Digital Commons Network^™

The Collaborative Classroom: New Technology Brings New Paradigm, Ben Clapp, James Swenson

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Today, technology is the agent of change that is revolutionizing education. The collaborative classroom, where teachers and students openly gather and share information to empower one another for the purpose of learning, is quickly replacing the existing reality of the traditional classroom where teachers lecture and provide their expertise.

Collaboration is a tool used in classrooms not only to engage students but also to bring them together and teach them how to work together. Peer review is an important collaborative technique that allows students to share their work and ideas for the purposes of improvement and shared learning. With the …

Quality Of Student Effort: Improving Through Achievement Mastery And Psychological Needs, Michael W. Pass

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Instructors shaping the classroom experience with a variety of innovative teaching methods may improve the quality of student effort. This study facilitates effective innovation by developing and testing a model that shows how the quality of student effort is influenced by an achievement mastery goal orientation in tandem with the student’s fulfillment of three psychological needs. Findings reveal the influence of these factors, thus highlighting their importance and suggesting that instructors give attention to each one of them when deciding to take steps to increase student effort. Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory are drawn upon to advance hypotheses that …

Using Technology To Teach Pricing Concepts, Kathy Winsted, Judy Graham

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper identifies a useful technology tool that aids in the teaching of pricing strategies and allows students to experience the interactive effects of decisions involving pricing, production levels, and promotional spend. This innovative technology tool can be easily implemented either online or in the classroom. Concepts related to pricing strategy do not typically evoke enthusiasm from students, and in many cases, both students and professors would welcome an engaging, innovative way to teach the key concepts of pricing strategy. In the past, attempts to convey pricing concepts through experiential learning have involved large-scale simulations that extend throughout the length …

Culture And Innovation In Peru From A Management Perspective, Gregory J. Scott, Ian Chaston

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Political stability, macro-economic caution, and the aggressive pursuit of free trade have enabled Peru to emerge as one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. This economic expansion has created heightened interest in the evolution of corporate culture and its influence on firm performance. This paper examines organizational performance in relation to the influence of cultural values on innovation by means of a survey of upper level managers. Analysis of the survey results indicates that there was a positive relation between innovation and power distance and uncertainty. Survey findings show no relationship between innovation and individualism nor innovation and …

A Review Of Communication Tools And Techniques For Successful Ict Projects, Ernest Mnkandla

The African Journal of Information Systems

Practitioners have repeatedly mentioned that projects that lack effective communication are doomed to fail. Project communications management involves the generation, collection, and storage of information within a project. Project communication therefore provides vital ingredients for the go-no-go decisions in a project through the effective selection of the minimum essential things that can be done to share the collected information among the stakeholders. A fast growing way to manage software development projects is agile project management, whose focus is balancing between continuous releases of quality deliverables and frequently sharing project progress information. In this editorial, we advocate for research on the …

Streets In The Sky: The Balconies Of Lima And The Road To Intercultural Competence, Sabine H. Smith, Miriam Bley

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The KSU country-study program ("Year of Peru") forms the backdrop to this descriptive case study. German and Spanish faculty explored the research question: "How does intercultural inquiry anchored in discipline-based methodology help advance intercultural competence in undergraduate learners?" According to national standards, students attain learning outcomes, for example, by examining cultural "products" (e.g. balconies), in connection with cultural practices and perspectives (ACTFL, 2006). In studying "products" of different countries (e.g. Peruvian and German balconies) and by engaging in level-appropriate intercultural inquiry, learners develop knowledge, ski lls, and dispositions- key components in advancing intercultural competence.

Facilitating Executive Learning: Development And Application Of A Conceptual Model, Anthony J. Mento, Raymond M. Jones

Journal of Executive Education

We developed our required ten-week Executive MBA Leading Organizational Change course to specifically maximize meaningful learning according to the stipulations of Ausubel’s (1968) cognitive assimilation theory. The centerpiece of our work is the implementation of an eight-step explicit conceptually transparent learning model whose components are internally consistent and require the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing conceptual frameworks held by the learner. Concept maps (Novak, 1998), which are presented, help explicate our model, and generalizations to other learning milieus are addressed. While we address specific strengths and weaknesses with our approach, we conclude that we have met Ausubel’s …

The Enron/Andersen Collapse: Ongoing Implications For Executive M.B.A. Programs, David J. Springate

Journal of Executive Education

[This article is based on David Springate’s presentation at the 2002 E.M.B.A. Council meeting in Keystone, Colorado, USA.]

