CEO Magazine - Volume 36

CEO-MAG.COM

2022 GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS & DBA LISTING

/ SPRING 2022

CAN YOUR COMPANY LIVE LONG AND PROSPER?

LAYERED LEADERSHIP AND APPLE’S RISE TO THE TOP

LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE NEW NORMAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

8 12

GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS CEO Magazine

17

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR CAREER EU Business School

22 1

AIB REINVENTS ITS #1 MBA AGAIN – THE FAST-TRACK MBA Australian Institute of Business

MBA LEARNING REIMAGINED Lan Snell

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

2

26

LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE NEW NORMAL Bert Wolfs

30

CAN YOUR COMPANY LIVE LONG AND PROSPER? Gregory D. Bunch ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

www.euruni.edu

New times demand entrepreneurs SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

9 Master’s

15 MBAs

Dual degrees

International community of 100+ nationalities.

Business programs taught in English.

Campuses in Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux, Munich and Online.

ceo-mag.com / Autumn 2021

3

34 LAYERED LEADERSHIP AND APPLE’S RISE TO THE TOP knowledge@wharton

38

4

NEW SKILLS FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD: THE MBA’S CHALLENGE Fernando Mateo

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

Step into your new promotion The University of Southern Queensland’s new MBA delivers an exceptional learning experience and develops strategic executive leaders.

Study 100% online and choose from six different start dates per year. Fast-track your career progression and complete your MBA in 12 months.

Transform your thinking with USQ’s MBA. Applications now open.

usq.edu.au/mba

CRICOS: QLD 00244B, NSW 02225M | TEQSA: PRV12081

ceo-mag.com / Winter 2022

5

42

WONDER WHAT YOUR FUTURE HOLDS? CONSIDER THIS ‘REVELATION’ Marsha Lindsay

46

WHY EXCELLENT LEADERS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE OBVIOUS CANDIDATES Ric Roi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

52 THE PURSUIT OF PURPOSE MAY BE HARMING YOUR ORGANISATION Winnie Jiang

56

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS 6

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

CEO Victor J. Callender

Head Office: 4 Old Park Lane London W1K 1QW

Group Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Skinner

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3744 2422 Fax: +44 (0) 20 3744 2423 Email: info@ceo-mag.com Web: www.ceo-mag.com

Design & Illustration pentacreate.com Financial Controller Anthony Gordon Head of Production Steven Whitaker Features Writer Amber Callender

@ceo_mag

/CEOMagazineGlobal

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Lorem Ipsum

Be REMARKABLE. With SBS Swiss Business School Bachelor, Master, MBA and Doctorate Programs ceo-mag.com / Winter 2021

7

AIB REINVENTS ITS #1 MBA AGAIN THE FAST-TRACK MBA A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S T O THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS

T

he number of MBAs on offer globally has increased dramatically over the last decade, fuelled by increasing demand from employers, the rise of online learning, and the increasingly competitive job market.

Despite the plethora of MBAs available for prospective students to choose from, the Australian Institute of Business (AIB) has maintained its standing as the largest online MBA programme in Australia for the better part of the last decade and is now also one of

8

the fastest growing MBAs in Canada.

Unlike many business schools, AIB’s MBA has evolved over the years in response to the changing environment. Here we take a closer look at the latest iteration – the FastTrack MBA – which, in addition to receiving Global Tier 1 status, has been ranked 2 8th in CEO Magazine’s latest online MBA rankings.

About AIB, The Practical Business School AIB is a 35-year-old specialist business school based in Australia, with more than 18,000 students and graduates from over 90 countries.

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

As the ‘Practical Business School’, AIB is focused exclusively on serving the needs of working adults by offering courses that are work-applied, accessible, affordable, fully accredited and readily accelerated.

All courses offered by AIB are accredited by the Australian government’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) within the Australian Qualification Framework and recognised internationally. In

Canada, AIB’s MBA is nationally accredited by the National Centre for Management Accreditation (NCMA) of the Canadian Institute of Management (CIM) and is a "Unlike other Designated Educational Institution with CANLEARN. MBAs on the The latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), a government survey market, AIB QILT POSTGRADUATE QILT POSTGRADUATE SURVEY STUDENT (SES) EXPE for higher education, shows why AIBSTUDENT has beenEXPERIENCE has maintained successful for so long.

ow DoesHow AIB Compare?

Does AIB Compare?

uality Indicators for Learning The and Quality Teaching Indicators (QILT) forare Learning government and Teaching endorsed (QILT) surveys are government for higher education, endorsedfocusing surveys on forthe higher education, focu its focus onstudent How Does AIB Compare? cle from commencement life to employment. cycle from commencement The SES surveytocollates employment. information The SES thatsurvey influences collates the information governmentthat andinfluences higher the government delivering QILT POSTGRADUATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY (SES) tion institutions to improve education teachinginstitutions and learning to improve outcomes. teaching and learning outcomes.

practical iness And Management Business And Management education and 86% 82% 82% 74% 82% 74% 86% 82% Business and Management 75% tgraduate Outcomes Postgraduate And Outcomes And 86% 73% 73% 73% the Fast-Track 72% QILT POSTGRADUATE 72% 82% 82% 75% 74% 72% STUDENT STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY STUDENT (SES) 73% 73% (SES) Postgraduate Results 2020 QILT POSTGRADUATE EXPE QILT POSTGRADUATE EXPERIENCE SURVEY ults 2020 Results 2020 MBA is Approximately 97,000 Indicators Teaching (QILT) government endorsed surveys for education, on student The and Quality Indicators forare Learning andeducation, Teaching (QILT) areongovernment endorsedfocusing surveys forthe higher education, focu duality Teaching (QILT)for areLearning government endorsed surveys for higher focusing thehigher student specifically postgraduate course-work ximately 97,000 postgraduate Approximately course97,000 postgraduate coursecle from commencement to employment.

The SES survey collates information that influences the government and higher life cycle information from commencement to employment.

The SES students Australian loyment. The SESfrom survey collates that influences the government andsurvey highercollates information that influences the government designed for students from Australian work Universities students Australian Universities tion and institutions tooutcomes. improve teaching andfrom learning outcomes. university and non-university education institutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes. hing learning higherhigher education institutions on-University education and Non-University higher education working adults participatedininthe the 2020 SES. utions participated 2020 institutions SES. participated in the RESOURCES 2020 SES. LEARNING STUDENT SUPPORT iness And Management want to LEARNING86% RESOURCESLEARNING 86% RESOURCES Business And Management STUDENT SUPPORT nt 86%STUDENT 82% who 82% 82% 82% 82% 74% tgraduate Outcomes And 73% and75% 82% 74% 75% 72% 73% 85% 73% 74% 82% 82% Postgraduate Outcomes 84% 73%graduate nd 83% 76%And 72% 72% 73% 78% 79% 77% 78% 67% 69% ults 2020 2020 achieve their 85% % 82% 77% Results 82% 82% 84% 84% 83% 83% 78% 77% 78%76% 78% 78%career goals85% 79% 76% 79% 67% 69% ximately 97,000 postgraduate course- 97,000 postgraduate courseApproximately ursefaster." students from Australian work Universities students from Australian Universities sities The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) are government endorsed surveys for higher education, focusing on the student life cycle from commencement to employment. The SES collates information that influences the government and higher education institutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB

UNIVERSITIES UNIVERSITIES

TOTAL HIGHER TOTAL HIGHER AIB EDUCATION AIB EDUCATION

INSTITUTIONS INSTITUTIONS

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TOTAL HIGHER TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS INSTITUTIONS

AIB

OVERALL EDUCATION STUDENT SUPPORT EXPERIENCERESOURCES LEARNING LEARNING RESOURCESLEARNING RESOURCES STUDENT SUPPORT

INSTITUTIONS

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

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TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION

TOTALAIB HIGHER EDUCATION

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TOTAL HIGHER TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB AIBEDUCATION

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EDUCATION

UNIVERSITIES UNIVERSITIES TOTAL HIGHER

EDUCATION

AIB

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AIB

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION

UNIVERSITIES

INSTITUTIONS

EDUCATION

AIB TOTAL HIGHER

UNIVERSITIES

INSTITUTIONS INSTITUTIONS

UNIVERSITIES

INSTITUTIONS

TOTAL AIB HIGHER EDUCATION

INSTITUTIONS

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITIES TOTAL HIGHER

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB

UNIVERSITIES

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INSTITUTIONS UNIVERSITIES

AIB

INSTITUTIONS

on-University higher education and Non-University higher education utions participated in the 2020 SES. participatedTEACHING institutions in the 2020 SES. S. QUALITY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

INSTITUTIONS

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB

UNIVERSITIES TOTAL HIGHER

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INSTITUTIONS

AIB

INSTITUTIONS

owCompare?

DoesHow AIB Compare?

Does AIB Compare?

IB

STUDENT

OVERALL OVERALL EDUC AIB’s Fast-Track MBA is specifically designed for working adults EDUCATION EXPERIENCE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TEACHING QUALITY TEACHING QUALITY 85% % 82% 84% 83% 85% 82% 85% 84% 84% 83% 78% 83%82% 79% AIB77% has successfully evolved its MBA who want to graduate and achieve their career 78% 78% % 76% 77% 79% 76% 78% 67% 69% 79% 76% 78% offering over many years, and the latest goals faster.

67% 69% INSTITUTIONS

TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB

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TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION AIB

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As one of the most feature-rich MBAs globally, AIB’s Fast-Track MBA was built with a commitment to continuous improvement and evolution to ensure that students are undertaking the most contemporary MBA in the most modern learning environment.

AIB TOTAL HIGHER EDUCATION

INSTITUTIONS

UNIVERSITIES

TOTALAIB HIGHER EDUCATION

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iteration is the Fast-Track MBA, while you work – which is the largest, fastest and most flexible MBA in Australia.

Unlike other MBAs on the market, AIB has maintained its focus on delivering practical education and the Fast-Track MBA

OVERALL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TEACHING QUALITY OVERALL EDUC DEVELOPMENT OVERALL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE TEACHING QUALITY TEACHINGSKILLS QUALITY

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

9

“As the ‘Practical Business School’, AIB is focused exclusively on serving the needs of working adults by offering courses that are work-applied, accessible, affordable, fully accredited and readily accelerated.”

10

What makes the Fast-Track MBA so different?

1. Built for working adults AIB has built its learning, support and networks around busy professionals who are already building their careers. This means students immediately become part of a global, professional network and can be confident that they are studying in an environment that understands the demands of a successful career.

the challenges and issues they can expect to encounter – ‘from people that have been there and done that’.

6. Supported AIB offers a range of support services from an onboarding, in-class and academic perspective to ensure students have the best chance of completion. In addition, AIB offers mentoring programmes, a digital community of peers, and free, 24/7 mental wellness and career guidance.

2. Complete in 12 Months 7. Globally recognised The Fast-Track MBA can be completed With more than 18,000 students and in as little as 12 months by eligible students, graduates working across 90 countries, AIB’s full-time, or slowed down and completed Fast-Track MBA is recognised by over several years. The flexibility employers worldwide. This global over the timing of completion is network gives AIB students the crucial for working-adult students chance to grow their careers both at who have personal and professional home and internationally. commitments to balance. Students can further shorten the MBA by 8. Career-impact focused applying for credit transfers or “With more The Fast-Track MBA includes recognition of prior learning. career support, networking than 18,000 opportunities, and alumni events 3. Get qualified before you graduate featuring industry leaders, and the The Fast-Track MBA consists students and opportunity to connect with other of 12 subjects, undertaken in three graduates students and alumni. Graduates stages comprising four subjects consistently report impressive per stage. As a result, students working across salary increases, industry changes, will be post-graduate qualified 90 countries, promotions, and the confidence to after just four subjects and can start or build their own businesses. receive a Graduate Certificate in AIB’s FastManagement at this point, or a 9. Greater flexibility – study Graduate Diploma in Management Track MBA is anywhere, anytime after eight subjects – useful recognised by Unlike some online MBAs that when applying for jobs prior to are simply digitised versions of oncompleting the full MBA. employers around campus offerings, the Fast-Track the world.”

MBA is purpose-built for online 4. Practical learning for study with all the resources, even immediate ROI the textbooks, available digitally.

The Fast-Track MBA’s content, The innovative Student assessments (no exams), faculty Learning Portal is the ultimate and learning experience has all digital resource with everything been designed to ensure that students need to successfully students can apply their new complete the Fast-Track MBA, including the knowledge and skills to their workplace for latest innovations, new learning materials, immediate organisational and career impact. up-to-date content, assessment tips and In most subjects, students can elect to base guides. All of this can be accessed in the their assignments on solving challenges palm of a student's hand via an app, a true within their own workplace. digital-first learning experience like no other.

5. Learn from the best In addition to learning from AIB’s large 10. Affordability team of qualified and experienced academics, The Fast-Track MBA is one of the most the Fast-Track MBA provides the opportunity affordable MBAs and also uniquely offers to learn from an array of industry guest multiple payment options to students to lecturers, further enhancing learning ensure maximum ROI and minimal stress. In through real-life and cutting-edge business addition, the Fast-Track MBA is approved for experiences. This gives students the chance FEE-HELP for eligible students in Australia, to gain a unique understanding of how MBA and provincial funding and other grants may theories and principles are applied directly be available in Canada. to the workplace and hear firsthand about ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

FAST-TRACK MBA IMPACT The Fast-Track MBA delivers true career impact for its working adult student base:

97%

OF STUDENTS SAID THE AIB MBA MADE THEM MORE CONFIDENT.

70%

ON AVERAGE OF STUDENTS GET A PROMOTION WHILE STUDYING FOR AN AIB MBA.

83% OF GRADUATES ARE MANAGERS, 8.92% OF WHICH ARE C-SUITE EXECUTIVES.

$33K

AVERAGE GRADUATE PAY INCREASE.

95%

WOULD RECOMMEND THE AIB MBA TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE. * The insights above were garnered from a 2021 MBA Alumni Insights Survey sent out on 7 October 2021 to 6,853 of AIB’s global MBA alumni who graduated between 2010 and 2021. Respondents were asked to answer 49 questions about their careers and professional experiences. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

STUDENT AND ALUMNI FEEDBACK "AIB’s MBA is based on a practical approach, so I would be putting real, live data in all my assignments and using each assignment to improve the business.”

RHONDA OLSSON, NATIONAL MANAGER OFFSHORE OPERATIONS, CORELOGIC ASIA, FAST-TRACK MBA GRADUATE.

“Committing to studying an MBA shows prospective employers that you are a long-term thinker and can utilise unique strategic, analytical and financial skills to help take the organisation forward. Having the opportunity to learn from some of the top business minds and enhance my leadership and teamwork skills will contribute to my career path in the future.”

MATT FELSMAN, SENIOR MANAGER WHOLESALE & INTERMEDIARY, TPT WEALTH, FAST-TRACK MBA ALUMNI.

“The speed at which you’re able to complete the FAST-TRACK MBA made it really accessible and achievable for me.”

KATRINA HODGKINSON, MINISTER FOR THE NSW GOVERNMENT.

“A lot of my career success has come as a result of my MBA. I don’t think I would have got a job at Coca-Cola if I didn’t have an MBA. That was a spearhead to get me into Lion.”

KRISTY BLOOMFIELD, BRAND MANAGER, LION FOOD & BEVERAGES, FAST-TRACK MBA GRADUATE.

Business School Profile The Australian Institute of Business is the largest online MBA provider in Australia. AIB has over 35 years of excellence in tertiary education and a global network of more than 18,000 students and alumni in over 90 countries.

AIB’s programmes are internationally recognised and fully accredited in Australia.

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T

2022 GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS

he benefits attached to an MBA are well documented: career progression, networking opportunities, personal development, salary... and the list goes on. However, in an increasingly congested market, selecting the right business school can be difficult, which is far from ideal given the time and investment involved.

Using a ranking system entirely geared and weighted to fact-based criteria, CEO Magazine aims to cut through the noise and provide potential students with a performance benchmark for those schools under review.

Weighting of Data Points (full-time and part-time MBA)

Quality of Faculty:

34.95 %

International Diversity:

9.71%

Class Size:

9.71%

Accreditation:

8.74%

Faculty to Student Ratio: Price:

7.76% 5.83%

International Exposure:

4.85%

Work Experience:

4.85%

Professional Development:

4.85%

Gender Parity:

4.85%

Delivery methods:

3.8% 0%

5%

10 %

15 %

20 %

25 %

30 %

35 %

*EMBA Weighting: Work experience and international diversity are adjusted accordingly. **Online MBA Weighting: Delivery mode and class size are removed.

EUROPEAN MBA RANKINGS Business School Country AIX Marseille Graduate School of Management France Aston Business School UK Audencia Business school France Brunel Business School UK Business School Lausanne Switzerland Business School Netherlands The Netherlands City, University of London: Bayes UK Darmstadt Business School Germany Durham University Business School UK Germany EBS Business School École des Ponts Business School France France Emlyon Business School Spain ESADE Business School EU Business School Germany, Spain and Switzerland GBSB Global Business School Spain Geneva Business School Switzerland France Grenoble Graduate School of Business HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management Germany IFM Business School Switzerland 12

TIER ONE

Business School Country ISEG Portugal Lancaster Management School UK Leeds University Business School UK Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands Nebrija Business School Spain Newcastle University Business School UK Nyenrode Business University The Netherlands Politecnico di Milano School of Management Italy Switzerland SBS Swiss Business School Portugal The Lisbon MBA Catolica|Nova* Toulouse Business School France India Toulouse Business School (with IMM Bangalore) Trinity College Dublin School of Business Republic of Ireland UBIS University Switzerland United International Belgium, Italy Japan, Business Schools the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland University of Exeter University of Liverpool Management School University of Sheffield Management School

*Some data unavailable

UK UK UK

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

NORTH AMERICAN MBA RANKINGS Business School American University: Kogod Appalachian State University* Ashland University Auburn University: Harbert Baylor University: Hankamer Bentley University: McCallum Boston University: Questrom Bryant University* Butler University California State University-​Chico California State University-​Long Beach California State University-East Bay California State University-San Bernardino College of William and Mary: Mason Colorado Technical University Concordia University Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins Drake University Florida International University* Florida Southern College School of Business Fordham University George Washington University Georgia State University: Robinson Gonzaga University* HEC Montréal Hofstra University: Zarb* Hult Internatonal Business School Indiana University: Kelley Jacksonville University Kennesaw State University Kent State University Loyola Marymount University Marquette University McMaster University: DeGroote Oakland University Pepperdine University: Graziadio Queens University of Charlotte Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Lally Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders Saint Joseph's University: Haub Seattle University: Albers Simon Fraser University: Beedie Suffolk University: Sawyer Texas A&M University-​College Station: Mays Texas Christian University: Neeley The Global MBA University of Akron University of Alabama: Manderson

Country North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Canada North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Canada North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Canada North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Canada North America North America North America Germany, Poland, China & US North America North America

TIER ONE

Business School University of Alberta University of Baltimore University of California at Davis University of California-San Diego: Rady University of Cincinnati: Lindner* University of Delaware: Lerner University of Denver: Daniels University of Hawaii-​Manoa: Shidler University of Kentucky: Gatton University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisville* University of Maine University of Massachusetts-​Boston University of Massachusetts-​Lowell University of Massachusetts-Amherst: Isenberg University of Memphis University of Michigan-Flint* University of Nebraska-Omaha University of New Mexico: Anderson* University of North Alabama University of North Carolina-Charlotte: Belk University of North Carolina-Wilmington: Cameron University of Oklahoma: Price University of Oregon: Lundquist University of Pittsburgh: Katz University of Portland: Pamplin University of Richmond: Robins University of South Florida: Muma University of Tampa: Sykes University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas-​Dallas : Jindal University of Texas-San Antonio University of the Sciences University of West Georgia University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Lubar Virginia Tech: Pamplin Walsh College Willamette University: Atkinson Xavier University

Country Canada North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America

TIER TWO Business School Fairfield University* Northwest Missouri State University Texas State University: McCoy* University of North Texas University of San Diego* Virginia Commonwealth University

Country North America North America North America North America North America North America *Some data unavailable

REST OF THE WORLD MBA RANKINGS Business School Australian Institute of Business Auckland Institute of Studies Central Queensland University Griffith University IAE Business School INCAE Business School* La Trobe University Lagos Business School Macquarie Graduate School of Management Massey University National Chiao Tung University RMIT University Swinburne University of Technology

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

Country Australia New Zealand Australia Australia Argentina Costa Rica Australia Nigeria Australia New Zealand Taiwan Australia Australia

TIER ONE

Business School The American University in Cairo The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) The Univerisity of Newcastle Australia The University of Adelaide Torrens University Australia University of Canterbury University of Chile FEN-CHILE University of Otago Business School University of Pretoria - Gordon Institute of Business Science University of South Australia University of Western Australia Business School University of Wollongong Sydney Business School Victoria Graduate School of Business

*Some data unavailable

Country Egypt Mexico Australia Australia Australia New Zealand Chile New Zealand South Africa Australia Australia Australia Australia

13

GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA RANKINGS Rank

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 =8 =8 9 10 11 12

Country

University of Ottawa: Telfer Canada The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) Mexico SBS Swiss Business School Switzerland IFM Business School Switzerland Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands École des Ponts Business School France City, University of London: Bayes UK Rutgers Business School North America University of Texas-San Antonio North America Kennesaw State University North America Emlyon Business School France University of Pretoria - Gordon Institute of Business Science South Africa Global OneMBA (Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-EAESP); Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM); Tecnológico de Monterrey (EGADE); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC); and Xiamen University, School of Management (SMXMU))

13 = 14 = 14 15 16 17 18 = 19 = 19 = 20 = 20 21 = 22

Brazil, China, Mexico, the Netherlands and North America Hult Internatonal Business School North America Business School Netherlands The Netherlands Grenoble Graduate School of Business France University of Denver: Daniels North America Swinburne University of Technology Australia Maastricht University The Netherlands Nyenrode Business University The Netherlands Audencia Business school France Purdue University-West Lafayette: Krannert North America Business School Lausanne Switzerland INCAE Business School Costa Rica Trinity College Dublin School of Business Republic of Ireland IMM Global Executive EMBA

