Executive Education Programs Research Articles

The evolution of customised executive education in supply chain management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the evolving nature of supply chain management customised executive education over the past decade and present a conceptual framework for curriculum development and design.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a combination of methods utilising both in‐depth interviews with academics and practitioners and a single longitudinal case study based on records of 197 customised executive education programmes delivered since 2000.FindingsThe findings show that the needs of practitioners have evolved from acquiring competency‐based training to obtaining support for wider strategy deployment and change management programmes within organisations. Moreover, the design and delivery of programmes have developed over the period considering the requirements for experiential learning, project work involving deeper faculty engagement, pre‐ and post‐course project activity, supported by internet‐based learning portals.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors' research provides evidence that the nature of supply chain executive education has changed and that further research is needed to explore the implications for the delivery of programmes.Practical implicationsThe adoption of the framework will provide course directors and programme managers involved in supply chain management executive education with insights for successful design and execution of programmes. Similarly, the framework can support decision‐making processes conducted by organisations commissioning customised executive education programs.Originality/valueAlthough there is a body of research relating to curriculum development and design generally, there is little empirical research focusing on supply chain management executive education.

About the Authors

About the Authors

The balanced scorecard: subjects, concept and objects – a commentary

PurposeBy observations of what managers do with the balanced scorecard (BSC), the purpose of the paper is to discuss how further empirical research may be advanced, which differentiates more clearly what we study when exploring BSC work.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a discussion of observations of seasoned managers working with the BSC as part of their executive education program. It offers a discussion of how insights from interaction with these managers can develop our understanding of how management concepts are constituted and can be explored.FindingsThe ways in which managers (dis‐)connect the BSC objects and concept are everything but benign. Much more could be known about the BSC, by studying both how these relationships are crafted in practice, and how the relationships crafted are influenced by the texts by which the BSC is known.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper offers a new way of framing research of popular management conceptualizations, by separating them in terms of conceptual ideas and representational objects. It offers a starting point for researching, what managers do with the BSC, and for researching what it is that works for the balanced scorecard.Originality/valueThe paper frames a quadrant approach. It distinguishes the BSC in terms of its conceptual narrative, its artefact object representation, users’ conceptual expectations and object mobilization. These four dimensions can assist researchers in finding ways to assess the impact of popular management concepts.

Social media marketing at Reebok India — the dilemma of ROMI and beyond

Subject area Marketing management, digital marketing, advertising and promotion management, and technology management. Study level/applicability The case is suitable for BBA and MBA students. It can also be considered in executive education programs. Case overview Venkatesh Kothapalli, the marketing head at Reebok India headquarters at Gurgaon, was in a decision dilemma about the effectiveness of using social media marketing and its employment in the current scheme of marketing strategy being planned. He had been able to generate a fair amount of awareness and excitement amongst potential users on Reebok's social media sites. However, these often fail to convert into topline sales. In addition, Alex his superior had given clear instructions that no separate budget would be earmarked for this type of medium. So Venkatesh had to divert some parts of his existing budgets (which he did from the PR budget and the DM budget) and channel these into the new area of social media marketing. This had also created concerns in Venkatesh's mind about the possibility of the new media not showing favourable results while budgets of the traditional and tried and tested media like PR and direct marketing were being chopped. Expected learning outcomes These include: understanding the dilemma of an organization's adoption of newer marketing tools as opposed to traditional marketing practices; evaluating the role of newer mediums like social media marketing and its long term and short term relevance; understanding the origins and development of social media marketing to grasp the full scale of its usefulness; and appreciating the complexities of measuring the effectiveness of social media marketing initiatives. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian for access.

