annual review 2002/2003
DESCRIPTION
110% - Alberta School of Business Annual Review for the 2002/2003 yearTRANSCRIPT
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Key indicators from survey of BCom undergrads (2002)
Satisfaction with education
Recommend program to others
Choose same study program again
Our Students
Number of applications andadmissions for Undergrad, MBA and PhD students (2002)
Average Grade-Point Standings (2002)
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B C o m : Average GPA of 7.5 (on a 9-point scale)
M B A : Average GPA of 7.4 for MBA full-time students (on a 9-point scale)
P h D : Average GMAT score of entering class: 695
94.2%
92.9%
Key indicators from survey of MBA students (2002)
Satisfaction with education
Degree delivered critical thinking skills
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82.7%
89.2%
Our School
Our faculty Hired in 2002/03
2002
Alexander (Sandy) HiltonPhD University of WaterlooAccounting and ManagementInformation Systems
2003 Effective July 1, 2003
Jennifer Argo PhD (expected June 2003) University of ManitobaMarketing, BusinessEconomics & Law
Devereaux Jennings PhD Stanford UniversityStrategic Management and Organization
Trish ReayPhD University of Alberta Strategic Management and Organization
Kursad AsdemirUniversity of Texas at Dallas (PhD expected August, 2003)Accounting and ManagementInformation Systems
Yonghua JiUniversity of Texas at Dallas (PhD expected August, 2003)Accounting and ManagementInformation Systems
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ing SSHRC Grants
The University of Alberta ranked second among Canadianuniversities in total number of SSHRC standard grantsfrom Committee 21* (for the period 1999-2002).
UNIVERSITY 99/00 00/01 01/02 TOTAL
University of British Columbia 6 8 7 21
University of Alberta 4 9 6 19
McGill University 8 2 5 15
École des Hautes Etudes 7 2 6 15 Commerciales
Source: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
*Committee 21: Human resource management, information systems, interna-tional business, management, marketing, organization studies, business policy
Financial Times Ranking
The School’s research is highly ranked by the Financial Times of London.
UNIVERSITY Canada Non-US Worldwide
University of Western Ontario 1 3 36
University of British Columbia 2 7 57
University of Alberta 3 8 59
McGill University 3 8 59
Queen’s University 5 10 61
The Financial Times of London ranks the research performance of businessschools based upon the number of publications in 40 journals over a 3-yearperiod. Results for this year’s exercise are summarized in the above table.
In2002,
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we pushed hard towards our strategic goal –
to be recognized among the top one per cent
of research-intensive, policy-shaping
Business schools globally.
What does that mean? It means our faculty, students, staff,
alumni, stakeholders and friends delivered 110% effort
to help us move closer to our goal. It means, as you will read
in the pages that follow, that our efforts to strategically
position the School in a fiercely competitive
market are continuing to pay dividends for
all our stakeholders. >>
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Our Schoolis ranked among the top 100 Business schools globally according to the Financial Times ofLondon’s 2003 survey of MBA programs. Mostgratifying, we placed 59th globally and third inCanada in the research portion of the FT ranking.Our faculty is young and dynamic and ourresearch and publication record will continue to draw attention, and critical mass, to theSchool. We will continue to benchmark ourefforts alongside those of Business schools whose work we admire.
Our faculty garnered much recognition andattention for the School in 2002. Ray Patterson’saward of a prestigious Canada Research Chairhighlights the growing importance of E-commerce
to the research work of the School. StuartMcFadyen and Adam Finn’s proposal for an e-Communication Research Centre brought a large grant from the Canadian Foundation forInnovation. Two similar projects are examining the impact of the Alberta SuperNet and how the electronic marketplace will affect consumerbehaviour. Randall Morck was honoured with an“All Star Paper” award for a research paper thathas been cited more than 300 times since it was published in 1988.
Our research centres continue to work withour stakeholders regionally, nationally and glob-ally. The Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment has become aninternational resource for stakeholders in theenergy sector. The Centre for Entrepreneurshipand Family Enterprise and the new Alberta
we continued Building on Our Strengths
and Investing in Our People. That means our faculty delivered
policy-shaping research and award-winning teaching. It means
our School strengthened its linkages with our alumni and the
wider community as a strong member of the University of Alberta
team; and it means this School made the ongoing infrastructure
investment needed to help our people deliver that 110%.
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Business Family Institute are establishing a reputation for their research in the dynamics of business family entrepreneurship. The Centrefor Executive and Management Developmentcontinues to expand its professional developmenttraining for senior business and government leaders locally and offshore and, our CanadianInstitute of Retailing and Services has strength-ened its training and research linkages withdozens of retail partners across the country. The Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurshipis increasing efforts to demonstrate corporatesocial responsibility to our students.
Our faculty continue to be recognized fortheir teaching excellence, building on our recordof four 3M Teaching Awards, more than anyother Business school in Canada.
Our students continue to reachout to the wider community.
Our 16,000 alumni continueto be a source of strength andsupport. We:
■ Rank among the top 100 Business schools globally, according to the Financial Times of London
■ Rank 59th globally and third in Canada in FT’s ranking of published research
■ Have four 3M teaching awards – more than any other Canadian Business School
■ Offer the only bilingual BCom in Western Canada
■ Have Canada’s only Natural Resourcesand Energy MBA specialization
■ Have one of the best doctoral programs in North America
■ Employ leading-edge data and wirelesstechnology that enhance research, teaching and learning within the School
Our challenges remain: to thrive in a market-place driven by results, to retain and attract superbfaculty and great students and to be known forwhat we do better than almost anyone else.
With your help, we will continue to deliver110% and more.
Sincerely,
Michael B. PercyStanley A. Milner Professor and Dean
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Top Teaching
S C O T T P F E I F E R
1st year MBA, Natural Resources
and Energy specialization
World Cup Curling champion
Father of two
GOAL: To lead a management
team in one of Alberta’s large
energy companies
Top Students“ W h e r e v e r o u r s t u d e n t s g o , t h e y d o w e l l . ”
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This year Ross Bradford, a full timesessional in the Department ofStrategic Management and Organizationwas awarded the very first “WilliamHardy Alexander Award for Excellencein Sessional Teaching.”
His dapper “suit and tie” teaching attire belieshis laid-back demeanor and ability to engage students. Bradford has been teaching in theSchool of Business for over fifteen years. He isrespected by his colleagues and teaches a varietyof courses. “It helps to be able to draw from anumber of areas,” says Bradford, who alsonotes that it keeps his own interest level up to be exposed to a wide range of material.
Bradford’s teaching philosophy is to keepstudents engaged with a combination of the old fashioned Socratic approach and newtechnology. “I don’t like to relytoo much on PowerPoint,” saysBradford. “It’s too passive. Iask lots of questions and usepractical applications, such asapplying models to casestudies. I use discussionsand even role playingdepending on the classsize.” Bradford feels thatat the School the empha-sis on teaching is asimportant as research.“One reinforces the
other,” he notes. “I’m always looking for recentarticles and studies to incorporate.” Bradfordoften taps the expertise of his colleagues forresearch to apply in class. “I am very fortunatein this faculty. It’s a very collegial atmosphere.”
Bradford, an MBA alumnus of the School ofBusiness is also an active member of the BusinessAlumni Association.
This year three School of Business faculty werehonoured by the U of A Teaching AwardsCommittee. Along with Ross Bradford thosehonoured include:
Terry Daniel, a professor in the Department ofFinance and Management Science
received the prestigious RutherfordAward for Excellence inUndergraduate Teaching.
Malgorzata Korolkiewicz, PhDcandidate and part-time sessional in Finance and Management
Science was awarded a GraduateStudent Teaching award.
Teacher for all Seasons
R O S S B R A D F O R D
’85 MBA, ’79 LLB
Winner of 2002 William Hardy Alexander Award forExcellence in SessionalTeaching
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The best way to see how good you are is to goup against the best: at this year’s IntercollegiateBusiness Competition at Queen’s University, U of Aundergrads excelled. This year four School ofbusiness teams made the finals. The Finance teamplaced first and the Business Policy team wasfourth. “Competitions like this give our studentsthe opportunity to strut their stuff,” says Geddes.
