MBA600 Capstone: Reflective Essay on Skills Developed in MBA Program

This reflective essay analyzes the learnings and skills acquired during an MBA capstone subject. It begins with an introduction and a summary of reflective capabilities, encompassing knowing, being, and competencies, along with the four essential capstone skills: theoretical, applied, practical, and reflective. The essay provides a personal reflection on the capstone subject, including the consultancy research process, and examines the skills developed throughout the entire MBA program, such as leadership, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Finally, it reflects on how these skills will assist in future career endeavors, including confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to navigate complex business scenarios. The essay concludes with a summary of the key insights and a list of references.

Running head: CAPSTONE SUBJECT
CAPSTONE SUBJECT
Name of Student
Name of University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Summary of essential capstone skills.....................................................................................2
Learnings from the capstone subject and consultancy research process................................5
Reflection on skills developed over the MBA.......................................................................6
Reflection on how these would assist in future career endeavours........................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Capstone subject has been introduced for the purpose of drawing together numerous
strands that are theoretical in nature along with the practical practices on the theory. It has
been considered that theoretical as well as practical practices are inter dependent on each
other, in case student has better theoretical knowledge but does not carry out practical
practices, in this case, the theoretical knowledge would be completely useless because the
student would not have any experience in solving any sort of real life issues and would not
gain any sort of experience of working in the real life practices and implementing the
theoretical, knowledge in their practices (Sillup and Porth 2019). Similarly if an individual,
tends to have practical knowledge by carrying out numerous activities, but he does not have
theoretical knowledge on the similar field, he would not be able to carry out the practices in
an effective manner. This particular assignment discusses regarding the summary of the
reflective capability as well as learnings which includes the being, knowing and
competencies as well as the four required capstone skills. This also presents a persona
reflection on various learnings from the subject of capstone. It also mentions regarding
various skills that had been obtained from the MBA.
Discussion
Summary of essential capstone skills
This assignment reflects on the four skills that are important for a Capstone Project,
the skills include theoretical skills, applied skills, practical skills and reflective skills. Every
skill had its own impact on the knowledge that had been gained from the capstone subject,
this had further helped us in attaining knowledge regarding how we can use these skill in our
carrier (Khan and Ahmed 2018). The field of knowledge are the theories as well as methods
that are necessary for us successful management of numerous organization, this had helped us

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in providing us sufficient knowledge regarding the strategies that could be used for the
purpose of managing any sort of complex projects along with the management of
organizations (Ball and Mattarocci 2018). The doing field of competence had provided us
knowledge regarding various practical applications of the expertise in various real life
situation. The theories that have been used in the previous section are used for the purpose of
attaining practical knowledge (Mattarocci and Ball 2018). The competence field of being had
focused on numerous personal goals as well as values in the aspect of self-reflection.
The knowledge obtained from knowing, doing and being had helped me in attaining
knowledge regarding strategies and skills that I would require for the purpose of being a
better manager. The activities that we were involved in were reading, reflecting and
discussing. We were supposed to read on specific topics and prepare a reflection on that
particular topic (Stein 2018). The reflection prepared by us were discussed with other
teammates. The four capstone skills that we had obtained from this particular subject are
theoretical skills, applied skills, practical skills and reflective skills. With the help of this
particular subject, we were helped in developing as well as advance out understanding of the
above mentioned skills, it had also helped us in gaining knowledge regarding the ways that
could be used for the purpose of implementing these skills in the process of decision making
within a business (Zheng, Zhang and Li 2015). The skills that we had obtained from the are
essential capstone skills are as follows
1. Theoretical skills: theoretical sills had provided us with chances to gather experience
on how various contents that belong to the course and seem to be unelated but
actually are of great value in the process of overlapping (Gut, McKenzie and Ball
2017). This skill had usually provided us with mostly bookish knowledge and not any
sort of practical knowledge, though I feel the theoretical knowledge is very important
for an individual in order to implement the knowledge in real life, if an individual

