Beyond Grey Pinstripes

     

Dalhousie University

All Participating Schools

     
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie SBA
 6100 University Avenue, Rm 2087
Halifax, NS, B3H 3J5
Canada
View A School Profile: Compare to Another School

Demographic Information

Number of full-time MBA students (2011): 

38

Number of part-time MBA students (2011): 

2

Total duration of full-time MBA program: 

22 months

MBA faculty (Fall 2010): 

60

Females as percent of student body: 

39%


Description of MBA Program: 

The Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University is uniquely placed to support our MBA and other graduate students as they prepare for a world of increasing economic, social, ecological, political and technological complexity. Our four Schools of Management include Business Administration, Public Administration, Resource and Environmental Studies and Information Management. Together with our five Centres of Integrated Research and Learning and our Marine Affairs Program, we believe these units represent some of the best resources available in interdisciplinary thinking in management. All units of the Faculty of Management maintain a genuine commitment to students’ understanding of the social and ecological impacts of their future employment choices. As a result, our graduates are equipped to exercise this thinking whether they pursue careers in business, in the public sector, in civil society organizations or indeed all three.







Ours is not a Faculty or School which ‘retrofits’ social and ecological impact considerations into the MBA experience simply through electives or token introductory lectures in ethics or corporate social and environmental responsibility. All of our incoming full-time MBAs now join their colleagues in other graduate programs in a mandatory, for-credit foundation course entitled Management Without Borders, which deals explicitly with questions of global change and the impacts on society, organizations and individuals. MBAs work alongside future senior public servants and not-for-profit leaders over two terms to propose inter-disciplinary solutions to problems related to climate change, natural resource management and broader social questions concerned with human rights and ethical approaches to management.







The Faculty of Management also provides MBAs - as well as undergraduate business students and non-business students - with numerous lectures and extra-curricular opportunities which demonstrate the collective interests of the Faculty in broader issues in management. We have a large number of electives accessible to MBAs that reflect on social and environmental questions. We also have one of the longest established student groups concerned for these questions in the Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility Society which is provided with dedicated office space in the Faculty.







Our philosophy represents a ‘values-based’ approach to management which unites the interests of all schools and programs in the Faculty.



How does the MBA program 'walk the talk' of social and environmental impact?: 

Vision for the Faculty and its graduates: Internationally acknowledged centre of ‘values based management’ whose graduates become private sector, public sector and civil society leaders who manage with integrity, focus on sustainability, and get things done.



Values based management is a positive approach to management (focused on what we cherish) as opposed to a negative approach to management (fixing problems). It focuses on maintaining or improving the status of those things we value.



The eight pillars of value based management of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie are: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Innovation, Sustainability, Co-created learning, Relevance and Action orientation

Academic Department

Course Name: Authentic Leadership for the 21st Century
Instructor: Barker, James Dr.

The course serves a capstone function as it seeks to integrate previous course material and experiences so that students can create their own working philosophy of responsible management and prepare themselves for success as an ethical manager and a responsible and authentic leader in today’s demanding organizations. In particular, the course seeks to integrate parallel student course work in Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategy, and Professional Development. The course begins with students processing a key leadership challenge they experienced during their corporate residency. They craft a short analytical scenario from this challenge for presentation both to the class and to one of authors (via video technology) of the course text. From this initial processing experience, students study foundational, contemporary, and cutting-edge leadership theory in the context of the challenge to be authentic and responsible people in today’s organizations. This study includes interaction with professors at other universities and local industry leaders as well as the focused study of leaders seen as models of responsibility and authenticity. The course concludes with the students researching, developing, and presenting a biography of a local leader. This biography enables the students to apply their knowledge and experience to the focused study of a specific leader as well as to construct an enduring and useful example of responsible leadership that the school will catalogue as part of an on-going archive. The course culminates with students presenting their own philosophy of management (a process began in their initial course courses) and discussing how this philosophy will guide and shape their future leadership practice.

Course Name: Business and Government
Instructor: Roy, Jeffrey Dr.

