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Willamette University (Atkinson)

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Willamette University (Atkinson) 900 State Street
Salem, OR, 97301
United States
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Demographic Information

Number of full-time MBA students (2011): 

105

Number of part-time MBA students (2011): 

52

Total duration of full-time MBA program: 

21 months

MBA faculty (Fall 2010): 

43

Females as percent of student body: 

37%


Description of MBA Program: 

Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management embraces the philosophy that solid business strategy is built on an understanding of sustainability, social responsibility and ethics. Students are taught that successful managers are change agents in their organizations - responsible to multiple stakeholders and able to understand the greater societal implications of the decisions they make.

 

One of only two MBA programs dually accredited by AACSB International (business) and NASPAA (public administration), the Atkinson School is recognized as a leader in preparing graduates to serve organizations across sectors. The curriculum provides a holistic view of the functions of effective for-profit organizations and applies those tools to the business, government and not-for-profit sectors. Students learn and understand the vital role played by all three sectors in shaping social, economic and environmental policy, and in creating free markets.

 

This is accomplished through a highly experiential approach to learning that incorporates sustainability, ethics and social responsibility throughout the curriculum – in core courses, elective courses and projects with real organizations. Faculty and students work together to discuss and define strategies that maximize the likelihood that both the organization and the wider system on which it depends can thrive in the present and the future.

 

The required PACE (Practical Applications for Careers and Enterprises) program is a hallmark of the Willamette MBA curriculum and includes three key components where students put their management knowledge into practice. In the first semester of PACE, students work in multicultural teams and apply the tools of for-profit organizations to provide crucial consulting services to the team’s non-profit or governmental client partner. Consulting projects vary according to the need of each client partner, but in all cases the projects delivered provide value to the mission and stakeholders of the client partner and contribute to the organization’s sustainability. Past partners include Oregon Public Broadcasting, Mercy Corps Northwest, the Nature Conservancy, Springboard Innovation, Marion County Juvenile Department, St. Vincent de Paul, the Boys and Girls Club, the Imani Project and many more.

 

The second component of PACE is the entrepreneurial phase where students create proposal for a new venture. The new venture may be a business or a social start-up. The resulting plans are presented to a panel of real investors and entrepreneurs who evaluate the students’ proposals based on the value delivered to stakeholders and its potential for long term success. In the third semester of PACE, students apply their knowledge of ethics and sustainability while analyzing business, not-for-profit and individual nominees for the Oregon Ethics in Business Awards. These activities provide an unparalleled opportunity for students to see managers as ethical decision-makers, review organizational systems that encourage ethical behavior, and personally network with the people and leaders who play an important role in the region.

 

Throughout their experience, students benefit from the mentoring and coaching of the Willamette MBA faculty. Willamette faculty are a collaborative and cross-functional team of scholars and thought leaders who are widely published and recognized. The unique cross-functional and multi-sector faculty structure of the Atkinson School encourages integration and cooperation across academic disciplines and provides rich opportunities for faculty to share ideas, research and consult with one another.

 

Willamette University’s motto, “not unto ourselves alone are we born,” summarizes the Atkinson School’s commitment to create ethical and knowledgeable MBA graduates. They are leaders who will have an impact on society, model ethical decision making, and inspire positive change in the organizations they serve.



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

The Atkinson Graduate School of Management lives and exemplifies Willamette University’s motto, “not unto ourselves alone are we born.”  Our students, faculty and alumni are active in their communities and provide invaluable service to civic and social organizations.  They leave a lasting impact on business and society while limiting their overall impact on the natural environment.



Based in the scenic beauty of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, Willamette and the Atkinson School believe that environmental responsibility is essential for social and financial well-being.   However, sustainability at Willamette encompasses much more than the environment, including three additional “E’s” that influence long term success – economics, education and equity.



Environment:  From landscaping to food service, Willamette and the Atkinson School work diligently to eliminate unnecessary waste, re-purpose materials and promote recycling efforts.  The campus food service, Bon Appetit, uses local ingredients and limits packaging and waste for all of its catering service.  Willamette encourages and supports ride-sharing, the use of Zipcars for staff and students and commuting by bicycle.  Facilities have been retrofitted to support energy reduction efforts and the landscaping and groundskeepers use organic materials to beautify campus. Willamette University has become a local leader in sustainable thinking.



