2. spring 2005
WBS news: rankings rise
Another two business school rankings have
new postgraduate
been published since the last issue of Nexus.
www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/nexus.cfm The most recent was in the influential
Financial Times Executive MBA rankings when
diploma launch
2–5 WBS news
WBS jumped 17 places from 35th to 18th in
6 People power: the world, making it 7th in Europe and 4th in
Professor Harry Scarbrough the UK. The top three in the UK are all based
Senior civil servants in central government will be able to fast track to
8 Developing key business skills: in London, which means WBS is the top
chartered accountancy status in less than two years on completion of a
Dr Scott G Dacko business school outside the capital.
new and unique programme, launched in November by the Chartered
In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2004
9 It’s all about you: Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and WBS,
Barbara Oldridge (FMBA 1992-93) full-time MBA ranking published in Which
following consultation with HM Treasury.
MBA? on 7 October, WBS rose 20 places to
12 Measuring the ROI in training:
Upon successful completion of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance 30th in the world from 50th, to 10th in Europe
Hedda Bird (DLMBA 1991-98)
and Leadership and CIPFA’s Final Test of Professional Competence, the from 16th, and to 4th in the UK from 10th.
13 The changing meaning of skill: postgraduates will become full CIPFA members. The joint programme will
Jonathan Payne, SKOPE Professor Howard Thomas, Dean of WBS,
sharpen the knowledge and skills of experienced senior civil servants, further
announced: ‘This is great news for both staff
14 Training to add value: helping them contribute to improved financial management in central
Manny Coulon (FMBA 1998-99) and all our students at WBS, it is also great
government. This is a key area for improvement identified by the Prime
news for our 18,000 former students working
16 Inside the CDC: Minister as part of the improved efficiency agenda in the public sector.
around the world – a vindication that they
Elaine Hewens, Director
studied at one of the best business schools in
18–23 Alumni focus the world’.
launch of Warwick board appointments
diary visiting scholars scheme
As part of the School’s international strategy to strengthen links
with leading global business schools, the new Warwick Visiting
Scholars Scheme was launched to fellow members at the
for Dean
Professor Howard Thomas,
Dean of WBS, has been re-elected
to the Board of the European
in the news:
MSOR PROJECT EVENING The past 12 months have seen WBS appearing Communications, concludes, ‘The coverage we profiled in The Guardian on teaching and
31 January, 6pm to 8pm Partnership in International Management (PIM) conference in Foundation for Management
Hong Kong in October. Development (efmd) and elected more in the national media than for the receive is good quality. The subjects on which researching football management, and was
MBA PROJECT EVENING previous year, an increase of around 10% – we are reported reflect the broad platform of interviewed (again) in French on Radio France
16 February, 5pm to the Board of the new Global
The scheme has been set up to encourage international activity at WBS – both teaching and research, on Manchester United’s takeover problems.
Foundation for Management a good outcome for the efforts of the
PUBLIC AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR NETWORK academics to spend between one and six months at WBS with people and reports, all are reflected in our
18 February Education (sponsored by efmd Communications Office team. The School
the object of creating a mutually beneficial exchange of ● David Poulter, currently studying for an
and AACSB). appeared in national press and business media coverage.’
MAIR/MAEIR REUNION knowledge and practice. MSc in MAOS, featured in a London Evening
25 February, 6pm magazines on average 25 times each month,
● Dr Jim Arrowsmith, Senior Research Standard article discussing his research into
not counting the web sites of these national
WBS FORUM Fellow and Lecturer in Industrial Relations and creating more effective environments for
7 March, 6pm publications, and also improved considerably
Personnel Management, wrote a four page training and meetings.
SINGAPORE EVENT on its international coverage, particularly in
article for People Management entitled
18 March, 6.30pm
LEHMAN BROTHERS’ EVENT
Professor Brian Houlden 1926-2004 the USA.
