Business education programs should practice what they preach: applying the principles of strategic analysis to play to their strengths and develop distinctive offerings that attract the most profitable customers—in this case, students, faculty, local communities, and the institutions that support them financially. With the costs of private MBA programs skyrocketing, public universities, which generally operate out of the spotlight of the Harvards and Whartons, have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish themselves as centers of innovative, high-quality education. Mimi Wolverton and Larry Penley conducted extensive research to identify the qualities of those public institutions across the country—from the University of Washington to Georgia Tech—that have successfully established competitive advantages, generally through a combination of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.
Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities features 12 in-depth case studies by senior representatives of the respective institutions, detailing the process by which they developed and launched programs to raise their profiles and ultimately compete aggressively for talent and support. From developing strategic alliances with local businesses and complementary academic departments to establishing online and overseas courses to investing in state-of-the-art facilities, these schools are setting new standards for business education—and measuring the positive results, for example, in terms of increased funding, higher faculty research productivity, higher rankings, and greater student diversity. Wolverton and Penley frame the case studies by applying the concepts of strategy theory, drawing lessons that can be applied in other educational institutions, as well as for students of strategy and general readers interested in emerging trends in business education. The result is a fascinating peek behind the scenes at the most innovative MBA programs, as well as a rich canvas for observing the principles of strategic management in action.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments
The Strategic Challenge
More Than a Number by Mimi Wolverton and Larry Edward Penley
Strategically Embracing Innovation by Mimi Wolverton and Larry Edward Penley
What It Takes to Be Strategically Innovative by Mimi Wolverton and Larry Edward Penley
Case Studies
A Work in Progress: Transforming the University of Washington Business School by Yash Gupta
The Robert H. Smith School of Business: Building a Technology Powerhouse by Howard Frank
Aggies, Integrity, and MBAs: The Mays MBA Program at Texas A&M University by Dan H. Robertson
University of Georgia's Terry College of Business: Leadership Comes Naturally to the Oldest Business School in the South by Paul Karr
DuPree College of Management at Georgia Tech: A College Positioned for a Compelling Opportunity by Terry C. Blum and Nathan Bennett
Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business: Reinventing Business Education in the 21st Century by Gary W. McKillips and Rhonda Mullen
Local Interconnectedness and International Outlook: The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh by Frederick W. Winter
Defining a Niche: Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina by Catherine Hines Wills and Jan Collins
Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University: Where Business and Technology Meet by Tim Newton
Indiana University, Kelley School of Business: A Long History of Innovation by James C. Wimbush
Warrington College of Business, University of Florida: The Path to Excellence by John Kraft
A Phoenix on the Rise: Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business by Elizabeth O. Farquhar and Larry Edward Penley
Conclusions
Being Strategic about Innovation: Lessons for Business Schools, Future Graduate Students, and Potential Employers by Mimi Wolverton and Larry Edwarad Penley
References
About the Editors and Contributors
About the Author :
MIMI WOLVERTON is Associate Professor and Higher Education Administration Program Coordinator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With more than 20 years of executive experience in private sector organizations, she writes extensively in the areas of leadership, organizational change, educational policy, curriculum and instructional improvement, and innovation.
LARRY EDWARD PENLEY is President of Colorado State University and Chancellor of the System. Previously he was Professor of Management and Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University for more than a decade.
Review :
?[A] worthwhile addition to the literature of business education....It should be of greatest interest to the academic libraries at institutions with strong collections in the literature of business education, public universities whose business schools are embarking on their own strategic planning process for their graduate programs, or schools whose undergraduates might be likely to consider pursuing an MBA with one of the twelve programs profiled in the book.?-Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship
"ÝA¨ worthwhile addition to the literature of business education....It should be of greatest interest to the academic libraries at institutions with strong collections in the literature of business education, public universities whose business schools are embarking on their own strategic planning process for their graduate programs, or schools whose undergraduates might be likely to consider pursuing an MBA with one of the twelve programs profiled in the book."-Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship
"[A] worthwhile addition to the literature of business education....It should be of greatest interest to the academic libraries at institutions with strong collections in the literature of business education, public universities whose business schools are embarking on their own strategic planning process for their graduate programs, or schools whose undergraduates might be likely to consider pursuing an MBA with one of the twelve programs profiled in the book."-Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship
