Special Section
Leadership and Innovation at Goizueta

At Goizueta Business School, the roles of leadership and research are exemplified not only in the classroom but also through conferences and intellectual endeavors held throughout the school year. From world-class faculty who embrace courageous inquiry to students who eagerly apply newly acquired leadership and organizational skills, the Goizueta community is abuzz with innovative projects and offerings.

Below are highlights from just three of the many conferences and symposia that are conceived and take place at Goizueta.

Organized by Goizueta’s Black MBA Association, the Diverse Leadership Conference (DLC) is the largest student-run diversity conference in Atlanta. Often held in conjunction with the school's Inside Goizueta Conference for prospective students of color, the DLC provides an annual forum for students, alumni, educators, and professionals to attend lectures and network.

Now in its second year, the Emerging India Summit is organized by students and faculty and brings together academics, business leaders, and diplomats to discuss India’s challenges and opportunities in areas such as new media, education, business development, and healthcare as it develops into a global business destination. The symposium is sponsored by Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, Rollins School of Public Health, and The Halle Institute for Global Learning.

New this year is the research-based Knowledge Futures: The Agility Imperative Symposium, whichoffers valuable insights on the increasing complexities of management and planning in a volatile world, showcasing the range of depth of learning and innovation available at Goizueta.

Human Resources
Who Decides Corporate Culture?
Cultures are living, evolving entities, and corporate cultures are no exception. But who defines a given company’s work habits, policies, values, and priorities? Those occupying the C-suite or those in the cubicles? It’s not an either-or answer, according to several panelists at the 6^th Annual Diversity Leadership Conference, held at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and sponsored by the school’s Black MBA Association. Corporate culture is negotiated space where employees and leaders meet halfway to create a professional atmosphere that satisfies company goals and employee expectations, with the end result playing a significant role in the company’s performance and successes.
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1381

Public Policy and Management

Indian Ambassador Examines “Why India Matters” at Emory Summit
Meera Shankar, India’s ambassador to the U.S., recently delivered the keynote address at Emory University’s Emerging India Summit, offering a panoply of reasons why India matters—to the U.S. and to the global economic order. India is the world’s largest democracy, with an electorate of more than 700 million people, a rapidly expanding market, a land of astonishing diversity and entrepreneurial energy, and the world’s second-fastest growing economy. “India is confident and aware of its capabilities,” says Shankar. “Our key national priority is to have sustained rapid and inclusive economic growth while ensuring that the fruits of our economic development reach all sections of society.” Quoting U.S. President Barack Obama, Shankar emphasized that “increased economic interaction between India and the United States can be a win-win proposition.”
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1383

Healthcare Economics
Benefits of Healthcare Cooperation between the U.S. and India
While healthcare is a universal concern than knows no geographic boundaries, research, innovation, and treatment vary from country to country. Therein lie both the challenges and the opportunities. Speaking at the Emerging India Summit, held recently at Emory University, several medical experts addressed the benefits of collaborative healthcare research and development between the U.S. and India, citing examples like cost savings in everything from vaccine production to cancer screenings and physician software development, as well as the 24-hour workday afforded by the difference in time zones. While India continues to face such difficulties as poorly equipped medical schools and a shortage of physicians, the country’s lower production costs and technological savvy render it a valuable partner in advancing affordable, high-quality healthcare.
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1384

Strategic Management
Creating “Living Standards” in an Uncertain Climate
In a recent Q&A with Knowledge@Emory, Dominic Thomas, adjunct assistant professor of information systems and operations management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, discusses the breakdown of the organizational status quo in uncertain environments, prompting companies to craft and use standards that enable agile coordination. Thomas recently moderated a panel discussion, “Crossing Barriers: Coordination and Standards,” as part of the Knowledge Futures: The Agility Imperative Symposium held at Emory University.
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1385

Operations Management
Sharing Knowledge to Remain Agile
“Knowledge is the capacity to take effective action,” says David Bennet, co-founder of the Mountain Quest Institute, a research and learning center in Frost, WV. “It is a critical part in dealing with uncertainty and complexity. You can share knowledge, you can leverage it, you can sculpt it, and you can apply it. Knowledge changes over time.” Speaking at the recent Knowledge Futures: The Agility Imperative Symposium held at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, Bennet joined executives from IBM and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss “The Future of the Organization” in a panel moderated by Benn Konsynski, a chaired professor of information systems & operations management at Goizueta. Bennet notes that time-strapped managers can improve productivity and responsiveness through knowledge sharing, intuitive reasoning, and the application of diverse skills.
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1387

Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Agility Lessons from the Fringe
As business leaders struggle to manage people and resources in an increasingly complex and volatile environment, they should take their cue from “guerilla entrepreneurs” and insurgents rather than the lumbering corporate old guard, says Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Emory University’s Halle Institute for Global Learning. Wadhwa, also a columnist for Bloomberg Businessweek, delivered a provocative keynote address at the recent Knowledge Futures: The Agility Imperative Symposium held at Goizueta Business School. Among his predictions: “If businesses don’t figure it out rapidly, each big company will go the way of AltaVista or Microsoft—once shining stars.”
http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1388