“You have to make the cut in competitionslike these. Students work like hell just to makethe final stage.” Over the next three to five yearsGeddes will work to expand benchmarkingopportunities available to undergraduate students.
Students are encouraged to take advantage ofexchange programs and international opportuni-ties from the many partnerships that the Schoolof Business has forged with universities aroundthe world. The interdisciplinary strength of theSchool of Business and the increasing interna-tional profile of the U of A figures significantly in the quality of education they receive.
As the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Elaine Geddes ensures that students have plenty of opportunities to shine — in the classroom andbeyond and long after they graduate.
The School of Business giveshigh marks forteamwork; its cur-riculum incorporatesteamwork and leadershipactivities. This helps theSchool attract top-calibrestudents and create anatmosphere where studentsand staff are continuallychallenged. Geddes notesthat this emphasis on team-work spills over into communityactivities on and off campuswhere School of Business students are widely represented –“as much in those that are recognized and those that nobody hears about.”
H O L L Y T O M T E
4th year BCom
2002/2003 Business Students’ AssociationPresident
E L A I N E G E D D E S
Assistant Dean ofUndergraduate Studies
Looks after over 1,800 undergraduate Bcom studentseach year
BComStrutting our Stuff
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>> “Our students go through such an energized
learning experience here. They can set up shop
anywhere in the world.”
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Although it was a difficult decision to leave Ukraine and study in Canada, “I foundexactly what I love here,” Mykhaylyuk says.What she loves is the collaborative atmosphereand applied learning environment and the opportunity to learn about issues such as corporate social responsibility.
A volunteer at the Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the School ofBusiness, Mykhaylyuk is committed to making a difference in the world. “I want to be engagedin the community and do more than just talk.”
Three to five years from now, she would liketo work for a big company in Alberta and
host her brother Michael while he goes to the U of A. “Then I want to go back
and help rebuild my country.”Her goal is to start a foundation that
would support young entrepreneurs andeducate them in corporate socialresponsibility. “First on the agendais doing business in a way thatdoesn’t conflict with society’sneeds,” she says.
Viktoriya Mykhaylyuk came to Canada three yearsago after meeting U of A President Rod Fraser andhis delegation while they were visiting Ukraine. Sheis now an outstanding fourth-year student majoringin small business and entrepreneurship.
Exactly what She Wanted to Learn
V I K T O R I Y A M Y K H A Y L Y U K
Fourth year Bcom, business & entrepreneurship specialization
GOAL: To start a foundation that will support young entrepreneurs in theUkraine
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The University of Alberta School of Business offers Western Canada’sonly bilingual French-English BComprogram in partnership with the Faculté Saint- Jean.
A bilingual education exposes students to more than just a different culture. Italso opens their eyes to new ways of understand-ing and thinking, says Pablo Martin de Holan,who oversees the Bilingual BCom program.
“It’s not only that they can speak another language, they also learn to understand that people in different cultures think differently andbehave differently,” he explains. It’s educationthat goes beyond the merely intellectual and really challenges how students think about the world. “When you are truly bilingual, it’s in your guts.”
Bilingual BComNew Understanding
BComin FocusN A T I O N A L R E C O G N I T I O N
■ Undergraduate Business Games team placed 3rdamong 24 teams from Schools across Canada
■ Undergrad team won first place in Winter 2002National Stock Market Competition
■ Finance team won first place and the Business Policy team took fourth place in the Intercollegiate Business Competition, Canada’s oldest and largest case competition
■ Four School of Business Teams made the ICBC finals
■ Thirteen U of A business students were namedAcademic All Canadians
B U S I N E S S M A J O R S
■ Major in Accounting
■ Major in Business Economics and Law
■ Major in Business Studies
■ Major in Decision and Information Systems
■ Major in Distribution Management
■ Major in Entrepreneurship and Small Business
■ Major in Finance
■ Major in Human Resource Management
■ Major in International Business
■ Major in Management Information Systems
■ Major in Marketing
■ Major in Operations Management
■ Major in Organizational Studies
■ Major in Retailing and Services
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BCom students are encouraged to develop minorsoutside the Business school to augment theireducation. International Business majors muststudy a foreign language and can focus on Asia,Latin America or Europe. “It’s such a thrill to seestudents who came in a bit shy and awkward andthen when they graduate, they are so poised andarticulate.” says Elaine Geddes.
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T R A N G N G U Y E N
3rd year BCom International
Business major /Co-op program
Lougheed Scholarship recipient
GOAL: to combine her business
skills and music with her desire to
make a difference in her community
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>> Trang Nguyen is in the second year of the BCom Co-op program with
a major in International Business. She spent last summer in Guadalajara on an interna-
tional exchange at the Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.
“Learning another language when you have to immerse yourself in the culture was a
wonderful opportunity.”
Trang is an accomplished violinist who plays with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
and as a guest soloist with the Alberta Baroque society. “All my life I’ve been immersed
in music. I entered the Business program because I hadn’t explored other skills and
opportunities that I might have.” Her newfound skills led to another opportunity –
this year Trang was awarded a Peter Lougheed Scholarship for her academic excellence
and outstanding leadership qualities.
The Co-op program placed Trang with the Edmonton Women’s Shelter where she feels
at home in the not-for-profit atmosphere. “The people here have really good hearts and
every day they are helping to build a better community.”
Three to five years from now she would like to pursue a
Masters degree and somehow combine her business skills
and music with her desire to make a difference in her
community. Right now as she studies accounting, HR
and management Trang says that her business education
“is about self-discovery.”
Self Discovery
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For leadership and academic excellence
Also awarded to:
■ 4th year Marketing Major,Shauna Kelehear
■ 3rd year Finance Major,Cassandra Brown
P E T E R L O U G H E E DS C H O L A R S H I P A W A R D
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Providing Cutting-edgeBusiness ToolsThe hallmark of our School’s MBA program is high-quality instructioninformed by cutting-edge research.“Wherever our students go, they dowell,” notes Vikas Mehrotra.
The School of Business MBA program develops specializationsbased on the natural strengths of
the institution. For example, ourlocation in Alberta, Canada’s energy
province, is a natural asset.“The Natural Resources andEnergy MBA specialization isone of a kind and so success-ful,” Mehrotra points out.
The relatively small size ofour MBA program (we enroll a maximum of 65 per year)
means that we can do thingsother institutions can’t do.
“Enzo Di Curzio, the new place-ment co-ordinator, washired in 2002 and isdelivering tangible
MBA“We are second to none in terms of quality and content in our MBAprograms,” says Professor VikasMehrotra, Associate Dean (MBA programs). “It is a high quality program where all of our students get to know one another. This buildsa strong camaraderie that continueslong after they have graduated.”
The School of Business is ranked among the Financial Times of London’s top 100 Business Schoolsin the world.* We make that ranking for a few simple, but key reasons:
■ Teaching and research excellence: FT ranks us59th globally and third among Canadian businessschools in published academic research. Our faculty have been awarded four 3M teachingawards, (the most prestigious post-secondaryteaching award in Canada) more than anyother Business school in the country.
■ Each year, we enroll a maximum of 65 full-timeand 40 part-time students. We deliver a small,high-quality program. This year we accepted 52 of the 459 full time applications received.
*Financial Times of London January 2003 Survey of the top 100Business Schools
programsMaking the most of our strengths
V I K A S M E H R O T R A
Associate Dean MBA programs
Associate Professor, FMS
RESEARCH INTERESTS:finance with an emphasis on restructuring and corporategovernance
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“To be successful in business you haveto be continually learning throughoutyour career. I’m a person who enjoyslearning new things.” So says ScottPfeifer, NR&E MBA student and WorldCup Champion curler.