Economics:  The Atkinson School believes that long term success depends on a commitment to sustainable practices.  Strategic investments in sustainable practices today will lead to cost savings, efficient production strategies, effective processes and social benefits in the long run.   This philosophy goes from classroom to practice on Willamette’s campus.  The University estimated it saved over $470,000 in the first five years of the University’s sustainability action for energy use and grounds maintenance.  



Education:  The University’s motto also supports lifelong learning and involvement.  From our MBA programs to our executive education programs, the Atkinson School incorporates sustainability into the curriculum through class projects and service initiatives with student professional organizations.  Special events and lecture series bring speakers to campus to talk about cutting edge thinking for environmental issues.  Recent speakers include Nike’s manager of Corporate Social Responsibility,



Equity:  Long term sustainability also includes an appreciation for a diversity of opinions and cultures.  Throughout the 21 month program, Willamette MBA students learn to consider all stakeholders in decision making and have the opportunity to refine their communication styles through courses that emphasize leadership, negotiation, conflict management and organizational dialogue. The global student body at the Atkinson School provides a perfect opportunity for students to practice their skills as active team members and leaders.  In addition, the client organizations served by our students through PACE and other projects expose the greater community to the Atkinson School’s diversity and inclusiveness.



This four stage approach is what led Willamette University to be named the most sustainable campus in the United States by the National Wildlife Federation and one of the Sierra Club’s “cool schools.”  Locally, Oregon Business Magazine named Willamette University and the Atkinson School to the list of Oregon’s top 100 green organizations.  The Atkinson School was also the recipient of the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) prestigious “Team MBA Institutional Award” for a commitment to environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility.

Academic Department

Course Name: Accounting for Managers
Instructor: Kenneth Smith

Students learn to read and analyze financial statements and use accounting information for management purposes in business, government and non-profit organizations. Particular attention is given to the efforts organizations should take to improve their transparency to stakeholders and society via financial reporting. Emphasizes use of the Balanced Scorecard (learning and growth perspective, financial perspective, business process perspective, and customer perspective) and the importance of both budgeting and non-financial performance measures of organizational outcomes. Related topics include ethics in the accounting profession, performance measures other than measurement of profits (ethics, meaningful employment, environmental impact, social impact), the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, fraud and the misuse of financial statements in communicating with investors.

Course Name: Accounting for Managers
Instructor: Nichole Thibodeau 2010

This course emphasizes the for-profit organizational contexts of accounting and reporting systems, and covers the fundamental recognition, measurement and disclosure issues of socially responsible behavior and practice. Students develop the ability to: 1) record, report, read and interpret transactions and events through accounting and financial statements; 2) understand the usefulness and limitations of accounting data for decision making; 3) use accounting data for strategic purposes; and 4) understand the ethical, social responsibility and governance implications of accounting and how they affect stakeholders, the sustainability of the organization, and the economy. Other related topics include full cost accounting, global context, regulatory compliance, stakeholder management, and for-profit accounting concepts that apply to non-profit, governmental and publicly vs. privately owned enterprises.

Course Name: Beyond Negotiation - The Discipline of Dialogue
Instructor: Anne Allen

This course is about dialogue – a crucial tool needed to build and sustain high levels of engagement, tap into the collective wisdom of an organization or any network of relationships, enhance organizational learning and achieve sustained performance of an enterprise over time.  Dialogue is strongly linked to systems thinking and organizational learning. It is about what an organization can achieve by thinking/communicating together with a collective agenda rather than utilizing top-down communication and individual agendas. Topics include: shared meaning and its influence on performance; examining our assumptions; transformation; biology of cognition; systems thinking; leadership; social collaboration; cross cultural challenges and issues; cross organizational challenges and issues; social action research; and integrating dialogue into core organizational processes.  Students learn to participate in and lead critical dialogue conversations to utilize the collective wisdom of the organization and its stakeholders and thus expand social well-being within the organization and across its stakeholder network. Within systems thinking, the expansion of social well-being expands economic well being, which in turn expands environmental well being.