The premise of this article is that we can help develop leadership among the business men and women that are our executive students and, at the same time, serve society and the economy better if we move to modify Executive MBA programs given recent events. Given corporate and ethical lapses by some executives, our programs need some new emphasis, courses and exposures. Parts of our existing programs need tweaking. Further there is need for increased emphasis on judgment formation. I offer below …

An Integrated Emba For An Integrated World, Douglas R. Moodie, Deborah M. Roebuck

Journal of Executive Education

Internal and external stakeholders to the academic community have expressed concern about the MBA and have urged systemic transformation in curriculum content and course delivery. Corporations want business leaders who can provide creative solutions for problems that cut across business functions. Organizations want business graduates who have been taught how to think about business not as a series of functional smokestacks but as an integrated whole.

Toward A Competency Model For Directors Of Management And Executive Development, Jan Varner, Barry Bales, William Lindsey

Journal of Executive Education

In addition to academic programs, many universities across the country offer continuing professional development courses and programs through centers focused on management and executive development. Although these centers fall under the broad umbrella of continuing education, the location of these centers in schools of business or public affairs and their program emphasis on management development cause these centers to differ from traditional divisions of continuing education. The general dividing line between management/executive development and continuing education lies in audience focus and reporting hierarchy within the institution.

Strategic Planning For University-Based Executive Education Programs: Success Factors And Design Alternatives, Newton Margulies, Jack R. Gregg

Journal of Executive Education

There appears to be a growing interest among B-schools in providing continuing management education. The trend toward meeting demands of changing business and learning environments – and responding to the obsolescence of various management disciplines -- has encouraged growth in non-degree, professional development programs. Some of these programs are generic in nature, while others are more specialized, depending on the perceived strengths and interests of the schools and the areas faculty choose to emphasize.

Interdisciplinary Learning In An Emba: Making It Happen, Stephen A. Stumpf, Walter G. Tymon

Journal of Executive Education

The Executive MBA (EMBA) market, once a niche market served by the most elite schools, has become highly competitive. This competition is being driven by an increase in the number of B-schools offering an EMBA, corporations reducing their level of support for employees interested in an EMBA, and changes in the work histories and occupations of EMBA applicants. With the increased competition, EMBA programs have had to actively market and sell their programs to corporations and prospective students. Most B-schools have chosen one of three approaches: [1] promote the B-School brand while offering essentially the same curriculum to MBAs and …

Analyzing E.M.B.A. Student Feedback, Ernest A. Capozzoli, David Gundersen

Journal of Executive Education

The results of an executive Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program assessment are analyzed and interpreted against the backdrop of increasing competition between universities to attract and retain qualified students. The public education environment is currently in a turbulent state. This turbulence is in part caused by such factors as: reductions in public funding for higher education due to constrained state budgets, student expectations, requirements imposed by accrediting bodies, and other outside constituencies requesting more accountability. The pressure to hold education institutions accountable is increasing at a rapid rate. To provide a measure of accountability and quantify program quality, education …

Integrated Team Development Methodologies For Managers In An E.M.B.A. Program: A Case Study, Anthony J. Mento, Raymond M. Jones, Harsha B. Desai

Journal of Executive Education

Established in 1973, Loyola College’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program is one of the first ten such programs in the United States. A primary focus of our program is the development of effectively functioning executive teams. The main contribution of our paper is the integration of several creative team development methodologies that are applied over the course of the EMBA program. Specific practices are described which are transferable to a broad range of organizational contexts. The paper concludes with a set of lessons learned regarding team functioning based on our collective forty-four years experience in executive development and education.