(Purdue University-West Lafayette: Krannert, TIAS School for Business and Society Tilburg, Tianjin University, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV- EBAPE), MIP Politecnico di Milano and ISM University of Management and Economics)

= 22 23 24 = 25 = 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

14

North America, the Netherlands, China, Brazil, Italy and Lithuania The American University in Cairo Egypt Georgia State University: Robinson North America University of Texas-​Dallas : Jindal North America Massey University New Zealand Villanova University North America University of Wollongong Sydney Business School Australia Concordia University Canada Kent State University North America RMIT University Australia Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America Oakland University North America IfM Institut für Management Austria Simon Fraser University: Beedie EMBA & EMBA-IBL Canada United International Business Schools Switzerland Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders North America University of Nebraska-Omaha North America

Rank

Country

37 Baylor University: Hankamer

North America

38 Durham-EBS Executive MBA

Germany and UK

39 Virginia Commonwealth University

North America

40 Texas Christian University: Neeley

North America

41

North America

University of California-San Diego: Rady

42 University of Chile FEN-CHILE

Chile

43 Jacksonville University

North America

44 Boston University: Questrom

North America

45 California State University-East Bay

North America

46 Washington State University: Carson

North America

47 Pontifical Catholic University of Chile 48 University of Texas at Arlington

Chile North America

49 University of North Carolina-Wilmington: Cameron

North America

50 The University of Alabama: Manderson 51

IAE Business School

North America Argentina

52 Florida International University*

North America

53 Virginia Tech: Pamplin

North America

54 McMaster University: DeGroote

Canada

55 University of Oklahoma: Price EMBA Energy

North America

56 University of Tampa: Sykes

North America

57 Fordham University

North America

58 University of Oregon

North America

= 59 Texas A&M University-​College Station: Mays = 59 University of Bradford School of Management 60 Lagos Business School

North America UK and Dubai Nigeria

61 University of Pittsburgh: Katz

North America

62 University of Alberta

Canada

63 Politecnico di Milano School of Management 64 University of South Florida: Muma

Italy North America

65 University of Oklahoma: Price EMBA Aerospace

North America

66 Loyola Marymount University

North America

67 Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins

North America

68 Auburn University: Harbert

North America

69 ESADE Business School

Spain

70 Suffolk University: Sawyer

North America

71

Saint Joseph's University: Haub

North America

72 College of William and Mary: Mason

North America

73 University of Exeter

UK

74 Seattle University: Albers

North America

75 Aston Business School*

UK

76 University of New Mexico: Anderson*

North America

77 Marquette University

North America

78 Xavier University

North America

79 University of Memphis

North America

80 California State University-​Long Beach

North America

81 Hofstra University: Zarb*

North America

82 The Lisbon MBA Catolica|Nova*

Portugal

83 University of North Alabama

North America

84 University of Lousiville*

North America

*Some data unavailable

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

GLOBAL ONLINE MBA RANKINGS Rank Country Germany, Spain and Switzerland 1 EU Business School 2 Business School Netherlands The Netherlands Switzerland 3 SBS Swiss Business School 4 The University of Liverpool Management School UK Spain = 5 Nebrija Business School = 5 OBS Business School with Universitat de Barcelona Spain 6 United International Business Schools Switzerland 7 Maastricht University The Netherlands 8 University of Otago Business School New Zealand 9 Macquarie Business School Australia 10 Politecnico di Milano School of Management: International Flex EMBA Italy 11 Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands = 12 Geneva Business School Switzerland = 12 University of Business and International Studies Switzerland 13 University of South Australia Australia 14 IAE Business School Argentina 15 GBSB Global Business School Spain 16 Virginia Tech: Pamplin North America = 17 Massey University New Zealand = 17 University of Denver: Daniels North America = 18 Jack Welch Management Institute North America = 18 La Trobe University Australia 19 The EuroMBA (Aix-Marseille, Audencia Nantes, France, Spain, EADA, Kozminski University and Poland and the Maastrict University) Netherlands 20 Politecnico di Milano School of Management: Flex EMBA Italy 21 Griffith University Australia 22 Pepperdine University: Graziadio North America 23 University of Bradford School of Management UK UK 24 The Open University* = 25 Rochester Institute of Technology: Saunders North America = 25 RMIT University EMBA Australia 26 Durham University Business School* UK = 27 RMIT University* Australia = 27 Torrens University Australia Australia = 28 Australian Institute of Business Australia = 28 American University: Kogod North America 29 University of Massachusetts-Lowell North America 30 Queens University of Charlotte North America 31 Ashland University North America 32 Georgia WebMBA (Columbus State University, Georgia College, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia, Valdosta State University)

33 University of the Sciences 34 Aston Business School* = 35 Florida Southern College School of Business = 35 University of Massachusetts-Amherst: Isenberg 36 University of North Carolina-Wilmington: Cameron ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

North America North America UK North America North America North America

Rank

Country

= 37 Marquette University

North America

= 37 Washington State University: Carson 38 Victoria Graduate School of Business 39 Central Queensland University 40 University of Kentucky: Gatton 41 Walsh College* 42 Baylor University: Hankamer 43 University of Maine = 44 California State UniversitySan Bernardino = 44 Colorado Technical University 45 University of Delaware: Lerner 46 George Washington University 47 University of Cincinnati: Lindner* 48 Saint Joseph's University: Haub EMBA 49 University of Texas at Arlington 50 Saint Joseph's University: Haub 51 University of Texas-​Dallas : Jindal 52 University of Baltimore 53 University of Pittsburgh: Katz 54 University of Exeter 55 Bentley University: McCallum 56 College of William and Mary: Mason 57 Swinburne University of Technology = 58 Niagara University = 58 University of Memphis 59 Kent State University 60 University of Oklahoma 61 Xavier University 62 University of Akron 63 Appalachian State University* 64 Seattle University: Albers 65 California State University-Chico 66 University of Michigan - Flint 67 Jacksonville University 68 Drake University 69 Virginia Commonwealth University 70 Oakland University 71 California State University-​Long Beach 72 Suffolk University: Sawyer 73 Bryant University* 74 Kennesaw State University 75 DePaul University: Kellstadt 76 University of South Florida: Muma 77 University of Louisville* 78 University of Louisiana at Lafayette 79 Auburn University: Harbert 80 Hofstra University: Zarb* 81 Indiana University: Kelley* 82 University of North Alabama 83 Florida International University* 84 The Univerisity of Newcastle Australia 85 University of North Texas 86 The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 87 Northwest Missouri State University

North America Australia Australia North America North America North America North America

*Some data unavailable

North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America UK North America North America Australia North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America North America Australia North America North America North America 15

2022 GLOBAL DBA LISTING

Based upon accreditation, quality of faculty, geography, and international standing, this year’s Global DBA Listing is designed to showcase the market’s premier DBA providers.

Business School Country Aberdeen Business School UK Abu Dhabi University United Arab Emirates Antwerp Management School Belgium Aston Business School UK Athabasca University Canada Audencia Business School France Baruch College, City University of New York: Zicklin North America Beirut Arab University Lebanon Birmingham City University UK Bournemouth University UK Business School Lausanne Switzerland Case Western Reserve University: Weatherhead North America Centrum Graduate Business School Peru City University of Hong Kong China Concordia University Canada Copenhagen Business School Denmark Cranfield School of Management England Creighton University: Heider North America Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins North America DePaul University: Kellstadt North America Drexel University: Lebow North America Durham University Business School UK Ecole Des Ponts Business School France EU Business School Germany, Spain and Switzerland Florida Institute of Technology: Bisk North America Florida International University North America Franklin University North America GBSB Global Business School Spain Georgia State University: Robinson North America Grenoble Graduate School of Business France Harvard Business School North America UK Heriot Watt University Edinburgh Business School Hong Kong Baptist University China Hult International Business school North America IE Business School Spain International School of Management France, North America, China, India, Brazil and South Africa International University of Monaco Monaco IPAG Business School France Jacksonville University North America Kennesaw State University: Coles North America Kingston University UK Leeds Metropolitan University UK Leeds University Business School UK Liverpool John Moores University UK London Metropolitan University UK Maastricht School of Management The Netherlands UK Manchester Metropolitan University Massey University New Zealand Newcastle University Business School UK Northumbria University UK Nottingham Trent University UK Nyenrode Business University The Netherlands Oklahoma State University North America 16

Business School Pace University: Lubin Paris-Dauphine PSL University Pepperdine University: Graziadio Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Rennes School of Business Sacred Heart University: Welch SBS Swiss Business School SDA Bocconi Schoool of Management Sheffield Hallam University St. Ambrose University St. Thomas University Swinburne University of Technology Teesside University Temple University: Fox Thomas Jefferson University United Arab Emirates University United Business Institutes United International Business Schools

Country North America France North America Chile France North America Switzerland Italy UK North America North America Australia UK North America North America UAE Belgium Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Italy and Japan University College Cork Republic of Ireland University of Bath UK University of Bedfordshire UK University of Birmingham UK University of Bolton UK University of Bradford School of Management UK University of Calgary: Haskayne Canada University of Dallas: Gupta North America University of Florida North America University of Glamorgan UK University of Gloucestershire UK and Germany University of Hertfordshire UK University of Huddersfield UK University of Liverpool Management School UK University of Manchester: Alliance UK University of Maryland Global Campus North America University of Missouri-St. Louis North America University of North Carolina-Charlotte: Belk North America University of Otago Business School New Zealand University of Portsmouth UK University of Pretoria: Gordon Institute of Business Science South Africa University of Reading: Henley Business School UK University of Rhode Island North America University of South Florida: Muma North America University of Southern Queensland Australia University of Surrey UK University of Western Australia Australia University of Wisconsin-Whitewater North America Victoria Graduate School of Business Australia Virginia Tech: Pamplin College North America Vlerick Business School Belgium Walsh College North America Washington University in St. Louis: Olin North America Zurich University of Applied Sciences Switzerland ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR CAREER EU BUSINESS SCHOOL

“

The only constant in life is change”, wrote Greek philosopher Heraclitus.

Nowhere is this aphorism more valid than in the world of business, where entire sectors can be revolutionised seemingly overnight by pressures from technology, finance and society. Throughout history, new jobs and industries have appeared while others fade into irrelevance, and this cycle is likely to continue. In addition, the recent upheaval caused by the global health crisis has led many people to search for avenues to reskill, upskill or even make drastic career changes, with many considering a return to higher education.

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“Esports managers should be engaging, skilled at negotiation and effective communicators. Strong project management abilities are a must, as is the ability to keep players and fans engaged and enthusiastic.”

We know which roles are most valuable right now, but what jobs will be in demand in 2025 or 2030? If you are thinking about undertaking graduate studies in order to maximise your employability or break into a more dynamic sector, the following new and emerging jobs are in high demand currently and projected to remain so well into the future.

Blockchain Project Manager Blockchain, a secure digital storage method often used in cryptofinance, can be central to an organisation’s systems and therefore must operate at the highest possible levels for both reliability and performance.