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does not have any theoretical knowledge regarding the strategies and ideas that would
be required for the practical practices, it would be impossible to implement the
knowledge in business practices (Lee, Mauro and Omomo 2017). This section of
attaining knowledge had helped us in understating the interdependencies as well as
complexities, this is done such that we are able to carry out better decision in our
future life while carrying out business operations.
2. Applied skills: applied skills had enables us to represent the way by which the
curriculum of a business contributes to the entire performance of the business as a
whole (Gray, Boasson and Carson 2015). We were allowed to realise the clear
difference between the theoretical knowledge and the practical knowledge. We were
taught on how the theoretical knowledge could be implemented in real life scenarios.
3. Practical skills: practical skills have proved to be the culmination of the skills
including theoretical, as well as applied (Vach 2018). These are taught to be applied
in a diversity of numerous approaches that could be used by managers for the purpose
of identifying as well as resolving numerous strategic issues. These skills are
experimental in nature unlike the previously mentioned skills, these are to be used for
the purpose of implementing response to numerous business situations (Annan-Diab
and Molinari 2017). These skills are one of the most behavioural he compared to all
the skills.
4. Reflective skills: reflective skills had been one of the most important skills in the
context of this particular subject, it is because this skill would help us in developing
out ability of integrating new data, in order to contemplate its actual meaning as well
as relevance in the aspects of previous knowledge along with culminating into various
decisions if the present beliefs along with assumptions, learning styles, behaviour of

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the basis of what has been learned are to be modified (Dean, Gibbons and Perkiss
2019).
Learnings from the capstone subject and consultancy research process
The capstone subject had provided us with a good opportunity of learning from
various experiences of putting numerous lessons learnt in actual real life practice. One of the
most important education theories had defines the fact that there are numerous ways that
could be used for the purpose of thinking, these include imagination, stream of consciousness
as well as belief (Stein 2018). According to this, we had realized that learnings can occur
with the help of reflection on any sort of experience, this helped us in expressing our
thoughts, opinions, and ideas regarding the experiences in an effective manner. We had also
learnt regarding the fact that reflection is usually referred to a particular process that deal
with meaning making (Witt, Sandoe and Dunlap 2019). This process moves a particular
learner to deep understanding. Of numerous experiences and hence results in linking between
numerous connections. The actual role of the reflection is to figure out meaning, linking
numerous experiences along with knowledge on different fields. Our education has promoted
the activity as well as the process of reflection (Magnanti and Natarajan 2018). From the
capstone subject we had learnt that there is a particular list of criteria which a particular
activity should have in order to make it relevant from the aspects of education, these criteria
includes the fact that the activity should be continuous. Various educational activities like
project are not usually instantaneous in nature, they tend to evolve as days pass by (Hack-
Polay 2018). The project should cover a particular significant span of time and reflection on
project must note the overall progress of the learning and project.
From the subject of capstone, it had been realized that the practical knowledge is
important when compared to theoretical knowledge. This is because the practical work deals
with various experiences or letting students to work with real life scenarios (Carter and

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Stickney 2018). The advantages of the practical work could not be matched with any other
skills. Obtaining the knowledge in the format of theory would be useless if the students are
not allowed to carry out practical tasks where they could apply or implement the knowledge
that had been obtained from the theoretical practices. The practical practices are more
important as compared to the theoretical practices because when students are allowed to carry
out a particular project by themselves, they would remember the outcomes more effectively
compared to the ones we had learnt in our theoretical learnings (Green and Williams 2016).
Practical learning had allowed us in encouraging self-learning, this had not only helped us in
attaining knowledge regarding the practices but also helped in building a standard level of
confidence among ourselves.
Reflection on skills developed over the MBA
From the course of MBA, the skills that would be developed by me are as follows
1. Leadership: the MBA is considered to be regarding the concept of learning forward in
various resources that are brought about in the job and hence readying an individual
for acting as leader. The course of MBA has helped me in the process of inspiring
confidence within myself and develop self-motivation regarding the fact that I can do
a work in an effective manner (Savoie, Bendickson and Edwards 2018). This can
make a particular organisation for which I would work to understand my value and
worth. I have learnt the way that I could use for the purpose of strengthening various
fields of expertise, work with other individuals on numerous projects that are complex
in nature and hence get feedback.
2. Communication: the course of MBA had also helped me in getting my ideas across in
a convincing as well as clear manner. It had prepared me to take the very next step in
my career with the help of teaching me a huge variety of strategies for presenting the