In particular, research at WBS has received
‘Working time in Europe’ on how moves in
Europe on working hours and pay have
● Dr Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor whose
research into how transport and carrier
organisations manage tourists but have to
22 March, 12pm to 2pm
We are sorry to announce Professor Robin Wensley, who was Chair of WBS media coverage and enquiries on a truly wide impacted on the role and influence of unions.
plan with the threat of terrorism always in the
WBS ANNUAL DINNER the death of Brian between 1989 and 1994, and is now Professor of
22 April range of issues – the leisure and music ● Dr Catherine Mitchell, Principal Research background is raising a lot of interest – not
Houlden, a founding Policy & Marketing at WBS, and Director of the industry, similarities between tourism and
MBA RECRUITMENT FAIR Fellow and Deputy Director of the Centre for only from The Guardian but also from the FBI!
father of the School and ESRC-EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management terrorism, working hours and the influence of
27 April Management under Regulation (CMuR) has
one of its longest-serving Initiative, gives this tribute: unions, government policy on nuclear versus ● Research by Dr Andrew Burke of the WBS
MBA GALA DINNER been in the spotlight recently, with a BBC TV
professors. Brian Houlden Enterprise Group, on the future of the music
12 November ‘Brian brought to Warwick his experience of environmentally friendly energy, training and film crew at her workshop on environmentally
worked at the School of Industrial and Business industry, really hit the spot in the USA, where
working in industry with a commitment to high skills matching between school-leavers, friendly energy sources for managers and
REGIONAL EVENTS Studies, as it was first known, from 1966 (the he received coverage from 33 regional or state
academic standards. He played a key role in the graduates and recruiters, football government officers from the developing
London (First Friday) School was formally instituted in 1967) until 1993. newspapers and web sites.
development of a School committed to both management, management of sales teams, world. Catherine was also interviewed on
4 February
Together with the founding Vice-Chancellor of research and practice: building strong links with customer service, small business, local nuclear power for the BBC World Service and ● WBS Professor of Marketing, Nigel Piercy
North-West Warwick, Lord Jack Butterworth, Brian was local and regional business but at the same time government, management of the radio had an article published in The Guardian caught the attention of the USA’s Marketing
8 March
instrumental in setting up the School and served also sustaining professional and academic interests.’ spectrum, and corporate social responsibility, on the argument against the use of nuclear News magazine, with his joint research on
nexus: spring 2005
as its first Chairman until 1973. During his to name a few. power to solve energy needs while considering sales management teams and how they are
For more information on forthcoming events, Professor Brian Houlden,
check the web site chairmanship, WBS established the broad base climate change and the environment. best rewarded in different cultures.
died 23 November 2004, aged 78. In addition to research coverage, WBS receives
w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/ of teaching which is one of its strengths today,
forthcoming.cfm covering undergraduate, postgraduate, and A full obituary appears on the WBS web site. regular coverage on its teaching programmes ● Dr Sue Bridgewater, Marketing & WBS alumni have also been featured in the
post-experience degrees. w www.wbs.ac.uk/news/features/houlden.cfm and faculty. Vin Hammersley, Director of Strategic Management Group (MSM) was media (see details on pages 22-23).
03
Designed by Parenthesis +44 (0)24 7622 9658
3. The accreditation process is designed
to help improve the quality of an
a message from the Dean
world (three places above Harvard).
Some of your fellow alumni provide
accommodation is the principal
catalyst for the next phase of building
research review
WBS staff are active in advising businesses, governments and other organisations on a wide variety
institution’s output; both for the thoughts on their Warwick education works at WBS, due to start in May
students and participants on its and the value of continuous personal 2005 (for more information see p18).
of matters varying from environmental issues to stock market options. The impact which our research
courses and for global practitioners of development for career progression.
At the end of January 2005 we will
has is considerable, not only on the academic community but also on the wider world.
business and management, be that This is a theme that the School has
welcome a new cohort of WBS
employers or academe. One of the been pursuing for many years and, Here are just a few of the research projects currently in progress at WBS:
alumni at the Warwick Winter Degree
key principles that WBS prides itself apart from post-experiential degrees
Congregation. I’m sure that you will
upon is that, far from being an ivory (MBA & MPA), WBS is a leading
Over the last twelve weeks of 2004 make them welcome at future events
tower, it bridges the gap between its provider of executive education
my colleagues at WBS have been and I look forward to seeing more of ● People in developed countries Bletchley Park during World War
5* research and practice. It delivers through its open programmes for
putting together our re-accreditation you as the alumni network goes from spend a significant proportion of Two. A great deal of research
knowledge that is grounded in individuals, and tailored courses for
submission for the European Quality strength to strength. their time and effort on leisure has considered the military
practical relevance. organisations.
