Are you a people person? Organisational management may be for you

“I feel very privileged to have been able to study here,” Lynn says. “I’ve been to New Zealand several times before and I love this country.  Nelson is one of my favourite places in New Zealand.” 

Lynn has a background in social and cultural sciences and previously worked at a German university.  

“I have always been fascinated by social and cultural aspects of organisations. In the end, organisations are communities with their own social dynamics and systems,” she says.  

Lynn wanted to learn more about organisational management and design on a practical level, and as the Master of Applied Management at NMIT is open to students from other disciplines and offers many elective options, she decided this was the ideal opportunity.  

As part of her study, Lynn wrote her thesis about a special form of organisational design that operates without higher-level managers. Instead, these businesses consist of collaborating, self-managed teams.  

“It’s very interesting,” she says, “because this relatively new approach is being used with considerable success.” 

Lynn found such a management approach did come with unique challenges at a practical level, and for the concept of leadership. 

“I was lucky to have the constant support and encouragement of a very experienced supervisor, who motivated and guided me through my research journey,” she says.  

One of Lynn’s best experiences during her time at NMIT was a work-based project that included an internship.  She particularly enjoyed the immense learning potential during the project as well as the direct exchange with the local community and industry. 

“The course was less about leading the project to great success, but rather about reflecting on one’s own work experiences and finding one’s own personal style and methods,” she says. 

Lynn plans to live and work here in New Zealand and is considering a tikanga Māori course to best prepare herself.   

“As someone who is settling here, it is elementary for me to know and understand this place and its history. The acknowledgment of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and understanding Te Ao Māori is a crucial part of this,” she says. 

For her professional future, Lynn is excited to foster sustainability in the workplace and the community. 

“Achieving sustainability in economy, ecology and equity is one of our greatest future challenges, but in my opinion crucial for creating healthy and resilient communities and workplaces,” she says.  

“I am a people person; the master's programme has helped me to find and shape my individual management approach and develop the skills that will help me achieve my goals.” 

Learn more about the Master of Applied Management programme(external link).