With rising interdependence between economic, political, and non-profit sectors, managers in both businesses (the private sector) and governments (the public sector) must understand how decisions and policies undertaken in one sector will impact those of the other sector. The purpose of this course is to gain an appreciation of both differences and similarities across business and government on the one hand, and the ways in which these sectors interact with one another on the other hand. Three typologies of interactions between government and business will be examined: independence (market and state as separate environments); influence (how corporations and special interests lobby the public sector); and interdependence (the growing importance of collaborative dynamics between the sectors in facing contemporary and shared governance challenges). While the emphasis will be on the Canadian and North American environments, international comparisons will be both encouraged and welcomed.

Course Name: Business Economics
Instructor: Cyrus, Tess Dr

By the end of the course, students will know how to use economic principles to analyze opportunities and constraints that arise in the world in which people live and work, to solve economic problems, and to make better business decisions. This course covers the essentials of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The microeconomic topics explored include supply and demand analysis; profit maximization and efficiency; perfect and imperfect competition; game theory; and public policy toward externalities, natural monopolies, and public goods. The macroeconomic topics explored include the measurement of gross domestic product and inflation; the causes of long-run economic growth; the business cycle; the use of fiscal and monetary policy; saving, investment, and money; financial markets and international capital flows; and exchange rates

Course Name: Corporate Governance
Instructor: Chowdhury, Shamsud D. Dr.

Corporate Governance is designed to give students an in-depth look at the corporate governance triad, as indicated above, that controls the modern corporation. Accordingly, this course will deal with the control, composition, functions, roles, and structure of boards; board responsibility and accountability, CEO tenure and compensation, shareholder and other stakeholder representation; corporate boards vis-à-vis social responsibility and ethics; and comparative corporate governance across North America, Europe, and selected Asian countries.

Course Name: Corporate Social Responsibility
Instructor: Cunningham, Peggy Dr.

This class introduces students to the relevance and importance of ethics and social responsibility in business. The ultimate intent of the course is to leave students better equipped to identify, think critically about, and resolve ethical issues that are encountered in one's working life at the individual, organizational, and societal levels.

Course Name: Financial Management
Instructor: Nason, Richard Dr.

The course makes a very clear distinction between Maximizing Shareholder Wealth (the usually stated goal in the textbooks of the financial manager) and teh Triple Bottom Line. The pros and cons of the Triple Bottom Line concept are discussed at length. Additionally, corporate governance issues, combined with regulatory issues are fully discussed. In particular these issues were examined in the context of the financial crisis and the role that financial engineering played.

Course Name: Global Markets and Institutions
Instructor: Hebb, Greg Dr.

Given recent events in global markets, it would be impossible to not cover the social and ethical issues related to the financial crisis in this course. Specifically we looked at conflicts of interest in the structure of the financial system, regulatory issues, and several examples of corrupt or unethical practices.

Course Name: International and Intercultural Management
Instructor: Ng, Eddy Dr.

This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective membership and management in global as well as culturally diverse domestic workplaces. The growing importance of international business and escalating levels of involvement in global competitiveness necessitates that the manager of the 21st century acquire additional skills and abilities for effective international and intercultural interactions at home and abroad. The course content includes such topics as introduction to comparative and cross cultural management, variations on cultural orientations and value, cross cultural communications, employee attitude, motivational issues in cross cultural settings, differences in management and leadership styles, training for international assignments, cross-cultural staffing, inter-cultural negotiations, ethics and social responsibility, expatriation and repatriation management, and designing global structure. Ethical issues on the environment, bribery, labour standards are discussed on an international level and issues of differences in opinions and views of corporate social responsibility are discussed extensively in each class.

Course Name: Leveraging Technology
Instructor: Michael Bliemel

Several different Green-IT topics were introduced throughout the class, ranging from carbon footprints in business process modelling assignments to discussions on the latest Green initiatives by SAP, Walmart, and Nova Scotia. We used Green IT as a framing mechanism for students to apply IT governance, and IT Funding principles. Social and Ethical issues were a major portion of the class where Privacy, Copyright, Stakeholder, Stockholder and Social Contract Theories were applied to current issues. Challenges to work / life balance were explored through the impacts of unified communications systems.

