Creating learning solutions for executive education programs

Executive education is both a growing and increasingly competitive industry. The traditional business school, once a dominant player in this space, now faces competition from sophisticated and focused consultants and for-profit training specialists offering a variety of face-to-face and on-line instructional vehicles. An abiding question has become ever more prevalent for business schools – are executive education clients getting meaningful, long-term value for their significant investments? Demonstrating value and building capabilities is different for a generic, open enrolment course than for a custom program. This paper proposes a solutions-based approach to the development and implementation of customized executive programs, arguing that the tailored customer focus and the operational rigor of a solutions perspective leads to sustainable and measurable client value both at the individual and corporate level. A case study involving a global high technology company is used to demonstrate the steps required to apply a solutions roadmap. The results show that a solutions approach – carefully and collaboratively undertaken in selected settings – can provide considerable benefits to both client and provider. Further research is proposed to validate and develop the learning points

The challenges and responses for enterprise architects in the digital age

Enterprise architects face many challenges to be relevant to key stakeholders. The growth of digital business offers major opportunities for enterprise architects if these challenges can be addressed. The Enterprise Architecture (EA) Survey created by McKinsey & Company and Henley Business School explores EA outcomes and capabilities to assess the responses to the challenges. This article highlights key findings from the survey as a call to action for EA leaders

Achieving business and IT alignment from organisational learning perspectives

Business and IT alignment has continued as a top concern for business and IT executives for almost three decades. Many researchers have conducted empirical studies on the relationship between business-IT alignment and performance. Yet, these approaches, lacking a social perspective, have had little impact on sustaining performance and competitive advantage. In addition to the limited alignment literature that explores organisational learning that is represented in shared understanding, communication, cognitive maps and experiences. Hence, this paper proposes an integrated process that enables social and intellectual dimensions through the concept of organisational learning. In particular, the feedback and feed- forward process which provide a value creation across dynamic multilevel of learning. This mechanism enables on-going effectiveness through development of individuals, groups and organisations, which improves the quality of business and IT strategies and drives to performance

Optimal design of nanoplasmonic materials using genetic algorithms as a multi-parameter optimization tool

An optimal control approach based on multiple parameter genetic algorithms is applied to the design of plasmonic nanoconstructs with pre-determined optical properties and functionalities. We first develop nanoscale metallic lenses that focus an incident plane wave onto a pre-specified, spatially confined spot. Our results illustrate the role of symmetry breaking and unravel the principles that favor dimeric constructs for optimal light localization. Next we design a periodic array of silver particles to modify the polarization of an incident, linearly-polarized plane wave in a desired fashion while localizing the light in space. The results provide insight into the structural features that determine the birefringence properties of metal nanoparticles and their arrays. Of the variety of potential applications that may be envisioned, we note the design of nanoscale light sources with controllable coherence and polarization properties that could serve for coherent control of molecular or electronic dynamics in the nanoscale.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Aligning Business and IT from Multi-level Learning Perspectives

Business and IT alignment is increasingly acknowledged as a key for organisational performance. However, alignment research lack to mechanisms that enable for on-going process with multi-level effects. Multi-level learning allows on-going effectiveness through development of the organisation and improved quality of business and IT strategies. In particular, exploration and exploitation enable effective process of alignment across dynamic multi-level of learning. Hence, this paper proposes a conceptual framework that links multi-level learning and business-IT strategy through the concept of exploration and exploitation, which considers short-tern and long-term alignment together to address the challenges of strategic alignment faced in sustaining organisational performance

A Modified Differential Pickup Reflection Probe

In the eddy current inspection of multi-layered structures in aircrafts, the detection of flaws in the subsurface layers is a significant challenge and requires very sensitive probes. These flaws are often present in the vicinity of edges of the structures and hence the inspection probe should also be capable of discriminating the defect signal from the edge signal. Edges in samples under inspection give rise to very large eddy current signals thereby masking any signals that the probe may detect from a flaw close to the edge. This is referred to as the edge effect, differential flux signal on inside and outside of the driver coil. A thin ferromagnetic shield around the probe coil is included to enhance the sensitivity of this probe

