Knowledge@Emory -- Executive Education

The Art of Making Quality Decisions

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:36:48 EST

Making quality decisions is an intricate tapestry of experience, inquiry, and judgment that converge to form solutions. According to Michael Sacks and Steve Walton, professors at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, there are strategies that can be adopted to make the process more effective.

In a Global Workforce, Does An MBA Still Carry Clout?

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:27:50 EST

Technological and political advances are shattering international boundaries, enabling companies to seek out commerce—and to compete—in a way they’ve never done before. Increasingly, say recruiters and others, businesses are looking for savvy MBAs to help them navigate this new environment. But even as demand rises for individuals with post-graduate degrees, there are some troubling crimps in the supply. Experts at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and industry observers explore the issues.

Exploring the Strategic Role and Benefits of Business Case Competitions

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 10:40:20 EST

Recently, Marietta, GA-based Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. challenged Atlanta area business schools to help guide the company through a real life business issue: how to maintain Solvay Pharmaceuticals� lead in the testosterone replacement therapy market. Professors and students at Emory University�s Goizueta Business School, along with Solvay Pharmaceuticals executives, discuss the benefits of well-designed business case competitions.

How Custom Programs Accelerate Executive Learning

Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:37:18 EST

Executives today admit that they are often overwhelmed with the demands of managing through a knowledge gap. How can a company bring the integral members of its leadership team up to speed, and provide motivation and forward momentum in the face of often painful transitions? For companies looking to get a handle on challenging “change management” situations, a customized executive education program may be the most effective choice. Experts at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and within the business community discuss the benefits of these unique programs.

Why Executives Embrace the Benefits of Distance Learning

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 13:17:36 EST

Distance learning is estimated to have captured as much as 30% of all corporate training in the U.S., but can it effectively support the collaborative learning environment required in a top MBA program? As distance learning gains a foothold on campus, its greatest promise may lie in executive education, where the ability to deliver customized learning at any place and at any time fits the imperatives of the Internet-age workplace. Professors at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and business practitioners explore the research and realities of information technology-mediated learning.

What�s Trade Got To Do With It?

Wed, 11 Feb 2004 15:44:19 EST

The respective merits of regional trade agreements are hotly debated in economic circles. But how often do business executives get the opportunity to apply in-depth analysis of trade agreements to their strategic planning? Team members in an international economics executive MBA class at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School conducted a month-long comparative study of NAFTA and Mercosur. The resulting paper, “A Comparison of the Effects of NAFTA and Mercosur,” examines the implications for business.

The Future of Learning May Lie in Virtual Learning Systems

Wed, 21 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

Whether it be to pursue a degree or simply continue education in a particular profession, many adults are opting for technology-based training programs. In research circles, distance education falls under the heading of Virtual Learning Systems, defined as information-technology environments, in which the learner�s interactions with learning materials, instructors and/or peers are mediated through technology. In their paper �Virtual Learning Systems,� Maryam Alavi of Emory�s Goizueta Business School and Dorothy Leidner of Texas Christian University speak to the increased use of virtual learning systems in higher education and adult training and development, and how best to make this approach to learning effective.

How Technology Is Changing Business Education

Wed, 09 May 2001 00:00:00 EST

Today, more than ever, business and management education must rely on information and communication technology to facilitate and enrich the learning experience. Several business schools and universities have been making such efforts with varying degrees of success. What methods work best in this field? A research paper by Goizueta�s Maryam Alavi and Brent Gallupe at Queen�s University shows that the answer is far from simple.

How an E-learning Company Taught Itself the Internet Funding Game

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 14:04:58 EST

The business climate for companies today is a little like playing Pac-Man, says Alec Hudnut, CEO of the e-learning company Quisic. In other words, it�s eat or be eaten, and success depends a lot on how you handle the whole question of funding. Hudnut talked about the Internet, the corporate training industry and the evolution of Quisic at Wharton�s e-Commerce Speakers Series.

