Academic Reflections at ICL

Contemporary Leadership and Management

Key Learnings:

In the leadership course, I learned how leadership styles such as transactional, transformational, and visionary leadership directly influence team performance and motivation when pursuing a corporate goal. I truly learned the importance of transformational leadership- how leaders should adjust their actions based on the team’s needs, the nature of the project, and the critical situations. Further, I learned the value of transparency, setting clear goals, and ethical practices.

Relevance & Value:

This learning was useful during group activities where the team had diverse backgrounds, personalities, and working styles. One of the challenges during the module was managing conflicting opinions during the group tasks, when team members had different cultural backgrounds and communication styles. These challenges led to misunderstandings and delays in decision-making. With patience, an open mind, and by developing better negotiation and conflict resolution skills, I was able to convert disagreements into learning opportunities. This reflected that leadership is not about issuing commands but about fostering growth and guiding with purpose.

Application:

In my future role as a Merchandising manager, transformational leadership will be most applicable when managing cross-functional teams, from concept creators to production staff. For example, I will collaborate more with design teams to encourage innovation and with sourcing teams to negotiate with suppliers. And also, I will focus more on maintaining timelines and quality standards. The most important thing I learned from this course is to create a culture of openness in the working environment. Therefore, it is essential to implement regular feedback sessions where team members can voice their progress and challenges.

Business Transformation

Key Learnings:

In the Business Transformation course, I learned how rapidly changing technology can reshape companies' operations, competitive strategies, and deliver value to their customers. Further, I learned technical tools and software to propose technology-driven improvements. New technology directly contributes to reducing costs, enhancing productivity, and promoting ethical business. The course also demonstrates the importance of human adaptability to avoid delays and maximise production. Implementing new technology in a business is not only a technical upgrade; it is a strategic move that aligns with new global standards.

Relevance & Value:

This learning is directly linked to my long-term goals. I have already identified the importance of technological innovations. This shows me how technology can solve industry challenges while opening commercial possibilities. During my Business Transformation course, I carried out research on The Impact of Smart Labels in the Fashion Industry. Through detailed literature analysis, I identified how smart labels promote transparency and support for sustainability goals. My strategic plan is to introduce digital dyeing technology and further evaluate how technology aligns with the future fashion industry.

Application:

In my future role as a Merchandising Manager, I will integrate technologies like AI-powered trend forecasting, automated production tracking, and smart labels to demonstrate our commitment to ethical manufacturing. These innovations help fashion companies reduce waste, improve production, improve profits, and demand sustainable production. For example, smart labels help to identify the full product life cycle of the garment from the origin to the recycling process.

Business Professionalism

Key Learnings:

In the Business Professionalism course, I gained a good understanding of professional skills, behaviours, attitudes, ethics, and values that are needed to succeed in the competitive market. The key topics covered, strategic planning, SMART goal-setting, cultural diversity, brand reputation, and legal rights. Learning SMART goal-setting gave me a structural pathway to turn goals into realistic outcomes. We explored ethical learning through a group presentation of real-world examples, how companies either strengthen or damage their reputation and how they rebuild stakeholder trust and corporate responsibility. This course discussed the importance of cultural diversity, different traditions, communication styles, and workplace norms when building customer relationships and brand images.

Relevance & Value:

The knowledge gained in this course is highly relevant to the global fashion industry, where markets are spread across multiple cultures and for my career path toward becoming a Merchandising manager. Learning SMART goal-setting ensures that I can make measurable objectives and review progress effectively. The module Ethical Practices has strengthened my knowledge of how stakeholder trust relies on transparency and brand reputation. After the coursework, I understand that cultural diversity plays a crucial role in business as it helps to approach the right customer in the right way. Additionally, strengthening my communication and time management skills has made me more confident in meeting deadlines, managing multiple tasks, and engaging effectively with customers and suppliers.

Application:

I have already started applying these learning in my current role as a sales assistant. I actively promote products from local artisans, reflecting my commitment to ethical business and supporting the cultural values. I have set weekly sales and customer engagement goals and review my performance with the manager to identify achievements and further areas for improvement. As I am working in a souvenir shop, I get the opportunity to practice cultural awareness with customers from around the world. In my future career, I will apply strategic planning, ethical standards, and maintain brand reputation at every stage of my career. This will help me to succeed in the fashion industry while developing confidence, decision-making skills, and the ability to build meaningful relationships across cultures.

Global Business

Key Learnings:

In the global business course, I gained a deeper understanding of how international trade, cross-cultural management, and geopolitical factors influence business success. The course covered global market entry strategies, international trade agreements, risk management in global operations, global financial management, global Human Resource Management, Licensing, and the role of multinational organisations such as the WTO and IMF. The entire course was carried out not only through theoretical work, but also with group discussions, debates, reading articles and watching videos. This helped to share cultural values and identify cultural adaptations for success in global business.

Relevance & Value:

This knowledge will play a vital role in shaping my future career, where stakeholders are spread across different countries and cultures. Market entry strategies will help to identify the correct market segment and how to enter the new market, either through partnerships, direct investments, or local collaborations. The understanding of global supply chain challenges will prepare me to manage cost, recognise reasons for delays, and ensure ethical sourcing. Cultural intelligence has already been useful in my current role in New Zealand. This has developed my ability to adjust communication styles, respectful behaviours, and deliver a customised experience.

Application:

I have already applied cultural intelligence in my current job by adapting to suit the customers from different cultural backgrounds. When I step into the Merchandising manager role, I will use the knowledge of global trade to select suppliers, negotiate contracts, and for international sourcing. For my long-term goal of launching a sustainable fashion brand, this course helped me to identify the most suitable market segment, global market values, risk awareness, cultural differences, geopolitical challenges, and build a supply chain that aligns with sustainability values.

Organisational Behaviour

Key Learnings:

In the Organisational Behaviour course, I learned about workplace culture, employee behaviour, and leadership styles. The course further demonstrates motivational theories, team dynamics, conflict resolution, and stress management. I also learned how organisational structures impact decision-making, communication flow, accountability and employee morale. Another important takeaway was understanding how emotions and moods build a stronger relationship between managers and staff members.

Relevance & Value:

Knowledge gained during this course is valuable for my future career as a Merchandising Manager, where I need to drive teams for success, collaborate across departments, and maintain strong stakeholder relationships. Learning motivation theories help me keep team members engaged and productive. Learning about different leadership styles helps me to choose the most effective approach depending on the team, the challenge, the situation, and the goal. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in the fashion industry, where cultural diversity and working in a fast-paced environment require empathy, patience, and effective communication to build stronger relationships and manage critical situations with confidence.

Application:

I have already applied these learnings in my current role by adjusting my communication style when working with colleagues and customers from different cultural backgrounds, as effective communication is important to convey the message clearly and maintain a positive relationship. In my future roles, I will apply theories I learned to enhance relationships between development, production, and sales departments. Further, I will use conflict resolution methods to handle disagreements and obstacles in a patient and effective manner. The learnings in the organisational behaviour course will lay a strong foundation for me to start my own fashion label from scratch.

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