Course Name: Compensation and Reward Systems
Instructor: Judy Clark

This course provides a detailed examination of compensation management programs a strategy that can help an organization achieve its mission within society and its industry through financial and talent management While offering an overview and theory of base-pay compensation, the course is primarily designed to address the practical issues faced by practitioners in creating and administering a compensation program. Topics include: compensation management, plan design, base pay and incentive models, job analysis and descriptions, methods of job evaluation, use of salary surveys, construction of pay ranges, compliance with federal and state laws governing pay, determination of exempt vs. nonexempt status, internal consistency, external competitiveness, social responsibility in the way a company pays its employees, the role of unions in wage and salary administration, work-life balance, flexible benefits as a way to enhance work life choices, non-cash benefits, and communication of compensation information within an organization. Other topics included in discussions include: business and society, corporate responsibility, diversity, leadership, life-cycle management, negotiation, public management, regulatory compliance, value systems and values based leadership.

Course Name: Conflict Management
Instructor: Steven Maser, Sam Imperati

This course analyzes organizations as systems for managing conflict. Because organizations are networks of relationships, conflict is natural and inevitable. Conflict can be unproductive if it stimulates intractable disputes, impeding organizations from achieving their goals. It can be productive if it stimulates creativity in resolving disputes, promoting organizational goals. This course explores how management practices, leadership and governance influence patterns of conflict and their resolution. From that perspective, this course is directed at understanding organizations through the lens of conflict management. Students develop the ability to: 1) analyze and explain how the alignment of management practices—strategies, structures, policies, procedures and monitoring—can generate or mitigate conflicts, 2) recommend ways to align management practices that promote productive conflicts and mitigate unproductive conflicts, 3) apply principles of alternative dispute resolution, and 4) know when and how to design a dispute system that supplements existing organizational arrangements.

Course Name: Corporate Finance
Instructor: Robert Couch

This course focuses on the valuation and financing of corporations and corporate projects. Students learn key concepts and methods of business investment and financing. This course explores how financial strategies relate to incentives for all stakeholders, the rights and responsibilities of shareholders and stakeholders, issues of corporate governance, fraud and fraud prevention, the efficiency of markets in allocating capital across different sectors, and how governance structures can prevent fraud and misallocation of resources. Discussions include perfect markets, real-world frictions and institutions, corporate taxes, bankruptcy costs, agency conflicts, signaling, governance, regulation, the failure of governance and effects on shareholders and stakeholders in the recent financial crisis, advantages and disadvantages of capitalism for societies, risk management as it relates to society at large, financial industry regulations and the personal responsibilities of company leadership to the organization an its community. Related topics included in discussions include: base of the pyramid, business and society, business strategy, community capitalism, corporate citizenship and responsibility, inclusive capitalism, leadership, life cycle management, market imperfections, multiple stakeholder analysis, negotiation, public policy, public private partnerships, regulatory compliance, resource productivity, sustainable and socially responsible behavior and practice, triple bottom line, value systems, value based leadership, and voluntary regulation.

Course Name: Corporate Mergers, Acquisitions and Restructurings
Instructor: Alex Russell

The course focuses on valuation techniques and the analysis of corporate mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Students learn to plan, evaluate, and execute corporate restructuring activities using financial modeling and quantitative techniques. The course integrates the corporate governance and agency dimensions, financial and strategic management aspects, and legal and accounting considerations into a unified framework for investigating. Topics include pre-merger planning, fact-finding and due diligence, deal design, accounting and tax implications, antitrust problems, post-merger integration, sell side responsibilities, negotiating the deal, valuing synergies in the combined company, short-term and long- term shareholder wealth and stakeholder consequences.