Improvement System (EQUIS). and entertainment activities. significance of Bletchley Park and
In November, we received the sad
This is the leading international This edition of Nexus discusses the In an increasingly competitive job However, little is known about its role in the development of
news of the death of Professor Brian
system of quality assessment, skills needs of employers and how market many undergraduates are the long-term impact of new computers. However, the way
Houlden, a founding father of the
improvement, and accreditation for WBS is continuously evolving its looking to find a competitive media products such as Tivo, MP3 this complex organisation was
Business School and one of its longest
business schools provided by the offering to enable its graduates to advantage. A specialist Master’s and Microsoft Media Centre on held together has not been
serving professors.
European Foundation for further their careers through degree from WBS gives employers the Roy Staughton & Bob Johnston surveying construction work on the channel tunnel rail link
the entertainment behaviour of systematically examined.
Management Development (efmd). developing those skills. added confidence when making their As we go to press, I wish to express individuals and households. The year-long project is receiving
hiring decisions. To provide a natural our sadness at the tragic loss of life financial support from the
Warwick Business School is proud to Our track record to date is impressive: to undertake some leading-edge Bob added, ‘We were taken up
route of progression for our own caused by the earthquake and
Qing Wang
have been the first UK business WBS undergraduates were heralded Nuffield Foundation and has
tsunami in the Indian Ocean on research into business-to-business the Swiss Re building during its
undergraduates as well as the enthusiastic backing of the
school to gain this accreditation in by The Guardian as being ‘the most relationships. Supported by construction. We went up in the
strengthening our portfolio, we will 26 December and to convey our Bletchley Park Trust. As well as
2000 and to have been able to add it employable’ in an employer survey construction giant Skanska, Bob builders’ lift and toured the 34th
be accepting applications for three deepest sympathy to the families drawing on the massive archive
to our two other main international 18 months ago. The January 2004 and Roy have set about trying to floor while it was open to the
new Master’s degrees starting in and friends of those affected. at the Trust, interviews will be
accreditations from the Association Financial Times ranking of the understand the nature of elements. Not having a good
October 2005: MSc in Marketing & conducted with former employees.
of MBAs (AMBA) – UK, and the world’s top 100 full-time MBA relationships in the construction head for heights I was terrified’.
Strategy, MSc in Information Systems It is a particularly appropriate
Association to Advance Collegiate programmes showed that 87% of industry – well known for its
& Management, and MSc in Finance. that this project is being The research involved
Schools of Business (AACSB), making Warwick MBA graduates were reputation for adversarial
conducted from Cambridge interviewing managers from the
us the first triple accredited business employed three months after This increased postgraduate activity In 2004, Dr Qing Wang of MSM relationships, delayed completions
University which supplied exemplar organisations using an
school in the UK. graduation – placing us 18th in the and the need for more teaching secured funding from the and budget overspends. Bob
many of the codebreakers, appreciative approach. Analysis
Marketing Science Institute for explains, ‘Few industries suffer
including Alan Turing. of the data provided a detailed
her innovative research project more from conflict than
understanding of the nature of,
entitled ‘The determinants of use of The project is not simply of construction and consequently,
and barriers to developing, long-
really new products’. For the first historical interest, however. the industry as a whole
term relationships and resulted in
two terms in the current Bletchley Park can be seen as a can gain great benefits by
an analytical framework, the
academic year she is working as a prototype for today’s knowledge- developing constructive, long-
hot off the press
Relationship Explorer, which they
visiting scholar at Fuqua School intensive organisations, and the term relationships’.
