FACULTY

Gary Mangiofico, Associate Dean of Fully Employed and Executive Programs and Practitioner Faculty of Organizational Theory and Management, was awarded the Strategic Leadership Award from the World HRD Congress at the Global HR Excellence Awards in Mumbai. As conferred by the Congress’ Jury and Council of Board Members, the honor recognizes Dr. Mangiofico for his leadership and contribution to the field of human resources, which the World HRD Congress described as “strategic and iconic.”

The organization further praised Dr. Mangiofico as a thought leader who is “a role model and true believer in change.”

The Global HR Excellence Awards recognizes the Best of Best in the HR professional internationally and serves as a benchmark of achievement in talent and human resources practices. continue

SMALL BUSINESS VIDEO SERIES

Professor Warren “Joe” Hahn, an assistant professor of Decision Sciences, focuses on operational decision-making and its effect on real options. In our continuting video series, Dr. Hahn discusses tactics for overcoming business challenges and fundamental principles as a business owner for finding solutions to problems and remaining competitive.

• What Is and Isn’t Problem Solving?
• Importance of Problem Solving
• How To Solve Problems
• Resources for Problem Solving
• “Unsolvable” Problem?

What Is and Isn’t Problem Solving?

Professor Hahn identifies three distinct elements of problem solving. Before becoming an effective problem solver, you must first understand what problem solving isn’t: memorization, knowing a foregone conclusion and/or following a roadmap.

Importance of Problem Solving

Why is problem solving so important? Because many of your competitors cannot and/or will not do it. A couple most likely already are!

How To Solve Problems

Professor Hahn covers four tactics to overcoming business challenges: framing the problem, obtaining relevant information, finding/applying an appropriate solution technique, and interpreting the solution.

Resources for Problem Solving

Every business faces daunting problems. Two clutch resources are explained to help confront the challenge: where to obtain relevant information and how to apply analytical techniques.

“Unsolvable” Problem?

More often than not, problems seem unsolvable. If so, maybe that means you have a problem that is very important. Four tips are offered to help you find the right solution.

SMALL BUSINESS VIDEO SERIES

Dr. Ed Rockey, a professor of applied behavioral science at Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, is no stranger to the strategic value of brainstorming. He is an expert on innovation, creative problem solving, communication, stress management, and leadership who has helped such corporations as Procter & Gamble and Prudential Insurance, as well as coached numerous executives and entrepreneurs. In the following series of short videos, Professor Rockey walks through how one conducts a brainstorming session to ensure lasting value.

• Starting a Brainstorming Session
• How Individual Styles Affect the Meeting
• Maintaining the Momentum
• Tools That Enhance Brainstorming Sessions
• Closing A Brainstorming Session

Starting a Brainstorming Session

Three keys to initiating a successful brainstorming session are a creative icebreaker, clear ground rules and consensus about the problem.

continue

SMALL BUSINESS VIDEO SERIES

• Customer Segmentation and “Unsegmentable” Markets
• How To Segment Markets
• Know Who You Are and the Benefits of Segmentation

Understanding customer segmentation and “unsegmentable” markets can be critical for the success of a small business. In the following video Dr. Andrea Scott, an assistant professor of marketing at the Graziadio School, explains customer segmentation and answers the question, “What if my market doesn’t seem segmentable?”

Everyone is not your customer and markets can always be segmented. Avoid wasting resources and increase profits through accurate customer segmentation.

Remember, seemingly “unsegmentable” markets typically apply to wildly popular brands like Facebook and Google.

continue

RESEARCH

Dr. Charla Griffy-Brown has been invited to advise Rosen Plevneliev, president of Bulgaria and his government on the how to establish a technology park. Arranged through the U.S. Embassy, Dr. Griffy-Brown will take part in several high-level meetings with academics, industry and government officials during an extended in-country trip.

“The main goal of the visit is to support and to advise on business innovation,” said the professor.

Dr. Griffy-Brown, a professor of information systems, is one of the Graziadio School’s most active and prolific researchers. She serves as the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and editor-in-chief of Technology in Society, an international journal dedicated to the economic, political and cultural dynamics of our technological business world, published by Elsevier Ltd.

Popular for more than a decade, developing technology parks continues to be controversial and attractive to governments in developing and transition economies as an avenue for fostering new business development and technological innovation by leveraging synergies within a cluster environment. Due to the complexity of design and implementation, such projects can often take a number of years to mature and become fully sustainable, as well as requiring significant investments in infrastructure. Dr. Griffy-Brown intends to encourage the Bulgarian government to instead invest in soft-infrastructure, digital infrastructure, education, and its young people. continue