The desire to go beyond the technical side of his work as a geologist led Pfeifer to theNatural Resources and Energy MBA specializa-tion, the only program of its kind in Canada. “It has the potential for exactly the kind ofcareer that I want,” he says.
Pfeifer throws second rock for Canada’sWorld Cup-winning and all-time most moneymaking curling team skipped by Randy Ferbey.His fans have nicknamed him ‘huffer’ for his reputation as the hardest sweeper in the game.
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results in job placement and internship opportu-nities for our MBAs.”
The “Small is Beautiful” principle means that the MBA program can respond quickly tomarket needs: “We are nimble and strategicallypositioned to offer courses that meet topicalissues. We are continually looking for ways to be more efficient and pertinent.”
The program’s biggest challenge is, ironically, one of Alberta’s natural strengths. The low costof living here means that our graduates, many of whom choose to remain in Alberta, earnsalaries below those offered in larger markets. “In purchasing power they are the same,” says Mehrotra. “But it is nominal dollars that are used in the rankings.” That the School consistently places in the top 100 schools, despite the nominal salary difference speaks volumes of the quality of our MBA program.
In the next three to five years Mehrotra willwork to consolidate the School’s position in thetop 100 Business Schools and work with facultyto increase the ranking in research. “We wouldalso like to attract more international students to the program and improve scholarships andbursaries to attract the best students.”
Simply the Best
■ Technology Commercialization
■ Natural Resources and Energy
■ International Business
■ Leisure and Sports Management
■ Joint-degree MBA programs in: Law,Engineering, Agriculture, Forestry
M B A S P E C I A L I Z A T I O N S
Continued, page 14…
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That kind of individual energy combinedwith his skill at working with a teamtowards a common goal makes Pfeifer a natural fit for the School’s MBA program:it relies heavily on teamwork, special projects and extracurricular activity.
Like many of our MBA grads, Pfeiferwants to build his career in Alberta. Threeto five years from now he sees himselfworking for one of Alberta’s large energycompanies. He looks forward to opportu-nities to lead by example and to play alarger role that management will give him.
Currently Pfeifer is “on a big rollercoaster ride,” balancing curling playoffswith his MBA studies and family commit-ments. “My son Marlow is 13 months old and my wife Chantelle is expectinganother baby in July. It’s the ultimatechallenge in time management,” saysPfeifer with a champion smile.
PhD
PhD“It’s about relationship building,” says Professor David Cooper,Director of the PhD program at theSchool of Business. “We are not
a PhD factory. We have a strongcommitment to our students
and focus instead on developingexcellent student and faculty
relationships.
“Our faculty are out there speaking, presenting their research and engagingin activities through the research centres at the School,” explainsCooper. The strong international
reputation of the faculty and theSchool’s policy of matching PhD students with faculty engaged insimilar research draws top calibre
students. “The average GMAT of ourincoming students is 695. This is as goodor better than the most prestigious universities in the world,” notes Cooper.
programMatching Interests with Excellence
■ Silver in the 2003 MBA Games, Gold in 2001 and 2002
■ 33 % backgrounds in Science 21 % Arts14% Business 13 % Engineering19% other
D A V I D C O O P E R
Professor, AMISDirector PhD program
RESEARCH INTERESTS: an interdisciplinary approach to critical management studies, management accounting and control
Continued from page 13…
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M B A S T U D E N T S T A T S
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K Y L E M U R R A Y
PhD student, Marketing and Psychology
2002/2003 SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship
GOAL: To be a tenured professor continuing teachingand researching human-computer interaction
■ 2002/2003 PhD grants and awards:
2 SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships:Hwee-Cheng Tan (Accounting)Kyle Murray (Marketing)
City of Edmonton Graduate Fellowship:Ken Ogata (Organizational Analysis) Karan Sonpar (Organizational Analysis):Centre for Knowledge Transfer Scholarship
■ Some of our PhD grads are currentlyteaching at: Berkeley, Carnegie-Mellon,University of Cambridge, London and McGill
P h D S T U D E N T S T A T S
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MarketingResearch witha New Twist Kyle Murray has another year or so to finish his interdisciplinary PhD in psychology and business. That combination has given him a uniqueperspective that makes sense intoday’s high-tech global marketplace.“The work I do is really experimentalpsychology, with an emphasis onhuman-computer interaction,” saysMurray. “I just happen to be doing itin a business school.”
Among Murray’s research interests(www.kylemurray.com) are factors affecting electronic marketing and consumer behaviour.“How people make decisions in virtual environ-ments interests me. The growth of the Internetand on-line shopping and the different ways that consumers behave in that setting, make it veryinteresting to researchers in both marketing andpsychology,” says Murray. Three to five yearsfrom now Murray hopes to be a professor somewhere – close to tenure. He expects to becontinuing his present research. “It’s a prettybroad field.” With the help of his wife, Colleen,Murray is presently balancing his PhD researchwith a consulting business and a nine-month-olddaughter, Julia.
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“Edmonton is a long way from headquar-ters of big corporations that make a difference,especially in Information Technology. Regardless,this institution expects excellent teaching andresearch standards,” Gibbins says.
This year Gibbins has hired two new faculty in Accounting and MIS, Sandy Hilton inaccounting and Ken Clowes as Associate Chairin MIS. Hilton is part of Gibbins’ strategy tomaintain the School’s international reputation as one of the best and most broadly basedaccounting faculties in the world. “There are not very many accounting groupslike it. We have people with back-grounds in information technology,financial and managerial accounting,auditing, capital markets and finance,economics, ethics, sociology and psychology backgrounds. We all get along and collaborate actively.”Succession planning is key to main-taining that strength and a majorfocus in the coming years for
Gibbins, who plans to retire a few years after histerm as AMIS chair. “I want to make sure thatthere is a good group of young people to replaceus ‘old farts.’” Gibbins is working to ensure thatthe School’s accounting faculty remain at the top.
This year AMIS has met changes in accountingpractice and IT head on with new course devel-opment in undergraduate and MBA accountingand MIS. Gibbins notes that a key strategy is todevelop new course material in alliance with faculty research strengths.
DepartmentsResponding to Change
“Our expectations as a research school are ambitious,” says Mike Gibbins,Chair of the Accounting and Management Information Systems department.“One of the significant challenges that faces all departments is maintainingour outstanding reputation for research and teaching including planning forfaculty replacement and growth.” (The School has hired 41 new faculty since1996/7.)
■ Accounting and ManagementInformation Systems:Department Chair, Michael Gibbins
■ Finance and ManagementScience (FMS):Department Chair, Prem Talwar
■ Marketing BusinessEconomics and Law (MABEL)Department Chair, Richard Johnson
■ Strategic Management and Organization (SMOrg)Department Chair, Yonatan Reshef
S C H O O L O F B U S I N E S S D E P A R T M E N T S
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Last summer Sandy Hilton presented at a seminar to the School of BusinessAccounting faculty. The questions were tough – very tough, and as thenumber of questions increased rapidly,he couldn’t help but think that itwould be great to be on the other side of the podium.
Hilton started with the School last July.“There are probably only two or three schoolsanywhere with similar strength in accounting,”points out Hilton. “There are a number of professors here whom I respect for their research and teaching achievements.”
Hilton’s research interests centre around securities regulations and harmonization inaccounting rules. The recent push for one international set of accounting principles hasraised the issue of whether we also need to harmonize accounting training and regulation at the same time. “It’s a tough problem tocrack,” says Hilton, who notes that Canada is an ideal place to study these issues consideringthe federal/provincial structure of securities regulations that now exist.
S A N D Y H I L T O N
Assistant Professor AMIS
Research interests financialaccounting and externalreporting
PASSIONS: Cycling and Basketball
“I took it as a goodsign to be possibly
working with peoplewho were so rigorous
and engaged.”
