Relevance in an ever-changing world

Relevance in an ever-changing world

fi sher.osu.edu

Fisher College of Business: Relevance in an ever-changing world - Advertising Supplement to Columbus Business First2 ) October 29, 2010

Relevance in an ever-changing world—that’s

what Fisher College of Business epitomizes

to me as I look back on my fi rst year as dean.

Indeed, it was a year defi ned by signifi cant

change in the business and political world

that reverberated across campuses and home

life. Th e boundaries between academia,

business and government continue to blur

and that reality is evident both in and

outside of Fisher.

Th e need for collaboration between

academia, business and government

has never been greater. We must leverage

the full talents of our faculty, programs

and student body to serve businesses of the

region, the state and the global community.

Our outreach and connection with the

global business community is a key part of

our overall strategy. Nowhere is this more

evident than in our 10 cross-disciplinary

centers, which support teaching, research,

development and a professional forum for

exchange between faculty, students and the

corporate community.

Th e Nationwide Center for Advanced

Customer Insights, for example, gives

Nationwide, in collaboration with Ohio State

faculty and students, a deeper understanding

of customers’ preferences and needs. Our

Center for Entrepreneurship is supporting

Ohio-based Battelle Memorial Institute in

rapidly evaluating technology for commercial

promise. Th e Center for Entrepreneurship

also will play an increasingly critical role

as we launch the Offi ce of Technology

Commercialization, which represents a new

level of collaboration between Ohio State

faculty inventors, students and business. It

signals our commitment to supporting

start-up companies and improving Ohio’s

economy while generating new revenues

for the university.

Of course, it all starts with our students.

We graduate more than 1,500 students

every year cutting across graduate and

undergraduate ranks. We uniquely prepare

our students through multidisciplinary

curricula focused on helping them move

from instructional theory to practice.

Th ey’re guided by dynamic faculty members

who share their research and inspire critical

thinking in the classroom. Th is outstanding

career preparation hasn’t gone unnoticed by

the business world: U.S. News & World Report

ranked us second nationally in the percentage

of MBA graduates employed three months

aft er graduation, while our enrollment levels

in the MBA program remain robust in spite

of the economy.

By reaching beyond our borders, we can

elevate our research, teaching, student

experience and the practice of business.

We are living in extraordinary times. Fisher

is making a lasting impact on our world, as a

relevant and resilient partner for change.

Message from the dean

Christine A. PoonDean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business

Fisher College of Business

Th e Ohio State University

• Full-time MBA program climbed from 26th to 21st, and 6th among public universities nationally

• Working Professional MBA program ranked 10th among 314 schools offering the program

• Production and Operations climbed from 14th to 10th

• Supply Chain and Logistics ranked 8th

• Fisher placed 2nd nationwide of the top-30 business schools for full-time MBA graduates employed three months after graduation

Fisher’s EMBA program ranked third in an international

ranking measuring learning experience as well as overall

excellence and 17th overall in Th e Wall Street Journal’s Best

Executive MBA Programs for 2010.

In another Wall Street Journal survey, Fisher’s

undergraduate business program placed second and

the accounting program ranked 10th among corporate

recruiters’ picks of the best educated and best prepared

graduates.

In addition, Fisher ranked 24th in the 2009 Beyond Grey

Pinstripes Global 100 ranking—leading the way in social

and environmental stewardship. Ohio State’s chapter of

Net Impact, an international enterprise committed to

improving the world, earned “Gold” and “Chapter of the

Year” status. And the MBA Leadership and Professional

Development Program ranked 20th by Leadership

Excellence magazine.

RankingsFisher College of Business

continues to climb national

rankings, underscoring its

world-class academic programs.

