2012 Volume 15 Issue 2

Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

This is the largest issue of the GBR we have produced. I believe you will find it both informative and interesting. We’ve included 6 articles, 2 videos, one special report, an update on a highly read article, and an editorial on the business of education, along with our faculty book reviews. Below are highlights of the issue.

CEO Performance of 125 of Northern California’s Largest Companies: Not Everyone Deserves a Medal

Patrick Furtaw, SCCO International
Steve Chopp, SCCO International
John Paglia, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University

The report ranks which CEOs are bringing value to their companies based on returns. The article contains a link to this report as well as a video discussion. In our last issue we brought you the CEO Performance 100 of Southern California. These reports are compiled by SCCO International in association with Pepperdine University and the Graziadio Business Review.

FOR SALE BY OWNER for Less than It Is Worth

Mathew S. Isaac, PhD, MBA, Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University
Aaron R. Brough, PhD, Seaver College, Pepperdine University

What accounts for owners selling items for more or less than they are worth? Do sellers and buyers see the value of an item in the same way? Can a third-party agent impact the selling price of an item to net the seller a higher profit? This article has some interesting answers to these questions about the buyer/seller relationship with the merchandise.

Beyond the Numbers: Seven Stakeholders to Consider in Improving Acquisition Outcomes

David R. King, PhD, Marquette University
Richard W. Taylor, MBA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Often overlooked, but important to any acquisition, are the stakeholders. Considering and enlisting stakeholders becomes important to achieve success. Acquisitions are generally  focused on the numbers, however the challenge is to help the different groups to realize expected gains from this change.

Making Decisions with Multiple Attributes: A Case in Sustainability Planning

Warren J. Hahn, PE, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University
Samuel L. Seaman, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University
Rob Bikel, MBA, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University

How can managers use decision analysis techniques to include both quantitative and qualitative factors in their decision-making. Today’s managers confront difficult decisions daily and must consider an increasingly wide range of criteria in making those decisions. In the past, such decisions were often judged only on the basis of a single attribute, such as profit or cost. However, cost or profit alone often does not fully capture the desirability of a decision alternative.

The Ethics of Ethics Programs: Ethical problems often raise questions of how to handle issues with an ethical response

Jere E. Yates, PhD, Chair, Seaver Business School, Pepperdine University

In response to society’s demand for a stronger emphasis on business ethics, many businesses have created or strengthened their ethics programs. These programs are most effective when they flow out of a culture that values practicing business legally and ethically. However, there are a number of ethical issues which are raised if these programs are to be effective.

Transorganizations: Managing in a Complex and Uncertain World

Kurt Motamedi, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University

A great deal of how we view and think about ourselves, organizations, and the world around us is influenced by singular cause and linear thinking. Many of our prevailing managerial metaphors and models are inherited from an information and resource sparse world which was simple and disparate. Independent and stand-alone organizational thinking is no longer adequate.

The Global Economy is Open for Business: Despite the pessimism, the opportunities for the U.S. economy are positive

Donald M. Atwater, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University
Grace Gill-Morlis, MBA, L’Oreal Cosmetics

In such uncertain times the question is where will the global economy grow outside the U.S. and Europe and provide practitioners with opportunities over the next five years (2012-2016). The answers appear to be in the Emerging and Developing Economies.

VIDEO: Leadership, Innovation and Disruption

In this video, Charla Griffy-Brown, PhD, Professor, Information Systems, interviews Ed White, MBA, Owner, de Novo Consulting, about leadership and innovation in today’s business environment. De Novo Consulting specializes in strategic planning, facilitation, and leadership coaching. White was formerly with Alaska Airlines for 39 years.

UPDATE: Benefits of International Portfolio Diversification

Burhan Yavas, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University

In this article Dr. Yavas updates the information from the original article published in 2007 (Volume 10, Issue 2), which continues to be one of our most read articles.

Editorial: The World of Graduate Management Education Turned Up Side Down

Owen P. Hall, Jr., PE, PhD, Graziadio School, Pepperdine University

Globalization is bringing about a radical rethink regarding the content and delivery of graduate management education.

The Book Corner

Thinking, Fast and Slow, written by Daniel Kahneman 
A 5-star review by Sam Farry, MBA

Steve Jobs, written by Walter Isaacson
A 5-star review by David W. Crain, PhD

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, written by Erik Larson
A 5-star review by Leo Mallette, EdD

Access to the GBR Video Library and the Dean’s Executive Leadership Series podcasts can also be found on our home page.

We hope you will enjoy this issue. Please contact me with questions or submissions at nancy.dodd at gbr.pepperdine.edu.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Author of the article
Nancy Ellen Dodd, MPW, MFA
Nancy Ellen Dodd, MPW, MFA, serves as academic editor of the “Graziadio Business Review and teaches presentations and stories at the Graziadio School.” Her book on creative writing, “The Writer’s Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages,” was published by Writer’s Digest Books in June 2011. She also served as editor of Marshall, a USC academic/alumni magazine, and started the Marshall Review, an online journal for the Marshall School of Business at USC. More than 135 of her articles have been published in local and national publications. Dodd received her master’s in Professional Writing from USC with a concentration in screenwriting and an MFA in playwriting at the USC School of Theatre. Ms. Dodd also teaches screenwriting as an adjunct faculty in Seaver College at Pepperdine University. She is currently working on her PhD dissertation in Global Leadership and Change.
More articles from 2012 Volume 15 Issue 2

Making Decisions with Multiple Attributes: A Case in Sustainability Planning

Decisions involving issues of sustainability tend to include an array of objective attributes along with highly subjective value judgments. Managers must find a way to factor qualitative attributes such as environmental, social, and ethical impact into the decision-making process.

Related Articles
Management and Cultural Implications of Customer Satisfaction Differences for Help Desks in South America