OBRAZOVANJE U PODRUČJU DIZAJNIRANJA POSLOVANJA: STUDIJE SLUČAJA

Both academic and professional researchers have identified significant challenges in moving from business strategy to operational execution. A key tool to close this gap is business design, with both entrepreneurial start-ups and large enterprises desiring innovation seeking to design new business and operating models. The big gap between strategy and execution highlights a need for management education that is both rigorous and relevant. Academic theories are a key component but need to be combined with practical leadership insights. According to researchers, business schools face significant strategic challenges in delivering management education. The pedagogical design principles with programs for experienced professionals and managers are different to those of pre-experience students. There is a need for demand-driven offerings, particularly in custom education yet academic integrity must be safeguarded to retain credibility. This represents a key opportunity for business schools, particularly if they can work in partnership with organizations seeking to enhance their business design capability. To-date, there are few published examples of successful business design custom education programs. This paper provides a longitudinal review of one such program run over more than 5 years, covering more than 10 cohorts of 250+ partners and senior consultants from an international innovation and transformation consultancy. The case study explores the initiation, design, execution and results of the program from the perspectives of the customer organization and the supplying business school. The program deliverables have led to successful outcomes for both the consultancy and their clients. This result was predicated on a strong partnership between the organization and the business school, achieved through an evolutionary delivery. Insights and recommendations were generated that cover the leadership, design and evaluation of the program - which the authors believe have wider transferability, both for research and education purposes.Akademski i profesionalni istraživači prepoznali su postojanje velikih izazova u operativnoj provedbi poslovne strategije. Ključni alat za rješavanje tih izazova je dizajniranje poslovanja, kako razvojnih (start-up) tvrtki, tako i velikih poduzeća koja teže inovacijama kako bi razvila nove poslovne i operativne modele. Veliki nerazmjer između strategije i provedbe navodi na zaključak kako postoji potreba za istovremeno rigoroznim i relevantnim obrazovanjem u području upravljanja. Akademske teorije ključne su, ali potrebno ih je udružiti s praktičnim rukovodnim uvidima. Istraživanja pokazuju kako se visoke poslovne škole suočavaju sa značajnim strateškim izazovima prilikom provedbe obrazovnih programa koji se bave upravljanjem. Razlikuju se načela pedagoškog pristupa i razvoja programa za obuku profesionalaca i menadžera s iskustvom od pristupa studentima bez prethodnog iskustva. Postoji potreba za obrazovanjem koje se temelji na potražnji sadržaja, posebice u obrazovanju po mjeri, a ipak je potrebno očuvati akademsku čestitost kako bi se sačuvala vjerodostojnost. U tome je sastoji ključna prilika za poslovne škole, posebno ukoliko one mogu surađivati s organizacijama koje pokušavaju poboljšati svoju sposobnost dizajniranja poslovanja. Danas postoji malo objavljenih primjera uspješnih edukacijskih programa napravljenih po mjeri koji se bave dizajniranjem poslovanja. Ovaj rad daje longitudinalni prikaz jednog takvog programa koji se odvijao tijekom više od 5 godina, a uključivao je više od 10 kohorti od više od 250 partnera i viših konzultanata iz međunarodne konzultantske tvrtke koja se bavi inovacijama i transformacijom. Studija slučaja istražuje početak, osmišljavanje, provedbu i rezultate programa iz perspektive klijenta i poslovne škole koja je izvodila program. Isporučeni program doveo je do uspješnih rezultata kako za konzultantsku tvrtku, tako i za njezine klijente. Ti se rezultati temelje na čvrstom partnerstvu između organizacije i poslovne škole koja je posljedica prilagodbe tijekom programa. Izrađeni su uvidi i preporuke koji se odnose na vodstvo, dizajn i evaluaciju programa, pošto te komponente prema mišljenju autora imaju širu mogućnost prijenosa u istraživačke i obrazovne svrhe