According to the latest rankings

by U.S. News & World Report:

View more Fisher rankings: fi sher.osu.edu/rankings10

Fisher College of Business: Relevance in an ever-changing world - Advertising Supplement to Columbus Business First ( 3 October 29, 2010

Th e market’s eff ect on stock-trading policies, the fi nancial crisis, the greening of America: Fisher’s world-class faculty are researching

these and other issues on the forefront of the broader business community. Th is is evidenced by their research productivity in the most

rigorous peer-reviewed journals of their respective fi elds. Th eir insights are sought aft er by public offi cials, corporate executives and

journalists from highly regarded publications such as Th e New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Th e Wall Street Journal.

Here are just a few examples of how Fisher faculty are responding to today’s headlines.

Fisher research Solving issues on the forefront of business

Learn more about faculty research at fi sher.osu.edu/facultyresearch10

Responding to the fi nancial crisis

In examining the world fi nancial crisis, René M. Stulz and 14 other leading economists believe that the government should require banks and other fi nancial institutions to withhold compensation for top executives that would be forfeited if their fi rms go bankrupt or receive extraordinary government assistance.

“We think that (this practice) will lead executives to take actions that will make bailouts less likely,” says Stulz, Fisher’s Everett D. Reese Chair of Banking and Monetary Economics and director of the Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics. Re-examining the structure of executive compensation is one of eight urgent recommendations found in Th e Squam Lake Report (published by Princeton University Press), which off ers a unifi ed, coherent voice for fi xing the troubled fi nancial markets.

Stulz, Fisher’s preeminent fi nancial economist and risk management expert, is among the book’s authors. He and a handful of the world’s top economic minds formed the Squam Lake Working Group in late 2008 during the crisis. Th ese academics hope to reach policymakers directly, and they appear to be listening. Ben S. Bernanke, chair of the Federal Reserve Board, gave the keynote speech at the book’s launch in June. And Stulz and other Squam Lake members have testifi ed in front of congressional committees and provided input to the executive branch.

Building a better workforce

As an assistant professor of Management and Human Resources at Fisher, Tracy Dumas is researching the boundary between people’s personal and professional lives. She is exploring assumptions of the so-called “ideal worker”—from the dedicated “company man” who was idealized in the 1950s to the single, childless worker of today.

“Our initial survey found that single childless people, though they report that work is very important to them, actually report a lower engagement of all other family confi gurations,” Dumas says.

Dumas says when individuals within this group were able to take time off from work to volunteer or pursue personal development opportunities, their engagement increased.

Research suggests that companies that respect individual needs and preferences in how they manage work and non-work responsibilities will get the best productivity. Dumas advises companies to avoid a “one-size-fi ts-all” approach.

She applauds Best Buy’s Results Only Work Environment that establishes key performance metrics but lets employees decide how, when and where they get the job done. Th is approach eliminates the rules, restrictions and expectations of the traditional workplace.

“Many of the factors that shape people’s ability to advance are outdated perceptions and expectations—not results,” says Dumas. “Removing those barriers allows employees to excel in their professional and personal lives.”

Training future accountants

Th e accounting profession is a more regulated industry since Sarbanes-Oxley was enacted a decade ago, and potentially a more converged one if U.S. public companies have to adopt international accounting standards in the coming years.

While the standards debate continues, two new high-energy Fisher accounting faculty members are making sure students are prepared for a rapidly changing accounting landscape. “Th e accounting landscape right now is very dynamic. Th e near future may hold changes to fi nancial statement presentation and new international fi nancial reporting standards,” says Michael Drake, a CPA and former auditor at Ernst & Young. “Changes are inevitable so we need to focus students on core intuition…to be fl exible to alternative methodologies and standards they may face in the future.” Tzachi Zach, who joined Fisher in 2008, thrives on “waking up the dormant accountant” in his students, helping them “fi nd their inner passion for the fi eld.” His most recent research includes tracking how research and development investments translate into future performance in companies and the role advertising campaigns play in helping companies “manage their earnings.” Both academics were drawn to Fisher’s research reputation and recognized accounting programs. Th e undergraduate and graduate programs are ranked sixth and ninth respectively, according to the Public Accounting Report’s Annual Survey of Professors.