A New Model For Executive Education, Gerri Hura

Journal of Executive Education

The availability of accessing nationally recognized educators for customized executive education for the corporate population is an expensive proposition for many colleges and universities. A new model for executive education can achieve the learning needs of the corporate community while maximizing shared costs through a partnership process. This partnership, formed between local colleges and universities and area businesses provides a venue of customized curriculum taught by world-class providers of executive education for minimal cost and time away from work for executives as well as superb local networking opportunities.

Strategic Alignment Map: The Ongoing Development Of A Program Management Tool, Paul Jensen, Roberta Jannsen, Thomas L. Zeller, Enrique R. Venta

Journal of Executive Education

This article explains the development and continuous modification of a tool that can be used to improve both participant experience and faculty performance in Executive Education programs. This tool is the Strategy Alignment Map (SAM). Participants that use the SAM create a document that summarizes 1) their strategic purpose for attending a program, 2) specific learning outcomes and how they align with their strategic purpose, and 3) action steps for implementing the learning. Executive Education, faculty and the Dean all benefit in different ways from this tool that improves participant educational experiences.

E.M.B.A.: One-Year Versus Two-Years?, Harold F. Rahmlow, John Panaseny

Journal of Executive Education

Saint Joseph’s University’s Executive MBA Program, which began in 1990, is an innovative graduate degree program for experienced managers and emerging business leaders. The program provides a challenging, interactive learning environment to help working professionals realize their full leadership potential and prepare for the challenges of senior management positions. This non-traditional program encourages students to risk, probe and solve problems in a multi-task format.

Terms Of The Contract: The Role Of Ethics In Higher Education, Betty L. Siegel, S. Craig Watson

Journal of Executive Education

The subject of ethics is never far from the surface in most university classrooms. Imagine, for example, a literature professor teaching the close of Saul Bellow’s novel Mr. Sammler’s Planet. In the novel’s powerful final scene, the main character sits at the deathbed of a lifelong friend and quietly speaks a prayer, asking God to watch over the soul of his friend, someone who met at all costs the “terms of his contract, the terms which, in his inmost heart, each man knows. As I know mine. As all know. For that is the truth of it—that we all know, …

Teaching Business Ethics At A Distance, William I. Sauser Jr.

Journal of Executive Education

Without question “business ethics” is one of the hot topics of the day. Over the past months we have seen business after business charged with improper practices that violate commonly-accepted ethical norms. This has led to a loss of confidence in corporate management, and has had severe economic consequences. From many quarters business educators have heard the call to put more emphasis on ethical practices in their business courses and curricula. This paper describes an innovative method used to teach business ethics to Executive MBA students using distance education methodology. Now in its second year of inclusion within the curriculum …

The Balanced Scorecard And Curriculum Integration In An Executive Mba Program, Darlene Brannigan Smith, Harold D. Fletcher

Journal of Executive Education

The Executive MBA Program at Loyola College recently undertook a comprehensive revision of its program. The goal of this revision was to develop a program that provided an integrated and systematic view of the enterprise, along with a basic understanding of all management functions and a cross-functional approach to complex organizational issues. To achieve these goals, the Balanced Scorecard became a key, integrating component in the second year curriculum. This paper presents the development of the EMBA program, in general, and demonstrates the use of the Balanced Scorecard as an integrating framework.

Epiphany: A Story Of Improving Teaching Effectiveness In An Executive Mba Economics Course, Anthony J. Mento, John Larson

Journal of Executive Education

This paper discusses the reengineering of an executive MBA economics principles course. Traditional lecture-test structure was changed to a seminar style. Events leading to this change are described. Many years of evaluation results are presented to quantitatively and qualitatively depict the dramatic impacts of the changes. Learning theories that help explain the effects are then discussed, especially as they may help others redesign their teaching methodologies. Non-theoretic learning strategies for students and seven research-based principles for more effective teaching are also presented to help explain the results achieved.