A blockchain project manager is essential to ensuring smooth operations, as they oversee blockchain-related database and processing systems, as well cybercurrency controls, for the entire organisation. They are also responsible for the integrity and operation of security, resource monitoring and reporting, and developing specialised systems to meet specific operational needs. Blockchain technology has been adopted by a number of sectors, from gaming to healthcare, and, of course, it is integral to NFTs (which are cryptographic assets on a blockchain). As its use expands, so does the need for blockchain management experts.

Successful blockchain managers will have a strong technical background and excellent strategic-thinking skills. They must also be able to interface with senior management and blockchain partners, so good communication skills are also valuable.

Since the position requires a mix of hard and soft skills, one good option for potential blockchain project managers would be an MBA in blockchain management. This degree is in high demand currently, with graduates finding work in blockchain consultancies, cryptofinance and business development. A degree in blockchain management can also lead to positions in logistics, a sector projected to grow exponentially over the next ten years by Business Insider.

Innovation Consultant Innovation consultants are hired by organisations to improve, redesign or otherwise revolutionise some aspect of their business operations. Most choose to specialise in a given area, although there is plenty of room for flexibility. Innovation consultants can work in any number of industries and contexts, from product development and social media to IT infrastructure, for example. They are often tasked with identifying areas for growth or improvement within an organisation, are responsible for spotting and predicting

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“But there are brands, and then there are the brands that truly matter, which is why future influencer marketing specialists will benefit from a master’s in fashion and luxury business.”

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market trends, and create and deliver proposals and presentations related to strategy or improvements.

Creative skills are required, but effective innovation consultants must also be wellversed in current and future market and industry trends. They should also be good communicators and have solid analytical skills.

A master’s in innovation and entrepreneurship is one qualification that can lead to work as an innovation consultant.

This gives potential consultants an excellent foundation in entrepreneurship and emerging business, including analytical skill-building.

Additionally, a master’s in innovation and entrepreneurship is obviously a good choice for anyone striving to found their own company, or who wants to work in business development. It is also an excellent path for more client-facing roles in areas such as customer experience management.

Influencer Marketing Specialist Although influencers had been rising in prominence prior to 2020, the pandemic truly pushed this career into the limelight, with thousands of hopefuls turning to influencer work as a way of building a sustainable remote business. TikTok alone showed a 45% increase during this time, to say nothing of other platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Creators and influencers became incredibly valuable as brand ambassadors and collaborators and, in fact, brand investment in creators became a key factor in driving purchasing decisions online. An influencer marketing specialist builds relationships with prominent opinion leaders to generate brand awareness among that influencer’s audience, using their image to increase sales and interest.

Marketing specialists hoping to work with influencers should have an exceptional knowledge of brands relevant to their specific audience. They strategise product use and endorsement to build brand awareness and project a desired image. In addition to sharp negotiation skills, a successful influencer marketing specialist has a solid knowledge of social media and a thorough understanding of their target audience.

But there are brands, and then there are the brands that truly matter, which is why future influencer marketing specialists will benefit from a master’s in fashion and luxury business. They will master the skillset needed to develop, promote and attract high-end brands, plus a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing and social media strategy. This degree is also a great option for anyone hoping to work in sustainable fashion, luxury retail, brand management or public relations.

Esports Management 2022 is predicted to be a huge year for esports, with forecasters such as RG estimating that the industry’s total revenue will reach an incredible US$2.8 billion by the year-end. Indeed, Esports is now set to be an official medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Once a fairly niche form of entertainment, esports exploded during the pandemic as a direct result of traditional physical sports activities being cancelled or curtailed. Esports managers, therefore, have become more important and sought-after. In fact, many professional football clubs are now turning to esports as one of their main and growing revenue streams.

In addition to team management skills and competitive strategy, an esports manager must also promote and educate potential viewers about esports, working closely with internal teams as well as external vendors and partners. It is their responsibility to deliver thrilling content, design on- and off-line events, and support the growth and activity of their fan community.

Esports managers should be engaging, skilled at negotiation and effective communicators. Strong project management abilities are a must, as is the ability to keep players and fans engaged and enthusiastic.

Esports managers should also understand basic concepts of software and application development, game design, business, brand and event management, and have a love of games.

A master’s degree in sports management is a great way to break into this exciting and competitive field. It will help you build the necessary communication skills while giving you a comprehensive education in management. Graduates with this degree can also pursue opportunities in sports market research or become a publicist. It can also give candidates in broadcasting a boost, particularly sportscasting.

Cloud Systems Administrator One of the biggest areas of growth in digital transformation, cloud computing services are estimated to grow three times more than other IT services through 2022. Cloud computing has been widely adopted because of its efficiency and costeffectiveness, but not all IT departments have cloud specialists. As a result, cloud administrators are highly sought after – in fact, according to a LinkedIn study, cloud computing is the number one hard skill companies need most. In this role, administrators oversee infrastructure, software and platform simultaneously.

They are responsible for all aspects of cloud maintenance and performance, and must also communicate with both IT and non-IT ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

professionals to ensure effective operations and service use at all levels.

Since part of the impetus behind cloud adoption is scalability and ease of access, cloud systems administrators must have a comprehensive knowledge of virtual machine technologies. A thorough understanding of cloud technology is also crucial. In addition, successful cloud administrators are effective communicators and have a talent for problem-solving.

Although it is possible to find cloud computing positions with a degree in computer science, the specific skills required for a high-level administrative position are more holistic. Therefore, interested parties would benefit from an MBA in cloud computing, where you will receive a foundation in business and operational principles as well as cloudspecific technical instruction applicable to the most important cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). This is the most comprehensive and broadly adopted

“Cloud administrators are highly sought after – in fact, according to a LinkedIn study, cloud computing is the number one hard skill companies need most.”

cloud platform in the world, and the AWS Academy develops and maintains a cloud computing curriculum designed to prepare students wanting to pursue careers in this fast-growing space. Approved AWS Academy member institutions, such as EU Business School, are given access to this curriculum, which provides an excellent complement to students’ MBA studies by preparing them to pursue industry-recognised certifications and in-demand cloud jobs.

BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFILE

EU Business School (EU) has been educating future entrepreneurs and business leaders since 1973. We offer innovative foundation, bachelor’s, master’s and MBA programmes on our campuses in Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux and Munich, as well as online. We believe in hands-on, pragmatic learning that will give you the real-world skills to excel in the workplace of the future.

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MBA LEARNING REIMAGINED A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S T O L A N S N E L L

Q. First, congratulations on your new role as Head of School and Dean (Business) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ).

What attracted you to the position and, more broadly, the school of business?

In the past five months, I’ve relocated from New South Wales to Queensland, been separated from my family because of border lockdowns, and started my new role.

My story is similar to what social commentators call The Great Resignation, a ‘control-alt-delete’ moment where you reassess what matters. This was me. My calling hadn’t changed – I knew I wanted to continue to work in the higher education sector as I consider it a privilege to be able to play a role in transforming someone’s life through education – a pay-it-forward model given how education transformed my life from a refugee to an academic – but I wanted to continue to grow, to be challenged, to create something new. I also wanted to be part of a team addressing issues such as regional health and wellbeing, sustainability, agtech and food biosecurity – these issues are not just regional; they are national and international in terms of impact.

I wanted to apply my experience in edtech and the future of work to help create learning solutions to address these issues. We know that learning is no longer a static aggregation of domain expertise; it is a combination of award, non-award, short courses, professional

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development, and just-in-time learning interactions. Lifelong learning is the new office premium replacing office gyms and bean bags to attract and retain talent in a predominantly hybrid and remote workforce.

We are re-imagining our portfolio of offerings through curriculum transformation. We will look to re-engineer the focus, structure, and delivery to achieve consolidation by delivering efficiencies as well as growth through innovation. Hard not to get excited about the potential of what we can do.

Q. You launched a new MBA pathway this year, which allows students to progress from a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration through to a full MBA. Can you unpack each stage of the aforementioned pathway for our readers in terms of entry requirements, duration, and outcomes?

The MBA pathway options are actually not new for us at USQ ; indeed, many MBAs are a nested offering with Graduate Certificates and Diplomas as entry and, or exit points. This design feature allows students to gradually ease into study – a particularly useful mechanism for those who have not studied for some time (which is the majority of MBA students who are typically professionals working full time).

The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration consists of four courses.

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“Lifelong learning is the new office premium replacing office gyms and bean bags to attract and retain talent in a predominantly hybrid and remote workforce.”

USQ has worked hard in re-engineering the model to optimise flexibility and learner experience with a new delivery mode of six eight-week teaching periods per year. This means that even taking just one course at a time, students can complete and graduate with their qualification in just two years.

The pathway also supports learners who, for whatever reason, do not have a traditional educational background – we will recognise and provide credit for work experience and other non-tertiary studies. We are trying to be as inclusive as possible in providing access to business education to a diverse cohort.

Our Graduate Diploma of Business Administration consists of eight courses and offers a flexible delivery mode that allows faster completion time, even when studying part-time, as most of our students do.

These flexible pathways support our learners who come to us with a variety of outcomes in mind and a range of prior experience with tertiary education. This modular approach to learning is flexible and customisable and very much aligned with the Netflix-inspired on-demand consumption behaviour expected from learners today.

Q. Your MBA is fully online. What was the thinking behind this?

Our MBA learners need flexibility to access their learning wherever they are.

Being fully online allows this opportunity.

It is a sustainable and scalable model where learning isn’t compromised by disruption.

COVID-19 has taught us that flexibility and adaptability are key ingredients in education delivery. Being fully online also allows us to access a range of learning technologies that make the USQ MBA engaging and impactful.

USQ is an established leader in distance and online learning – a fact that has recently been highlighted in the outstanding student satisfaction results for USQ in the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) data.

The new MBA has been designed from scratch with a digital pedagogy and experiential learning framework.

We employed cutting edge learning technologies to support student learning and enhance engagement. With the use of online engagement tools now mainstream in a predominantly hybrid workforce, our graduates will be well versed in researching, learning, collaborating, and innovating across digital working platforms.

Q. Students can complete the MBA in 12 months if they fast-track their studies.

What kind of commitment does this require?

As I mentioned, the USQ MBA is delivered in eight-week teaching blocks, with six

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teaching periods per year. Students who wish to fast-track their studies can enrol in two courses per teaching period which sets a completion time of 12 months. Rather than having to focus on a number of courses over a traditional 15-week semester, learners undertake courses in sprints, focusing on just two courses at once. However, most of our students choose to focus on just one course at a time – still completing six courses per year – and finishing in two years. This completion timeline is a great outcome for students enrolled part-time.

Q. As with all high-quality MBA degrees, experiential learning is crucial. How do you facilitate this online?

The USQ MBA courses are built on contemporary, experiential learning philosophies and design. Students are onboarded into the programme, which means that all students commence their studies with a clear understanding of the learning design, the expectations of them as learners, and the commitment required to succeed. They also get to know their fellow students through the weekly synchronous coaching sessions as well as through collaborative assessment and work tasks. We focus on collaboration rather than group work and cover specific content about what this means, how to do it, and how to facilitate great teamwork and collaboration as a leader.