Tracking the green consumer

New Fisher faculty member Rebecca Walker Naylor loves when her consumer behavior research both expands the fi eld of knowledge and translates into insights on which marketing managers can act. Such was the case with her research into why many people who say they care about the environment don’t always buy green products.

Green products and other products focused on sustainability used to be available only in niche stores. Today, they’re mainstream, with almost every retail chain and manufacturer off ering at least some environmentally friendly products and packaging.

“As marketers we tend to think that consumers will be interested in sustainable products,” says Naylor. In reality, many consumers buying products for strength or toughness will not buy green, she says, since the perception is that the all-natural version won’t work as well as the mainstream off ering. Naylor calls this phenomenon the “sustainability liability.”

“Th e good news is that if you’re creating a sustainable product in a product category where people are seeking gentleness, such as personal care products, sustainability can actually be an asset,” she says. In contrast, marketers of sustainable products in product categories where consumers seek strength must actively counter the sustainability liability.

Her advice to green-minded marketers before they launch a sustainable product campaign? “Know what attributes consumers are seeking in the product category so you’ll know whether sustainability is an asset or a liability that

needs to be addressed.”

René Stulz, Everett D. Reese Chair of Banking

and Monetary Economics and director of the

Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics

Tracy Dumas, Assistant Professor of

Management and Human Resources

Accounting and MIS faculty Tzachi Zach (left)

and Michael Drake (right)

Rebecca Walker Naylor, Assistant Professor of

Marketing


Uniquely prepared students

Fisher off ers an integrated approach

to curricula focused on meeting the

needs of the business community.

One example is the Master of Business

Operational Excellence (MBOE) degree

program, in which students learn from

both Fisher’s talented faculty and from

proven operational excellence leaders.

Fisher is also off ering specialized

master of business degrees in corporate

fi nance and marketing. Fisher is

committed to helping its traditional and

executive-track students accelerate their

specialized knowledge and hands-on

expertise, so they can compete in an

increasingly competitive workplace.

Learn more onlineUndergraduate program: fi sher.osu.edu/undergraduateFull-Time MBA: fi sher.osu.edu/ftmbaMBA for Working Professionals: fi sher.osu.edu/wpmbaExecutive MBA: fi sher.osu.edu/embaMaster of Business Operational Excellence: fi sher.osu.edu/mboeExecutive Education: fi sher.osu.edu/exec

“In today’s challenging economy, every

company is struggling to do more with

less. Improving processes and reducing

waste used to be the key to cutting

expenses and staying competitive.

Now it’s the key to sustainability.”

Heather Yacoviello

MBOE Class of 2009

Mortgage Operations Manager

KEMBA Financial Credit Union

“By working closely with faculty,

I was able to select the courses I

wanted and pursue the companies

that were in line with my interests.

My MBA degree, coupled with my

CPA experience, was critical in

securing my new career.”

Drew Hazelton

MBA Class of 2006

Senior Manager

Th e Walt Disney Company

“Innovation, coupled with sound business and fi nancial management, is key to the survival and viability of today’s nonprofi t organizations. From my very fi rst EMBA session, I was exposed to the knowledge and information I needed to handle day-to-day management challenges. I’ve also gained the confi dence and practical experience to provide our organization with the leadership necessary to plan for a sustainable future.”

Ellen Williams

EMBA Class of 2010

Director, Youth and Family Services

Godman Guild Association

Undergraduate program

Fisher’s undergraduate program off ers a dozen

specializations—from accounting and aviation to

real estate and risk management and insurance.

Currently ranked 14th in the nation and seventh

among public institutions (U.S. News & World

Report), Fisher’s undergraduate program helps

students develop analytical, strategic and

communication skills—essentials for any business

career. Some students choose to attend one of Ohio

State’s regional campuses to earn the BSBA—same

business degree and name recognition in locations

around the state.

Full-Time MBA

In the latest U.S. News & World Report, Fisher’s

Full-Time MBA program ranked sixth among public

universities and 21st overall. In addition, the Fisher

MBA has consistently made the top fi ve in the coun-

try for programs with the brightest career prospects

(Th e Princeton Review). Fisher is a national leader in

employment outcomes with 90 percent of graduates

employed three months aft er graduation, placing

second among 30 business schools ranked.

