Learning the strategy of leadership

Successful business leaders must possess strong strategic thinking skills and decision making abilities.

The new Strategic Management graduate certificate provides a skill set that makes for more effective decision makers.  The certificate integrates economics, psychology and management to provide detailed insight into what makes companies competitive. That knowledge is not only important in the business world, but can also translate into a student’s personal life.

“This program may help MBA students to lead a more fulfilling personal life by making decisions strategically, and it may help them to better manage their work by understanding and practicing the strategic management process,” said Jane Zhoa, associate professor of technology management.

The certificate teaches students how to effectively lead and make decisions while adapting to rapidly changing organizations, environments and demographics. Vince Barker, professor and faculty coordinator of the certificate, said this advanced management focus is important to current MBA students, but it also serves a wider market.

“It’s also a great thing for students who already have an MBA,” Barker said. “They pick up that specialized knowledge that’ll allow them to be a better manager and better business owners.”

The Strategic Management graduate certificate is made up of four management courses and one business course, a total of 10 credit hours. The courses cover international business, corporate strategy, managing technological innovation, strategy implementation and managing strategic direction and change.

Apply for fall 2014 by July 15. Visit MBAcert.ku.edu for more information.

by Mackenzie Leander

The nuts and bolts of networking

Though networking styles can vary depending on someone’s personality and style, there are several important components of successful networking.

In our previous networking blog, networking was defined as a two-way relationship, so one of the biggest networking don’ts is to view the other person as a mere asset to you. In Upstart Business Journal’s article, Founder and President of Come Recommended, Heather Huhman, said some people forget that networking is a mutually beneficial relationship.

“Think about how your skills and expertise might be useful to your networking contacts and give, give, give before asking for something in return,” she said.

To network successfully, you have to put yourself out there but remain professional and poised. Though confidence is important, arrogance can make you seem insincere. Devon Bull, president of KU Entrepreneurship Club, said it’s important to balance confidence with professionalism.

“Don’t be overly aggressive,” Bull said. “Most people don’t know they’re being overly aggressive. There’s a point of being confident and then there’s a point of grabbing someone when they’re mid-conversation with someone else.”

It’s important to remember to follow up with other professionals promptly. Not only does it send a signal that you valued your conversation with him or her, but it increases the likelihood that they’ll remember you. Foster Casterline, president of ISAK, said if you make a good connection with someone, it is important to follow up immediately.

“If it’s somebody that there’s potential to have a professional relationship with, you’ll know by the end of your initial conversation what the next steps are going to be,” Casterline said.

Because networking is based on relationships, it is important to maintain the relationships you build through events and coffee. Jennifer Jordan, director of the Business Career Services Center, said she likes to keep track of her network electronically.

“If I collect a business card, I’m going to try to go straight to LinkedIn and connect with that person electronically so that I have pulled them into my network,” she said. “That’s how I personally organize my network.”

This is the second in a four-part series about networking. Check back for blogs about how to follow up after an event and when and where to network.

by Allison Kite

Global awareness important in all business

In the increasingly global marketplace, international business is a vital expertise for professionals in almost any industry.

The MBA graduate certificate in International Business Management gives professionals the tools necessary to navigate differing business practices, laws and currencies across borders. Dennis Karney, a professor in international business and the faculty coordinator for the certificate, said he believes international business is the norm and that true domestic business is essentially extinct.

“We live in this world dominated by difference,” Karney said. “Difference is increasing. Borders are disappearing when it comes to trade. There are more and more players involved, countries involved.”

The International Business Management certificate offers MBA students the opportunity to specialize while pursuing an MBA. It also offers professionals that aren't seeking an MBA the opportunity to expand their skills without committing to a full degree. Karney said the certificate tells employers that the student or professional has acquired additional skills in a concentrated area.

“It’s an identified, concentrated body of knowledge that let’s you go beyond the kind of stuff covered in basic courses,” he said.

The certificate includes five classes for a total of ten credit hours. Students study international business strategy, cross-cultural management and business practices in foreign countries, international finance, human resources management and global marketing.

Apply for fall 2014 by July 15. Learn more at MBAcert.ku.edu.

by Allison Kite

University awards faculty promotions

Jim Guthrie, Associate Dean
for Academic Affairs

Sue Scholz, Associate Dean of
Faculty Development and Research

As the school year winds down, the School of Business is celebrating retiring faculty and congratulating promoted faculty.

Jide Wintoki has been awarded tenure and the promotion to associate professor of finance.

Associate professors Vince Barker and Kissan Joseph have been promoted to professors. Barker will take over as area director for management for Ron Ash, who will step back into a non-administrative faculty role.

After Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Doug Houston retires this summer, two new associate deans will step in next year. Jim Guthrie, William and Judy Docking Professor of Business, will become associate dean for academic affairs, and Professor Sue Scholz will become associate dean of faculty development and research.

Big 12 MBA students to compete in Lawrence

The Big 12 Case Competition gives promising MBA students a platform to showcase their abilities with a real-world business problem from a local business.

A KU MBA student competes in the 2013
Big 12 Case Competition

The School of Business will host the Big 12 Case Competition in Lawrence this weekend for the first time since it began eight years ago.  MBA students from nine conference universities will compete to solve a yet-to-be-revealed local company’s business problem over a 24-hour period. Dee Steinle, KU administrative director of masters programs, cautions the competition is “intense” and said it makes students fire on all cylinders while performing under pressure.

“Case competitions generally are great ways for students to put into practice what they've learned in the classroom,” said Cathy Shenoy, KU director of MBA programs. “The competition lends more urgency and focus to the process of coming up with a solution.”

Paul Epp, a KU MBA student who participated in last year’s competition and will take part in this year’s, experienced firsthand the importance of properly strategizing during the process of finding a solution. Epp says the competition is all about pacing yourself and not rushing to solve the problem. He looks forward to this year’s competition because of the opportunities it offers.

“My favorite part about the competition is getting the opportunity to travel, problem -solving with a good team and seeing how we compare to the competition,” Epp said. “It's always hard to know how well you're doing when always surrounded by the same people.”

Students present their final solutions to the competition judges made up of business leaders and company executives, making it an important networking opportunity. Though networking with executives is a plus, Prasanna Tadimeti, a KU MBA student competing for the first time this year, is focused on the importance of interacting with students from competing schools.

“The competition provides a platform to interact with students from other business schools in the region and helps us in understanding where we stand. We learn about their MBA experiences and thus improve ourselves further,” Tadimeti said.

Epp and Tadimeti will compete with Michael Wade Smith and William McCullough for the KU team.

by Mackenzie Leander

HR a part of every manager's job

No matter what position you hold in a company, everyone has to know how to manage people.

Source: NBC Studios

The new Human Resource Management graduate certificate aims to train not only HR professionals, but anyone who needs to know how to staff a business and train employees.

“Anyone would benefit from this whether they’re a specialist in HR or just a manager,” said Professor James Guthrie.

Guthrie said the certificate is a good opportunity to specialize in HR management, even if someone already has a business background.

“A lot of people move sideways into the world of HR once they join a company, and a lot of people haven’t had direct training in it,” he said. “Even if a person has a business degree, there’s usually not a lot of opportunity for specialized training in HR.”

The Human Resource Management graduate certificate comprises five classes and 10 credit hours of work. Students complete management coursework in staffing, performance management, compensation, rewards, training and development, and international HR.

Any credits earned through the certificate can later count toward the Working Professional MBA when a student is ready for the full degree program.

Apply for fall 2014 by July 15. Learn more at MBAcert.ku.edu.

Networking isn't just about exchanging business cards

Though many students recognize the importance of networking, the concept can be vague, and many students don’t fully grasp how to effectively network.

Though many in the business school have their own networking styles, most agree that successful networking is based on building lasting relationships with other professionals.

Foster Casterline, president of ISAK, said networking goes beyond talking to employers at a career fair.

“It’s relationship building,” Casterline said. “I think a lot of people think that networking is going out and selling yourself like in career-fair-style networking, but that’s not how it really is.”


Casterline also emphasized the importance of humility in networking.

“Networking shouldn't be about professional facades,” he said. “As a student, you're there to learn which makes you coachable and genuine. That's who people want to build relationships with.”

Networking can and should go beyond an initial conversation. Jennifer Jordan, director of the Business Career Services Center, said she believes professionals and students can each bring something important to the table.

“Networking is a give and take relationship,” Jordan said. “I think a lot of students are very intimidated by networking and feel like it’s kind of opportunistic or self-promoting, but I think it’s a relationship that goes both ways. It can have a professionally-aligned objective, but it can be more broad than that as well.”

Though Jordan emphasizes a two-way street, many students can feel like they have little to offer professionals in return for advice and job opportunities. Cathy Curless, a lecturer in the School of Business, said students can often offer more than they realize. One of Curless’ students once helped her train for and run a marathon.

“That was a pivotal moment for me to realize that there was so much I could gain from somebody younger,” Curless said.

She also said networking allowed her to get ideas for her classes to help her engage students and keep them interested in the topic.

“The more I can understand what motivates twenty-somethings – what engages them, how do you keep their attention in class, what kinds of examples and companies are they interested in hearing about – every time I hear information about that, that helps me a great deal,” she said.

This is the first in a four-part series about networking. Check back for blogs about networking do’s and don’ts, how to follow up after an event and when and where to network.

by Allison Kite