have subsequently used with
of Business, Duke University, to research will identify lessons for
This research has so far lasted managers in several sectors to
carry out research in collaboration these organisations. Of particular
two years, with further work help them evaluate relationships
with co-authors of this project. interest is how Bletchley Park
Ken Bates and Mark Whittington, Lecturers applicability of IS theory and practice to SMEs while cutting emissions, offering an overview of currently underway in very and identify, as well as frame,
The project is sponsored by CBS, managed to combine individual
in Accounting & Finance, have contributed a and develops new theories that are relevant to the issues that government must address and different sectors, including the need for improvements in
one of the largest media creative flair and, indeed, genius
chapter on Forecasting Financials to the third these firms. recommending practical policies to put the sports sponsorship. business-to-business relationships.
companies in the US, and will with highly routinised procedures
edition of FT Handbook of Management. w www.elsevier.com climate change programme back on course.
involve collecting data in three for dealing with the mass of Working closely with Skanska’s ● Bidding in collaboration with
Addressing the dilemma that past earnings and w www.ippr.org.uk/home
Adrian Caldart, Lecturer in Marketing and time intervals from CBS’ web information generated. executive vice president, Mike the National Institute for
growth isn’t always an accurate indicator of
Strategic Management, has co-authored a Howard Davis, Principal Research Fellow and panel of users of twenty-two new Putnam, Bob and Roy first Economic and Social Research
future performance, the chapter outlines an ● Professor Bob Johnston of
chapter The Roles of the Corporate Level in the Research Manager of the Local Government media and entertainment interviewed Skanska senior (NIESR), SKOPE has won the
eight step guide to ‘a satisfactory model that the Operations Management
Internationalization Process of the Firm in the book Centre, has collaborated on The changing role of products and services. The first managers to identify exemplars: contract to complete the UK leg
allows us to value the effect of alternative futures group has teamed up with ex-
Creating Value From Global Strategy, edited by Audit Commission inspection of local government – wave of data collection is now organisations that, in their of a major comparative research
for the company under analysis.’ WBS colleague, Roy Staughton,
Africa Ariño, Pankaj Ghemawat and Joan Enric driving improvement or drowning in detail? a report completed and the complete opinion, had been successful at on low-paid work in Europe.
w www.pearsoned.co.uk Ricart, published by Palgrave, Macmillan. results are expected to be developing long-term The SKOPE/NIESR bid beat off
published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Andrew Sturdy
Margi Levy, Senior Lecturer in Information w www.palgrave.com External inspection is seen as one of the most available by May 2005. relationships. This involved competition from the Centre for
Management, Operational Research & important ways of improving the performance of several visits to construction sites, Economic Performance at the LSE.
Catherine Mitchell and Bridget Woodman, ● Professor Andrew Sturdy of
nexus: spring 2005
including the Stratford Box Caroline Lloyd, IRRU, will be
Information Systems Group (ORIS) has jointly Centre for Management under Regulation local authorities and other public service IROB, has begun a new research
Junction for the channel tunnel working on the project with
published Strategies for Growth in SMEs, exploring (CMuR), have published The Burning Question: Is providers. This study analyses the major changes project with Dr Chris Grey of
rail link and the Swiss Re building research teams in the UK, France,
the role of information and information systems the UK on Course for a Low Carbon Economy. They that have taken place in the Commission’s the Judge Institute at Cambridge,
(often referred to as the Gherkin) the Netherlands, Germany and
(IS) concepts in SMEs, published by Elsevier assess specific policies to increase energy approach to inspecting local government which will examine the
in the City of London. Denmark.
Information Systems Series. This considers the efficiency and renewable energy deployment services since 2001. w www.jrf.org.uk management and organisation of
05
4. profile
Professor Harry Scarbrough is Director of the ESRC
Evolution of Business Knowledge (EBK) Programme at
people power
WBS. He was previously Professor and Research Director,
University of Leicester Management Centre. He is a
founder member of the IKON research centre and the
Knowledge and Innovation Network (KIN) at WBS. He is
also Director for the ESRC-funded major research
by Professor Harry Scarbrough Director, ESRC Evolution of Business Knowledge Programme programme on the ‘Evolution of Business Knowledge’
(www.ebk.research.org), principal investigator for ESRC's
project on ‘The capture and transfer of project based
A s any HR or Personnel manager will tell
you, the phrase ‘our people are our
greatest asset’ is guaranteed to provoke hollow
customers. Or it might be a more specific
problem of a lack of key technical skills.