Course Name: Management Without Borders
Instructor: Baechler, Jenny

This course is a core course for the following graduate programs: master of business administration, master of public administration, master of information and library studies, master of marine management, master of environmental studies and master of resource and environmental management. First year students from all of these programs (200 in total) take the course in the first term of their respective programs. This course places management in its broadest context and helps students from diverse disciplines understand the complex social, economic, ecological, political and technological forces shaping 21st century leadership in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Key themes explored in the course include systems thinking, collaboration across sectoral boundaries, values based approaches to management, sustainable economic development and personal/professional development. The course is team taught by leading faculty from across the Faculty of Management as well as guest speakers. Learning opportunities are delivered in a mix of formats, including lectures, tutorials, readings, multidisciplinary cases and group discussions. The course is characterized by a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary team work for effective problem solving in complex environments. The interprofessional group projects are a cornerstone of the course. The purpose of the project assignment is: a) to allow private, public and not-for-profit organizations obtain meaningful research or other outputs (analysis, recommendations, planning documents, etc.) by collaborating with graduate students from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management and b) provide our graduate students the opportunity to experience the challenges and opportunities of an interdisciplinary work environment; gain new knowledge regarding tools and skill sets that are part of various professional areas; gain a greater understanding of the issues at hand when organizations work to integrate the seemingly disparate worlds of governance, business, environment and society, and develop leadership and teamwork skills that can be transferred in to future work experiences. All MWB projects fall under the broad umbrella of sustainable prosperity - the integration of economic growth with social well-being and environmental sustainability.

Pages

Type of Offering

Zero Footprint Rally
Date: October, 2010

The Faculty of Management invites you to participate in an “Amazing Race-esque” styled Homecoming event with a “Zero Footprint” theme that reflects the Faculty’s commitment to sustainability.

Team up with fellow alumni, students, faculty and staff to solve destination clues that will lead you to various locations throughout the Rowe Building and across campus. At each station, team members will be required to complete a task which is a little bit educational and a whole lot of fun! Once all tasks are complete, or when 100 minutes have elapsed (whichever comes first), all teams will return to home base at the Rowe for prizes, refreshments and socializing!

Public Lecture: Dean Connor
Date: January, 2011

Dean A. Connor is the Chief Operating Officer of Sun Life Financial Global and oversees Sun Life’s Canadian operations, which include enterprise services and technology, human resources and marketing. Formerly, Mr. Connor was the President of Sun Life Financial Canada.

He will be sharing valuable insights on determinants of success in the business world with emphasis on leadership, ethics, and the development of people.

Mr. Connor’s presentation to students is a great opportunity to learn about leadership in the working world.

A Toast to the Coast
Type: Fundraising Event
Date: September, 2009

In 2005, a group of MBA students turned a class project into a real event by creating "A Toast to the Coast". This annual dinner and silent auction has consistently raised awareness and funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

This year the event was run by another round of Dalhousie MBA students and raised $7,000.

Imagining a sustainable world: Educating for social change and sustainable behaviour
Date: February, 2011

The 2011 Dorothy J. Killam Memorial Lecture Series is co-sponsored by Dalhousie’s College of Sustainability. The lectures will be held February 10 and March 17, 2011, and feature internationally-renowned speakers Kartikeya Sarabhai and William Rees. Read the DalNews story.

Both lectures are free of charge and will take place in Ondaatje Hall in the McCain Building. Starting time is 7:00 p.m.; please arrive early as seating is limited. A reception will follow.

.

Globalisation and Education for the Common Good
Date: November, 2010

“In a time of continuing crises and polarizing viewpoints, can the world agree on an ethical and sustainable approach to the global economy?”

Kamran Mofid is a new Adjunct Professor in the School of Business Administration. He received his BA and MA in economics from the University of Windsor and his PhD in economics from the University of Birmingham. Dr Mofid has been a frequent speaker at major international conferences and universities. His work is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on Economics, Politics, International Relations, Theology, Culture, Ecology, Ethics and Spirituality. His writings have appeared in leading scholarly journals, popular magazines, and newspapers.