Lubrax by Petrobras

Subject area The case focuses on brief elaboration, importance, objectives and components. While there are many ways to elaborate a brief, the overriding goal is to outline the most relevant guidelines for campaign design, and the decisions required to launch an advertising campaign. Study level/applicability This case may be used for the first marketing course in MBA curricula, as well as in executive education programs addressing communications and advertising strategy issues. Case overview On a cold July afternoon in 2005, Matías Ruiz faced a difficult challenge. After months of long presentations and detailed discussions, the budget for a new advertising campaign had been finally approved. Ever since its arrival in Argentina, the company had concentrated all its efforts on positioning its corporate brand. Now with a firm standing in the domestic market, the time had come to advertise Lubrax, Petrobras' lubricant brand. Bearing in mind that the goal was to build a unique and independent brand identity for Lubrax while preserving its links to Petrobras, Ruiz's team, along with Diálogo Publicidad, a local advertising agency, had prepared three TV advertisements. Ruiz had to choose the most suitable campaign with an approved budget of US$ 3 million – 40 percent below the sum he had hoped to raise. At least one of those ads had to be launched in late October 2005, in time for the category's seasonal consumer sales peak. To do that, Ruiz needed to make a decision and to present a complete proposal to Lubrax's Marketing Director. This case study describes the questions confronting Ruiz at that time – Which ad should we pick? What brand image do we want for Lubrax? What is it that we wish to communicate? What is our goal? What segment are we addressing? Expected learning outcomes The case provides an insight into the use of advertising campaigns as a marketing tool, describing the company's competition, consumers, distribution channels and organizational hurdles. As a result, it may be used to help students: understand communications complexities, delving into each step in the process and taking stock of relevant decisions involved; learn about the research studies and data analyses required to build a communications plan that fits in with a company's strategy; manage a specific marketing budget; gain experience on advertising campaign development and subsequent evaluation; and survey the mix of marketing drivers needed to boost business sustainability. It will enable students to realize both the significance of thorough brief preparation to pursue a company's strategic goals and the importance of ensuring the ad chosen matches that brief. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available; please contact your librarian for access.

Role of “haraam” practices on behavior and performance of employees: a case study of business organization

Subject area Management sciences (organizational behavior). Study level/applicability The case is suitable for MBA students, employees of any organization, human resource practitioners, organization administrators, human resource directors and senior line management. Case overview The study deals with unethical or “haraam” practices at the workplace. It is based on the observation of the researchers. The business organization was selected and the behavior of employees was observed for two months. An interesting behavior of an employee was observed and the change in behavior was followed. The study describes the various factors influencing the behavior and performance of the employee and emphasis is made on the “haraam” practices of drinking alcohol and unacceptable behavior. The focus is on the performance of the employee. Major events and changes were elaborated to deduce the descriptive cause and effect results based on observation. It was found that behavior as well as performance was reduced due to “haraam” practices, which can be a lesson for other employees to follow as well as for managers to devise strategies in order to improve the most important resource of their organization, i.e. the human resource. Expected learning outcomes As this case was designed for an executive education programme, no detail regarding where it fitted into the curriculum is applicable as would be the case with cases designed for students. The case is intended to develop skills in students to creatively approach a common and wide spread problem and to think about the solution in an innovative way. The overall purpose of the case is to engage human resource practitioners (students) in creatively constructing innovative solutions to address the problem of compulsive drinking in the organizational environment. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian for access.

San Antonio: assessing the key account management system

Subject area This case illustrates the differences between customers and the occasions when conditions change and buyer-seller relationships fail. The key issue is to find ways to anticipate this problem with other clients. Study level/applicability It may be used in second-year courses of MBA marketing programs as well as in specific executive education programs dealing with key account management (KAM) systems, business strategy, industrial marketing and/or sales management courses. This case can also be used at undergraduate programs and courses dealing with sales, sales management, international business, and organizational behavior. Case overview In 2003, after Carlos Etcheverry joined San Antonio (SA) as Latin American Region Vice President, the company implanted a KAM System. SA's relationships with its two key clients, Vintage and Chevron, seemed to progress nicely until mid 2004, when Chevron's newly hired Purchasing Manager decided to change the company's commercial structure, rendering its purchasing process more bureaucratic and extremely competitive. In March 2005, Etcheverry was to meet Chevron's purchasing manager, since Chevron had decided to reassign a service contract through a new invitation to bid, leaving San Antonio out. The case puts forth the questions faced by Etcheverry at the time of the meeting: How had San Antonio come to jeopardize a key account? Would SA's organization need a change? Was this the only solution available? What other factors should be considered? Expected learning outcomes This case may help students to: understand the complexity of key account management (KAM) system implementation, sales force concepts and business-to-business relationships; and analyze the difficulties faced by companies upon implementing a change in their sales strategies and the effects of this change on the sales force, corporate culture and the organization as a whole management system. Supplementary materials Teaching notes and a Technical note are available; also access to audio visual support with an interview to Carlos Etcheverry.

