August 2002
Learning About Organization From The Miners
The miracle of seeing all nine miners emerge from the depths of the Quecreek mine in Somerset, Pennsylvania elicited great joy in our hearts. The awesome engineering feats achieved by those on the ground will undoubtedly serve as a future model for strategic brilliance, virtuoso planning, complex project coordination, careful management of expectations and, of course, divine intervention. There is also a great deal we can learn about the organization of teams from the miners trapped below ground:
Advisor Receives Fellowship Honors
The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) recently recognized Jacqueline Fowler of the Penn State Smeal College of Business for her leadership as an advisor for the University Park team. She received the "Sam Walton Fellowship" from SIFE.
Rogers Give $4 Million Boost To Business Building
Penn State alumni J. David and Patricia Rogers of Darien, Conn., have made a $4 million gift toward construction of the new Business Building at the University Park campus.
Penn State Student Receives Accolades For Leadership
The Alpha Phi Delta National Fraternity recognized Shaun R. Foote, a senior majoring in management and organization in the Penn State Smeal College of Business, for his academic excellence, community involvement, and leadership during its recent convention in Ocean City, Maryland.
Trespassing In Cyberspace
Employers, like private citizens, have the right to protect their property from unwanted intrusion or potential damage, as long as they are not practicing illegal discrimination. And until recently it's been relatively straightforward to draw the line between companies' private property and that which was public. But what about cyber-property? What's the dividing line between the public airwaves, and your "private" cyberspace, and is there such a thing as private cyberspace? Several recent court cases are providing some clues regarding potential answers.
Business Education's Role In The Crisis Of Corporate Confidence
Dennis Gioia, professor of organizational behavior in the Penn State Smeal College of Business, discussed the current spate of corporate scandals at a special Academy of Management "Presidential Blue Ribbon Panel" on August 11 during the Academy's 2002 Meeting in Denver, CO. The Academy of Management is a leading professional association of scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations. Gioia's remarks focused on higher education's role in the current corporate environment and what business schools might do to help prevent a repeat of future ethical meltdowns.
National Press Club To Be The Site For Penn State Conference On Technology's Role On Accelerating Global Commerce
Professor Receives Advising Award
Robert W. Koehler, associate professor emeritus of accounting in the Penn State Smeal College of Business, received an Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award from Beta Alpha Psi, the National Honors Fraternity for Financial Information Professionals.
Penn State Welcomes First Class Into New Executive MBA Program In Philadelphia
The Penn State Smeal College of Business welcomed its first class of 25 MBA students into its new Executive MBA Program. The program started on August 18, and will be delivered on alternating weekends in Philadelphia as well as during some weeklong sessions in State College. The Executive MBA Program represents an important new opportunity for employers in the greater Philadelphia area to develop the future leaders and innovators in their firms, and to help retain their best employees.
The Case For Convergence
We're living in a period of business revolution, revolution driven by new tools and approaches that can have a profound impact on organizational effectiveness and long-term success. It's a time of challenge, but also a time of momentous innovation in how businesses create and respond to market demands, as well as boost productivity and effectiveness.
Is All Turnover Bad?
People, people, people - - that's every organization's key to success, attracting and retaining the right talent who formulate and execute a winning strategy. No news there. In this economy, among the few points of light is the fact that turnover across industries has decreased. In Watson and Wyatt's most recent survey of employment trends, turnover declined to an average of 14.2% in 2001, from 17.1% in 2000.
Marketing Professor's Research Receives Award
A research paper that links marketing to financial performance by a Penn State marketing professor was selected as one of the top-rated submissions in a recent competition sponsored by the Marketing Science Institute. Rajdeep Grewal, assistant professor of marketing in the Penn State Smeal College of Business, co-authored the paper "Strategic Response to the Advent of the Internet and the Market Valuation of the Firm: The Case of Click-and-Mortar Retailers." It was one of four papers to receive an "Honorable Mention Award" in the research competition, which had 110 entries. He co-authored the paper with P. Ruby Lee of Washington State University.
A Pretty Website Shouldn't Be Your Goal
A great, functional web site is a wonderful thing -and they certainly are fun to navigate. Special congratulations to all who have been cited as the "Best Business WebSites" by the editors of B-to-B Magazine . On the other hand…
ChevronTexaco Executive To Receive Penn State Alumni Fellow Honors
Patricia (Pat) Woertz, an executive vice president of ChevronTexaco Corp., has been named an Alumni Fellow by The Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State. The Alumni Fellow program was conceived in 1973 by the Penn State Alumni Association to honor prominent and outstanding alumni who are leaders in the fields and who have made notable contributions to society and their communities. She will receive her award during a special ceremony to be held at the University Park campus on September 25.
Penn State Faculty Member Joins Academy Of Management Panel On Corporate Ethics And Responsibility
Dennis Gioia, professor of organizational behavior in the Penn State Smeal College of Business, will speak on a special Academy of Management "Presidential Blue Ribbon Panel" to discuss the current spate of corporate scandals on August 11 during the Academy's 2002 Meeting in Denver, CO. The Academy of Management is a leading professional association of scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations.
So, Is An MBA Worth It?
MBA degrees, long considered the passport into a corporate career, have never been more popular. Yet several recent stories in the national media are questioning its value to the business community and the students who pursue it. A forthcoming article in the Academy of Management Learning and Education , by Stanford University researchers Jeffrey Pfeffer and Christina Fong, is triggering the stories because the article concludes, "there are almost no economic gains from an MBA degree unless one graduates from a top-ranked program."
Smeal College Faculty Receive Honors From The Academy Of Management
Faculty members in the Department of Management and Organization in the Penn State Smeal College of Business received a large cache of awards for their research during the Academy of Management "2002 Meeting." The event took place recently in Denver, CO. The Academy of Management is the leading professional association of scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations.