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New Player on our Top Team
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’97 MBA
Mother of two
President BUKSA Conference
Management and Program
Development
GOAL: To expand BUKSA’s
customer base and to provide
interesting and meaningful work
for herself and her staff
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Research andInfrastructure
Investing in Our Resources“ T h i s i s a k n o w l e d g e e c o n o m y … Y o u
h a v e t o u n d e r s t a n d i n f o r m a t i o n , h o wt o u s e i t , s t o r e i t a n d a c c e s s i t … ”
CollaborativeResearch
“The School of Business is a place where students and professors are doinginteresting things, they are engaged – the research here is very applied.”
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In the current global,knowledge-based economy,information is at a premiumand the research activity at theSchool of Business has neverbeen more active. Our facultyare the human capital that poli-cy makers and business leadersrely on to solve critical issues.
They can examine real issuesin real terms in a non-partisansetting. How do health caremanagement decisions becomepractice? How can Alberta bestmanage the groundbreakingAlberta Supernet project? Howhave women entrepreneursimpacted the way business isdone in Canada? How will proposed stringent rules onaccounting practice affect management decisions? Theseare but a few of the issues thatour faculty are applying theirconsiderable energy andresources to this year.
This year the launch of thenew Alberta Business Family
Institute and the HealthOrganization Studies Groupincreased our research centrenumbers to 12. Our researchcentres are a vital communityresource, providing practicaloutlets for our research andexpertise.
The Centre forEntrepreneurship and FamilyEnterprise was recently gener-ously endowed by an anony-mous business family. This hasallowed CEFE to vigorouslypursue its mandate to dissemi-nate information about themanagement of family enter-prise. “When it comes to matters of family business weare connected to best researchand practice world wide,” says CEFE director, LloydSteier. “These connectionsallow information to flowboth ways and enable us to act as a resource for Albertabusiness families.”
■ Alberta Business Family Institute
■ Centre for Applied BusinessResearch in Energy and theEnvironment (CABREE)
■ Canadian Centre for SocialEntrepreneurship (CCSE)
■ Canadian Institute of Retailingand Services (CIRAS)
■ Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise (CEFE)
■ Centre for Excellence inOperations (CEO)
■ Centre for Executive andManagement Development(CEMD)
■ Centre for International Business Studies (CIBS)
■ Centre for Professional ServiceFirm Management (CPSFM)
■ Cultural Industries ResearchCentre (CIRS)
■ Health Organization StudiesGroup (HOS)
■ Western Centre for EconomicResearch (WCER)
R E S E A R C H C E N T R E S
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“What we’ve found was a surprise,”says Reay. In the health care organizations shehas studied it is the middle managers who are themost effective at transforming policy into action.
Those middle managers – the nurse practi-tioners, doctors, RNs and administrators – are especially important: they are often onthe front line with their co-workers, buthave the responsibility and ability tomake the changes happen. “They knowhow to get things done,” says Reay.
Reay is inspired by the people shepartners with in the health care field andhopes that her research will provide apiece of the puzzle to help policy makers in the future. Reay says that the businessperspective is important to health careresearch. “We can give themobservations that they may nothave considered.” In this case‘they’ are key policy makersand decision makers in theAlberta government and
health care regions. “We are developing a network that involves Deputy Ministers andresearchers and the DMs are telling others aboutour relationship and what they are learning.”
Reay’s partners Bob Hinings and KarenGolden-Biddle in the School of
Business plus Anne Casebeer inCommunity Health Sciences,and Amy Pablo in Managementat the University of Calgaryare a “really great group.”And the word is getting out –the partnership is alreadyexpanding into Lethbridge
and Québec.
From Talk to WalkWho Makes Change Happen in Health Care?
Trish Reay has been the Eric Geddes/AHFMR Post-Doctoral Fellow and ResearchAssociate in Health Organization Studies and an important member of the interdisciplinary Health Organization Studies team focusing on health careissues. The team is developing partnerships between researchers and policy- anddecision makers. Reay and her colleagues have been examining how the ‘talk’ of top level management becomes the ‘walk’ on the front lines in health care in health regions throughout the province. Who makes it happen?
T R I S H R E A Y
Eric Geddes/ AHFMR Post-Doctoral Fellow andResearch Associate in Health Organization Studies
Recently accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at the School
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“Women are becoming business owners at a faster rate. They will make changes,” explainsCliff. After the feminist revolution of the 70s theexpectation is that women would make changesin management and organization with a ‘femi-nine’ approach, i.e. there would be less hierarchy,more flexible and empathetic work environment.
Not so, Cliff’s research data showed. “Thetruth is that there is no difference between gen-ders in how they manage the workplace. Theyboth manage with a mix of approaches.” Cliffnotes that there is a “mismatch between the walkand the talk,” in both men and women. Bothgenders would answer survey questions accord-ing to the expected gender bias – but when itcame to actual business practice both men andwomen run businesses to make money – and theworkplace is becoming more flexible on bothsides. “The reality of the business world is still a constraining factor,” notes Cliff. In the future
there may be more roomfor ‘feminine’ values inthe workplace.
In the meantime thereare still plenty of ques-tions to ask that relate to gender bias.
Gender Differences –
Not!J E N N I F E R C L I F F
Assistant professor, SMOrg
RESEARCH INTERESTS:entrepreneurship, organiza-tional theory and gender
Recently received an SSHRCgrant with colleagues, Stan Liand Royston Greenwood, toexamine gender differences in access to financial capital.
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Jennifer Cliff came to theSchool of Business in July of 1999 after finishing herdoctoral work studyingwomen entrepreneurs at the University of BritishColumbia. “I’m a bigger-picture person,” says Cliff. “I just want to see if womenare making a difference.”
■ Randall Morck wins Journal ofFinance “All Star Paper” Award
■ Bob Gephardt: $138,000 SSHRCgrant for “organizational sense-making and environmental riskmanagement”
■ Erhan Erkut: $128,000 NSERCgrant “Hazardous MaterialsTransportation”
R E S E A R C H N E W S
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“At the end of the day, our companymust be profitable,” says Jewel Buksa,’97 MBA. “That’s what drives my decisions.”
That said, Buksa, a mother of two, takesthe professional development and wellbeing ofher staff to heart. She is sensitive to her staff’sfamily needs; medical appointments, sick kidsand the need for flexibility or time off. “Maybethat’s where you see some gender differences,”she concedes.
Buksa was already enrolled in the part-timeexecutive MBA program, soon to become a regular with Professor Bill Preshing and the U of A earlybird runners, and was working on her business plan when she was laid off atChristmastime in 1994. At the time Buksa organized professional development conferencesand events for health care trustees and seniormanagers.
“I knew that there was still a need for what I was doing and that there was no one to carry on.” She formed BUKSA ConferenceManagement and Program Development in 1995(www.buksa.com ) “The work was unique andvery interesting. I’ve been very successful.”
BUKSA employs 10 people, and she says that three to five years from now she would like to see her company grow – but, bigger is notnecessarily better to her. “Certainly I would liketo be operating at a higher level. I’d also like to expand our customer base to include morenational medical societies. But it’s more impor-tant to me to be able to provide interesting andmeaningful work for me and my staff.”
Gender and the Bottom Line
“I want to have competentand happy staff, but Ialways keep in mind that I have a job to do.”
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>>The opportunity to work with researchers such as such as 3M
Teaching Award winner Erhan Erkut was a big factor in Accounting and Management
Information Systems department professor Ray Patterson’s decision to move from
Dallas to Edmonton. “The School of Business is an excellent place for collaborative
research,” he says. Patterson’s research interests lie in the field of meta-heuristics
(artificial intelligence) and Information Technology. Patterson is looking at the
logistics of the Alberta Supernet Project.
Patterson received a Canada Research Chair this year
and the funds will allow him to conduct research and
develop the Management Information Systems (MIS)
program at all levels. Building a program essentially
from the ground up was the main attraction for
Patterson. “There is lots of opportunity for program
development, excellent students and the opportunity to
integrate research into the classroom.” Three to five
years from now, Patterson sees no reason why the
School of Business won’t have one of the best MIS
program in Canada.
