In a recent Poets&Quants Faculty Spotlight, Gies College of Business professor Sandra Corredor shared a clear message for students and business leaders alike. Strong outcomes in business and education are driven less by bold strategy alone and more by execution and attention to detail.

Corredor, an assistant professor of business administration focused on strategy and entrepreneurship, has built her career around experiential learning. Inspired by her father, a chemical engineering professor who created hands-on simulations for his students, she developed an early belief that learning is most effective when it is applied in real-world contexts.

That belief now shapes both her teaching and research.

Her research examines how organizations make major strategic decisions such as acquisitions, divestitures, and governance changes. While these moves often dominate headlines, Corredor’s work shows that success depends on the smaller design choices behind them. Factors such as decision rights, autonomy, and sequencing have a direct impact on innovation outcomes.

This same principle applies in the classroom.

“Students often believe there’s a single ‘right answer’ in strategy, but there isn’t. Success depends on how you design your path.”

Helping students move beyond that misconception is central to her teaching approach. Rather than focusing on memorizing frameworks, she emphasizes problem solving, adaptability, and comfort with uncertainty.

Corredor is also exploring how technology can improve business education. Her work with AI-powered simulations, avatars, and chatbots focuses on building practical skills such as negotiation. Early insights suggest that immersive tools increase engagement and help students focus on the details that matter in real decision-making situations.

Still, technology is only part of the equation.

Effective teaching requires structure, clarity, and intentional engagement. Corredor designs each class with clear takeaways, visual storytelling, and frequent interaction. She incorporates group discussions, debates, and live exercises to maintain energy and ensure students stay actively involved.

“Students need to feel that their professors care. That care shows up in how you design the learning experience.”

Looking ahead, Corredor sees the future of business education centered on scalable, technology-driven experiential learning. Expanding access to hands-on learning will be critical as business schools prepare students for increasingly complex and uncertain environments.

For students entering the workforce, her advice is straightforward. Explore different paths, gain real-world exposure, and learn by doing. There is no single correct path to success, only well-designed ones.

Her perspective reinforces a broader shift in business education. The future is not just about what students learn, but how they apply it. And in both business and learning, the details make the difference.

Listen to the full podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/221123/episodes/18875860

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