The programme is designed to transform the thinking of our students so that they can become strategic leaders. We show our students what it means to be strategic as a leader, how important self-awareness and leadership identity is, and how the development of professional and personal networks is critical for senior leaders. The digital learning technologies embedded in the design and learning framework of courses enable multiple touchpoints that help facilitate experiential learning.

Q. Can you tell me more about your capstone course ‘Dreaming Big’?

One of the deficiencies of MBA curriculum is the lack of diversity in terms of business representation, cultural representation, and cognitive diversity. The learning material and examples (e.g., case studies) are predominantly US-centric and skewed towards large organisations. The post-COVID workforce is increasingly mission-led, with people seeking meaning, purpose, and impact, i.e., the Great Resignation movement I mentioned earlier.

Dreaming big is about the importance of articulating the purpose. Great leadership is vision-led, and the best way to do this is through storytelling. We turn to our ceo-mag.com /Spring 2022

Indigenous Australians, who are arguably the best at telling stories that have maintained their culture for over 65,000 years. What lessons can we learn from our First Nations people, and how might we apply these to create a higher sense of purpose to engage and motivate teams?

Q. Businesses now, more than ever, need agile leadership. How is this reflected in your MBA offering, and is the case-study method outdated?

The USQ MBA is designed for agility; even the delivery mode underpins agile thinking.

Learning through application to practice and sharing that learning with other students provides a great deal of adaptability and problem-based learning. Our compulsory first course – Leveraging your leadership identity – has been transformational for all of our students to date. This course not only introduces the concepts of self-awareness and reflection but also requires students to develop metacognition skills (thinking about their thinking) and to critically reflect on their own desired and actual leadership style.

The question about the case-study method is interesting, particularly given my comments earlier regarding US-centric and big business bias. We do incorporate some case studies that are deliberately selected to showcase diverse businesses and practices as learning resources but do not teach using the ‘case-study method’.

Our design is focused on providing students with opportunities to apply the learning to their own practice and to reflect on how this worked (or didn’t) and how they might adapt or moderate to accommodate the outcomes they are striving for.

Q. Having overcome significant disruption, what does the future hold for the MBA market and programme provision in 2022?

The post-COVID market has shifted to a more dynamic, tech-inspired but user-driven approach. The future of work demands a different learning approach. As discussed, learning is no longer a static aggregation of domain expertise; it is a combination of award, non-award, short courses, professional development, and just-in-time learning interactions. The implication for business schools is to produce graduates at all levels with a balance of domain expertise (technical specialist skills) as well as interpersonal competencies (enterprise skills). The expectation, particularly for our MBA programme, is to empower students to transform their thinking and practice by data-driven, strategic insights to ensure that upon graduation, they can add value to their current organisations immediately or position themselves for career advancement. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

“This modular approach to learning is flexible and customisable and very much aligned with the Netflix-inspired on-demand consumption behaviour expected from learners today.”

“Learning is no longer a static aggregation of domain expertise; it is a combination of award, non-award, short courses, professional development, and just-in-time learning interactions.”

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Lan Snell is the Head of School and Dean (Business) at the University of Southern Queensland.

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LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE NEW NORMAL A L E X A N D R A S K I N N E R TA L K S T O B E R T WO L F S

Q. How have your students and faculty adapted to the ‘new normal’, and what does the ‘new normal’ look like for SBS Swiss Business School?

Managers need to learn to be vigilant and understand what it means to live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. The COVID-19 outbreak has increased all these factors astronomically.

Our andragogical model is always aimed 26

at flexibility and agility, allowing students to switch between face-to-face and hybrid classes, making the new normal far easier to navigate.

My top priorities have always been student safety and adaptive learning models while ensuring teaching continuity. The major lesson from the new normal is that nothing will be as it was. Employers have to learn that their employees are in charge now. First, ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

they have to motivate people to return to work, especially young mothers, given the inflationary gas prices and lack of childcare.

Secondly, skilled workers are scarce. Finding the right person at the right time for the right job was, and will remain, the biggest challenge companies face. So, those who have the skills can certainly benefit. From an educational perspective, we see that students have unlearned the skill of giving ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

presentations and that soft skills remain a big issue. As an educational institution, this needs to be our focus.

Q. A number of your MBA programmes have an on-campus component; to what extent has this changed over the course of the pandemic, and are these likely to be lasting changes?

Yes, we call these our personalised 27

“The MBA was, is, and will remain attractive to employers; however, business schools need to continue to adapt to the changing environment.

We review our curriculum every two years and adapt courses and content to ensure our graduates find gainful employment.”

educational programmes. Students can determine which courses they take in a face-to-face setting and which courses they take online. This accommodates different learning styles, social distancing, when necessary, and allows students to expand their personal network, locally as well as globally.

The lasting change is that hybrid and online learning are now fully accepted by the corporate world. Let me give you my own experience. About 10 years ago, we allowed a student to defend their final thesis via Skype due to special circumstances. Faculty members and stakeholders were largely opposed to the idea; it was not the same, and actually not allowed. Today, we sit for hours behind our screens in non-stop online meetings, and this is highly accepted now. Just to let you know how quickly the perception can change. Today, online learning is the new normal.

Q. With many schools now offering a blend of on-campus and online teaching, for example, SBS Swiss Business School offers a flex-MBA, is this the future of executive education?

We strongly believe so. This programme is really focused on working professionals; they prefer to work and study at the same time; consequently, they are only on campus three days per month, the rest of the learning takes place online. In addition, the programme is limited to 15 months, which means busy, travelling executives can find the time to learn.

Q (a). The pandemic has forced many executives to rethink their career paths, skillsets, and readiness. With this in mind, do you foresee increased demand for your MBA programmes and executive education in general next year?

As is my nature, I am an optimist. One day, the pandemic will be over and the new normal will prevail. Lifelong or career-long learning will always be needed, as will skilling, upskilling, and reskilling of the workforce to remain competitive. So, the need is there.

Besides this, we make learning fun, and as long as students enjoy the process, laugh, and learn, the world will become a much better place.

Q (b). Will online MBA programmes continue to dominate in terms of application volumes?

The classic answer is: it depends.

Remember, MBA admissions are contracyclical. When the economy is booming, application rates fall. Conversely, when the economy is in recession, or the entire world is sent to the home office, people have time to

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think about the future and update their skills and competencies.

Q (c). Will we see increasingly younger candidates applying for the MBA? Yes, we are. The average age of our MBA candidates is 37. Now, we see more and more candidates applying who are in their late twenties. They have climbed the career ladder and need new skills, different attitudes, and need to enlarge their professional network.

Remember, in life, they ask you three questions: what degree do you have, which language do you speak, and whom do you know. These candidates want to extend their global network, and our educational offering meets that need.

Q. In terms of professional experience, a number of schools have relaxed their admission requirements over the course of the pandemic. Is this something SBS Swiss Business School will be considering?

My clear answer: no. Why? There are different kinds of MBA programmes. You can enroll in a more academic MBA, a specialised MBA, or a practically-driven MBA. We offer the last category, which comes with simulations, cases, role-plays, and real-life projects. In order to enter these programmes, we require a minimum of two years of professional experience, and that has not changed. We need the candidate to have that experience to make the learning outcomes more meaningful.

Q. The MBA has become increasingly attractive to employers; what’s driving this interest?

The MBA was, is, and will remain attractive to employers; however, business schools need to continue to adapt to the changing environment. We review our curriculum every two years and adapt courses and content to ensure our graduates find gainful employment. Let me give you an example: we all think about sustainability and green skills, but very few people realise that a company’s C-suite needs to understand how sustainable development goals impact the company’s future. So, it is not only skilled workers or engineers who need these skills but, more importantly, management.

Green employment is a growing element of the overall employment landscape, but skilled managers are in short supply, so we are developing them. We go beyond global climate discussions in our classes and let students play simulation games where they model polluting and non-polluting countries.

They learn to better understand the corporate world and the difficulties of governmental policymaking. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

“When the economy is booming, application rates fall. Conversely, when the economy is in recession, or the entire world is sent to the home office, people have time to think about the future and update their skills and competencies.”

Q. What can potential students expect from SBS and the executive education market over the next 12 to 18 months?

Positive results; let me explain. We live in a VUCA world where lifelong upskilling is now a must. The big question executives are asking these days is: Should I take another master’s programme, or can I take several modules and upskill via micro-credits? We offer the latter via our executive education programmes. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

You learn the concepts, the skills, and you can network with peers. The executive education programme starts with a hybrid component, then the participants meet on the SBS campus, and the final element is a hybrid-coaching session. From decentralised finance and sustainability through to digital transformation; we cover it all. Given that companies are desperately seeking these skills, the outlook is highly positive for these subject areas.

BIOGRAPHY

Bert Wolfs is the Dean of SBS Swiss Business School.

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CAN YOUR COMPANY LIVE LONG AND PROSPER? A

GREGORY D. BUNCH

pple went from selling desktop computers to iPods to iPhones.

Amazon started with books, morphed into the “everything store,” and makes a tremendous amount of money with Amazon Web Services, a totally different type of business. Alphabet, Google’s parent, has another division focused on new businesses to supplement and replace ad revenue: Other Bets.

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Opportunity is the heart of the These are examples of companies framework. Here the focus is on that built new S-curves on purpose. identifying the customers and why And you can and should follow they make purchases. We think those examples, even if you’re not “At some point about the strategy models that will the same size as they are. help us create and capture value. We The S-curve describes the your business ask how big this can be at scale. And life stages of every business and product. When we start businesses, model, product, we pay close attention to the risks involved. we experience a downward turn of Proof involves having great data the curve where we’re searching for or service will and rigorous analysis that predicts product-market fit. We’re investing become obsolete, success. money and time without certainty The easiest way to build a new of a good return. Once you land on a and the S-curve S-curve is to “scratch your own winning business model, you begin begins the itch.” Develop a product or service to move up and to the right. That’s descent.” that you would use yourself. The the beautiful part. second way is to pay close attention We like to think it will go on to your customer’s job to be done. forever, but as the German proverb What’s motivating them? Is your says, “Trees don’t grow to the sky.” new offering easy for them to There’s a natural limit to the growth buy and use? Have you crafted an of your business. At some point your effective buying prompt? business model, product, or service There are simple and systemic ways to will become obsolete, and the S-curve begins approach the innovation your company needs the descent. to succeed. Follow this and you’ll make better bets. You’ll stand a good chance of building Commit to innovation a new S-curve that will help your business to Once profits start that dip, it’s usually too continue flourishing. late. This is why you are wise to commit to innovation and entrepreneurship early on.

You need to start building a new S-curve before the old one goes away.

That’s certainly risky, but I teach a process that will help you assess new ventures. I call it POP!—How good are the people? How good is the opportunity? How good is the proof?

People involved in a new venture should be scrappy, knowledgeable about the product or service, and have a high degree of integrity and a solid professional network.

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“People involved in a new venture should be scrappy, knowledgeable about the product or service, and have a high degree of integrity and a solid professional network.”

