Topics include the (unnatural) balancing act of the U.S. economy, a cross-national view of measuring customer satisfaction, the plusses and minuses of joining nonprofit organizations’ boards, taxation and the Internet (Yes Virginia, the Internet is taxing), presentation tips, the use of decision trees, and a conversation with noted strategist Gary Hamel.
We begin the fun on the balancing beam, as David Smith, Ph.D. and Terry Young, Ph.D., wonder how long can low unemployment and low inflation rates co-exist. The next stop is an exercise in exploring a tree, always a great summertime adventure, as Jay Buckley, a Graziadio EMBA student and Tom Dudley, D.B.A., show how Gerber used the decision tree method to explore potential outcomes when dealing with federal product safety inquiries. Bob Canady, D.B.A., then demonstrates better ways to do “show and tell.” Bob discusses how to sharpen a business presentation so that it leads to getting a decision. Joining a club is always fun. Jack Green, Ph.D., and Tom Dudley, D.B.A. take a look at the considerations executives should include when deciding which club (read “nonprofit”) to join.
Pushing the boundaries can be fun, and in our “Conversation with…” series, I had the opportunity to sit with Dr. Gary Hamel, a noted author, lecturer, and consultant in the strategic management field, and discuss the idea of “employee activism.” One side note: The conversation took place as Gary was heading to LAX after speaking to a recent Graziadio School Management Update. Gary is very expressive and it was fascinating sharing the ride with him as he spoke with great fervor and expressiveness about how he feels on this topic.
A good fight can also be fun (for the winner). James Wilburn, Ph.D. and Philip Romero serve as hosts for describing the upcoming fight over taxing e-commerce. Their paper is based on the work of the inaugural class of the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and offers insight into resolving the issue of taxing web and Internet transactions.
Europe is an interesting place to visit in the summer, and Charles Fojtik, D.B.A. and John Nicks, Ph.D., take a jaunt to Germany and examine the issue of measuring market perceptions in different cultures. An important note: I inwardly smile when I look at this piece. Chic Fojtik is a major player and diligently worked on this article. However, the smile is for his co-author, John Nicks, former associate dean and long-time professor at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, who passed away suddenly in February. It’s always good to remember John.
The Loop, Scott Fletcher’s often irreverent and always informative look at the world around us, explores fitness. Warning: Reading this interesting look at fitness while eating a cruller or bearclaw could cause depressive states and binge eating. With help from Jack La Lanne (if you don’t remember Jack La Lanne, pretend like you do. Others will perceive you as more mature and wise), Scott explores the hows and whys of exercising, and gives readers a gentle push in a healthy direction.
