MBACONNECT
UPLIFTING
10052401
www.anglia.ac.uk/aibs
Hello to all Anglia Ruskin MBA alumni and welcome to the first issue of MBAConnect, the new e-newsletter exclusively for Anglia Ruskin MBA graduates. After close working between the Alumni Office and Ashcroft International Business School (AIBS), this summer we are launching our MBA Alumni Network, an opportunity for MBA alumni worldwide to join together in their own ‘club’. There will be a write up on the launch dinner in the next issue of MBAConnect – we are expecting this to be an excellent evening. It is already fully booked and we have one of our high profile alumni, Geoffrey Dovey, speaking. The event will also be attended by lecturers from AIBS and the Alumni team. In addition we are looking at other benefits especially for members of the Network and these will be announced in due course. In order to ensure this network runs smoothly we really need two things from you. Firstly, an email address so that we may contact you quickly and easily when we need to. And secondly, details of your business position and company so that we may see the jobs that our MBA students go into after they finish studying. You can send these to me by emailing alumni@anglia.ac.uk. I hope you enjoy reading this first issue of MBAConnect and would like to hear from you if you have an article you would like to put into a future issue. Kind regards
Sue Jacobs Head of Alumni Relations
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Contents 1
Hello
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The Current and Future Role of Business Schools
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Welcome to the MBA Network
4
Virgin money success
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Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs
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Too Much Research Can Be A Bad Thing
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Getting cue’d up to help Business School students
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Coming Soon
The Current and Future Role of Business Schools Focus
There has been considerable debate following the global financial crisis on the role and actions of business schools. This report summarises research the authors conducted which examined the current and future role of business schools.
None of these managers were seriously challenging the foundations of their current programmes or changes required to help achieve a sustainable human presence on the planet. Those who had a global focus were looking for ways in which their school could increase its international presence and overall market share rather than how urgent global issues can be solved through business and the role business schools have in encouraging such moves.
Methodology
A qualitative paradigm was adopted and the study used semistructured interviews backed by analysis of school promotional literature, course brochures, web pages and any other relevant information. 38 top level managers from 15 business schools in Brazil, India, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania, Scotland and England took part.
By far the most common attitude was that the role of business schools was to provide businesses with suitably qualified and experienced staff so as to achieve the aims of business. Relatively little attention was given to what those aims should be and none of those interviewed expressed the view that business schools had a major role in leading and shaping such aims towards a focus on the greater benefit of humanity.
Findings
Being a relatively small scale scoping study, the research does not reflect all types of schools, circumstances, locations or views. Care should therefore be taken in drawing generalised conclusions from the study, which should rather be taken as illustrative of the range of views held.
The authors are keen to establish an international cluster of business schools interested in exploring further the future roles of business and business schools. A full report of the research can be obtained from the authors, John Rayment – John.Rayment@anglia.ac.uk or Jonathan Smith Jonathan.Smith@anglia.ac.uk
The main finding was that none of the interviewed leaders conveyed the impression that steering business toward helping humanity achieve a sustainable future and tackling urgent global issues was seen by them as one of their main roles, either current or future. This conclusion is concerning given the growing debate on urgent global issues and recent financial crisis.
Points made and opinions expressed in the report are purely those of the authors and should not be assumed to reflect those of Anglia Ruskin University. *This research was sponsored by Anglia Ruskin University under the Deputy Vice-Chancellors Research Enhancement Competition. We gratefully acknowledge and appreciate this support.
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Welcome to the MBA Network Many of you tell us of the enjoyable time you had when completing your MBA and the value it has added to your work life.
However, you can make up for it by booking early for the next event. The Business School has focused on building a strong international reputation in recent years, and two of its academics, Jon Smith and John Rayment, have developed the concept of Globally Fit Leadership based on the four elements of effective decision making, a global outlook, new socio-economic paradigm and a contemporary mission. From the opposite tack, they have written a text on MisLeadership and its four categories of Missing, Misguided, Misinformed and Machiavellian Leadership. The text will be published in July 2010 and we are holding a 1-day symposium on Friday 15th October 2010 at which they will present their ideas and related research into the future role of Business Schools (see article on page x), followed by MBA alumni discussing its ramifications and their views. The venue has yet to be decided but if you would like to participate, contact me for details.
Our new network is aimed at further enhancing this value by helping you keep in contact with your classmates, share news and gossip, but also develop contacts with those from other groups and keep up to date on developments in business training, education and philosophy.
We have MBA presentations based in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Berlin and Trinidad and alumni spread across the globe, so whatever your location, interest or needs there should be a friendly face for you to contact.
Every January for the last ten years, as a purely private social activity, I have taken a group of ex-students skiing in Europe. Would you be interested in coming? Absolute beginners welcome and a brilliant time will be had by all.
You should have already booked into the launch dinner on the evening of 4th August 2010 at the Royal Overseas League in London. If not, you are too late! Demand was so great that all available places have been taken up. There will be reports and pictures in the next issue of this newsletter but it won't be the same as being there. You can't e-mail a meal - can you?!
These are our ideas, where are yours?! What do you want from the network? Update and revision programmes? Social events? Recruitment services? Commentaries on current affairs? An investment club? If the demand is there, we will meet it.
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E: john.rayment@anglia.ac.uk
Virgin money success Students to develop a market entry strategy This is an amazing coup for us to obtain such a high profile project and represents a major vote of confidence in the BA Enterprise pathway and in Anglia Ruskin University. It is indicative of the excellent relationship we have now succeeded in establishing with Virgin Money at a particularly exciting time for them as they expand their operation into the banking sector.