The Alberta Supernet project (another major draw
for his move to Alberta) is just the first of many
phases of connectivity that are going to bring
prosperity through connectivity to all parts of
Alberta. Patterson likens the project to the first
phases of infrastructure that we no longer think
twice about – electricity or the postal service.
The collegial atmosphere at the School of Business
and the University of Alberta is yet another plus.
“It is a place where students and professors are doing
interesting things, they are engaged – the research
here is very applied.”
For more details go to:
www.bus.ualberta.ca/rayp/research.htm
LeveragingHuman Capital
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R A Y P A T T E R S O N
Associate Professor, Canada
Research Chair in Management
Information Systems
TEACHING AREAS: e-commerce,
telecommunications, and
information systems design
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The School’s large investment in infrastructure enables faculty to accesstechnology and information databaseswith advanced technical support andto produce world-class research.
Recently, Karim Jamal, PhD, CA andAlexander Hamilton Professor of Business, reliedheavily on the School’s technological capabilityto explore the effect of strict, moderate or liberalaccounting rules on the behaviour of managers.
In the financial reporting study, Jamal andgraduate student Hwee-Cheng Tan created a virtual company that they then were able to takeoffsite with laptops and wireless access to theEric Geddes Strategic Decision (computer) labto test how corporate financial officers wouldreact under certain accounting-rule scenarios.One hundred CAs, CMAs, MBAs and CFAs“played” with the simulation and were asked to present a report on earnings overa 12-period experiment. The levelof accounting discretion wasassigned randomly to partici-pants in the program, allowingJamal to ask and answer thefollowing:
Are we better off withstringent accounting rulesor should we expandaccounting discretion? Doreported earnings becomemore variable as account-ing discretion is reduced?
Technology: Limitless Possibilities
How do managers alter operating decisions tocompensate for less accounting discretion?
“Technology makes much more sophisticatedexperiments possible,” explains Jamal who has a keen interest in the behavioural side of things.
The breakthrough is that it allows for humanbehavior to be studied. “I can get informationnot just in numbers, but in how people react tothose numbers. Plus the participants get feedbackas they ‘play the game’ and actually enjoy partic-ipating in the research.”
In this post-Enron world regulators and policymakers need objective evidence as they strive tochange accounting and governance rules.Researchsuch as this can provide them with much wider
evidence of the possible ramificationsof their decisions.
Jamal says that the applicationsof simulations to research are limitless.
For more information contact Karim Jamal directly at:
K A R I M J A M A L
Professor, AMIS
RESEARCH INTERESTS:Judgment and DecisionMaking; Information Processingin Financial Markets
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>> “We take an organized approach to technology,
consistently upgrading our IT infrastructure to leverage
technology as a valuable educational resource.”
InfrastructureWhat’s Inside the Box?
The University of Alberta School of Business’s1984-era exterior isn’t the attraction: it’s what’sinside the box that counts. The hallways are linedwith posters and flyers announcing myriads ofactivities. Inside those poster-lined walls are milesof network and wireless high-speed cable thatconnect students and faculty to the libraries, each other and the outside world.
Our “smart” Internet-readyclassrooms were upgraded thisyear to enable students and fac-ulty to take full advantage of upto date technology. Infrastructureinvestments help us deliver a relevant education and to performworld-class applied research.Our staff and students haveaccess to over 367 course Websites, and 52,000 documents –more than any other faculty atthe University.
“The University of Alberta is recognizedworldwide for our excellent teaching standards,groundbreaking research and for our outstandingcampus collegial environment,” notes U of Apresident Rod Fraser. “The School of Business’commitment to raising the level of education and developing its core strengths has made the
School an integral part of this success.”
The School continues to invest in technology, databases, and people so thatstudents and academics havethe necessary infrastructureto operate to their highestpotential.
“Technology makes much more sophisticated experiments possible,… There are more possibilities than I can ever dream of.”
■ New high-speed wireless connections allow students to log on to the computer networkfrom almost anywhere within the School of Business building
■ More than 100,000 feet of com-puter network cable run throughthe walls of the Business building
■ There are over 500 separate network lines in the building
W E ’ R E W I R E D !
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WinspearBusinessReferenceLibraryBrick and ClickThe Winspear Business ReferenceLibrary is both a physical and virtuallibrary. During a typical weekday 1,200 students walk into the library to peruse current business newspapers,study and use the computer stations.
The virtual Winspear Business ReferenceLibrary provides students and faculty withInternet access to collections and assistancelocating information 24/7. Its on-line resourceguides lead to proprietary databases, electronicjournals and other links.
The Winspear Library recently benchmarkedits database holdings against those of seven otherCanadian universities withstrong business programs.Results indicate the Winspear’scollection of financial/companyand international business databases rated among the top,and our collection of market-ing, research, and informationtechnology databases is the bestin the country.
The Winspear Business Reference Libraryoffers the E-Commerce Alert, a service that isunique in North American university businesslibraries. E-Commerce Alert scans hundreds ofjournal and e-zine articles each month. Searchresults are then filtered for relevance and organized into an easy-to-use format.
This past year Winspearlaunched a new service calledNew Titles Alert, which pro-vides a monthly list of newbusiness and economics titlesreceived by the University ofAlberta Libraries.
WirelessConnectivityPulling the Plug
This year the School of Business pulled the plug.We now provide wireless high-speed Internet con-nectivity for students and faculty within the wallsof the School of Business building and they canconnect at other ‘wireless hubs’ across campus.Wireless connectivity gives students the ability tomanage their time and to access information andassistance when needed without having to waitfor a spot in the computer lab or for an availableplug in.
We are one of the few business schools with anAssistant Dean of Infrastructure/Technology andwith a full support team of IT specialists to trainfaculty and keep the connections smooth.
■ This year the School purchasedfour new databases:
• Forrester Research• Faulkner’s Advisory for
Information Technology Studies• Consumer Lifestyles• Financial Post Investor Suite
Q U I C K F A C T S
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Duane Bentley, a 2002 BCom with amajor in Management InformationSystems, has high hopes for his future.Three to five years from nowhe hopes to be working in a seniorconsulting position with a large IT firm.
A consultant with CenComp, Bentleysays his MIS concentration gave him excellentvalue for his time and money. Bentley uses hiscritical thinking skills and knowledgeof information technology to helpbusinesses design, choose and set upinformation systems according totheir needs.
“This is a knowledge economy,” explains Bentley.“Whether it’s accounting, distribution, management orHR, it’s all about informa-tion. You have to understandinformation, how to store it,how to use it and how toaccess it throughout anorganization.”
This year Bentley and fellow MIS alumni formedthe School of Business MIS
society to promote their specialization and toprovide input into future course development.
Bentley is also a member of theEdmonton chapter of CIPS
(the Canadian InformationProcessing Society) andhelped facilitate their
annual conference –attended by over 2,500 IT professionals
this year.
Making it in the New Knowledge Economy
D U A N E B E N T L E Y
2002 BCom, MIS specialization
IT consultant, CenComp
GOAL: to be in managementfor a leading IT firm
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The School of Business makes leading-edge use of technology in the classroom todeliver on-line assignments, simultane-ous on-line exams, conference pages,in-class modelling and simulation inundergraduate and graduate levelbusiness operations managementcourses. We use technology toincrease interactions between students, their peers and instructorsand also to provide innovative simulations and assignments that fostercollaboration and healthy competition.
Technology Technology at the School of Business is a key tool supportingour strategic goal – to be among the top one per cent of research-intensive, policy-shaping Business schools globally. More connectivity and access to information is essential to deliver technology in the classroom, access to data and the systems needed toperform relevant applied research.
