Synthesis Essay
First Name Last Name
Liberty University
Business and Government
Introduction
In the following essay, I will argue that my chosen courses of study in Government and Business have prepared me to excel in your Master of Science in Business Administration (MBA) program. Not only have they prepared me, I would argue that they have given me a slight advantage over the average applicant. Below, I hope to demonstrate that as an Interdisciplinarian, I will bring perspectives from multiple relevant fields of study.
Business
Obviously, a background in business is beneficial for someone pursuing an MBA. However, my studies of business come from a combination of in-class study and classroom credit for real-world experience as a leader in the U.S. Army.
One of the classes that has prepared me for pursuing an MBA is Principles of Microeconomics. Two key concepts stick out in my mind; The value of marginal thinking and opportunity cost when running a business. Marginal thinking can be defined as “the evaluation of whether the benefit of one more unit of something is greater than its cost” (Mateer & Coppick, 2018, p. 15). Opportunity cost is “the highest-valued alternative that must be sacrificed to get something else” (Mateer & Coppick, 2018, p. 13). In my estimation, these two concepts are just as important as understanding supply and demand when running a business.
In addition to Microeconomics, the credits I received for Inventory Management and Operations Management from my time as a senior non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army have been invaluable towards becoming a grounded leader in whatever industry. My credits for these courses stem from my time as a unit supply sergeant (Inventory Management) and as senior military police operations sergeant (Operations Management). As a supply sergeant I was in charge of over $16 million in unit equipment assigned to my company commander. In the world of Operations Management, I have experienced leadership at the micro and macro level. As an operations sergeant at a brigade level, I was responsible for tracking the personnel, logistical, and operational status of a battalion of military police soldiers (roughly 600 personnel).
Government
Whether you are talking about taxes, civil liability, state and federal business codes, or even city ordinances, government is deeply entwined in the business world. Therefore, my studies of various government disciplines and real-world experience working within the government uniquely prepare me for the private business sector.
There are seemingly endless amounts government regulations dealing with personnel management. These regulations deal with everything from equal opportunity statutes designed to protect vulnerable classes of people, security of sensitive personal information of employees, or navigating the legal issues of dealing with labor unions. Because of this, my Business Law and Human Resource Management classes have opened my eyes to the spectrum of legal issues that a business owner or manager can face. In Business Law I learned about the different types of tax entities, civil liabilities when conducting business, legal remedies for civil disputes, and even international business legal considerations. Human Resource Management has equipped me to better manage disputes between employees, understand importance of protecting employee information, and utilize up-to-date hiring and management practices.
As a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army I have attended multiple schools regarding government regulations for hazardous materials management, the ethical and legal handling of government funds and expense accounts, and safe work practices. All of these are important in the business sector, especially in the oil and gas industry that I presently work in. Disregard for regulations in these areas can result in large fines or prison time and, as the saying goes, ignorance is not an excuse. Additionally, many of these regulations require very tedious attention to detail (e.g. we had to keep a Safety Data Sheet for Liquid Paper in our offices).
Conclusion
In conclusion, both my chosen fields of study and work experience have prepared me to be a productive and thriving member of your MBA program. Though I bring a substantial amount of experience with me, I still have much to learn about the business world, and I feel that your program is the best fit for me to continue my pursuit of knowledge in that field. As such, I thank you for your consideration, and I hope that you agree with me that I will be an excellent fit for your program.
References
Mateer, D., & Coppock, L. (2018). Principles of microeconomics: Christian economics (2nd ed.).
New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Retrieved from https://ncia.wwnorton.com/ebook_prinecomi2lib/r/goto/cfi/8!/4