Just-in-Time Education: Learning in the Global Information Age

Wed, 30 Aug 2000 13:27:55 EST

Is the lecture hall outdated? Management education needs to be radically rethought for an Internet age, becoming more customizable, with delivery anytime and anyplace, and more applied, interactive learning. Two Wharton professors, Jerry Wind and David Reibstein, discuss a new paradigm for management education facilitated by advances in information technology and how it might be integrated into a decision support system. Wind is also leading the creation of a program that attempts to implement these principles in practice.

Risk Management: Adding Information to Intuition

Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:13:28 EST

As more firms move beyond risk assessment into risk management, the need for increasingly sophisticated analyses, including simulation models, is crucial. A three-day executive education course at Wharton, Decision Models for Management, tackles many of the challenges that risk managers confront on a daily basis, ranging from product mix decisions and applications of optimization models to operations management and marketing, portfolio optimization and yield management.

Mining Data for Nuggets of Knowledge

Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:13:24 EST

Almost every company these days collects reams of data about its customers and their transactions. The coming of the Internet has made this task both easier and faster. But how can companies drill through these mountainloads of data to unearth crucial insights and knowledge about customer behavior and market trends? Jacob Zahavi, a visiting professor at Wharton, and his colleagues Lyle Ungar and Robert Stine, plan to address the challenges of data mining in a short course at Wharton next month.

So Your Sales Went Up? So What?

Wed, 01 Sep 1999 12:25:03 EST

Do increasing sales mean that a company is in sound financial health? Not necessarily, replies John Percival, an adjunct professor at Wharton. Rising sales combined with high accounts receivable could mean that customers are buying products but not paying for them. �Increasing a company�s sales means a corresponding increase in costs for such things as production equipment, labor and inventory,� he says. �A company should concentrate on sustainable growth, which is characterized by increasing profit (as opposed to sales).� Percival teaches a six-week course about understanding financial statements, which addresses these issues and more.

Dialog or Death?

Wed, 04 Aug 1999 13:54:16 EST

If CEOs only talked more to one another, they could accomplish so much more. Sounds obvious? Perhaps. But Howard Perlmutter, an emeritus professor at Wharton who is a pioneer in the study of global corporations, has developed a framework that facilitates what he calls "deep dialog." The framework also identifies some of the principal hurdles to such communication. At a time when more and more mergers are creating global corporations, such structured conversations--and efforts to identify factors that impede them--may hold the key to success.

Bargaining for Advantage

Fri, 23 Jul 1999 16:35:52 EST

From morning decisions over who will pick up the kids until the nightly tug-of-war over which television shows to watch, all of us face negotiations as a part of daily life. Of course, the stakes are highest when our careers and fortunes depend on how well we manage the negotiation process. But, as Richard Shell and Stuart Diamond point out in Wharton's Executive Negotiation Workshop, the process looks much the same every time someone wants something from somebody else. Shell and Diamond teach a systematic approach to negotiation, large and small.

Surviving the E-Trading Explosion

Tue, 08 Jun 1999 21:16:59 EST

When a titan like Merrill Lynch declares its intention to offer online trades, as it did in early June, it means that electronic trading is here to stay. A Wharton program organized with the Securities Industry Association in April analyzed the impact of electronic trading on traditional brokerage and global stock markets. �The paradigm of investing is shifting,� acknowledges Mark Lackritz, president of the SIA. �At one time, the securities industry had two monopolies, on information and on execution. Today both those monopolies are gone.�

High-Powered Ways to Develop High-Potential Executives

Mon, 24 May 1999 16:56:45 EST

How does a company develop senior executives on the fast track? Time was when a deep understanding of the business and corporate culture was essential to their growth. In today's fast-paced world, where globalization and technology are turning markets topsy turvy, a new approach is vital. Some insights on how companies can develop high-voltage leadership.