O U R T E C H G R O U P
TECH SUPPORT STAFFERS: Michelle Unchulenko (L), Mike Getz (R) and Bryan Zuch (C)
MISSION: Create and encourage innovative use of technology, and then make that use routinethroughout the Faculty
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Database DataBefore you can access data at
the School of Business youhave to ask Mary Gillespie,faculty database specialistwith the School of BusinessTechnology Group. Here’ssome data on the School of Business ‘best database’according to a recent
benchmarking study:
● At least 18 researchers in the Schoolof Business accessed data on the Loraxdatabase manager between March 2002and now.
● The most popular databasesare Compustat, which has finan-cial reports for North Americancompanies, CRSP which containsstock market summaries forAmerican stock exchanges, andTAQ which contains trade andquote transactions fromAmerican stock exchanges.
● The largest database in terms of memory requirements is TAQ.TAQ data arrives from New York Stock Exchange monthly.Currently two or three DVD’s arrive each month. Ten years agoone month’s worth of data could fit on one CD. To compare, aCD holds 650 megabytes of data, a DVD holds 4.5 gigabytes.
● We compress TAQ data before storing it on Lorax. Currently thecompressed size is nearly 66 gigabytes, and includes data fromJanuary 1993 to November 2002. We currently have disk capac-ity for another year of data. Then we’ll need to buy more disks.
● The most trades for any one company on a single day was justunder 370,000. The most quotes for a single company on asingle day was just under 230,000.
S T U D E N T R E S O U R C E S
■ 98 station undergrad computer lab
■ 32 station undergrad workstation lab
■ 32 station MIS computer lab
■ 25 station MBA computer lab
■ 20 station PhD computer lab
■ 20 laptop connections Winspear Reading Room
■ wireless network access covering the entireBusiness building
■ 8 email stations in student common area
M U L T I M E D I A F A C I L I T I E S
■ 16 smart classrooms
■ 2 videoconference facilities
■ 2 committee rooms with interactive ‘smart’ boards
S T A F F R E S O U R C E S
■ Brent Poohkay,Assistant Dean of Technology & Infrastructure
■ Tech GroupMike Getz, Instructional Technology and Undergraduate ComputingMary Gillespie, Research computing supportJim Kiddoo, Network and server administrationMichelle Unchulenko, Desktop support specialistCorinne Winter, Administrative supportBryan Zuch, Web specialist
M A R Y G I L L E S P I E
TITLE: Research computing support
Oversees the management ofSchool of Business databases
TechResources
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CommunityDelivering 110%
“ T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s a n d t h e b u s i n e s s
c o m m u n i t y i s a t w o - w a y s t r e e t . ”
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D O U G W I N D E R
’96 BCom, Co-op program
Business Unit Manager,
Intuit Canada
GOAL: To continue to grow ‘
outside his comfort zone in a
positive way with Intuit Canada
34
Giveand Take“Our Alumni define our community asa place of give and take and highlightthe exceptional value that we all canbring to it.”
“The relationship between the Schoolof Business and the community is a two waystreet,” says long-time Business Advisory Councilmember, Hugh Bolton (Chairman of the Board of EPCOR). Networking activities plus the highprofile of faculty helps keep the connectionstrong. “Their deliverable is an excellent product,” says Bolton. “Their students and faculty are first rate.”
That networking extends around the world:this year the School’s Centre for InternationalBusiness Studies hosted delegations from Chinaand South America. The Centre for ExecutiveManagement Development spearheaded two newinitiatives to enhance senior management train-ing in Alberta and has branched out into otherprovinces. The Business Alumni Association revitalized a mid-1970s-era Mentorship programlinking MBA students to business leaders. TheCo-op program celebrated its 10th year and isoperating at peak capacity. As our communitydemands, we deliver – 110%.
■ Asia• Hong Kong• India*
(new this year)• Japan • Thailand
■ Europe• Austria • Denmark• France
• Germany • Sweden• U.K.
■ South America• Chile • Ecuador
■ Mexico• Mexico City
InternationalActivityE X E C U T I V E T R A I N I N G
■ Carried out two six-month programs to train civil servants and executivesfrom the Government of HeilongjiangProvince, China (Alberta’s sisterprovince)
■ Two-week executive training program for Naturgas Colombia executive
■ Proposal to the government of SouthAfrica for civil servant training program
E X C H A N G E
■ Joint curriculum development with ITESM(Guadalajara) in International Finance
■ New proposal to Meiji University Tokyo
■ 3 visiting faculty from Xian JiaotongUniversity
■ incoming exchange students: 33outgoing: 28
E X I S T I N G P A R T N E R S H I P S
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The School has worked hard this year to increase the number of exchangeopportunities and internships for our students. As well, executive managementtraining activity has been expanded andnew partnerships have been forged.
The School now delivers all internationalactivities through one window – Wong’s office. “There are many natural synergies among studentexchange, international co-opopportunities and internationalexecutive management trainingactivities,” he says.
A recent example of this synergy is the student exchangerelationship between Hong KongPolytechnic University and theSchool that has now expandedto include discussion that maylead to our first offshoreexecutive MBA.
International RelationsBringing Us to the World and the World to UsThe School of Business is a key partner in the U of A’s drive towards internationaliza-tion. “More and more of today’s subject matter is global and professionally wehave to be able to offer students the opportunity to live and work across cultures,”says Edy Wong, Assistant Dean (International) and Director of the Centre forInternational Business Studies. “To be recognized as one of the top one per centof Business Schools in the world we have to become known internationally,” saysWong. There is no downside in “bringing the world to us and us to the world.”
“China is an important emergingeconomy,” notes Wong. He also comments how important the 20-yearrelationship that the School of Business
has with China has been through theefforts of Rolf Mirus and other far-sighted academics at the School.
“We are strategically positionedto become recognized as acentre of excellence inChina within the next fewyears.” The centre hasdeveloped workshops
E D Y W O N G
Assistant Dean (International)
TRAVELLING MAN: 10 flights just in the last 6 months.
DESTINATIONS INCLUDE: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong,Singapore, Vancouver, Toronto
DISTANCE: 40,000 km in six months
Continued, page 36…
36
CEMDBeyond the BaselineThe Centre for Executive andManagement Development fills a large gap in management training.
“We go beyond the baseline level toprovide advanced training to managers whoalready have several years of experience butneed skills to raise their ability to manage ata higher strategic level,” explains directorSheryl Wolowyk. CEMD’s goal is tobecome one of the top three providersof advanced executive managementtraining in Canada.
Providing executive managementtraining is self-reinforcing: It buildsthe profile and reputation of theSchool and gives business leaders an independent evaluation of the institution.
“How we set ourselves apart is by focusingon our strengths,” says Wolowyk. “We use ourbest teaching faculty and complement them withinternational academic experts and industryexperts.” CEMD programs are developed aroundthe core strengths of the School: outstandingteachers, strength in programs such as NaturalResources and Energy, Health Care, and PublicSector management. The combination of indus-try expertise and academic excellence providesCEMD clients with ‘best practices’ and practical
knowledge that they can useimmediately. “Knowledgetransfer matters to us,” says Wolowyk.
in subjects such as International Purchasing,Transportation, and International Finance.
Significant achievements this year include new partnerships in South America, India andMexico. A very exciting development is the participation in executive management trainingfor foreign executives. “International executive
training can only enhance our reputation as aworld class university and business school,” saysWong. “The interaction of the executives withfaculty, students and alumni brings in that element of culture and the exchange of ideas into the school.”
Continued from page 35…
Management Fundamentals:designed as a mini-MBA, it
is a certificate for mid-levelmanagers who need core
business skills or perhaps wantto test the waters of an MBA.
“It’s an executive overview forthose who need the basic business
toolkit so that they can ask the rightquestions and understand at a deeperlevel the issues that impact the bottomline of their organization.”
N E W T H I S Y E A R
S H E R Y L W O L O W Y K
2000 MBA
Executive Director, CEMD
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Co-opTen years ago, 30 students and a handful ofAlberta businesses took up the challenge of inte-grating top-tier academic business education withthe rigorous demands of the workplace. The Co-opprogram’s tenth anniversary finds it running atpeak capacity with over 400 student placementslocally, nationally and internationally.