BIOGRAPHY

Gregory D. Bunch is adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Courtesy of the Chicago Booth Review. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

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LAYERED LEARDERSHIP AND APPLE’S RISE TO THE TOP

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n their book The Strategic Leader’s Roadmap, Revised and Updated Edition: 6 Steps for Integrating Leadership and Strategy, Wharton management professors Harbir Singh and Michael Useem draw on one-on-one interviews and their own research to take readers into the offices — and mindsets — of some of today’s foremost strategic leaders. In the following excerpt adapted from the book, Singh and Useem explore key steps in the development of the iPhone’s virtual keyboard to show how a “layered leadership” approach has contributed to Apple’s success.

Strategic leadership should emanate from multiple tiers in a company or a country, not just the top rung. While the enterprise’s strategic intent is conveyed by the most senior leader in the organization, it is then the responsibility of the managers populating the next tier to convey the same message downward and for their own subordinate managers to do the same in turn, with strategic leadership cascading down the company pyramid in what can be termed layered leadership.

In formulating his principles for leading Apple Inc., founder and CEO Steve Jobs had put innovation at the center. One of his specific agendas was to create a “digital hub” for every private residence. He foresaw homes with linked music players, appliances, cameras, computers, telephones, security systems, and video recorders; Mac computers and their proprietary software would serve as connectors. All of the devices would be multifunctional, easy to operate, and aesthetically appealing. A new operating system, OS X, developed at a reported cost of $1 billion, would furnish the required interoperability and adaptability to subsequent generations of Intel chips.

Meanwhile, Jobs introduced devices for the digital hub one by one, each becoming a game changer in its own right. The iPod, for instance, displaced MP3 digital audio players with a smaller gadget that allowed for internet

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updating and a choice of songs. Serving as a first node in an ecosystem of related services, including iTunes, the iPod affirmed the potential of the digital hub strategy, knitting varied features seamlessly. Observers attributed Apple’s buildout of the iPod and the hub concept more broadly to the vision and creativity of the chief executive, but it also depended on the leadership of layers well below him.

An ‘Act of Creativity’ Consider the role of Ken Kocienda, an Apple software developer whom the company had asked to create a virtual keyboard for the new iPhone. Given the mobile device’s modest dimensions, the keys on the iPhone’s virtual keyboard would have to be tiny, and for that, devising an autocorrect function would be essential so that users could type quickly and not have to backtrack to fix mistakes.

Another challenge was how to cram letters, numbers, and symbols onto the phone’s slender keyboard. Here, Kocienda’s team came up with a toggling function, allowing users to easily switch the keyboard from letters to numbers to symbols, or even the Greek alphabet. Users readily embraced both innovations.

Kocienda’s leadership of his engineering team’s decisions — along with Jobs’s leadership of his top team’s decisions — proved foundational for the iPhone’s launch.

“The iPhone was an act of creativity,” Kocienda said, but “it wasn’t inevitable.”

Rather, it was an “accumulation of many small choices by a group of people working together closely in a specific time and place.”

When Jobs introduced Apple’s iPhone in 2007, he anticipated it would be transformative for the company and even the industry. “Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” Jobs said. “Today, we are introducing three revolutionary products in this class. The first is a widescreen 35

“Strategic leadership should emanate from multiple tiers in a company or a country, not just the top rung.”

iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. The third is a breakthrough internet communication device. These are not separate devices, it is one device and we are calling it the iPhone.”

The resulting product became one of the most successful technology combinations of all time, accounting for as much as half or more of Apple’s annual revenue for years to come.

Having successfully created the keyboard and autocorrect function for the iPhone, Apple then assigned Kocienda the role of developing a keyboard for the next big thing, the iPad. Kocienda brought in Bas Ording, a software designer who had already invented inertial scrolling, where a finger swipe can make a screen slide quickly at first but then slow down, a function that users found appealing and one that has become a standard feature on virtual screens.

Kocienda’s group sought to understand whether the new iPad keyboard should be a full replica of the Mac keyboard or just a subset of the Mac’s keys. Kocienda worked with Ording and the team on a range of design concepts, converging on two prototypes. The first, a virtual replica of the full keyboard, would be familiar to Mac users. The second, which allowed users to switch the virtual keyboard from lowercase letters to capital letters and back, would be less familiar. They tested a range of sizes for the virtual keys and a variety of ways for correcting typos.

Layered Leadership at its Finest To determine which keyboard was better, Kocienda demonstrated his options to a room of top executives, including Jobs himself, in a conference room called Diplomacy at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. As Kocienda entered the room, he saw Henri Lamiraux, vice president of engineering for iOS, the operating system created by Apple for its mobile hardware, including the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Lamiraux reported directly to Jobs, coordinating engineering for the software and hardware interfaces for Apple products, and he served as a conduit between senior-most management and teams of engineers. Also present were Scott Forstall, senior vice president for iOS software engineering, and Greg Christie, head of the Human Interface Team. Here was the top layer, the big brass.

Kocienda displayed the two main options to them: the full Mac-like keyboard with smaller keys and the switchable keyboard with larger keys. In earlier demonstrations with other executives, Kocienda had found little agreement on the preferred option. As Jobs and the top team looked on

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“While the enterprise’s strategic intent is conveyed by the most senior leader in the organization, it is then the responsibility of the managers populating the next tier to convey the same message downward and for their own subordinate managers to do the same in turn, with strategic leadership cascading down the company pyramid in what can be termed layered leadership.”

now, Kocienda opened two screens on a prototype iPad. “There are two designs,” he explained. “One has more keys, like a laptop keyboard, and the other has bigger keys,” like “a scaled-up iPhone. We are thinking of offering both. Try the zoom key to switch between them.”

Flipping from one to the other, Jobs tested each of the versions several times.

Revealing no emotion or preference yet, he turned to Kocienda. “We only need one of these, right? Which one do you think we should see?” Kocienda was taken aback, having assumed that this was a choice for the upper layer, not his own. With time for only a moment’s reflection, he shot back, “I’ve started to like the layout with the bigger keys.

I think I could learn how to type on it.” He added that the autocorrect feature already on the iPhone could easily be incorporated here.

Jobs responded, simply but fatefully, “OK. We’ll go with the bigger keys.”

Behind the launch of both the iPhone and the iPad were several layers of leadership, with the CEO resolving the final issues but engineers like Kocienda reaching important decisions at their own levels.

The formula for the layered leadership included clearly defined goals for each, frequent communications among the layers, a shared tempo to keep all layers on track, and continual feedback up and down the layers.

For navigating the several layers, Kocienda invented his own roadmap: “Remove distractions to focus attention where it needs to be. Start approximating your end goal as soon as possible. Maximize the impact of your most difficult effort. Combine inspiration, decisiveness, and craft to make demos.” Also, listen “to feedback from smart colleagues,” and then, “creative selection moves us step by step from the spark of an idea to a finished product.” ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Republished with permission from Knowledge@Wharton (http://knowledge. wharton.upenn. edu), the online research and business analysis journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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NEW SKILLS FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD: THE MBA’S CHALLENGE

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FE R N A N D O M AT E O

he changes we are experiencing due to the integration of digital reality in our lives are not alien to companies in the digital industry or those going through digital transformation.

However, such changes increasingly require new roles and skills (data analytics, lean or agile working methodologies, etc.)

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not contemplated by traditional MBAs. Consequently, universities and business schools around the world have seen demand for traditional MBAs decrease, reinforced by the shift of some programmes towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) content, and, more specifically, towards the T, ‘Technology’.

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Digital Integration and Business Needs The maturation of information technologies and the lowering of data acquisition and processing costs has led to a greater integration of these technologies in the business environment. In this sense, the use of artificial intelligence in process automation processes, data mining in customer acquisition and customer service, and data analytics in decision-making, have gradually become the engine of a business transformation process in which technology and artificial intelligence are enablers.

For some years now, the fabric of business has been subjected to such a process whereby technology and the management and use of data are a necessity rather than a competitive advantage. These changes have led to the socalled digital transformation in companies, which have focused on maximising the customer experience, relying on the improvement and optimisation of processes and organisational structures, with data being another asset in the company's possession that must be used as any other asset to improve its income statement. ceo-mag.com /Spring 2022

In the use of such data, artificial intelligence and process automation have acquired a key role in combining these needs in the physical and digital world to improve the consumer experience. These process changes, and the new demands of their environment (customers wanting experiences and immediacy over products and services, greater competition from agents external to the sector of activity, platform economies, etc.), mean that personnel must now adapt to the digital needs of the business.

At the managerial level, it is no longer enough to talk about the latest technological changes that have occurred; a deeper knowledge of these technologies is expected to manage them as if they were another function with an impact on all the traditional functions of the company (marketing, human resources, etc.). Additionally, this has given rise to new roles called hybrids, combining technological knowledge and that of their function. In the USA, these roles have seen a growth of between 28%-34% in positions such as Customer Success Specialist or Chief Revenue Officer. The demand for these roles is difficult for companies to cover because of the rapid changes that occur within them, requiring a combination of leadership, business, data analytics and technological innovation.

New Ways of Working One of the great advantages that technology has brought in recent years is the change in how people work. It has forced companies to break down the silos in which

“Traditional organisational hierarchies have become obsolete given the speed of change required, giving way to flatter structures in which each member of these multidisciplinary teams must act as an entrepreneur outside and inside his or her function to be able to undertake relevant innovation projects within the company.”

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“These companies are looking for professionals who can innovate, manage technology as a facilitator of change, work with data analytics and artificial intelligence as an integral part of day-to-day business, and launch initiatives that respond to the new and changing needs of the company.”

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functions previously worked, demanding that teams be increasingly multidisciplinary to bring the various solutions to fruition. This is a business paradigm shift from a culture of execution to a culture of innovation.

It is precisely this culture of innovation that requires new (although already known), agile ways of working, in which multidisciplinary teams try to reach a solution as quickly as possible, or fail fast, in order to minimise risk and maximise the lessons learnt throughout the organisation.

Given the shifting corporate landscape, which encompasses digital transformation for which there is no single recipe, and changes in processes and organisational structures, entrepreneurial skills are increasingly necessary. In this sense, new projects within companies and the execution of technologybased projects require competencies related to entrepreneurship that are applied within companies.

Traditional organisational hierarchies have become obsolete given the speed of change required, giving way to flatter structures in which each member of these multidisciplinary teams must act as an entrepreneur outside and inside his or her function to be able to undertake relevant innovation projects within the company. As a result, companies are no longer looking to traditional MBA students for business skills. These companies are looking for professionals who can innovate, manage technology as a facilitator of change, work with data analytics and artificial intelligence as an integral part of day-to-day business, and launch initiatives that respond to the new and changing needs of the company.

This has forced MBA programmes to evolve by incorporating more and deeper STEM training, team management skills, and evolved projects, but based on the development of technological products.

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According to the World Economic Forum, in addition to analytical and innovative thinking, the most relevant competencies for 2025 will be the monitoring and control of technology, as well as its design and programming.

Nebrija Business School Pillars Nebrija Business School wants to train the digital leaders of the future by combining best management practices and innovation, based on data and technology, through experiential programmes aligned with current and future market needs.