Halifax Dump and Run
Type: Student Run Event
Date: April, 2010

The Halifax Dump and Run is a worthwhile environmental and social justice initiative organized annually by Dalhousie University graduate students in partnership with Saint Mary's University, and other community groups on the Halifax peninsula. Dump and Run is an annual event now in its tenth year and is currently under the responsibilities of the Dalhousie Net Impact Chapter and Saint Mary's University Environmental Society (SMUES).

Both the Dalhousie Net Impact Chapter and SMUES has taken a keen interest in fostering the idea of environmental responsibility, with the Dump and Run as our featured event. This event is an oversized community garage sale held at the end of April or the start of May. The main purpose of this event is to divert waste from the local landfills and neighbouring streets. As a recycling and waste diversion project, it is an enormous success. In 2009 nearly 8 metric tons of goods, furniture, clothing, books, and other items were sold at the Dump and Run in lieu of being sent to landfill.

Apart from its environmental value, the Dump and Run also makes a valuable contribution to the community through the distribution of funds and non-perishable food items to local marginalized groups. In 2009 the Dump and Run, held in the Studley Gym at Dalhousie University, raised almost $11,000. All proceeds from the event go to local non-profit and charitable groups.

Public Lecture: Siobhan Coady on Canada’s Place in the World
Date: November, 2010

Canada’s Place in the World: How can we fix our foreign policy?

Siobhan Coady, Member of Parliament for St. John’s South - Mount Pearl

Last month, for the first time in six decades, Canada failed to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council. In the past year, we’ve run our first trade deficits in decades. What does this say about Canada’s place in the world? What must we do to restore our Canadian tradition of global leadership?

Local entrepreneur and philanthropist shares his story
Date: February, 2011

Mr. George was a co-founder of Gammon Gold and for 14 years led its transformation from a small exploration company to one of the largest gold and silver producers in México. The firm is listed on the Toronto, New York, American and Berlin stock exchanges.

Well known for his energy and ability to motivate others, Fred will share his story and experiences as the company grew from its roots to a major mining company with a current market capitalization of $2.4 billion. Along the way Fred has given generously to his community, both with his time and with donations such as these: Sacred Heart School for a new state-of-the-art gym named in his honour; a $1 million donation to the Frank McKenna Building at St. Francis Xavier University which led to the establishment of the Fred George Leadership Course; acting as a major sponsor for the Autism Organization and the Special Olympics. As a result of these and other efforts Fred was recognized by former U.S. President William J. Clinton, and is working with the Clinton Foundation, where he attends the annual Trustee Meeting and contributes innovative ideas for solving the world’s problems.

Management Career Services

Management Career Services focuses on encouraging students to volunteer for not-for-profit organizations and become involved in the community.

Net Impact

This multi-disciplinary, graduate student organization is based in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. The society has a shared interest in issues related to sustainability, social justice, peace, corporate responsibility, ethics, democracy, good governance, and human rights. CESR serves as a forum for dialogue and action. Members are presently pursuing Master's degrees in a wide variety of fields in addition to Business Administration

Predictor of Business Students' Attitudes Toward Sustainable Business Practices
Author(s): Eddy Ng

This study examined individual difference characteristics as predictors of business students' attitudes toward sustainable business practices. Three types of predictors were considered: personal values, individualism-collectivism, and leadership styles. Data were collected from 248 business students attending a mid-sized university in western United States using self-reported questionnaires. Few gender differences were present. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for personal demographic characteristics, indicated that business students scoring higher on Rokeach's social value scale, collectivism, and transformational leadership also reported more positive attitudes toward sustainable business practices. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Journal Title: Journal of Business Ethics Volume: 95 Edition: 4 Page Numbers: 603
State-of-the-Art in E-Commerce Carbon Footprinting
Author(s): Michael Bliemel

