Reflection on Capstone in MBA

This reflective essay discusses the learning outcomes through the MBA capstone course and the skills acquired. It also explores the future career endeavors.

Running head: REFLECTION ON CAPSTONE IN MBA
REFLECTION ON CAPSTONE IN MBA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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REFLECTION ON CAPSTONE IN MBA
Introduction
This reflective essay will discuss the learning outcomes through the MBA capstone
course. I am quite excited to share those experiences and thoughts that would add colors to the
reflection. The reflective essay is an interesting way to create an emotional bond with the
readers. The reflection is an effective piece of writing that creates a positive impression on the
readers about the messages shared by author (Rubens et al. 2018). The reflective essay is the
pillar of emotional status that has many levels of understanding. In this particular reflection I will
share my personal learning experience on the theories of Capstone course. Thus, the essay will
encompass a solid nostalgic experience of four theoretical pillars, recalling knowledge on
priority basis and activities on knowledge audit. Building up strategic knowledge, marketing and
product and branding strategies. Learnings and abilities on Innovation and growth strategy and
about different models and tools. Learnings on strong career development and market disruption
related to preparation of future jobs. It provides learning on different research methodologies and
data analysis process and other dynamics of change management (Aithal and Jeevan 2016).
Learning Outcomes from MBA Capstone Course
The quest for knowledge was always high within me and to nurture the managerial skills
and abilities I enrolled myself in the MBA course to gain the management knowledge for
shaping up my career. Now I have reached a level in my life where I can achieve things what I
want and this is all due to the guidance that I got during my MBA Capstone course (Choudary
and Ponnuru 2015). These are few of the principles that I have inculcated in due course of time.
From the Workshop 1, I have learnt the skills of Knowing, Doing and Being which are the basic
reasons to create competitive managers. The Capstone course focusses on the four important

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skills for effective decision making in business which includes theoretical skills, applied skills,
practical skills and reflective skills (Herman 2016). I learnt about the components of the strategic
mindset and also systems thinking which leads me to the linear thinking versus the strategic
thinking. After the successful learning from the workshop 1, workshop 2 teaches about the
knowledge on the theoretical skills and applying several lenses of theoretical skills to understand
the strategic issues. The activity of recalling was a part of the learning in the same workshop that
uses the knowledge about the competitive advantage. The final learning from the workshop 2 is
the theory on revisiting that improves performances and identify the core competencies for
creating the competitive advantages. The workshop 3 has learning elements of strategy making
in respect to the marketing, understanding of product portfolio and strategy. I have learnt insights
on the development of new products. The most important unit of this workshop that I have
underwent is the branding strategy that constitutes of the process and advantage of the branding
of products in the market and creating impact on consumers. The theory of product
differentiation strategies of positioning was the part of learning from this particular workshop.
After this I got to know about the Product Life Cycle and its stages and what strategies to be
implemented in different stages to stay competitive in the market. Therefore, this workshop
includes learning on competitive advantages, market trends and future strategies and operations
of marketing and lastly about digital marketing. Followed by this, in the workshop 4, I got to
learn about the growth and innovation factors that impacts the competitive advantage. The
workshop 5, provides learning on certain topics such as, analytical models and strategies for
effective decision making, strategy framework and designing various models to deliver business.
The learning includes the revisiting of various models of business and complete preparation on

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the competing force. This workshop has a specialized learning ability where it provides
methodological research work to get us prepare for the further workshop.
In the next workshop of MBA Capstone course, I learnt about the data analysis, research
work and role of managers in the researches. I got to know about new concepts of management-
research question hierarchy and problem solving. The learning extracted from the next workshop
is about the effective communication of leadership. The importance of change in the strategy
formation, usage of both the people and process to meet the objective and the most essential
element to create small or big changes as the solutions. The learning from the workshop 9
comprises of the discussion on reporting of business and creating attractive visuals for the
targeted audience. Finally in the workshop 11, I have learned about the trends emerging in near
future and significance of skills of employability. The skills that has scopes in the future market
should be mastered as early as possible and till the time comes we should be able to perform on
the crisis (Thompson, Grantham and Houston 2015).
Skills Learned
Problem solving skills
It is an important skill and has a perfect role in today’s organizations. It helps in solving
the problems and challenges on our ways (Levy and Ramim 2015). Being solution oriented is a
skill that can be in borne as well as can be taught. The way I have been trained under the
capstone subjects on the problem solving behaviour it is a real life experience where in the
institutional classroom we used to get real life situations to meet the requirements by solving the
issues. The subject has taught to be solution oriented and focusing on finding solutions to
problems. The problem solving skills is not easy but simple to acquire (Iqbal, Anwar and Haider
2015). The course taught me to smartly deal with the challenges of life and work.

