The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme at Macao University of Tourism (UTM) is designed specifically for senior executives who carry heavy responsibilities. The programme brings together leaders from various industries, fostering cross-sectoral exchanges and rigorous academic training to cultivate corporate decision-makers with international vision and scholarly depth.
Chapman Wong, Deputy General Manager of The Macao Water Supply Company Limited, is one of these DBA students. For him, returning to campus is a transformation from experience-based intuition to systematic thinking.
How the Programme Has Transformed His Decision-Making
Chapman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electromechanical Engineering and an MBA. He has accumulated solid hands-on experience in the front line of utility management, and currently oversees performance management, human resources, IT development, and cybersecurity. He admits that after many years as Deputy General Manager, he came to realise that “relying solely on experience often leads to firefighting and case‑by‑case responses.” To improve management effectiveness, he needed a stronger theoretical foundation and cross‑sectoral perspective. UTM’s research strengths in service management, smart innovation, and sustainable development closely align with the corporate issues he faces.
Three motivations drove him to pursue further studies despite a busy schedule. First, he is deeply interested in leadership, digital transformation, and sustainable development. He wants to turn real‑world workplace challenges into research topics and then bring the findings back to his company for implementation. Second, operating in Macao’s unique market, he hopes his research will contribute to the long‑term development of local enterprises. Third, his two sons are in senior secondary school. “I want them to see that their father is willing to pick up his books even when busy – to set an example through action. Learning is a lifelong pursuit.”
Chapman says his decision‑making mindset has changed significantly since starting the DBA programme. In the past, when facing complex problems, he tended to “firefight.” Now he has learnt to first establish a clear principle‑based framework, define the logic and boundaries, and respond to a changing environment with consistent core principles. “The shift from ‘firefighting’ to ‘prevention’ has made my decisions more structured and given my team clearer direction.”
Meanwhile, the DBA programme brings together classmates from different industries. Cross‑sectoral exchanges have allowed him to step outside the conventional utility mindset and absorb cutting‑edge ideas in service management and innovation technology, leading to more comprehensive judgments.
Views on Industry‑Academia‑Research Integration and Research Focus
Chapman highlights two specific gains. The first is systematic training in qualitative research methods. Through in‑depth interviews, participatory observation, and contextual analysis, he has learned to go beneath the surface of phenomena and more accurately identify the core of management and personnel issues. “This depth of insight, which quantitative data alone cannot provide, is crucial to decision quality.” The second is the Global Strategy and Leadership course. Through case studies of multinational corporations and on‑site learning, he has learned to make critical decisions in highly uncertain environments and to focus on long‑term development rather than short‑term performance. These methods continue to be applied in his daily management, improving organisational effectiveness and decision‑making depth.
He believes that industry‑academia‑research integration is a mutually reinforcing, result‑oriented collaboration. If academic institutions stay close to industry practice and cultivate talent that can be deployed immediately, enterprises receive not just abstract concepts but practical problem‑solving frameworks. Through his DBA research, he hopes to focus on the intersection of talent management and corporate development – how to systematically develop professional and managerial talent to support smart transformation and sustainable growth. Macao’s market is relatively small, and talent reserves face structural challenges. He aims to build a talent development framework suited to the local context, contributing to both his company and the broader society.
Regarding the upgrading of industries in the Greater Bay Area and Macau, he believes the value of executive education lies in “integration” – bringing together managers from different regions and industries, introducing cross‑sectoral perspectives, and fostering regional synergy and resource flow.
Advice for Fellow Executives
For executives considering further studies, he advises treating the DBA as a long‑term journey of continuous reflection rather than a short‑term goal. Programme choice should align with one’s own interests and development direction, balancing work reality and life rhythm for a well‑planned path.
After completing his DBA, Chapman hopes to translate his research findings into practical workplace applications. As a senior member of the Macau Human Resources Management Association, he also aims to promote closer industry‑academia‑research collaboration. He particularly appreciates UTM’s communication culture – the management values student feedback, arranging face‑to‑face exchanges to ensure the curriculum truly meets the needs of working executives. He hopes the DBA programme will continue this spirit, attract more managers from diverse industries and regions, and gradually become a key platform for executive education in the region.