The effectiveness of a live case study approach: Increasing knowledge and understanding of ‘hard’ versus ‘soft’ skills in executive education

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of a live case methodology for individuals engaged in executive development. In particular, the research examined whether ‘hard’ skills such as strategy could be developed by using a case study approach that is traditionally known for improving transferable or ‘soft’ skills. A three-day live case study was undertaken by 19 participants as part of an executive development programme on strategy. Through completion of both pre and post case study questionnaires, change scores on knowledge and understanding of a range of both ‘hard’ (strategy related) and ‘soft’ (transferable skills) skills and confidence to perform these skills effectively was calculated. The results clearly demonstrated that the use of the live case study was an excellent method for improving knowledge and understanding of strategy. However, the more surprising result was that with middle and senior managers on an executive education programme, the live case study did not significantly improve knowledge, understanding or confidence for transferable skills. The findings are discussed in relation to the current literature on the benefits of live cases, and the specific characteristics of the executive development cohort.

Emotions and Decision-Making Processes in Management Teams: A Collective Level Analysis

Discrete emotions are rarely studied in relationship with group decision-making. Using data from 20 simulated companies run by a total of 106 managers attending executive education programs, the current research examined to what extent four classes of emotions (positive achievement, positive approach, negative resignation, and negative antagonistic) were related to team decision-making processes (alternative generation and alternative evaluation). Significant intra-class coefficients confirmed that aggregation of emotion and decision-making processes was feasible. Correlations at the collective or aggregated team level showed that approach emotions were related to alternative generation, particularly in the developing phase of a group decision-making task. Finally, a ratio of positive emotions over negative emotions correlated positively with a better team decision process. Future research extending emotion influence in decision process is suggested, and practical implications are discussed.

The executive education classroom: instructor selection criteria

Purpose – This paper aims to present a number of qualitative characteristics that contribute to effective and successful instructor involvement in a custom executive education (EE) program classroom with seasoned managers as classroom learners. As such, the characteristics should be a part of any EE instructor due diligence evaluation and selection endeavor.Design/methodology/approach – This paper codifies the attributes observed in successful, sought‐after EE instructors over nearly two decades of leading custom EE programs for a variety of clients.Findings – In this paper, 13 characteristics of well‐regarded, impactful EE instructors are identified and discussed. Each characteristic is posited as important but it is the combination of all of them that is the hallmark of the most successful, memorable, effective custom EE program instructors.Practical implications – Readers are provided with a due diligence list of 13 items for identifying highly effective custom EE program instructors. Those items shoul...

Taking a Mexican Company Global—The CEMEX Way

Suitable for MBA, Executive MBA, GEMBA, and executive education programs, this case uses CEMEX, a global cement producer based in Mexico, to set the stage for unfolding an analysis of a growth through acquisition strategy. It offers a discussion about the firm’s overall strategy to acquire on a global scale instead of growing organically and provides an opportunity to introduce basic financial, marketing, and operational terms that can be explored in subsequent classes. The material includes a PMI process that further allows discussion on that technique.The case opens with a conference call and another barrage of questions for CEO Lorenzo Zambrano about his bid to buy the Australia-based Rinker Group in October 2006. Until this point, CEMEX has had a long-standing habit of buying businesses in emerging markets; this acquisition would be a departure from that strategy. If the deal goes through, it would be the single largest acquisition in CEMEX’s history, and it would be among its few forays into a developed market other than the neighboring United States. The company has grown exponentially and successfully. Why would this effort be any different? Was the acquisition a good idea or not? And if it was, how would Zambrano and his leadership team convince Wall Street and others of that?

Punascha: marketing strategies of a Bengali publisher

Subject area Marketing, Marketing environment, Marketing strategy. Study level/applicability Post Graduate (MBA), Executive Education Program. Case overview The present case study deals with the marketing strategies of Punascha (meaning re-beginning), a publisher of Bengali non-textbooks based in Kolkata, India. This case is suitable for teaching in Marketing Management course in a Post Graduate Program in Business Management. It could also be taken up for an executive program in marketing strategy. The case study is a live case study, which was based on in-depth interviews with the company people and company site visit. The case study discusses how Punascha started from a humble beginning in 1988 and became one of the leading publishers of Bengali books in India. The key focus of the case is on how a company can use marketing tools effectively (and uniquely) and become successful. Expected learning outcomes Understanding the basics of 4Ps of marketing and how they are used in synchronisation with each other to achieve the marketing objectives. Understanding the role of marketing environment in marketing strategy. Realizing the need of a new product development strategy. Assessing the need of non-traditional modes of marketing communications and its role in product promotion. Supplementary materials Teaching notes.

Corporate brand building at SRF: challenge of selecting the brand consultant

Subject area The case is about the selecting the agency to take up the brand building challenge of SRF Limited, a well established, large business in India having diverse lines of “industrial products”. The business decision problem of SRF stemmed from the fact that the corporate leadership team, which had to take a decision on the topic had considerable reservation about the appropriateness of each of short–listed agencies for the job at hand. There were also differences of opinion on what would be the criteria for selecting the brand consultant. The Managing Director had to ensure that the team arrived at a consensus, rather than being foisted with a decision from top. Study level/applicability This case can be taken up in executive education programs as well as the basic marketing management program at the postgraduate level or in a specialist advertising courses. The case can be taught in the core marketing course at the postgraduate level while discussing the selection on advertising agency. Case overview The decision–making focus of the case is about selecting an advertising agency among a set of three, which was most suited to help SRF achieve the repositioning, branding and the awareness creation challenge. The agencies, however, were mostly experienced in building brands for consumer product which was distinct from industrial intermediaries company like SRF. As an organization, SRF had no experience of dealing with an advertising agency, thus the selection was quite a challenge. It brings to focus the decision–making dilemma faced by a large number of companies in emerging markets which are making the transition to brand building. Expected learning outcomes The following insights could be elucidated by the case: Help the students understand the corporate branding concept as distinct from product branding. Decision–making dilemmas associated with corporate brand building for a company with long legacy of product branding. Criteria for evaluating the proposals by advertising agency from the perspective of a client organization. Supplementary materials Teaching notes.

Sovereign Funds are Helping Strike a New World Economic Balance

Sovereign funds and emerging markets. In 2010, Sovereign Funds (SF) invested over 60% of their portfolios in non-OECD nations. Over US $30 bn of the money came from China, Latin America (basically Brazil) and South-East Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). Sovereign Funds and the Spanish link with Latin America. Recent movements in CEPSA, Iberdrola and Santander show the interest Spain has in entering the burgeoning Latin American market. ESADEgeo: Agenda for activities covering Sovereign Funds. We propose a range of activities combining theoretical arguments and practical activities (SF operations and strategies, drawing up business case studies, annual conferences and a special Executive Education programme).

Ideas are not innovations

Tim Kastelle is a senior lecturer in innovation management at University of Queensland Business School (UQBS). He is managing editor of Innovation:Management,Policy & Practice, the leader of the UQBS executive education and MBA innovation programs, and does research and consulting on the topic of management of innovation.John Steen is a senior lecturer in strategy at UQBS. He currently holds an Australian Research Council grant to examine innovation in capital-intensive and project-based firms. He has published in a variety of strategy and innovation journals, but does not refer to any of them when he is talking to managers.