MBA for Working Professionals

Th e only MBA program for working professionals

in Columbus that is nationally ranked and AACSB-

accredited, Fisher’s MBA for Working Profession-

als ranks 10th in the nation among 314 business

schools in U.S. News & World Report 2011. Rec-

ognized locally and globally, the Fisher MBA pays

great returns on your investment.

Executive MBA

Fisher’s EMBA program is structured to provide

minimal disruption to a busy schedule. On-campus

sessions meet three consecutive days a month

(Th ursday, Friday, Saturday) over an 18-month

period. Fisher’s EMBA is ranked 15th in the world

(BusinessWeek) and third in the country for return

on investment (Wall Street Journal).

Master of Business Operational Excellence

Th is intensive one-year program prepares high-

potential managers for leadership in the continuous

improvement environment found in leading service

and manufacturing companies. Th e MBOE program

enables seasoned career professionals to apply what

they learn on the job. Th ey visit campus eight times

during the year to attend lectures and hear from

Shingo award-winning experts in operational excel-

lence. In addition, students work with a coach and

a corporate sponsor on a process-improvement or

lean project for their organization.

Executive Education

For more than 50 years, Fisher Executive Educa-

tion has provided learning solutions to business

professionals seeking to increase their knowledge

and skills. Th e content and format for the custom-

ized programs are company-specifi c to achieve goals

fully relevant to individual organizations. Fisher’s

open enrollment programs off er non-credit courses

for professionals in the business community who

desire to expand their knowledge in key areas.


Giving back

Ohio State graduate follows his dream

As someone who made the leap from one

of the smallest high schools in the nation to

one of the largest universities, Fisher alumnus

Bryant Pottmeyer has never been afraid to

dream big.

“I assumed as a Fisher grad—as we all do—that

we’re going to be successful,” says Pottmeyer.

“But I really wanted to do something more

than that, I wanted to change the world.”

In his senior year, Pottmeyer launched Ohio

State’s award-winning chapter of College Men-

tors for Kids. Th e program invited 40 students

from an underserved elementary school to

campus once a week to learn about the im-

portance of higher education and to receive

help with reading skills and fi nancial literacy.

Mentors also gave the students a taste of what

makes learning fun—like squeezing a business

lesson out of a lemonade sale (right).

“Th e ultimate goal of the program is to get the

kids excited at a young age to really want to

go to college,” says Pottmeyer. As the fi rst in

his family with a college degree, he knows it’s

important to set high goals early to get on the

right track for college.

Ohio State students have responded to the

volunteer opportunity in record numbers.

In fact, in 2010 the program will double in

size, reaching out to 40 more students from

Linden Elementary.

“An investment in

youth is an investment

in our future,” says

honors cohort director

Nancy Lahmers. “It

will make our econo-

my stronger to have a

stronger educational

system.”

While at Fisher, Pottmeyer took part in

Fisher’s Undergraduate Honors Cohort

Program, one of three honors programs

at Fisher that focuses on leadership, team

building and presentation skills. He had the

opportunity to work with a team on real-world

projects devised by mentoring businesses such

as AEP and soaked up the wisdom of business

leaders from Procter & Gamble.

Dreaming big—and working hard—has paid

off for this Ohio State graduate. Pottmeyer

graduated summa cum laude in June with

honors in business administration. Over the

summer, he passed all four sections of his CPA

exam. Th is month, he starts work at Ernst &

Young in Columbus and will continue to

advocate for early education in the community.

More than a quarter million Ohio State alumni live and work in Ohio. These graduates are among the most highly sought after in the country, according to a new Wall Street Journal survey that ranks Ohio State

12th among schools that produce the best graduates.