Our academic approach is based on the following five pillars: ● Business Fundamentals, which responds to the needs of traditional business management and its functional areas (marketing, finance, resources, human resources, etc.). ● Business Analytics, both from the point of view of management and execution, and implementation in the different functional areas of the company. ● Technology and Innovation: knowledge of the main existing and exponential technologies, as well as the main challenges and opportunities in their use, implementation and integration with existing

processes and people. This is framed within the scope of the management and execution of innovation projects in organisations. ● Change Management and Leadership, which incorporates the new leadership needs within companies, as well as the management of projects and multidisciplinary teams to be able to manage the functional areas of evolved (or digitally transformed) companies. ● Entrepreneurship: understood as the ability to launch and execute new initiatives within and outside companies that have a strong technological character.

The Student’s Experience Our faculty combines outstanding professional experience with top-notch academic quality.

On top of that, students participate in a diverse competitive environment where they learn to navigate real business situations through teamwork. Once they complete the official programme, students have the opportunity to spend a week at the University of California, Berkeley, or Babson College, Boston, to further extend their training, with visits to, and workshops with, leading technology companies, startups, and potential investors. They will be ready to lead the digital world.

BIOGRAPHY

Fernando Mateo is the Vice Dean of Nebrija Business School.

One of the best MBAs in the world.

One of the best experiences in Madrid. ceo-mag.com / Autumn 2021

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WONDER WHAT YOUR FUTURE HOLDS? CONSIDER THIS “REVELATION” M A R S H A L I N DS AY

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he events of the last two years were unexpected, painful experiences shared uniquely by so many around the world - at the same time. They have forced us to ask a lot of really big questions, pivot on a dime and reassess life on the regular.

This time of widespread questioning (and subsequent reassessment) might justifiably be deemed the “The Great Revelation” because it marked a turning point, when “doing unto others as we would have them do unto us” jumpstarted desperately needed equilibrium for the planet and psychological equilibrium for all its people.

Prior eras of widespread questioning include “The Great War (1914-1918), “The Great Depression (1929-1934)” and “The Great Recession (2008-2012).” Of course, we won’t know for a few years if historians dare designate this time as worthy of “Great” status. But current conditions seem to meet the criteria: extraordinary struggles that span several years; pain and suffering affecting almost everyone around the globe. As a result, millions of people are in the position of questioning and reappraising their dreams, habits, values and life philosophies at the same time.

Through this process, millions could easily arrive at similar answers that trigger an era of great hopelessness. Or, millions could arrive at insights that tip humankind toward an era rich with hopeful possibilities. As a professional practitioner of strategic foresight for over 30 years, parsing my research and

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interviews on 2020 and 2021, I’m sensing we’re close to an inflection point.

What could be the determining factor?

It’s the degree to which a critical mass of people arrives at the same insight, the one so powerful it cracks the code on how to wisely answer most any question. Why, many have already landed on it! If millions more also come to it, the outcome would be a better future for everyone on the planet.

Because of three things that make this time of questioning different from past eras, there’s actually a decent chance this could happen: 1. A broader span of concurrent events, creating a broader span of concurrent pain and suffering, creating the potential for critical mass. While it’s not necessary to detail all the events for you (after all, you have lived them), summarizing them showcases their sheer magnitude: First came the pandemic. Then commerce, cultural and sporting events shut down.

Work-life shifted for everyone and for many ended altogether. Supply chain challenges and shortages ensued along with joblessness and an economic recession. Fear and panic for one’s personal health and finances were widespread.

As if these weren’t enough to bear, other events wracked us at the same time: George Floyd was mercilessly killed as the world watched in real-time. Protests, demonstrations, and destruction followed.

We were confronted with news of other untimely deaths and unfortunate arrests of our brothers and sisters; debates and riots on 43

“Through this process, millions could easily arrive at similar answers that trigger an era of great hopelessness.

Or, millions could arrive at insights that tip humankind toward an era rich with hopeful possibilities.”

the ‘mattering’ of lives ensued. Even those conditioned to hard times felt raw. The state of US political affairs (misinformation/ disinformation) only served to elevate uncertainty and emotions. Insurrection and untruths threatened our democracy. They still do.

What’s more, the backdrop for all of the above included ever-more-serious cyberattacks that breached private and precious data. And widespread suffering from climate severity: more severe hurricanes, deadly, off-season tornadoes, catastrophic floods and fierce, fast-moving wildfires. On top of 2020’s deep sorrow from an inability – due to COVID protocols - to give succor to loved ones hospitalized, 2021’s pain was fueled by more senseless deaths: senseless school shootings, the reckless ransack of a holiday parade, record levels of alcohol and drugrelated deaths.

And as the holiday season approached, along came Omicron.

Even for those who’ve experienced the kaleidoscope of emotions brought about by previous wars and depressions, the sheer number of ways 2020 and 2021 have touched millions of lives around the world is part of what differentiates our current age from prior “Greats.” This has prompted another global phenomenon unique to this time:

2. Millions asking themselves similarly deep questions at the same time. Here are 25 which have been shared with me from colleagues, trusted advisors and friends from across the globe: 1. What do I want out of life for myself and my family?

2. And how, now, can I cast a plan to achieve it knowing what I know now, about how life can change in a minute for me and those I love?

3 . Am I vulnerable to dying soon because of COVID? Are my affairs in order?

4. If I died next week, what would I regret?

5. If prudence requires that I be physically distanced from people, work collaborators, geographies and experiences I love, is life worth living?

6. Do I want to stay in this relationship? How much harder do I want to work to make it good?

7. Is it time to forgive? Time to forget?

8. Do I like my job? Do I need a new one? Do I want to work from home?

9. What kind of school experience is best for my kids?

10. What’s a minimum acceptable standard for public health and safety?

11. Am I a racist? Am I a racist subconsciously and don’t even realize it?

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12. When does life in the womb really begin?

Which takes precedence, the life of the mother carrying the child or the child?

13. What am I personally willing to sacrifice in service to abetting climate change?

14. What income and freedoms (if any) am I willing to compromise in order to keep my country functioning and strong in the face of terrorism? From those countries that seriously threaten us economically and militarily?

15. To what degree do I believe in Capitalism?

16. How do I define shareholder value?

17. What do I expect of my citizenship, my elected officials? Elections in and of themselves?

18. What does the United States Constitution actually say? Mean? Guarantee?

19. What is justice?

20. What is fair?

21. What is truth?

22. What is my purpose in life?

23. What would I like my legacy to be?

24. What do I stand for?

25. How do I live - and exemplify to others what I’ve concluded above?

What also makes 2020 and 2021 uniquely in contention for “Great” status- and most importantly - the potential of a hopeful inflection point - is this: 3 . When facing sizable distress or cognitive dissonance, human nature tries to resolve it quickly. Some of this effort involves deliberate, conscious processing. Far more takes place subconsciously. But there is no avoiding it: As humans, we are compelled to try and reach a psychological state that reduces or eliminates tension. Particularly common ways to achieve this equilibrium are a change in belief, attitude, or behavior; a rationalization; the framing of one’s situation with some larger meaning. In each of these, the ideal is a singular insight that resolves all the disparate considerations of the tension at once.

And this is what is so remarkable right now: A potentially critical mass of people are not only asking themselves similarly big questions, but -- in their struggle to find homeostatic answers -- they’re arriving at the same insight!

It’s this: Any reconsiderations which I hope to cast my own future also cast your future.

How you answer your most serious questions also casts mine.

Despite decades of experiencing a global economy and global warming, it took a teeny virus to make this insight personal, palpable and real to millions, perhaps billions.

However, the insight applies to much more than Covid-related questions. (To see what I ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

mean, go back to the 25 questions previously noted and for those that you yourself are considering, answer them with this insight in mind.)

Though not new, the insight reflects a simple and profound truth. The famous naturalist John Muir expressed it quite succinctly 150 years ago: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

On this small planet, my future is hitched to your choices. And yours, mine. Our lives are deeply, inherently, and forever interconnected.

If enough people arrive at this insight, the result will be an inflection point felt ‘round the world.’ - “The Great Revelation.”

But what are the odds this will happen?

Well, you tell me: After all, my future depends on your answering the questions before you with me in mind. Can you? Will you? Perhaps that’s the hardest truth to own up to: Creating the tipping point we all hope for starts not with others around the world changing but with oneself. What are the odds that you—and I-- will take this to heart? And rather than later, right now; today?

“As a professional practitioner of strategic foresight for over 30 years, parsing my research and interviews on 2020 and 2021, I’m sensing we’re close to an inflection point.”

BIOGRAPHY

Marsha Lindsay is the CEO, Founder, and Chief Analyst of Lindsay, Foresight & Stratagem. ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

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WHY EXCELLENT LEADERS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE OBVIOUS CANDIDATES RIC ROI

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ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

L

eaders don’t always look like leaders.

Many people rise in companies on the basis of the abilities, skills and knowledge they show, being slotted into roles where they obviously can be successful, then being more than happy to contribute their bit. Their goal isn’t to run the company they are in, but to play a crucial role in running a core part of that company.

Their success in such roles, however, can blind others to the potential some of them have to go further. That’s particularly true for those who prefer not to push themselves into the limelight. Yet to judge people on their track record alone and not examine their potential can mean overlooking some hidden gems.

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“Whether someone succeeds or not in a new role isn’t decided by that person and their capabilities alone – the environment counts, too.

Companies need to think hard about how they can surround a newly promoted executive with support.”

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ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022 84

The candidate Take, for example, Maikel Klomp. Three years ago, he made the switch from product manager to strategic executive at the head of a business unit. Born in the Netherlands in 1971, he graduated from Eindhoven University of Technology in 1997 with a degree in engineering, then immediately started working for Philips as a procurement manager. Over the next two decades, he excelled in a succession of challenging roles in the company’s lighting division (known as Signify since 2016).

The biggest turning point in his career came in 2018 when he was appointed vice president of strategy and marketing for Signify’s LED business group. From there, he moved on in quick succession, first to being vice president for its Americas consumer segment, then, in March of last year, he went on to head up WiZ Connected, its smart lighting business.

Klomp has lived up to the company’s expectations, including playing a major role in making two significant acquisitions. Yet before he made the leap to being a strategy level executive three years ago, it hadn’t been an obvious progression. Klomp had many of the key attributes needed to head up a business unit: the strong structural thinking needed to be able to simultaneously compartmentalize things and see how they can work together; the creativity to come up with fresh ideas; and knowledge about the business ecosystem in which he would be working.

In his previous posts, he had repeatedly demonstrated an ability to master complex topics, foster the collaboration needed to get teams to work together and be entrepreneurial (among his successes was starting from the ground up the LED bulbs category for Philips Lighting and accelerating its growth by expanding distribution to virtually every country in the world, resulting in doubling the turnover year after year).

He also knew that these attributes had given him a platform to go further. “I was a candidate because of my proven skills in understanding the business and the industry and also at defining winning strategies,” he says.

But other factors were holding him back.

