exchange, winter 1996 contents page
seeing the forest, josephine cooper '77
|
Can today's turbulent business environment be turned into an advantage? In September, 40 Fuqua alumni from 15 states, Washington, D.C., Mexico and Canada participated in a three-day Executive Education program at the Thomas Center to consider this question. The seminar, "Thriving in Turbulence: Turning Technological Change into Competitive Advantage," examined how companies can be competitive in the midst of the profound changes in consumer and worker behaviors brought on by technology. The glimpse into the future made a strong impression on Janet Carter (WEMBA '91), a senior administrator with GTE in Research Triangle Park. "I work in a leading-edge environment, but it blew my mind to see where technology is going to take us in five years." Carter summed up her weekend: "I don't recall attending a seminar that left me as charged up as this one. I'm recommending through our class newsletter that all my WEMBA classmates attend when it's presented again in April." Leading the seminar were professors of marketing Joel Huber and John McCann and Professor of Management Gerry DeSanctis. Huber's session examined how to assess product proposals and implement them efficiently and successfully in today's turbulent markets. McCann demonstrated how the World Wide Web is likely to change the focus and dynamics of marketing and the work environment. DeSanctis examined the impact of change and technology on the structure and management styles of organizations. John Suzuki, (WEMBA '94) general manager of Private Radio systems, Ericsson, Canada, found that participating in the seminar with Fuqua alumni provided a useful common base: "The added value of a program like this is the people in the room. I found it especially helpful to learn how other companies are restructuring themselves for change." |
|
exchange, winter 1996 contents page |
seeing the forest, josephine cooper '77 |