online elements.
Awarding
After completing your exchange programme at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, you will receive a:
- Transcript of records;
- Certificate attesting to your participation in the Agile Consulting programme.
Please note: you only receive a certificate if you complete the entire 30 ECTS programme.
Subjects
An indication of the subjects you can expectBlock 1 and 2
-
Strategic Manager (8 ECTS)
Strategic Manager (8 ECTS)
Topics
- Strategic management
- Strategic planning : strategic position, strategic choices, strategy in action
- Managing the team
- Risk management and mitigation
Learning materials
- Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, 11th edition (2017), Johnson, Scholes & Whittington
- Various cases and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Distinguish the company’s key issues in a given business situation.
- Make strategic decisions based on a structured analysis of the company’s internal and external position.
- Formulate strategic goals that make effective use of the company’s core values and resources.
- Formulate specific KPIs to evaluate strategic choices.
- Integrate different departmental interests into coherent and consistent implementation plans.
- Negotiate between different departmental interests, while taking the strategic goals into account.
- Advise the organisation on business model optimisation, including the impact on sustainability
-
Marketing Manager (3 ECTS)
Marketing Manager (3 ECTS)
Topics
- Marketing strategy
- Creating sustainable competitive advantage
- Value chain and value creation
- Competitor & portfolio analysis
- Customer journey
Learning materials
- Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, 11th edition (2017), Johnson, Scholes & Whittington
- Various cases and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Identify company’s several product market combinations and its value propositions.
- Judge the impact of a change in strategy on the company’s marketing mix.
- Justify the choice of (new) segmentation-targeting strategy.
- Create a (new) value proposition, based on the customer’s needs and the competitors in the market.
- Outline a detailed marketing mix plan: a marketing communication plan, a (new) product development plan etc. aligned with the company’s (new) strategic goals.
-
Human Resource Manager (2 ECTS)
Human Resource Manager (2 ECTS)
Topics
- Strategic workforce planning
- Organisational growth
- Internal analysis : Mc Kinsey 7 S Framework
- Mergers, Acquisitions & Restructuring
- Change management
Learning materials
- Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, 11th edition (2017), Johnson, Scholes & Whittington
- Various cases and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Explain how employees create value for the company and its customers.
- Judge the impact of a change in strategy on Human Resource Management.
- Assemble an effective team for a specific business task.
- Translate the new strategy into requirements for staff.
-
Operations and IT Manager (2 ECTS)
Operations and IT Manager (2 ECTS)
Topics
- Business Process Engineering
- Supply chain
- Value chain
- Make or buy decisions
- Automation, robotization and digitalisation
Learning materials
- Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, 11th edition (2017), Johnson, Scholes & Whittington
- Various cases and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Identify and map the operations process of the company to show the value creation process of the company for its customers.
- Judge the impact of a change in strategy on the company’s operations process.
- Decide on the best solution for operations while taking the company’s costs and social responsibilities into account.
- Redesign the operations process to align with a new strategy, realizing the new company’s operations objectives.
- Include the use of automation and digitalisation in the company’s strategy.
-
Finance Manager (3 ECTS)
Finance Manager (3 ECTS)
Topics
- Financial ratios (calculation and interpretation)
- Balance sheet and Income Statement
- Forecasting
- Investment decisions
- Scenario planning
- Cash flow management
- Business plan
- Risk management
Learning materials/book list
- Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, 11th edition (2017), Johnson, Scholes & Whittington
- Various cases and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Explain the financial position of the company in terms of capital inflow and outflow.
- Evaluate the impact of a change in strategy on capital inflow and outflow.
- Capital budgeting: determining which projects the company should pursue based on their merits.
- Evaluate the various options to finance a particular newly identified investment opportunity.