Financial Literacy After Sarbanes-Oxley: Building It; Sustaining It, Edwin I. Malet

Journal of Executive Education

The core theme of the article is that financial literacy is a challenging goal, but an achievable one. Contrary to popular belief, finance is a diverse subject and the meaning of “financial literacy” varies on a business-by-business, job-by-job basis. Practically speaking, “financial literacy” is interwoven with “business literacy”, i.e., understanding the transactions, processes, markets, stakeholders, etc., that together comprise a business. This makes it hard to deploy generic educational solutions. Some managers need more than others. Some need different than others. My recommendation is not to look for a universal definition of literacy, but rather to treat your company as …

Opportunities For Non-Degree Executive Education In Taiwan, Robert D. Winsor, Annie Liu, Xiaoyan Yu, Kim Huynh-Willis

Journal of Executive Education

Few organizations today have remained untouched by globalization. Whether they are in direct competition with multinational businesses or simply experiencing the pressure of operating within a large competitive universe, virtually all firms now operate in a global economy. As a result of this global competition, U.S. and foreign executives alike have been confronted with the need to broaden their conceptualization and understanding of the impacts of these trends. In response to these needs, both universities and independent training organizations have developed innovative programs for executive training and education. Observers predict that demand for this type of education will grow substantially …

Incorporating Customer Experience Management Concepts Within Your Executive Mba Program, Francis Petit

Journal of Executive Education

The primary thesis of this research is to illustrate the importance of Customer Experience Management (CEM) and why CEM principles must be rigorously applied to the successful management and execution of Executive MBA programs.

Enhancing Global Executive Education: A Pedagogy That Changes Perceptions About International Business, John Gallagher, Glen Schuler

Journal of Executive Education

The University of Tennessee (UT) has pioneered an innovative approach to development of global executives in its Senior Executive MBA (SEMBA) program. The program, which has always required an international residency in emerging economies, has adapted a methodology developed by Pankaj Ghemawat that takes into account cultural, administrative, geographic, and economic distance factors and is known by its acronym, CAGE. The methodology demands that executives more closely examine these distance factors—similarities and differences between the home and the emerging economies—in the context of a specific, but hypothetical, investment decision. This paper provides an overview of the CAGE approach as modified …

Reflections On The Value Of A Mid-Career Mba, Justus Breese

Journal of Executive Education

No abstract is currently available.

U.S. And Romanian Executive Mba Students: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Ernest A. Capozzoli, David E. Gundersen, Marcel Duhaneanu

Journal of Executive Education

Currently, there are over 260 EMBA programs worldwide with approximately 180 programs resident in the United States. The number of programs available for EMBA students has increased competition for those students. One characteristic of this increased competition between EMBA programs is the addition of global initiatives to expose students to other cultures. Part of this global initiative has resulted in alliances and the establishment of working relationships between educational institutions. To facilitate and enhance the learning experience while in an EMBA program these alliances should consider the impact culture plays in shaping student expectations. This paper addresses the question of …

Teaching Practical Business Ethics, Kurt S. Schulzke

Journal of Executive Education

Every ethical dilemma embodies three central questions: What is the optimal ethical outcome? Why should I want the best ethical outcome? Can I achieve the best outcome while preserving professional and personal relationships and, if so, how? Legislative, scholarly, and pedagogical responses to recent ethical and financial scandals involving companies like Enron, Worldcom, Tyco, Parmalat, and Ahold have focused almost exclusively on the first two questions, leaving the third unanswered. This article engages the third question by presenting a pedagogical tool for encouraging executives to personalize and operationalize business ethics.

Integrating Principle-Centered Leadership Into The Business Curriculum: Lessons From The Lmu Experience, William Lindsey, Larry Pate

Journal of Executive Education

This article focuses on the challenge of designing and administering executive education programs that both educate students to be competitive in the job market and that also encourage personal growth and personal responsibility. We believe that graduate business education should not be limited to providing content knowledge, but should also include helping students mature and use better judgment. This article represents a “progress report” on our efforts at LMU in Los Angeles to integrate principle-centered leadership into our Executive MBA (EMBA) curricula. This effort emphasizes self-awareness and self-reflection as well as skills and competencies. This article discusses the challenges inherent …

Education For The Educated: An Administrative Perspective, John S. Jahera Jr.

Journal of Executive Education

This article will present some of the challenges and opportunities from the perspective of administrative leaders in executive education programs. Executive education encompasses degree programs as well as non-degree programs, and there are differences between the two types of programs both organizationally and operationally. The value of the programs may be viewed differently among the various constituencies of administrators, faculty, alumni, and students.