Klomp willingly concedes that climbing the corporate ladder had never been an important personal goal. Yes, he had always been ambitious, but not in a way that marked him out as wanting to be a leader. “I was, and I still am, very ambitious,” he says. “But my ambition was to launch products and grow the business. It was the content and great teams and people that motivated me, not my own career ladder.” ceo-mag.com /Spring 2022

If he were to make that transition, three areas needed addressing: 1. Could he operate at a level where it was impossible to know every detail of what was happening beneath him? Could he let go of the drive that had led him to master all the ins and outs of a business that had served him so well earlier in his career?

2. Would he have the temperament to handle interactions with executives at the highest level of company? His ability to manage downwards wasn’t in question – he had always handled his teams well – but could he handle the executives above him?

3. Was his personality suited to leadership? “Maikel has always been calm and soft-spoken. The question was whether he could build his authority so that people would see him as a leader,” says Rowena Lee, CEO of Signify’s Digital Products Division, and one of the leaders who had to decide his fate.

Making things work Klomp’s bosses decided the risk was worth taking, selecting him over external candidates with far greater strategy experience. But they also knew that there were issues that he needed to address, which they could address by giving him the right support. “We were very explicit when he went into this role that there were a couple of things with which he had to challenge himself,” says Lee. “But we also knew that you don’t just dump a person into the river; that way, they will never swim. You have the person try things out, and we support them in that test.”

Helping him add the strategic skills was straightforward. Signify’s “EDGE” portfolio of leadership development programs is specifically designed to help executives enhance their knowledge in this area. He was also teamed up with the company’s central strategy team based in Eindhoven, giving him access to a rich pool of knowhow and experience.

The second aspect – helping him develop the skills needed to interact with top-level executives – was trickier. “Some of our leaders, when they spot a weakness, go on the attack. It’s not their intention to be brutal, but that experience can be very stressful,” says Lee. Coping with behaviour involves questions of character and personality that are harder to address. Klomp’s response in such situations was to meticulously overprepare: to make himself ready to answer any question that might be asked of him.

As Lee notes, this was an approach that worked. In meetings, she says, “sometimes he would be a bit defensive, and I can understand that. But he knew about it too. And then next 49

“Companies need to think hard about how they can surround a newly promoted executive with support.”

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time, he would just prepare a bit more.”

His learning, she says, was about himself: “Skills can be developed and behaviour can be adapted. But personality you can’t change. For me, it’s most important that you know this: learn skills, learn about behaviour, but also learn to trust yourself.”

Lessons for us all Reflecting on his experience, Klomp has three suggestions for companies.

“My advice would be for organizations to truly understand their people. Often their capabilities are not just what you see – they are deeper than that.” That can especially be true for those who don’t like to draw attention to themselves – those who prefer to let their track record do the talking, he says. “Just

because someone is introverted or doesn’t talk about things doesn’t mean they don’t have an opinion [that is worth hearing] or cannot do other things.”

Organizations should also experiment more, taking greater risks in assigning people to projects or jobs to discover whether or not they are equipped to do them. “If my boss hadn’t given me this opportunity to move into this new area, I would have never asked to take this role. I wasn’t the kind of person to ask for [such a switch] myself – that would have been too loud.”

Finally, whether someone succeeds or not in a new role isn’t decided by that person and their capabilities alone – the environment counts, too. Companies need to think hard about how they can surround ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

a newly promoted executive with support.

“Organizations can think they’re taking a risk by putting people in jobs that they don’t have a track record for,” he says. “You can always say, let’s not do it – let’s put somebody experienced there. But you can also say, ‘Hey, if we create environments where, in the end, the team can still be successful, even though the person in the job isn’t the most experienced, then we’ve got learning grounds for people to prove themselves. And when they prove themselves, they get the confidence to step up to the next level. It’s that first step that makes a difference.”

There is, of course, a caveat: “If leaders dare to put people in positions where they’re not 100% sure [about how they will get on], then they should organize the environment ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

around them. Then people can learn and not have to be afraid about failing,” says Klomp.

And, of course, businesses should measure the risk and reward for their own bottom line after investing in promotions for unproven candidates. “If only 30% of such people make the jump, then it’s still worth doing,” says Klomp. “But if you design it the right way, I think many more will succeed.” In short: with the right support, more people should be more successful. And if it doesn’t work?

Then that doesn’t matter – they can return to their former role, feeling that they have tried something new and not failed.

“If you look through my career, it’s always been the first step that makes the difference.

But you need to get a chance to do the first step.”

BIOGRAPHY

Ric Roi is Professor of Leadership and Organization at IMD. He is a senior business psychologist and advises boards and CEOs on matters related to board renewal, CEO succession, top team effectiveness and leadership transitions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Courtesy of IMD Business School.

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THE PURSUIT OF PURPOSE MAY BE HARMING YOUR ORGANISATION WINNIE JIANG

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ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

P

eople who see their work as a calling tend to be regarded as better employees, with unintended consequences for co-workers as well as their organisation.

In what has become the most watched commencement speech ever, Steve Jobs had this advice for the class of 2005 at Stanford University: “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

Inspiring words from the visionary Apple co-founder, though he was just one of many preaching the benefits of finding one’s life purpose in work since the 1970s. Research now tells us that people who work to achieve a sense of personal fulfilment and make the world a better place experience stronger work and life satisfaction and feel more successful than those who work primarily for money.

But, contrary to Jobs’s claim (and that of many others), people who love what they do don’t always “do great work”. While they do

“When managers hear employees professing to work primarily for personal fulfilment or improving society, or when they observe employees volunteering for extra tasks, they might see said employees as more hardworking and committed.”

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“Signalling theory suggests that when managers do not have complete information about their employees’ unobservable traits, they make decisions based on observable actions.”

tend to spend more time and effort at work, studies have found that they can often be more idealistic than effective, and critical of organisational practices in ways that don’t lead to success.

Yet Yuna Cho of the University of Hong Kong and I found evidence that such people – whom we term calling-oriented employees – tend to achieve higher pay and organisational status. The reason, as we describe in a Harvard Business Review article, is managers’ perception that these workers perform better and are more committed to the organisation than those who are joboriented, i.e. employees motivated mainly by compensation.

Left unchecked, such bias could damage employee morale over unfair treatment and compromise an organisation’s quality and diversity of talent. The bigger message is that not everyone’s calling in life coincides with what they do for a living, and that’s okay. One can find meaning outside of work and still do their job well.

Managers, check your biases My co-author and I wanted to find out whether calling-oriented employees enjoyed more tangible career outcomes apart from a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

Drawing on theories and principles from psychology and sociology, we suspected that that was in fact the case, and it was likely due to managers overestimating calling-oriented

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employees’ performance and their loyalty to the organisation.

Signalling theory suggests that when managers do not have complete information about their employees’ unobservable traits, they make decisions based on observable actions. So, when managers hear employees professing to work primarily for personal fulfilment or improving society, or when they observe employees volunteering for extra tasks, they might see said employees as more hardworking and committed.

Such perception can be reinforced by availability bias, which predisposes managers towards judging employees with readily available information such as observed behaviour or comments, rather than assessment of their output or results.

Reciprocity, the sense of obligation to reward good deeds, can in turn drive managers to give a raise or promotion to calling-oriented employees.

Two studies we conducted support our hypotheses. In the first, we tapped the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), a long-term study of life outcomes in a random sample of Wisconsin high school graduates from 1957.

Participants were surveyed on their work orientation in 2004. Among the 1,077 respondents, 49 percent identified as having a calling orientation, 35 percent had a job orientation, and 16 percent said they worked primarily for career advancement.

After controlling for demographic,

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socioeconomic and employment-related characteristics, we found that those who had found their calling at work earned more than those who worked for compensation or status.

In the second study, we recruited 372 USbased test participants with an average of 12.4 years of work experience. The majority were white (76 percent), male (62 percent) and had at least some college education. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups – job orientation, calling orientation or a control group without a specific work orientation.

In each group, participants watched a video in which an employee, Sam, reveals his work orientation in a recorded Zoom conversation with a colleague, Taylor. For the job-oriented group, for example, Sam remarks, “I often think about my retirement.

I’m looking forward to it”. For the callingoriented group, Sam says, “I’m not looking forward to retirement at all. In fact, I’d be fine not retiring.”

We hired two experienced male actors to play the characters to ensure consistency across conditions and to eliminate any potential gender bias. Sam does not make any statements that indicate that he is dedicated to working at the organisation for the long term. We also ensured that he exudes positive energy in both scenarios.

Participants were then asked to imagine they were Sam’s manager who inadvertently listened to the recording. They were asked how much of a US$1,000 bonus and a 0–5

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percent raise they would give to Sam, and to what extent they would support a possible promotion.

Participants were more likely to assign a higher bonus and raise to calling-oriented Sam (US$675; 4.36 percent) than job-oriented Sam (US$630; 3.95 percent) or the control version (US$556; 3.33 percent). Callingoriented Sam was also most likely to be recommended for promotion (6.12 vs. 5.74 and 5.33).

Purpose casts a bright halo We also asked participants to rate Sam’s job performance and organisational commitment.

Our analysis showed that participants’ perception that calling-oriented Sam was a better and more committed employee than job-oriented Sam indeed influenced their decisions about Sam’s bonus, raise and promotion.

This is where it gets intriguing. A panel of scholars on work attitudes and performance we had engaged separately rated the two Sams as comparable on both measures. The findings suggest that calling-oriented Sam’s career achievements did indeed result from our pretend managers’ misperceptions about his performance and commitment.

What’s more, we found that our study participants read more into calling-oriented Sam’s motivation than was ostensibly presented in the video. This Sam was seen as more intrinsically motivated, more passionate and generally more positive. In other words, Sam’s calling orientation created a halo that may have little to do with reality. It could also explain why managers see calling-oriented employees as better and more committed workers, and hence give them more rewards.

Our findings largely reflect the American work ethos and may not apply to other cultures, such as less developed economies in Asia. In non-profit organisations, meanwhile, most staff are likely to be calling-oriented, making any comparisons among differently oriented workers moot.

Still, the takeaway from our findings is clear: Job performance shouldn’t be tied to any declaration or demonstration of love for work. If managers are not careful, their bias for calling-oriented workers may alienate other employees. It may also create an unhealthy culture of employees signalling a sense of purpose they might not have.

Job-oriented workers, on their part, could consider drawing attention to their commitment to work – not to be confused with seeing work as a calling – as well as their good performance. Ultimately, whichever our work orientation is, it shouldn’t be necessary to define ourselves by our jobs to achieve career success.

“Job performance shouldn’t be tied to any declaration or demonstration of love for work.”

BIOGRAPHY

Winnie Jiang is an Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD. She studies the dynamics of meaningmaking at work, work as a calling, career mobility and transitions, and personal and professional development.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This article is republished courtesy of INSEAD Knowledge (http://knowledge. insead.edu). Copyright INSEAD 2022.

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n Australian Institute of Business

n Gregory D. Bunch

n EU Business School

n University of Chicago (Booth)

n Winnie Jiang

n IMD Business School n INSEAD

n Fernando Mateo

IST OF CONTRIBUTORS n Marsha Lindsay

n University of Southern Queensland

n Nebrija University

n SBS Swiss Business School n Lan Snell n RMIT n Ric Roi

n knowledge@wharton n Bert Wolfs 56

ceo-mag.com / Spring 2022

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