- Develop a solid financial plan for the company or project
-
Business Manager Skills (6 ECTS)
Business Manager Skills (6 ECTS)
Topics
- Critical thinking
- Decision making
- Bridging theories and praxis
- Building arguments and convincing others
- Managing time
- Performing under pressure
- Working in international and multidisciplinary teams
Learning materials/book list
- Workshops and handouts
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to develop and reflect on the following business skills:
- Critical thinking
- Bridging theories and praxis
- Building arguments and convincing others
- Decision making
- Managing time
- Performing under pressure
- Working in international and multidisciplinary teams
And you are able to describe and reflect development on the following skills:
- Innovation driven
- Explore driven
- Interactive learning
- Knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing
- Collaborative working
-
Turning Data into Strategtic Assets - AI Fundamentals - Elective (3 ECTS)
Turning Data into Strategtic Assets - AI Fundamentals - Elective (3 ECTS)
Elective (choose 2 out of 4)
This elective is offered in block 1.
Topics
- Introduction on Big Data (What is it, how to support the company’s strategies or management decisions, what is the effect on the client’s behavior, examples).
- What are the strengths & opportunities and what are the weaknesses & threats in the Big Data market, what are latest developments.
- How to ensure Big Data quality and what about the analysis itself (introduction of an example); What roles do we see, Governance & Risk Management (Datamanagement). How to ensure privacy for citizens and what challenges do we see for global companies; security on the internet.
Learning materials
As this course is primarily an introduction course, meant to familiarise yourself with the underlying topics, anything you can find yourself on these subjects and bring into the course will be welcomed. You will be asked for input regularly.
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Describe the role of (Big) DATA within the company’s strategy.
- Make the business case for Big Data in terms of Return on Investment.
- Assess Data Management in terms of chances instead of problems.
- Discuss the impact of Big Data on matters of privacy.
-
Critical Thinking - Elective (3 ECTS)
Critical Thinking - Elective (3 ECTS)
Elective (choose 2 out of 4)
This elective is offered in block 2.
Topics
- Introduction to Critical Thinking in Business
- Defining argumentative claims
- Identifying parts of argument in paragraphs, short essays, visuals, and short videos
- Mapping short arguments
- Logical Fallacies and appeals in argument
- Evaluating short arguments
- Class debate
Learning materials
Powerpoints and assignments.
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Identify arguments versus facts and opinions.
- Identify the parts of argument (claims, reasons, evidence, objection, refutation).
- Visualise complex arguments using argument maps.
- Identify and understand logical fallacies.
- Evaluate complex written arguments.
- Participate in a debate using theories of argumentation and evaluation.
Create effective arguments in favour of a particular position
-
Presentations and Negotiations -Elective (3 ECTS)
Presentations and Negotiations -Elective (3 ECTS)
Elective (choose 2 out of 4)
This elective is offered in block 2.
Topics
- How to structure a convincing presentation?
- How to prepare a negotiation?
- Presentation, negotiation and debating tactics
- Body language
- Reflection and feedback
Much attention will be paid to practical assignments and reflection on own skills. Guest speakers from companies will participate in the workshops and share their experiences in international negotiations.
Learning materials
Articles and videos are distributed via Moodle
Learning outcomes
If you have successfully completed this course, then you are able to:
- Describe presentation and negotiation requirements in (international) business situations.
- Apply presentation and negotiation techniques.
- Analyse and reflect on his/her own presentation style.
- Behave professionally and effectively in presentation and negotiation.
- Demonstrate his/her (business) presentation and negotiation skills within “real life” cross-cultural (business) situations.
-
Information Security - Elective (3 ECTS)
Information Security - Elective (3 ECTS)
Elective (choose 2 out of 4)
This elective is offered in block 1 or 2.
Topics
- Risk-management and business continuity management.
- System/data access
- Attack and answer
- When things go wrong
- Privacy
- Sources of intel
Learning materials
Vacca, J.R. (2014), Managing Information Security, ISBN 978-0-12-416688-2. Second edition. Waltham USA, Elsevier Open source resources.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course the student is able to:
- Be aware of threats and chances in the information security domain.
- Explain and understand the basic concepts, and best practice models, of information security.
- Have knowledge of the relevant laws concerning information security.
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Practical matters
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