Professor Lester Lloyd-Reason, Professor of International Enterprise Strategy and Director of the Centre for International Business at the Ashcroft International Business School has been successful in securing a second project with Virgin Money for the BA (Hons) Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management students. Virgin Money have asked to work with the same cohort of students as last time and so this will involve the second year students through the module ‘Being Enterprising’ led by Prof Roger Mumby-Croft. This second project is a significant step up from the first project, which involved Pet Insurance. This time, the students are working in groups to develop a market entry strategy for a real live product that Virgin Money are launching as part of the expansion of their financial products portfolio. The project is absolutely confidential and all the students and staff involved on the programme have been required to sign a Mutual Confidentiality Agreement. The students working in teams will present their market entry plans to the Board of Virgin Money plus the head of Visa Europe in the Virgin Money boardroom in May.
E: lester.lloyd-reason@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2479
Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs Leading biotech company gives talk
Dr Jonathan Milner, CEO of Abcam plc, presented his account of the founding and development of this leading biotech company at Anglia Ruskin University on Tuesday, 16th February 2010. Abcam plc is a producer and distributor of research-grade antibodies and associated products headquartered in Cambridge UK, with a US office located in Cambridge Massachusetts and a Japan office located in Tokyo.
Henry Li, student on our MA International Business course, has created a student-run society - Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs http://www.cambridgeentrepreneurs.org.uk/
Jonathan’s fascinating presentation to a full-house of Anglia Ruskin business students was followed by a lively Q&A.
Krysia Brown, (Administrator, AIBS) and Henry invited a wellknown Cambridge entrepreneur to talk about the creation of his world-leading biotech company Abcam plc.
E: Robert.jones@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2549 Programme Leader Executive MBA - Cambridge
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Too Mu ch Res ear ch Can B Bad e A Thi ng "We get constantly frustrated by the approach taken in many high ranking journals and other bodies with the focus and priority they give to in-depth quantitative research and the dreaded triangulation - perhaps you suffered too when doing your dissertation? Sometimes it seems that unless you have definite hard data from at least three sources your work is not recognised or valued as proper research. That's an interesting demand when you are exploring the complex and subtle qualitative areas of leadership and spirituality, as we have been doing for some time now in AIBS. The political party leaders aren't the only ones who meet people who happen to confirm their views, so let me tell you the story I was told by a vet I met while on the election hustings." Jonathan Smith, Senior Lecturer, AIBS E: jonathan.smith@anglia.ac.uk
Your Duck is Dead
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.
The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."
The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "£150!" she cried, "£150 just to tell me my duck is dead!" The vet shrugged,
The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet.
"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
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"I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been £20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now £150."
Getting cue’d up to help Business School students Further developing the unique pilot initiative between snooker professional and world number 4 Ali Carter, and John McCullough from the Ashcroft International Business School, the first of a series of student-friendly action learning programmes has now been finalised.
Linked with this is the first of a series of papers that look at how data collection and data analysis can be used to gain insights into and help to solve real world practical problems.
The first workshops which will include ‘The Carter Challenge’, is being organised for the beginning of the next Semester and is intended to enhance student engagement and data collection and analysis skills without driving students ‘potty’! John has a long-established interest in the parallels between sports and business performance and has published a number of papers and delivered both public and corporate seminars on the subject.
For those who are looking for early clues look out for John’s paper on Creating Added-Value insights into Matters of CentreBall Striking: The Application of Quantitative Techniques in Snooker. E: john.mccullough@anglia.ac.uk
Coming Soon
MBA Connect
New MA in Corporate Governance to be launched by AIBS for this September For the academic year beginning in the autumn of 2010, AIBS will be re-launching its very successful Masters degree in Corporate Governance.
The re-launch will take the content of the degree beyond the compliance requirements of the new qualifying scheme of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, which is to be introduced in September this year. The new course will include modules on Charity Governance; Public Sector Governance and International Governance, making it the most comprehensive of all the ICSA’s collaborative partner courses and one of the widest-ranging syllabuses of any Masters-level governance course in the UK.
A feature of the course will be the continuing inclusion of lectures and workshops by prominent experts in the field of governance. Events this year have included contributions from • • • • • • • • • • •
Editor:
Philip Dunne MP Philip Augar Tom Bonham-Carter David Charters Dr Roger Barker SOCA FSA Britvic IMPACTT Golder Associates Transparency international
MBACONNECT
If you have any news or information you feel would be of interest to your fellow MBA Alumni please send your copy to me. The next issue of MBAConnect is due out in August 2010 and the deadline for copy is the 16 July (good quality images to accompany your articles would be good too). Additionally, if you have any suggestions as to the type of content you would like to see in the newsletter then please let me know.
Christine Durrant
(Communications, Marketing and External Relations, AIBS) E:
christine.durrant@anglia.ac.uk
The course, to be run for both full-time and part-time students, will be complemented by a distance-learning course covering the same areas – a feature of the course that will further distinguish it from similar courses and which is expected to appeal to a new potential catchment of students for AIBS.
Websites:
www.anglia.ac.uk/alumni www.anglia.ac.uk/aibs
Building on the successful delivery of the Masters degree in Corporate Governance – taught at AIBS for over 15 years – the new degree will mean that students who secure the Masters degree will also receive the GradICSA qualification of the ICSA as now. E: Stephen.bloomfield@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 6834
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