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concepts as well as data (Shah 2019). This would help me in getting an idea on
tailoring my message to the audience while I provide any seminar or conference.
3. Critical thinking: a good leader would not accept data and claim at the face value. We
are taught to ask the analytical questions that are relevant and helps in taking better
decisions (Khan and Ahmed 2018). With the help of striving for understanding a
particular complex scenario, we are enables to find out how various aspects of a
particular business would be related with each other and hence gain various insights
which has the ability to bring about various improvements in the process of
organization (Stein 2018).
4. Creativity: the course of MBA had helped me in designing various creative ideas for
new ventures or a particular fresh angle on various practices. This course provides us
with the knowledge as well as strategies for the purpose of brainstorming, researching
and figuring out numerous concepts that are not only innovating but also exciting
(Sillup and Porth 2019). We have learnt to identify numerous areas of necessity or
chances and undertake the initial steps in the overall process of innovation.
Reflection on how these would assist in future career endeavours
There are various ways by which the skills developed from MBA would be helpful for
me in my future career endeavours, these ways are as follows
1. Confidence and self-esteem: the MBA curriculum has been designed for the purpose
of helping us in improving our self-esteem and confidence. This course has pushed us
from our zones of comfort (Zheng, Zhang and Li 2015). This course helps us in
becoming more self-assured because we undertake numerous tough assignments and
hence prove out competence among our peers. This course would help us in acquiring
various skills as well as knowledge for a specific business because it has been
considered that individuals are able to carry out a contribution to the organizations

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with the help of knowledge that has been obtained from the course of MBA (Dean,
Gibbons and Perkiss 2019).
2. Time management and discipline: MBA programs would help me in developing a
sense of importance of the concept of time management along with the necessity of
discipline among an organisations (Magnanti and Natarajan 2018). The practices that
are undertaken by us within the course of MBA would help us in getting easily
adjusted in the tough as well as disciplined practices followed by organisations. We
are provided tough preparations as well as various practices, these practices are
supposed to complete it witching tight schedules along with maintaining good quality
of the outcomes, none of the aspects are allowed to be compromised, these practices
help us in getting prepared for carrying out numerous activities that are complex in
nature with better understanding (Zheng, Zhang and Li 2015).
3. Prioritizing: the course of MBA helps us in experting the art of prioritizing. Numerous
events and electives seem to be very interesting as well as important, this obliges a
particular individual to choose a specific event in a random manner (Khan and Ahmed
2018). In this case the event with more priority gets delayed and hence might affect
the entire project along with the organization as a whole. This course has helped us in
understating the events that hold more important within a particular organization
along with knowing their priority as compared to other activities or events and know
each ones are supposed to be carried out at first with more dedication (Savoie,
Bendickson and Edwards 2018). We are also made aware of the requirement of
demonstration of professionalism such as we are supposed to take care of being able
to be present as well as prepared for presentations or seminars at any time. MBA
program helps us in being knowledgeable person so that we are able to analyse
various situations that might take place within a particular project (Annan-Diab and

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Molinari 2017). Various case studies as well as internship provide us with numerous
skills that are required for the purpose of approaching challenged along with proper
level of equanimity.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it could be stated that, Capstone had been first credited in
the year of 1946 at the business school of Harvard. This particular subject had been
advertised as a particular place where it combines numerous aspects. This is because it tends
to focus on the theory integration as well as practice along with the elements of the
administration. Nowadays, the MBA capstone is a place where professionals tend to
synthesize knowledge and hence show relevance of business along with strong emphasis on
the strategy. At the end of the capstone subject, students are usually required to help in
numerous factors, these factors include developing a particular strategic mind set, integrate a
particular knowledge that is functional in nature across the entire organization for solving
numerous issues, consider numerous perspectives in the process of making decisions. It
further helps students in enhancing the comprehension as well as communication of a
solutions to issues in a particular business. Knowing doing and being is one of the most
important competency that exist in the subject of capstone. Presently as well as in the future,
one of the most important competence is considered to be the ability of solving new as well
as poorly structured issues in an environment that is complex in nature.

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