The problem for organisations in this position
Faced by different problems, these firms came up
with very different solutions. The ones that saw
themselves fighting a war for talent concentrated
learning’. Harry is Associate Editor for the British Journal
of Management as well as The Information Society. He has
done consultancy work on knowledge management for
laughter from many employees – even more then is not that they can’t recognise the impact their efforts on small elite groups of managers major multinational firms and public sector organisations.
than when silver-tongued managers say that of people’s skills, but that those skills are too and technical specialists. The performance and
Research interests: management of knowledge and learning
Professor Harry Scarbrough
they are going to ‘free up your future’ (i.e. you’re subtle or diverse to really register in management careers of these individuals were scrutinised by
in organisations; role of social networks in innovation
sacked) or invite you to ‘take ownership of your systems that are designed for standardisation and internal panels of executives every bit as
processes; role of links between internal and external
career’ (you’re still sacked). The reality is that too control. The result is that managers find, even exhaustively as the contestants on ‘Pop Idol’. In
networks of expertise in advancing IT innovation.
few firms pay more than lip service to the when they want to, they cannot treat employees contrast, the big retailers we involved in a much
phrase, and too many employees feel that their as an asset because they lack the tools that would wider campaign to tap into the expectations and
skills are consequently under-valued, or not even allow them to make good on their intentions. motivations of thousands of employees up and
recognised. Henry Ford once said that he only down the country. This required the creation of
A recent study we did for the CIPD (Chartered
wanted to hire ‘hands’ – he wanted his workers new specialist teams to survey and monitor the
Institute of Personnel and Development) looked
map and monitor employee skills in a systematic But, most firms are not at the extremes. They are Sometimes the results are not as dramatic as this,
to leave their brains at the factory gate. attitudes of large numbers of employees.
at a range of companies that were grappling with way. The analogy here is maybe with Arsenal or in the middle ranges where the contribution that but are experienced mainly by customers who
As too many firms continue to follow this line
these problems1. ln the study we found that Not all the organisations we studied devoted Manchester United in the football world. Like employees make to performance is ambiguous. find, for instance, that the relocation of their
of thinking, the gap between words and deeds
firms had devised a number of ingenious ways to such efforts to mapping their skills base, though. those teams, organisations such as our City firm This is dangerous territory because managers do bank or utility firm’s call-centre overseas hasn’t
remains enormous.
make their people’s skills more visible and so In some cases, this was not surprising. find that the most important competitive skills not always have a good sense of the importance done a lot for the local knowledge of the
But if words alone are not going to fill the gap, more valued. The methods devised depended on These were organisations that competed of employee skills and commitment. Seeing the
are clearly demonstrated in play, and through call-centre staff.
maybe some hard realities of business life will. the business problems they were facing. Some primarily through the quality of their processes. world in a top-down way means that certain
the results that individuals achieve. It follows
kinds of skill – the kind that come from In this middle ground then, the need for
True, people are certainly not the only asset of high tech firms, for example, were finding it As a result, the major concern of managers was that such firms do not feel a need to develop
learning-by-doing and which are not always organisations to be attuned to the skills and
organisations and not always the most acutely difficult to recruit and retain people with to ensure that their employees had the skills elaborate methods of auditing skills across
reflected in formal qualifications – get commitment of their employees may not be so
important, at least in competitive terms. the right mix of technical and commercial skills required by the process. In other cases, however, the organisation.
overlooked. As a result, executives may be too obvious. Managers do not have to possess the
Yet, despite this, organisations of all shapes and at the very top of the organisation. Such people the results of the research were more surprising.