Course Name: Credit Risk and Fixed Income
Instructor: Wei Wu

This course is about debt. It focuses on credit risk, credit analysis, and fluctuations in interest rates, and the ways they combine to determine the profitability of lending and investing in various forms of debt. Discusses the fact that debt is everywhere: governments, corporations, and households all borrow large amounts of money from institutional investors such as commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and mutual funds, to meet their needs. Students learn how debt markets operate, how debt is valued ethically, how interest rates are determined, how to analyze the credit risk of borrowers, and how credit ratings affect investment decisions for individuals, organizations and governments. Students then apply their learning to the current credit tightening and its social and economic implications for the private and public sectors of the economy and society. Course emphasizes that there are enormous ethical issues surrounding this lending, and discusses micro lending and social monitoring as programs that help grow the economy and provide social good. Other topics of discussion include market imperfections, and social entrepreneurship.

Course Name: Current Topics in HR
Instructor: Judy Clark

This course is a platform for understanding the impact of changing circumstances, crises, great opportunities, current events, and legal challenges on employee morale, compliance, and organizational practices related to HR. Students study information from newspapers, internet articles and blogs and review situations ranging from major acquisitions to criminal process relative to their effect on current employees, applicants and future employees, disconnects between the story and the values stated by the organization, risk mitigation, communication and messages. Students evaluate the situations, discuss what happened, what should have been done, the long-term impact on the organization and HR, and alternative possible solutions. Students learn that information and responses to issues can influence the long-term viability of the business and thus the good of the community (loss of economic development, volunteer support, donations for social good, etc.). Attention is also paid to the regulatory environment in which HR operates and how changes in societal beliefs and values impact the HR functions within an organization. Discussion topics include: business strategy, corporate citizenship and social responsibility, employment and the work environment, diversity, governance, public policy, value systems and values based leadership, and cross cultural management.

Course Name: Data Analysis, Modeling and Decision Making
Instructor: Mike Hand

The course focuses on quantitative analysis as a management tool for knowledge acquisition and decision support to solve problems of management and society. Students learn that although it may seem we are awash in information, we are actually awash in data that alone provide little insight or basis for action. Their challenge as for profit managers and citizens is to refine raw data, identify meaningful patterns and trends, develop insights, and extract information essential to the ethical, effective and efficient management and control of our organizations and the world in which they function. The course also helps students apply the quantitative tools of for-profit management to issues important to government and not-for-profit organizations and the people affected by the organizations.

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Type of Offering

Cross-Cultural Communication

Intercultural Communication workshops are held for first-year students to help them adapt to working and succeeding in multi-cultural teams. Sessions help students understand different cultural perspectives and gain respect for the benefits of individual differences.

Challenge Course
Type: Compass Week

Students work in multicultural teams as they participate in a challenge course at Tilikum Retreat Center. Activities include physical team activities and hands-on problem solving challenges. Students develop team skills with new colleagues, practice cross-cultural communication, and trust.

The challenge course is a part of our annual Compass Week. Compass Week is a week long required pre-session before the beginning of classes.

ReVisioning Value Conference - 2010 (ReVV Conference)
Date: April, 2010

Willamette University MBA co-sponsored the successful Revisioning Value Conference- The Intersection of Purpose and Profit, in Portland, OR. This conference brought leaders from the various fields of impact investing and social innovation to share how the flow of capital is helping to create a more just and sustainable world. Dan Pallotta, author of "Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential" keynoted the first conference day. A second "Workshop and Action" day was available on Tuesday, April 27.

This conference is expected to become an annual event and will draw participants from the social entrepreneurship, impact investing, foundations, and sustainability ranks. Anne Murray Allen introduced this year's keynote speaker, Dan Pallotta, author of "Uncharitable-How Restraints on Non-profits Undermine Their Potential," (http://www.uncharitable.net/ ).

Professors Rob Wiltbank and Mark Ahn and current MBA student Yameen Ali were also featured speakers and many students from Professor Ahn's class in Social Entrepreneurship attended.

Power Lunch

The Power Lunch is an annual program of guest speakers. Power Lunch events occur twice each semester. Students listen to a presentation on current issues by a noted professional during lunch and have the opportunity to discuss the topic and network with the professional following the presentation. Leaders share their personal experiences. Ethics, social responsibility and sustainability are common topics for discussion. Speakers represent a combination of business, government and not-for-profit organizations.