The Co-op program combines thebest practices of an accredited work inte-gration program with the strong academicrigour that the School of Business isknown for. “It’s very worthwhile,” saysExecutive Director Claudette de Bruijn.“For example, I have three students livingin London right now. For them to beexposed to the London financial district is invaluable.”
The challenge over the next few yearsis to broaden the number of internationalplacements. “We have degrees in interna-tional business, so we need to add morevalue to that degree,” says de Bruijn.
De Bruijn is committed to maintainingprofessional standards. “We answer ourphones, we respond quickly, we haveinformation available for students andbusinesses, we use technology but wedon’t let it rule us.” De Bruijn says that it is the long term personal relationshipsthat Co-op builds that keeps businessescoming back and expands the reputationof the School.
Value Added
37
OpportunityKnocks “Co-op was a phenomenalopportunity for me,”says Doug Winder, whograduated from theSchool of Business Co-opprogram in 1996 with a major in accounting.
His Co-op work experience took him from the tax department at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) to an upstart tech company called Intuit Canada. Ten years later,Winder is still with Intuit and Intuit has gonefrom 10 employees to over 400. For the last twoyears the company has been named as one of thetop 10 Canadian companies to work for accord-ing to the Report on Business and is also inMediaCorps top 100 list internationally.
Winder started as the manager of Intuit’s callcentre and is now a business unit manager for oneof Intuit’s QuickTax products. Three to five yearsfrom now Winder expects to still be with Intuit,continuing to grow along with the company.“This is the kind of company that allows you gooutside of your comfort zone in a positive way,”explains Winder. “It’s a great place to work.”
Intuit still regularly recruits from the Co-opprogram, using students in their engineering, contact centre and quality assurance depart-ments. “We have had tremendous success withCo-op students. They are smart, very dedicated,enthusiastic and full of energy,” he says. “Theypick things up almost instantly.” %
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B I L L A D D I N G T O N
’74 BCom, ’91 MBA
Executive Vice President,
Canadian Western Bank
GOAL: to add value to the commu-
nity, the School of Business and the
University of Alberta through the
activities of the Business Alumni
Association
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>>Bill Addington knows value. He is executive Vice
President of Edmonton-based Canadian Western Bank. He is also president of the
Business Alumni Association. Addington figures he’s got his money’s worth from his
time at the University of Alberta School of Business, earning a BCom in 1974 and an
MBA in the 1991. “I’ve spent a lot of time on campus and it has really helped me.
I’m happy to give something back to the institution,” he says.
The BAA, which speaks on behalf of the School’s 16,000
alumni, organizes networking and professional develop-
ment events. That keeps Addington connected to good
students - future alumni — and other professionals in
the community. The BAA also hosts events such as the
annual convocation breakfast and
raises funds for scholarships to
undergraduate and MBA students.
This year BAA director Rob
Parks, professor Doug Olsen, and
professor emeritus Bill Preshing
re-established the MBA mentorship
program. “We recruited over 50
alumni and hooked them up with
MBA students. That connects students to the business
community and helps guide them through some of the
career choices and challenges that they face. There is
a lot of satisfaction in helping with something this
worthwhile,” says Addington.
“The University of Alberta and the
School of Business develop human capi-
tal that can really contribute and add
value to the community. Edmonton and
the province would certainly be lesser
without it.”
Our BAA:
39
Value You Can Bank on
■ Formed in 1988
■ 16,000 alumni worldwide
■ 14 business alumni branchesworldwide, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco
■ 30 alumni events hosted in 2002
B A A S T A T S
Mentorship
40
● Area of specialization: No specific area of specializationsince I have a PhD in Industrial Chemistry, and I did not wantto limit myself by specializing yet again. My primary areas ofinterest and focus was on Entrepreneurship, Finance andInternational Marketing.
● Year of Graduation: 1997 MBA
● Career Path: My career path has been primarily in the IT management consulting, business development and marketing,in medium to large corporate environments. First, throughmanaging extensive business development and marketing portfolios for a series of software companies and more recentlyin the telecommunications industry at TELUS EnterpriseSolutions.
● Why take part in MBA Mentorship program? I participated inthe mentorship program during my MBA studies and found itto be a rewarding, and enlightening experience. I am still incontact with my mentor. Being on the “other side” now, Iconsider this a wonderful opportunity to actively participatein and support the same program, share my experiences withJason and hopefully make it as rewarding for him. It also is agreat way to remain “connected” to the school.
● Are there advantages to you in the relationship?Absolutely. Jason provides me with information on upcomingevents such as the “breakfast series” which I’d not haveknown about otherwise. Also, I try to arrange for him to meetpeople in specific industries that he is considering as a careerpath, so that he can hopefully make a more informed decisionabout his future.
● What is the value in establishing relationships betweenalumni and students? It creates a valuable conduit betweenthe business world and the academic environment – bringing a real world experience to their learning and fosters healthydiscussion around points of interest. If nurtured and sus-tained, it has the potential to create a strong alumni-schoolrelationship, which makes coming here to do an MBA evenmore attractive.
Many MBA alumni are active in our community in a number of capacities – some high profile, others at the grass roots volunteer level – exposing our MBA students to more than justthe “job end” of things. It defines our community as a place ofgive-and-take and highlights the exceptional value that we allcan bring to the community.
In October of 2002 the School revitalized a pilot mentorship program for full-time MBA
students. The program helps develop strong ties between students and alumni. Alumni
can offer support for students in efforts to select courses and plan out career options.
This is one way that the School of Business can leverage its strong connections to the
business community to benefit our students. As always our business community came
through and more than 50 mentors signed up for the opportunity to mentor MBA students.
>>Profile of a MentorAnn Leins, Associate Director, TELUS Enterprise Solutions
What’s Old is New Again
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“Ann is dynamite. She’s so positive and upbeat. She is a remarkablywell-rounded person – she has a full-timecareer and family. She travels and lovessports. It’s inspiring.” The mentoring relationship has translated into one withenormous potential. “Ann has offered tospeak to people she knows in the businesscommunity to help open up some doorsfor me, which is great,” says Stanley.She has also been a resource forlocal information to Stanleywho is new to Edmonton.Perhaps most importantly,“Ann is cautioning me to bepatient and to weigh things to uncover the right careeropportunity.”
Three to five years fromnow, Stanley sees himself insenior management in
banking or consulting, with significantresponsibility. “I would like to be lead-ing a team of people and deliveringresults.” He hopes to continue toevolve as a manager and leader, butaims to retain the core qualities that
are his strengths. “I have good softskills,” explains Stanley. “I am good
at relationships and beingsensitive to other’s needs,
whether it’s a client or aco-worker. I’m a goodcritical thinker.”
Inspired to SucceedJason Stanley, a second-year MBA student has some backup. Her name is Ann Leins, ’97 MBA and Enterprise Solutions Associate Director atTELUS. Jason’s connection to Leins gives him access to advice and a personal perspective that professors and textbooks can’t.
“Ann is cautioning meto be patient and to
weigh things to uncover theright career opportunity.”
J A S O N S T A N L E Y
2nd year MBA
GOAL: to be a team leaderwith significant responsibilityin senior management inbanking or consulting
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Actuals for Year Ending March 31, 2002
Source of Funds ($000) Percent
University FundsUniversity Operating Grant and Other Funds 12,091 53.0%
Government Funds (other than research)Access Grants 908 4.0%Other Government Grants 169 0.7%
Own Source FundsCost Recovery Programs 914Research Grants and Contracts 974Endowment Income 2,983Other Investment Income 100Donations and Planned Gifts 895Professional Development 2,523Centres and Conferences (excluding endowment income) 949Other Sources 320TOTAL OWN SOURCE FUNDS 9,658 42.3%
TOTAL INFLOW 22,826 100.0%
Use of Funds
TeachingStudent-related Activities (including financial aid) 1,141Program Support 376Instruction and Instructional Support 5,346TOTAL TEACHING 6,863 30.1%
Research 7,726 33.8%
Service and Community RelationsService and Community Relations 1,492Development 29TOTAL SERVICE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS 1,521 6.7%
Administration (including Technology and Infrastructure) 5,632 24.7%
TransfersTransfer to Endowments 319Transfer to Reserves 765TOTAL TRANSFERS 1,084 4.7%
TOTAL OUTFLOW 22,826 100.0%
> > N O T E : Academic and support staff salaries have been charged to the above activities. For information, academic salariestotaled $12,334,000 and support staff salaries totaled $1,903,300. Benefits across both categories totaled $1,835,900.
