AT&T Tops Ranking Of Most Diverse Employers

Quotes of the Week

 As you’ve taught MBA students, is there anything that has surprised you about what or how they learn?

“MBA students today communicate differently. The rapid fire speed of their communication with their colleagues via multiple on-line and smart phone tools creates a different learning dynamic. When I completed my MBA in the late 70’s, and even in my early P&G days, communication was achieved via typed “memos” which were copied and sent via “snail mail”—with a turnaround for a response of days, even weeks. Today, our students want and expect an instant response.

The pace of communication, combined with the ability to conduct searches on industries and companies via multiple on-line sources, leads to a “rate of learning” that is unprecedented. The ability to run comprehensive, real-time analyses makes insight generation faster and better. In contrast, we used to resort to Nielsen for market size/share data which arrived weeks after the period was over—leaving us in a “catch-up” mode. Today, the data is instantaneous and at students’ “fingertips”, which allows them to manipulate data in ways that were not previously possible.

The final difference in contemporary MBA students versus yesteryear’s students is the degree to which they think and are global. They are learning that there is only one economy, and it’s global-not local or regional. Events which take place in Greece, Venezuela, Russia and Vietnam impact these students as professionals, regardless of their industry, and as individuals. As an example, the recent drop in oil prices has a geo-political impact, a U.S. impact on the cost of goods at work, and a personal impact when they fill up their gas tanks. The interconnectedness between the individual, the job, and the globe is pervasive in students’ minds.”

– Rob Matteucci, the former CEO of Evenflo and professor at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. (To read the full interview, click here).

What is it like following a leader like Paul Danos?

“If you just look at the data, there are not many deans who serve for 20 years at an institution as high quality as Tuck. Paul transformed the Tuck School from a very good institution to—in aspiration and, in many ways, in actuality—a world-class institution. Look at the increase in the range and impact of our programs; at the number of our centers and initiatives; at the scale and renown of our faculty; at the globalization of the school; and at the innovations in the curriculum. Paul helped lead so many of those changes that made Tuck the wonderful institution it is today. On a personal level, I will always be eternally indebted to Paul for all the big and little things he taught me, in formal and informal ways—first as a faculty member and then when I had the good fortune to serve with him in the dean’s office.”

– Matthew J. Slaughter, the new dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

What do you see as Tuck’s greatest strengths?

“One of Tuck’s greatest enduring strengths is its commitment to quality. Edward Tuck, in the founding letter he wrote to President Tucker, stressed the integrity of leaders. That perspective has guided the approach we have taken to business education throughout our entire history. It guides the quality of our faculty and their dedication to scholarship and bringing it into the classroom. It guides the amazing students we attract, who bring tremendous backgrounds and experience. It guides our terrific staff and our dedicated alumni.  Another core Tuck strength is our commitment to teaching. Part of what distinguishes us is the way we bring the knowledge creation of our faculty and the experience of our alumni into the classroom in a rigorous and relevant way—we do a terrific job at Tuck connecting the value of scholarship with the teaching endeavor. And a third strength long central to Tuck is experiential learning. Just look at the creation of the First-Year Project under Dean Danos—and, today, at our pending launch of a global experiential learning requirement. As the world of business becomes more global seemingly by the hour, we have decided that earning a Tuck degree will require taking at least one course somewhere around the world. That course will be taught to the high same standards as our other courses—to bring intellectual ideas alive in on-the-ground activities that prepare students for the opportunities they will have in their business careers beyond Tuck.”

– Matthew J. Slaughter, the new dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (To read the full interview, click here).

“Although having a big name company on your CV can be a benefit, candidates coming from lesser-known organizations can impress the admissions committee by showcasing exceptional achievements. If you chose to work in a smaller company—perhaps it offered more responsibility than a large organization, or specialized in your particular field of interest—then explain this with confidence. There’s no need to apologize and in fact you might be able to communicate how a smaller company allowed you to take on more responsibilities than working at a large organization. It’s important that you convey the quality of your work experience and also clearly define your individual accomplishments…

For candidates coming from companies that are not as well known, it’s sometimes easier to convince admissions committees that their career aspirations are achievable if they’re planning to stay in the same industry or function post-MBA, as opposed to making a complete career change. This shows that they can leverage their background to impress recruiters. If the candidate already has some functional expertise or industry knowledge that is relevant to the next job, it’s a real advantage.”

– Fortuna Admissions (To read the full article, click here).