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Research skills
The safest way to be adapted is the skill to research and stay updated. The market around
us is changing daily with the changing generation. The research helps us to know the history and
background of any particular field and enhances our knowledge about the various dynamics
(Thompson, Grantham and Houston 2015). The research properties that are required for a perfect
research is not to find out things from one single source. The internet resource is the biggest
boon to mankind. This was the most extensive sessions of my training of capstone and indeed
was very effective (Costigan and Brink 2015).
Self-sufficiency skills
The skills that capstone subject covers are influential for both life and work and have
learnings well connected with problems around. It teaches the way how we should be
independent (Herman 2016). Having independent thoughts makes life easier and puts less
pressure on the human minds. The self-sufficiency was taught to me through few objectives and
theories of understanding the need to be self-dependent. The theory of self-sufficiency takes the
best out of us and gives us the power to solve our problems by own (Fitzgerald, Anderson and
Thompson 2015).
Identifying Key Performance indicators
This particular skill I learnt from the MBA Capstone course that teaches to find out the
key elements that would work the best for the organization to frame the strategies (Aithal and
Jeevan 2016). There are few set objectives of an organization for which as a manager I need to
assess the key performance indicators and according to those should built up strategies.

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Consultancy Researches
The Capstone course has supported me with the important phases for the movement of
certain activities in the process (Kuechler and Stedham 2018). I have learnt that nurturing a team
with the intention to fit them in different projects of companies involves high risk factors and
decision full of integrity. For an effective consultancy research process, a set of skills and
abilities are required to proceed with the project. Through this course I learned skills to identify
the right candidate for the right requirement and at the right time. This is the essential need of the
project to get the right talent to meet the requirement of the project. The team members should be
aware of every information equally and must have harmonious relations among each other.
Through this particular segment of the course, I got to learn that there must be harmony in
relations of the team members or else there would be lack in understanding to meet the
objectives and dedication towards the work. The collaboration among the employees and
effective decision models helps in elevating the performance and keeping the business dynamics
clear to understand for all the stakeholders. I have also learnt on the basics of budget allocation
and planning costs for the preparation of a project team and to mobilize the members according
to the company needs.
Implementation of strategy in Marketing
This course taught me the strategic marketing and related activities of an organization.
The marketing forms the heart of the organization and requires efforts to strategize its phases. To
strategize marketing activities the company must include the 7 P’s of modern marketing, the
product strategy, promotional activities and most importantly to consider the factors of growth in
innovation in the product and services (Silbiger 2016). Under this I have also learnt about the
product life cycle which consists of certain stages like, product or service introduction, growing

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stage of that product or service, maturity levels and the declining stage. Further to this, I have
learnt on the branding strategy that includes, the elevation of a particular brand through effective
strategies. To create the brand value and a strong impression on the customers’ minds. The brand
strategy was an important parameter under the capstone course.
Determining Competitive strategy
Under the Capstone course I have thoroughly learnt about this concept as it is one of the
most efficient for an organization to function. In order to be the distinctive business in the market
a company has to identify its core competitive advantage to set it apart from the competitors of
the same product or service industry. The competitive advantage can be identified in terms of the
merits in marketing and other related functions. Next the advantage can be of innovation and
growth or the advantage can be of the existing culture and people. The strategy can be set in
terms of product differentiation and cost structures which is an essential factor in determining the
competitive advantage of a company.
Public speaking skills
The good public speaker is appreciated for the leadership skills. The technique that is
used to inculcate the habits of a good public speaker in the capstone course is incredible and
effective. The teachings I got on the public speaking was all based on practical learnings
(Kuechler and Stedham 2018). It was the most interesting sessions of all as it has the maximum
involvement of students and I have literally enjoyed every time when I was called on the stage
for delivering speeches. It improved both my verbal and writing skills. The public speaking
sessions was conducted every day in the first half of the whole classroom session. It boosts my
confidence and culminates the stage fear (Arashpour et al. 2015). Public speaking skills is the
most essential skills used in the management firms. Even my MBA course had put much efforts

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to make us learn about the managerial skills like public speaking with soft skills training (Buil et
al. 2016). These are some of the competency skills I learnt from the capstone course subject.
And being the student it impacted my personality and created huge change in the overall attitude.
The learning of these skills increased my levels of efficiency than before and made me highly
goal oriented. Practicing these skills had improved complications of life and developed a mind
set for the challenges outside of the classroom. Under the capstone course I got trained on the
consultancy research report which was indeed a big achievement for me (Pardey 2016).
Future career endeavors
These skills are for lifetime. The course that I have underwent in Capstone and in MBA
are all applicable to the real life situation (Choudary and Ponnuru 2015). This is self-tested
because I am getting good offers from well-known MNCs and getting positive responses and
appreciations for skills from interviewers and recruiters. The knowledge and skills of advanced
communication, problem solving behaviour, to be an efficient team player, flexible to targets and
deadlines, managing stress would support me on various management aspects. These skills are
not only useful for my professional life but will highly impact to frame my overall personality.
The learnings that I have got will help me taking good decisions for organizations and potentially
can also teach me to lead teams. The analytical skills that I have acquired will develop managing
stress in workstations and will help me to cope the work pressure. The effective interpersonal
skills that I got to learn will help me to maintain strong relations among the employees and to
create a healthy and learning environment which serves as a motivation both for me and my
colleagues. This would guide me the same as it did till now (Iyengar 2015). It will influence my
behaviour to bring more positivity into work and help me to maintain a work-life balance.

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Conclusion
This reflection on various skills and abilities learnt from the capstone course and the
MBA degree course has remind me of those golden days. Those days are worth remembering as
my personality is based on those skill sets. This essay however deals with all the possible facts
that I have experienced and encountered myself. I have tried to share my personal thoughts at its
best. It contains the description of all the learning that I received from the courses till date and
lastly it talks about future possibilities with these learning outcomes.

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