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Projections for Year Ending March 31, 2003
Source of Funds ($000) Percent
University FundsUniversity Operating Grant and Other Funds 12,570 50.1%
Government Funds (other than research)Access Grants 1,707 6.8%Other Government Grants 149 0.6%
Own Source FundsCost Recovery Programs 680Research Grants and Contracts 1,537Endowment Income 3,098Other Investment Income 75Donations and Planned Gifts 555Professional Development 2,300Centres and Conferences (excluding endowment income) 2,056Other Sources 378TOTAL OWN SOURCE FUNDS 10,679 42.5%
TOTAL INFLOW 25,105 100.0%
Use of Funds
TeachingStudent-related Activities (including financial aid) 1,145Program Support 232Instruction and Instructional Support 6,232TOTAL TEACHING 7,609 30.3%
Research 8,253 32.9%
Service and Community RelationsService and Community Relations 1,524Development 91TOTAL SERVICE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS 1,614 6.4%
Administration (including Technology and Infrastructure) 6,556 26.1%
Estimated Transfers to Reserves 1,073 4.3%
TOTAL OUTFLOW 25,105 100.0%
> > N O T E : Academic and support staff salaries have been charged to the above activities. For information, academic salaries are projected to total $12,712,600 and support staff salaries are projected to total $2,019,100. Benefits across both categories are projected at $1,986,500.
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Business Advisory Council Members
BAA Board of Directors
Bruce AltonVice President, Marketing & Business DevelopmentTelecom & ElectronicsMicralyne IncEdmonton, Alberta
Gordon ArnellChairman and CEOBrookfield Properties CorporationToronto, Ontario
Mary ArnoldDirector, Arnold Consulting Group LtdEdmonton, Alberta
Hugh BoltonCorporate Director, FinancialConsultant, and Chairman of the Board, EPCOR Utilities IncEdmonton, Alberta
Charles ChanChairman and CEOITC Corporation LimitedKowloon, Hong Kong
Patrick DanielPresident and CEO, Enbridge IncCalgary, Alberta
Jim DinningExecutive Vice President –Sustainable Development and External RelationsTransAltaCalgary, Alberta
K. Michael EdwardsEtobicoke, Ontario
John FergusonChancellor, University of AlbertaChairman, Princeton Developments Ltdand Chair of TransAlta CorporationEdmonton, Alberta
Roderick FraserPresident & Vice-ChancellorUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta
Kevin JenkinsThe Westaim CorporationCalgary, Alberta
Hiroshi KurimotoPresident, Nagoya University ofCommerce and Business AdministrationNisshin-shi, Aichi, Japan
R. J. (Bob) MacLeanChairman, The Crossing CompanyEdmonton, Alberta
Don MazankowskiChairman, Premier’s Advisory Councilon HealthVegreville, Alberta
Gay MitchellExecutive Vice President – OntarioRoyal Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario
Randall MorckStephen A Jarislowsky Distinguished Chair in FinanceUniversity of Alberta School of BusinessEdmonton, Alberta
Esther OndrackVice President and SecretaryChieftain Financial LtdEdmonton, Alberta
Val PappesCOO Time Industrial, Inc. and Founder and COOA-LIVE Holdings II Inc.Edmonton, Alberta
Mike PercyStanley A. Milner Professor and DeanUniversity of Alberta School of BusinessEdmonton, Alberta
Bob PhillipsPresident and CEOThe BCR Group of CompaniesNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Roger PhillipsHonourary Director, IPSCO Inc.Director, TD Bank, CP Rail, Imperial Oil LtdRegina, Saskatchewan
Philip Ponting QCManaging Partner, McLennan Ross Barristers & SolicitorsCalgary, Alberta
Gerry ProttiExecutive Vice President, Corporate RelationsEnCana CorporationCalgary, Alberta
Janice RenniePrincipal, Janice G. Rennie & AssociatesEdmonton, Alberta
Charlotte RobbSenior Vice President – OperationsPrairies & Western Region BusinessDevelopment Bank of CanadaEdmonton, Alberta
Don TapscottPresidentNew Paradigm Learning CorporationToronto, Ontario
Joseph ThompsonChairmanPCL Construction Group Inc.Edmonton, Alberta
Dyan TriffoManaging Director, Head of West Coast Media Banking Deutsche Banc Securities, Inc.San Francisco, California
Ron TriffoChairman of the Board, Stantec IncEdmonton, Alberta
Gordon UlrichPresident, Glacier Developments IncSt Albert, Alberta
Peter ValentineSenior Advisor to the President and CEOCalgary Health RegionCalgary, Alberta
William Addington, ‘74 BCom, ‘91 MBAExecutive Vice President, Canadian Western BankBAA President
Al Anderson, ‘67 BComConsultant, Alberta Justice
Ross Bradford, ‘79 LLB, ‘85 MBAU of A School of Business, Faculty Representative
Elke Christianson Director, Alumni Relations and DevelopmentU of A School of Business
Lawrence Hill, ’91 BA, ’94 MBAInvestors Group
Guy Kerr, ’95 MBAPresident, Workers Compensation BoardU of A Alumni Council Business Rep.
Harvey A. Lawton, ’73 BComFinancial Benefits Group, Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc.
Allan Mah, ‘75 BComDirector, Real Estate Services, U of A
David McGarva, ’99 MBAActon Consulting Ltd.
Robert Parks, ’99 MBAMarketing ConsultantCommunity Services, City of Edmonton
Chris Pilger, ’90 BComManager, CommunicationsInstitute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta
Paul Rechner, ’93 BCom, ’00 MBA Corporate Currency TraderCustom House Currency ExchangeBAA Vice President
Regan RobertsonPresident, MBA Association
Shelley Teasdale, ’01 BComSierra SystemsBAA Secretary
Kurian Tharakan, ‘86 BComPricewaterhouseCoopers LLPBAA Past-President
Drew Thomson, ’78 BCom, ’02 CFDDirector, Corporate Development, CMA AlbertaBAA Treasurer
Holly Tomte President, Business Students’ Association
Bill Preshing: 110%
“The more things change the more they remainthe same,” says Dr. Bill Preshing. Preshing, aka“Dr. Bill,” is a professor emeritus and a well-known founding member of the University ofAlberta Earlybirds who have been meeting forover two decades to exercise and/or run beforeclasses and work begin. Although retired,Preshing is very connected to the the School ofBusiness. He still is a regular earlybird, and heis currently researching the School’s history.
What has remained constant, says Preshing isthe School’s tradition in community spirit andits ability to change with the times.
In October the University of Alberta Earlybirds —students, staff and faculty from across campus —celebrated their 25th anniversary. Preshing andthe Earlybirds host four runs every year andthey have become staple campus recreationalactivities. Preshing’s ‘fun’ principle has helpedto foster community spirit across disciplines andacademic/support staff boundaries. The FacultyClub Fun Run, has raised in excess of $50,000for undergraduate and graduate scholarships. His efforts have also raised thousands of dollarsfor local charities.
That’s giving 110%.
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University of Alberta School of Business
Edmonton, AlbertaCanada T6G 2R6
Tel. 780.492.4083Fax. 780.492.8748
Toll free in Canada and USA1.877.362.3222
E-mail [email protected] www.bus.ualberta.ca
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