Bryant Pottmeyer

Learn more onlinefi sher.osu.edu/undergraduate/academics/honors

Watch the mentors in actiongo.osu.edu/mentorsforkidsvideo


Centers of Excellence

Fisher’s think tanks turn ideas into business practice

Creating a permanent bridge between academia and corporate America

Th e Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights

Center for Entrepreneurship:

Th e center is uniquely positioned to provide

strategic direction for Ohio State’s Offi ce of

Technology Commercialization to turn

technologies into profi table ventures.

Center for Operational Excellence:

Th is partnership of business leaders and Fisher

faculty provides programs focused on innovation,

supply chain management, leadership and

continuous improvement.

Center for Business

Performance Management:

Th e fi rst of its kind in the United States that

helps fi rms improve their decision-making and

implementation through the optimization of people,

process and technology. Th e center provides training

and education in the integration of performance data

to support leaders in making eff ective decisions.

Center for International Business

Education and Research (CIBER):

One of only 31 such centers nationwide, Fisher’s

CIBER helps fi rms grow their global network, skills

and profi t and hosts an annual international case

challenge of undergraduate students from around

the world and a Distinguished International

Speaker Series.

Center for Real Estate Education

and Research:

Brings together real estate practice and theory by

partnering with practitioners, faculty and students

to prompt dialogue on real estate issues, establish

mentorship opportunities and provide a forum for

research for the real estate industry.

Charles A. Dice Center

for Financial Economics:

Th e Dice Center supports research on the important

issues impacting the world of fi nance.

Initiative for Managing Services (IMS):

Faculty experts off er fresh insights and innovative

ideas to increase the productivity of organizations,

create customer loyalty, develop a brand, win new

business and maximize revenue opportunities.

Global Supply Chain Forum:

Th e forum has a mission to change how executives

view supply chain management and improve member

business processes and performance.

Supply Chain Management Research Group:

Group members work closely with research teams

formed around specifi c management topics and have

immediate access to fi ndings and viewpoints to

improve their supply chain performance.

Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer

Insights: Th is marketing research center conducts

insurance and fi nancial product marketing research

using state-of-the-art predictive modeling, data

mining and advanced analytical techniques.

Many of the nation’s most forward-

thinking companies turn to Fisher faculty

for new ideas and business solutions.

Fisher’s 10 research and business

partnership centers apply academic

thought and research to address industry

specifi c challenges and provide insights

into business opportunities.

Learn more about Fisher’s interdisciplinary centers: fi sher.osu.edu/centers

Watch Fisher faculty on Ohio Means Business, a biweekly television show produced by Ohio News Network (ONN) in partnership with The Ohio State University and Fisher College of Business: http://go.osu.edu/omb

Learn more: fi sher.osu.edu/ncaci

Every Monday, a multidisciplinary team

of Ohio State students and faculty join

Nationwide’s customer insight and analytics

group to talk about marketing and business

operations research. To a casual observer,

it would appear as a typical corporate staff

meeting. It’s actually a unique, corporate-

academic collaboration through the

Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer

Insights housed at Fisher.

Researchers from the psychology, economics,

statistics and marketing departments have

formulated and completed empirical research

projects based on Nationwide’s quest to get

a deeper understanding of its customers’

buying preferences and needs. Th e center,

which recently concluded its second year, has

exceeded the expectations of both college

and Nationwide leaders, completing an

impressive 60 projects with more under way.

“We’ve been able to leverage disciplines

across the school that’s allowed us to enjoy

all the capabilities of Ohio State,” says Paul

Ballew, senior vice president, Customer

Insights and Analytics for Nationwide. “We’ve

never leveraged the relationship with Ohio

State to this extent despite being three-and-

a-half miles up the road. We have created

a permanent bridge between ourselves and

academia in the area of consumer behavior

(research).”

Tom Bishop, the center’s executive director,

who also serves as an associate professor

in the Department of Statistics, believes

the center may be one of the few market

research centers in the country that actually

does the research versus the more typical

model of hosting academic seminars and

serving as a research broker. Th e center has

helped Nationwide determine the right mix

of product combinations including banking,

retirement, home and auto products to off er

individuals based on their needs.