This paper provides a survey of the state-of-the-art in E-Commerce Carbon Footprinting. This comprehensive literature survey informs the research community on past and recent objective and subjective efforts towards measuring Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Efficacy of E-Commerce. Moreover, this paper provides a framework for categorizing research in this critical area. We also provide a summary of some very promising future research directions in Carbon Footprinting of E-Commerce. Our survey corroborates that Carbon Footprinting is now considered a widely recognized broad framework of gauging Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Efficacy of E-Commerce. Furthermore, it informs us that the research in this discipline is fast expanding and evolving. Such a survey in this critical research field is significant for government and corporate policy-makers in formulating informed decisions regarding Sustainability. In addition, the research in this domain may be useful to environmentally conscious consumers who want to make informed choices on their consumption habits for reducing their personal Carbon Footprints.

Journal Title: Journal of internet banking and commerce Volume: 14 Edition: 3 Page Numbers: 1
The effect of adverse impact in selection practices on organizational diversity: a field study
Author(s): Eddy Ng

Based on a sample of 154 organizations across Canada, we examined the influence of the use of different employee selection methods on workplace minority representation rates. Results indicated that usage of cognitive ability and personality testing significantly influences minority representation after controlling for other diversity management practices. In particular, cognitive ability testing appears to be associated with lower levels of minority group representation in organizations as a whole and in their management ranks; personality testing is associated with higher levels of minority representation in organizations. To advance our understanding of the organizational factors that influence minority group representation and the use of different selection practices, we also examined HR manager perceptions of test bias and the effects of employment equity (EEA) legislation on selection test usage. Results indicated that firms covered under employment equity legislation were less likely to use cognitive ability tests. Interestingly, HR managers reported that personality tests may be more biased against minorities than cognitive ability tests. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Journal Title: The International Journal of Human Resource Management Volume: 21 Edition: 9 Page Numbers: 1454
The Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility in Chile: The Importance of Authenticity and Social Networks
Author(s): Peggy H Cunningham

Little is known about how and why corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerged in lesser developed countries. In order to address this knowledge gap, we used Chile as a test case and conducted a series of in-depth interviews with leaders of CSR initiatives. We also did an Internet and literature search to help provide support for the findings that emerged from our data. We discovered that while there are similarities in the drivers of CSR in developed countries, there are distinct differences as well. In particular, we found that different sectors drive CSR in Chile. In contrast to other geographies where consumer demand and government regulation provided the impetus for CSR efforts, multinational companies (MNCs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are key actors in Chile. MNCs imported their CSR beliefs, skills, and processes into Chile. Their efforts resulted in a virtuous cycle. Once large domestic firms felt pressured by their MNC rivals, they too adopted CSR initiatives. The ability to manage relationships with multiple stakeholders and perceptions of authenticity were also critical to the success of CSR in Chile. Using network theory as a lens, we suggest that network density and centrality largely determine whether CSR efforts will be authentic. Based on these contentions, we suggest avenues for future research.

Journal Title: Journal of Business Ethics Volume: 86 Edition: 1 Page Numbers: 191
What women and ethnic minorities want. Work values and labor market confidence: a self-determination perspective
Author(s): Eddy Ng

Drawing on self-determination theory and the model-minority hypothesis, this study explored potential differences in the work values and labor market perceptions of ethnic minorities and women relative to the majority group. Results, based on a sample of senior-level university students across Canada, revealed notable differences in the work values and levels of labor market confidence for these groups. Ethnic minorities reported higher intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and altruistic work values than Whites. Moreover, women reported lower intrinsic values, but higher extrinsic, social, and altruistic work values relative to men. With respect to perceptions of labor market confidence, both ethnic minorities and women expressed lower confidence in their labor market prospects than majority group respondents. Results from this study are consistent with self-determination theory and the model-minority hypothesis, and reinforce the need for organizations to more actively align their job design and recruitment efforts with the work values of minority workers. Implications for future research and the recruitment of minority workers are discussed.

Journal Title: The International Journal of Human Resource Management Volume: 21 Edition: 5 Page Numbers: 676