Among the wonders of modern information and communications
technology is the ability of information and ideas to spread extraordinarily
rapidly and often with complete disregard to the interests -and pocketbooks- of
its would-be owners. This constant
tendency towards free circulation has of course created an overwhelming
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wading through cyber-rough.
Luckily for those pursuing of top-notch business ideas and
education, our friends at Online College Reviews have compiled an excellent list of business-related lectures, interviews, and the like, featuring business
leaders, innovators, and academics from preeminent schools and companies. Topics range from eco-friendly drywall
to the future of the Web to the life and times of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and are
categorized by topic to give users easy access to their area of interest. For those with an interest in business,
economics, and technology, this collection represents a virtual gold mine of
important ideas powered by original, intelligent thinking.
The
recent Clinton Global Initiative Plenary Session on Women addressed
several issues regarding the welfare of women and emphasized the need
to invest more heavily in female empowerment. Former US President, Bill
Clinton, noted that “women perform 66 percent of the world's work,
and produce 50 percent of the food, yet earn only 10 percent of the
income and own 1 percent of the property.' Moreover, he referenced reports
that show that 'when women and girls are empowered, entire regions see
measurable results' since women are likely to reinvest approximately
90% of their earnings into the welfare of their families, as compared
to a figure of 35% for men. Women are already contributing immensely
to global growth and could do even more; however, on the whole, they
do not reap their fair share of the benefits of hard work, and there
is still a lot more to be done in terms of providing the necessary opportunities
so that they can further develop and have a wider positive effect on
global society.
One
particular arena in which this is true is that of business schools.
Although female enrollment in law and medical schools has risen over
the years, enrollment in business schools has remained quite steady
(see articles from the Wall
Street Journal
and Fortune
Magazine). Executive
Director of the Forté Foundation, Ms. Elissa Ellis-Sangster believes
that this is owing partly to the idea that it is not as clear what one
does with a business degree as opposed to a law or medical one. Still,
business management is an essential element in the performance of any
business and those who have these skills can effect a lot of positive
change in the world. The foundation also finds work-life balance and
the lack of encouragement from employers to pursue an MBA as major challenges
that women face. How can these challenges be met? Are there other factors
to consider; and how might the situation look the same or different
between established and emerging markets?
With
the knowledge of the potential that women have to create a lasting and
positive impact in our world, can we afford not to create the ideal
environments to allow them to thrive and be empowered? This brings to
mind the famous proverb that reads 'If you educate a man you educate
an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family (nation)'.
Not everyone might agree with this statement; however, it does throw
emphasis on the dire need to empower many women who are at comparably
disadvantaged positions to men in many respects (don't believe me? Check
out the Girl
Effect). How, then,
do we bridge the gap?
The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland proudly offers ten
new short-term abroad programs during the 2009-2010 academic year. Utilizing its connections with schools
and companies around the world, the Smith School offers MBA students a rich
buffet of cultural and thematic options: programs range from examining the
energy and environmental issues surrounding the Three Gorges Dam, to immersion
in the fertile business climate of Brazil, to gaining insights on the
opportunities and challenges surrounding the grandiose mega-projects of the
UAE, such as the Burj Dubai.
Students
participating in the programs will first complete a pre-departure course at the
UMD to enhance their knowledge of the culture, history, and economic conditions
of the destination country.
While
travelling abroad, itineraries include various company visits and cultural
activities, developing both issue-specific knowledge and macro-scale
understanding of national/regional business practice. In addition to the MBA
programs, the University plans to offer five undergraduate programs of a
similar nature.
In related
news, the University is excited to announce several new exchange programs with
various Asian schools, including:
An agreement with Technion in Israel host joint courses and exchange graduate students,
A partnership with Guanghua School of Management in Beijing to exchange students and cooperate on the China Business Plan Competition,
A campus-wide agreement with Korea University in Seoul for student exchange, and
Two new University-level programs: Maryland in Haifa and Maryland in Shanghai, where students will have the opportunity to study abroad while receiving UMD credit.
For more information regarding the programs and events above, please contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, Associate Director of the Smith School Center for Global Business Education.
The
last few years have seen increased discourse on the sustainability of
business schools in their capacity to create effective business managers
for the real world market.
