Robert Armstrong
Managing Director of PAZTA
What is your current job role?
I鈥檝e always been self-employed. Currently I split my time about 50-50 between running a company based in Italy and Hong Kong (PAZTA, an Italian-themed restaurant franchising project for China and Asia-Pacific) and working as a freelance business designer, mostly remotely from Rome.
What programmes have you previously studied with Edinburgh Business School and what made you want to return to study with us?
I did the BA in Business & Finance and the MBA, both more than twenty years ago. The quality of the content was high, and the delivery and flexibility of the programmes fitted my needs perfectly; I would never have been able to attend an on-campus course. These positive past experiences are the main reason I returned to study with you - on top of that, I nostalgically always wanted my qualifications to come from a Scottish university.
How do you think your time studying with Edinburgh Business School has impacted your career and any other aspects of your life?
Completing the MBA was a game changer career-wise. Back then there weren鈥檛 that many going around, and in Italy academic qualifications and titles are vital, so from a formal perspective having the MBA helped open many a door. From a practical point of view too, though, it gave me the tools I needed to perform at a higher level as well as the confidence to take on roles that were usually reserved for managers a lot older than I was at the time.
What made you decide to study our MSc Business & Organisational Psychology programme?
From a technical perspective, I鈥檝e always felt that management studies (and managers on the job) pay way too little attention to the psychological side of running organizations.
From a personal and professional perspective, I鈥檇 been thinking a lot about how to re-structure my work for the coming years, that is, I enjoy working remotely, I enjoy mentoring, I no longer enjoy travelling for work, so how could I best put all these together for the next stage in my career? I came to the conclusion that combining this MSc programme with my other qualifications and experience could make me a more well-rounded, competitive proposition as an 鈥渙nline c-suite business coach鈥�.
What has your experience been so far of MSc Business & Organisational Psychology?
So far, the experience has been highly positive. Both very interesting and very, very challenging.
What aspects of the degree really appeal to you?
In terms of their weight in the business studies arena these subjects deserve much more attention than they get, so it鈥檚 the specific focus of psychology on business and organisations that is most appealing. I鈥檇 even go as far as to say that the Leadership and Leadership Development course should be made mandatory for managers everywhere. More specifically, I especially appreciate how it is practically impossible to advance from one module to the next without putting serious thought into what is under discussion. Likewise, having to write reflections and assessments throughout also means that either you have assimilated what you have read, or you end up with nothing to write. And, as I mentioned, the online access to resources is another big plus.
What would you say to people considering studying at 乐播传媒 Online?
I would say that if what they are after is high-quality course content, efficient and effective delivery and total flexibility at a very reasonable price, then they shouldn鈥檛 think twice.
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