Leading change: story of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation

Subject area Organizational behavior, leadership, strategic management. Study level/applicability This case can be used at Master's level management students as well as for executive education programmes. The case can be used to teach courses like organizational behavior, leadership and strategic management. Case overview Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) had been established with a purpose of catering the rail transportation requirement of Mumbai, the economic capital of India. After its establishment in the year 1999, commuters were hopeful but very less development and improvement was reported for six years. Mr P.C. Sehgal took over as Managing Director of MRVC in the year 2005. The primary task of Mr P.C. Sehgal was to implement the rail development plan proposed by Mumbai Urban Transport Project within the deadlines. Implementation of the given plan had various challenges and required high degree of coordination with different stakeholders (like Government of Maharashtra, Central Railway, Western Railway, etc.). It also required taking important decisions to move work fast and dealing with media and public pressure. Expected learning outcomes The case would instigate students to delve on the aspects of leadership and how the leader brings about change. The students would also get to know the challenges a leader face when he takes charge of an underperforming but critically important organization. Further the students are also exposed to the context of organizational management where the organization is trapped in a web of relations with conflicting stakeholders. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

Integrating The Curriculum: Executive Education In The 21st Century

Executive education programs are becoming more innovative, learner centered and relevant to strategic organizational issues. They require action learning and greater customization to the ex-ecutives organization. This study presents an integrated design of two courses from different dis-ciplines that extend over two trimesters. Student assessments of their organizational culture in part one are integrated in part two with quantitative performance measurement. Interweaving culture and performance measurement in the context of their own organizations helps executives see how culture influences bottom line issues of performance and results. Their resulting recommendations for organizational change address underlying causes, rather than superficial symptoms.

Assessing professional development program impact

PurposeThis paper aims to present a useful framework for guiding HR leaders, and their executive education (EE) program providers, towards program assessments that focus on, and capture, information related to the enterprise‐level benefits created by a customized professional development education program.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is the culmination of 40 years of working with corporations in the design, development, delivery, and assessment of EE professional development programs. It is also inspired, more recently, by the program assessment perspective that several larger corporate clients have sought and have most highly valued.FindingsA guiding framework for enterprise‐level EE program assessment is presented.Practical implicationsThe framework presented here is immediately and broadly applicable to those HR managers engaged in partnering with providers of custom EE professional development programs aimed at enhancing organizational‐level benefits. In addition, an example of a set of program assessment content prompts is provided in order to help HR leaders fashion their own IMPACT‐inspired assessment instrument.Originality/valueReaders are provided with a field‐inspired framework for EE program impact assessment. The paper posits the framework as an alternative to a more traditional individual‐only impact assessment and to a more problematic finance‐based ROI approach to program assessment.

ASSESSING THE ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

For the past 30 years, scholars and practitioners alike have joined in lamenting the lack of progress made in determining how to assess the impact of professional development. The purpose of this paper is to posit a new approach to impact assessment by shedding light on the microprocesses of knowledge transfer. We present findings from an exploratory qualitative study of social networks consisting of 7 participants in an executive education program and their 98 coworkers. We find support for the transfer of novel knowledge from program participants to their network alters, and we posit cognitive factors that mediate the transfer. We discuss the implications of this approach for assessing the impact of executive education programs and investigating the mechanisms of knowledge transfer in organizations.

Crossing the Divide: Building Bridges between Public Administration Practitioners and Scholars

This article discusses the challenges of better connecting public administration (PA) scholarship to practice and recommends solutions to address those challenges in three areas – engaged scholarship, engaged teaching, and engaged faculty. To strengthen the connection between research and practice, strategies are proposed such as publishing summaries of research, creating open access online journals, establishing learning communities, and developing a new journal for cutting-edge PA research that is written in a practitioner accessible format. Strategies for linking our teaching to practice include emphasizing problem-based learning techniques, utilizing executive education programs to test the relevancy of our scholarship and incorporating additional pedagogical training into our doctoral programs. As a strategy for promoting more engaged faculty, we encourage greater participation in academic-practitioner exchange programs. In order for PA faculty to be more engaged, changes to tenure and promotion expectations are also needed, as well as an expansion of institutional incentives for engaged scholarship.