Although many uphold the value and strength
of a business school to meet the demands of the market, others believe
that business schools have devolved into redundancy, operating strictly
at a theoretical level with no direct application to the real world;
and still more argue that business schools do more to harm the workplace
than to help it by producing hordes of 'talent' who lack any sense of
ethics and are exclusively driven by the appeal of profit-maximization.
These critiques, however well-founded or not, have forced the question
of the viability of business schools today. The idea that the role of
business schools in society may simply die out appears, well...simplistic,
to say the least. More plausible is the sense that, where there is the
need for it, reform and restructuring within the functioning of business
schools will take place.
A 2008 article from the Harvard Business Review explores
some of the negative perceptions about business schools today that some
leading minds in the industry have put out. However, the article also
champions using case studies as a more practical method of instruction
already being employed by schools like Harvard. At the end of
the day, many intellectuals believe in the tenacity, utility and value
of business schools and at the same time, some acknowledge that, perhaps,
there should be some added ingredients. One of these is good leadership.
In a 2009 Economist article, Chris Bones, dean of Henley Business
School distinguishes between management and leadership. Whereas management
centers more around the technical and organizational contributions of
a worker, leadership is more about the values that the worker employs
in carrying out his or her managerial duties. Needless to say, there
can be good and bad leaders, and good leaders are an essential
component of effective management. But, if you concur with Bones' analysis,
how then can good leadership be taught? What about developing real 'know-how'
and increasing global perspectives: are these not also important facets
to effective management?
Bones
believes that 'business schools can help rebuild confidence in business
leadership'. Can they really rebuild their image?
On July 27th over seventy (70) representatives from local business
schools, along with public and private sector stakeholders met in Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania for an interactive dialog on the role of business
schools in Tanzania’s social and economic development strategy. There is now a strong consensus on the part of the key stakeholders in Tanzania that any long-term development effort must be based on a vibrant and competitive private sector. Local business schools provide much-needed talent to local enterprises, thereby assuming a critical role in the long-term competitiveness and performance of Tanzania’s private sector organizations. The Business School Linkages Dialog, held under the auspices of the Tanzanian Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) as a component of the country’s Private Sector Competitiveness Project (PSCP) included multiple break-out sessions ensuring that participants could substantively engage with one another and with the session facilitators on a wide variety of issues including the following:
Developing better partnerships between business schools and the private sector
Creating more of a competency based as opposed to exam based business school curricula
Strengthening the communications skills and the professional development capabilities of Tanzania’s business school graduates
Working with Ministerial and university level leadership to decentralize decision making in business schools so that they may become more responsive more quickly to the evolving needs of the country
The sessions provided a forum in which the participants achieved some consensus on the performance challenges of Tanzania’s private sector as well as its business schools. Moreover, it provided an opportunity for participants to identify interventions and next-steps that can be implemented at the business school, private sector as well as the policy maker level in order to strengthen private sector competitiveness by reassessing the structure and the approach of business schools in Tanzania. The discussions were both enthusiastic and substantive and set a productive tone for future progress. Stay tuned for updates on the progress and performance of Tanzania’s business schools as a result of the Business School Linkages Dialog.
The 
On July 27th over seventy (70) representatives from local business
schools, along with public and private sector stakeholders met in Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania for an interactive dialog on the role of business
schools in Tanzania’s social and economic development strategy. There is now a strong consensus on the part of the key stakeholders in Tanzania that any long-term development effort must be based on a vibrant and competitive private sector. Local business schools provide much-needed talent to local enterprises, thereby assuming a critical role in the long-term competitiveness and performance of Tanzania’s private sector organizations. The Business School Linkages Dialog, held under the auspices of the 
The sessions provided a forum in which the participants achieved some consensus on the performance challenges of Tanzania’s private sector as well as its business schools. Moreover, it provided an opportunity for participants to identify interventions and next-steps that can be implemented at the business school, private sector as well as the policy maker level in order to strengthen private sector competitiveness by reassessing the structure and the approach of business schools in Tanzania. The discussions were both enthusiastic and substantive and set a productive tone for future progress. Stay tuned for updates on the progress and performance of Tanzania’s business schools as a result of the Business School Linkages Dialog. 