It would be wrong, however, to see this example ready to get rid of certain groups of people, or talents of Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger to
sizes are awakening to the realisation that the were in short supply and these firms were A good example was the City firm we studied,
as evidence that organisations can get away outsource their work to cheaper workers outside succeed. But, increasingly, their organisations
skills and motivation of employees – as well as fighting a ‘war for talent’ to identify and then where top management freely admitted that the
without any clear assessment of their employees’ the company. As apparently found in the do need to acquire some of those qualities
the way they are managed – can make a huge hang onto these high fliers. In some big retail firm’s performance was utterly dependent on
skills, capabilities and motivations. Certainly, as privatisation of some of the old public sector if they are to succeed – and, in the process,
difference to their performance. This difference firms, on the other hand, the problem was more the skills of a small group of fund managers. described above, there are situations at the jobs such as railway maintenance or hospital
get a better understanding of the true
nexus: spring 2005
may come from a variety of sources – it might be about getting a better understanding of how Despite this, and the emphasis which extremes of the range where this may be cleaning, this kind of top-down and cost-driven
capabilities of their people.
simply (or not so simply) a question of the way employee attitudes and morale affected their management placed on recruitment and defensible – where skill is either a poor second thinking has sometimes resulted in a disastrous
staff in front-line jobs are motivated to deal with service offering. retention, the firm made very little attempt to to process, or is absolutely critical to success. fall in the quality of services.
1
Reported in People Management, 23 Jan, pp. 32-35 and the Human Resource Management Journal, 14, 4, 21-40.
07
5. developing key
business skills it’s all about you
Dr Scott G Dacko
by Dr Scott G Dacko Lecturer, Marketing and Strategic Management Group by Barbara Oldridge (FMBA 1992-93), UK HR Director, Research International
W
hat are the key business skills our individual efforts towards understanding Still another important point can be made n 25 working years I have had three slices. Many of us – me included – prefer a
MBA students want to develop?
Clearly, they should be those skills
they consider to be valuable in their careers.
and ultimately mastering an important
element of business. They are also learning
to fully immerse themselves in formulating,
about skill development. Are the skills that
our students seek to develop the same ones
that their future employers consider equally
I distinct careers and there have been times
when I have wondered quite how that has
happened. When I look back, I realise that
more serendipitous approach but without
some idea of where you are headed, you
won’t get very far.
Yet, it is often not clear which of the many structuring, and implementing processes important to develop? Interestingly, the just about everyone I have ever worked with
skills the students wish to develop are involved to achieve larger goals, which often answer to that question is, not always. In or hired who I have really rated has applied
considered by them to be the most important. may not be clearly defined at the outset. fact, WBS research over the past two years has the same few key principles to the
And are the skills that our students seek to found that the top skill employers seek in our
4 Stay flexible
When asked to rate their starting and ending development of their own skills and to their
Barbara Oldridge
develop the same ones that their future graduates is not decision making, but initiative Even if you do have a career or skills
skill levels for each, it is found that, on career in general. I’m convinced these
employers consider equally important? average, students considered their ending – the ability to get things done. (Decision development roadmap, be willing to divert
principles withstand the tests of time, fad
If the MBA programme is to serve the needs skills to be significantly higher than their making is rated 4th on the list by business if something different comes along. I had a
and fashion and apply in pretty much every
of our students and their future employers, starting skills – as one would hope would be employers). Rated 10th on the list by students, Eureka! moment during my first term as a
economic, corporate or cultural climate.
where should the programme be placing accomplished in a one-year MBA programme. initiative is therefore a key skill our students
Warwick MBA student, while sitting in a
its emphasis? At the same time, however, when students must learn to value and develop more fully
financial analysis lecture on intangible assets.
were asked to comment on the actual if they are to really succeed in their careers by 1 It’s your life likely to get employer support for your
A recent survey of 92% full-time MBA students By the end of that one lecture, I had decided efforts). If you cannot make that fit – move
emphasis placed on skill development getting in the organisation’s door in the first Take personal responsibility for where you
who finished their studies in September 2004 to switch careers from Marketing to HR. I somewhere where you can.
compared to their desired emphasis, it is place. At the same time, students must also
contains many of the answers. Rating a list are going, for what you need and want to thought it had paid off when, at this year’s
observed that emphasis on all skill areas recognise that many organisational agendas
of 22 key business skills ranging from learn as you go along. If you don’t think it’s Institute of Directors HR Conference, one of
significantly fell short of their initial for maximising their use of MBA talent may
analytical to written communication skills, important to give time and effort to the key messages was ‘if you are an HR
the top ten skills they seek to develop during
expectations. Interestingly, results from past not coincide with their own expectations at
developing your skills and figuring out where Director and haven’t got an MBA – get one!’