“Th e center has provided signifi cant analytic

support in this area. We’ve deployed it

now throughout the entire Nationwide

organization so our agents, call centers—

anyone who is in touch with a customer—

now understands the customer more

intimately and what products and services

that they may not be consuming today could

meet their needs,” says Ballew.

(left to right) Tom Bishop, executive director, Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights; Paul Ballew, senior vice president for Customer Insights

and Analytics, Nationwide; Joseph A. Alutto, executive vice president and provost, The Ohio State University


From research to results

Ohio State’s new Offi ce of Technology Commercialization

Ohio State is strengthening its eff orts

to commercialize faculty research

to improve lives and spur economic

development through the creation of a

new commercialization offi ce. Housed

in Fisher, the offi ce marks a new

collaboration between faculty inventors

and business, emphasizing partnerships

with the Colleges of Engineering;

Food, Agricultural and Environmental

Sciences; Health Sciences; Business; Law

and the Offi ce of Research—a unique

model among universities.

“Th is new center will result in

improved probability of success for our

high-quality emerging technologies

and an increase in the total licensing

revenue and equity holdings in start-up

companies,” says Fisher Dean Christine

Poon, who joined the university in 2009,

following a 30-year career in the health

care industry, most recently as vice chair

and member of the board of Johnson

& Johnson and worldwide chair of the

Pharmaceuticals Group.

Fisher’s Center for Entrepreneurship

will be the hub for much of the new

activity. Established in 2001, the center

will be responsible for determining

the market potential for all new

discoveries, performing due diligence

on all submissions to the proof of

concept center and providing training

in technology entrepreneurship and

commercialization.

“Th e Center for Entrepreneurship leads

one of the nation’s most innovative

programs for evaluating the commercial

potential of emerging technologies,” says

Michael Camp, director of the center.

“Our clients include some of the nation’s

leading research and development

organizations. We are excited about

deploying our unique system on behalf

of Ohio State for training faculty,

attracting capital, creating jobs and

more rapidly monetizing Ohio State

technologies.”

“Our new approach to commercialization

builds on the extraordinary research

of our faculty,” says Vice President for

Research Caroline Whitacre, who will

co-chair with an industry leader the

overarching governance board for the

new center.

“Th is approach very eff ectively combines

our innovative faculty with industrial

leaders to address pressing social needs

and improve Ohio’s economy.”

O2 Insights wins Fisher Business Plan Competition

O2 Insights, a business team offering an advanced oxygen sensor implant to help doctors diagnose wound infections and diseases with greater speed and ease than current techniques, won the 2010 Fisher Business Plan Competition, sponsored by Fisher’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Now in its ninth year, the competition encourages entrepreneurially oriented graduate and undergraduate students to develop and grow new ventures based on innovative ideas and technologies coming from researchers at Ohio State and other research organizations. Pictured above is Robert Rushenberg, Fisher MBA 2010 and member of the O2 Insights team, presenting at the 2010 Business Plan Competition.

“Universities are generating the

ideas and discoveries that will

drive the new economy of the

21st century. To fully realize

Ohio State’s contributions to

the state and the nation, we

must assure that the innovative

work of our faculty—in health

care, advanced materials and

agriculture, among other areas—

moves from research to results.”

—Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee

Full-time MBA: fisher.osu.edu/ftmba

Working Professional MBA: fisher.osu.edu/wpmba

Small, intimate program – big university resources

Global experience – real-world perspective

Customized degrees – emphasis on leadership

Top-ranked programs – educational excellence

Create your own path to success with a Fisher MBA.

• An 18-month program• Three consecutive class days (Th, F, S) once a month• An AACSB-accredited MBA from a top business school• World-renowned faculty• A global, integrative curriculum with a project abroad

fisher.osu.edu/embaDynamic. Fast adapting. In touch.

“15th best Executive MBA program worldwide”BusinessWeek 2009

The Fisher Executive MBA

Relevance in an ever-changing world

Documents

Transcript of Relevance in an ever-changing world