7 Learning should be like a good meal
surveys indicate that student expectations for this stage of their career development.
the full-time programme are shown below, and how your career is going, you can’t Yet there are a tiny number of Warwick – plenty and varied. Aim to develop skills
skill development do not vary from the
profile
along with the ten programme areas which expect anyone else to. MBAs working in HR (around 1% of the MBA through non-work activities which you can
beginning of the year to the end. That is,
they rated the highest in terms of usefulness alumni population). So it is about spotting then apply to your career – and vice versa.
they come out of an MBA programme with
for skill development.
the same views as they entered in terms of a good opportunity, even if it is not in I try and incorporate the learnings I get as
These views clearly suggest that the most wanting to develop the key skills they 2 Understand yourself your plan. the parent of two small children into my
useful areas for developing the business skills consider a priority. Collectively, these findings work. For instance, I find the ‘distraction’
Dr Scott G Dacko is a Lecturer in Listen with your eyes as well as ears. How
students want and need are the ‘hands-on’ suggest that the MBA programme has room technique always works on colleagues who
Marketing and Strategic Management at people react to you is as important as what
areas of the MBA programme. Each of these for improvement in striving to ensure its
WBS. He holds a PhD in Business
they will tell you. Listen with courage and
5 It is possible to be both have a very low boredom threshold. And I’m
are areas where the student is learning to students get the most out of skill development
Administration from the University of
with commitment, so that you can genuinely
Jack-of-all-trades and master sure the time management skills I have
interact actively with others to accomplish an opportunities – a view that is consistent with
important effort or initiative but also where he the performance of numerous other MBA
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and MBA
change as you need to. And you will not be
of something acquired during my career could be more
and BME degrees from the University of usefully applied to my home life!
or she is learning to critically focus their programmes worldwide. the same five years from now – keep check- Being a career specialist is absolutely fine,
Minnesota. He has ten years’ new product
ing so that your self-perception doesn’t stand but breadth is what’s critical now – across These seven principles are not the only ones,
development, management, and marketing
still. It can get harder to do this as you get geographies, business functions, and industry but they are a good start. Nor are they easy
Top ten skills Top ten programme areas experience in large and small companies
to apply, either together or separately. But in
older, but all the more reason to keep at it. sectors. The MBA is about the best support
1 Decision making 1 Summer project and dissertation in the US. His research interests include
you can get to help make that happen. today’s and tomorrow’s environment of local
skill development in business and
2 Oral communication 2 Cross-cultural communication and interactions or regional skills shortages, coupled with an
marketing education as well as the role of
3 Leadership 3 Oral presentations increasingly global workforce and, for many
4 Interpersonal skills 4 Classroom discussions and debates
timing in marketing strategy development 3 Know where you are going of us, the prospect of working ten or twenty
5 Teamworking 5 Individual written assignments
and success for services and products
This doesn’t necessarily mean having a
6 Understand the key issues facing years longer than we planned, these
nexus: spring 2005
6 Negotiation 6 Classroom lectures
(e.g. market entry and new product/service
detailed 15-year career plan. In my first job,
your industry and your organisation principles can help you make your career or
introduction timing), marketing
7 Analytical 7 Participation in case studies I was horrified to hear a colleague say he then work out how to fit your skill and career your careers last as long as you choose, rather
management (e.g. managerial timing
8 Time management 8 Independent research and analyses had such a plan, mapped out in two year needs in with those issues (you are more than any employer dictates.
decisions), and consumer behaviour
9 Planning and organising 9 Informal gatherings with classmates
(e.g. explaining consumer purchase timing).
10 Initiative 10 Syndicate group work
09