An example of a 2010-11 Power Lunch Featured professionals includes 1) Sarah Severn, Nike Director of Stakeholder Mobilization in Sustainable Business and Innovation, 2) Steve Bass, CEO of Oregon Public Broadcasting, and 3) John Haines, Executive Director, Mercy Corps Northwest.

Empowerment in Action - First Thursday

A bi-semester speaker series on current issues. Related topics during the 2009-10 and 10-11 academic years included:

* "WEB 2.0 & Social Change - The Power of Story Telling"

Join Victor d'Allant, Executive Director of the Social Edge, discussed the use of social media and other online networking platforms to engage stakeholders and tell an organization's story to its audiences. Victor is a global media executive and cultural anthropologist who has worked for large corporations, international organizations and entrepreneurial startups in many parts of the world.

* "Divas Doing Business" - Featured Monique Hayward, Author, Entrepreneur, Oregon Women MBAs Board Member, and senior marketing manager at Intel Corp., discussed what guidebooks don't tell you about being a woman entrepreneur.

* "Can We Innovate Our Way Out of This Recession?: Black Swans Cast Long Shadows." Mark Ahn, Willamette MBA Associate Professor of Global Management, discussed the interdependent world of rapid change and growth in which we live. Mark explored the hype, hope, and opportunities ahead in the context of innovation, performance and value creation.

Lunch and Learn
Date: June, 2010

The lunch and learn speaker series occurs during the summer months.

* "Four Different Perspectives: Generations in the Workplace" Presented by Judy Clark, SPHR, CPC, Owner and President of HR Answers. The generations are different in so many ways, yet all collected in the same space – our workplace. While most recent studies have focused on how different the four generations are, there are also great similarities which when better understood, create the opportunity for highly productive and effective organizational results. This session will explore some of the differences, detail some of the commonalities, and provide some unique ideas about cross-generational relationships.

Career Services

The Willamette University MBA program incorporates social impact, ethics and environmental management into its career development initiatives.

• Willamette University MBA career development services complement the program’s ethics curriculum and integrates ethics within its programs and actions.

• Information regarding job and internship opportunities is accessible by all the students through the job board.

• Professional behavior is modeled and expected. Students are expected to be open and honest with employers in regard to their commitment towards a particular employment opportunity, and to be clear in communicating their ability or inability to meet the needs of the position.

• Ethics is a theme within company informational sessions. Employers share their ethical values with students, and students ask relevant questions that help them ensure their values are aligned with those of the employers.

• Mentors selected for the mentorship program are professional, experienced, successful and ethical people in the industry. Mentors provide professional guidance to the students and help them find jobs and internships; and in doing so, they familiarize the students with the ethical standards that are expected of them.

• The career services team helps build strong relations with organizations of all sectors; business, government and not-for-profit. They also have a strong relationship with the National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), the Metropolitan Hispanic Chamber, and the National Association of Women MBAs; all which aim at improving the diversity of the work force.

• Sustainability management is an integral part of the MBA curriculum and through the faculty members, the career services team reaches out to professionals and companies in the forefront of environmental stewardship. Some of the green companies who recently provided information

sessions included Portland Energy Conservation, Inc, Kettle Brand and Solar World.

Career Management program

The Career Management program works with students individually, in small groups, and as a large group through the required course GSM 508-PACE I. Students complete the DiSC and Career Leader assessments to help them better understand their values, interests, motivations and organizational cultural preferences.

Career Management programs include informational interviews where students must seek input from a variety of people, a mentorship program where students gain a valuable relationship with a practicing manager; seminars that discuss ethics in the job search and negotiation process; panels and speakers that discuss functions, companies, industries, and issues such as life-work balance, community service, and coaching people; site visits at regional companies; an annual leadership retreat for leaders of the professional organizations; and establishing a strategic career plan for internships and their post MBA professional position. During a recent career trek to Seattle, students had the opportunity to visit Theo Chocolate (the only Fair Trade, organic bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the U.S.) as well as Microsoft, Amazon and T-Mobile. Students have also visited government and not-for-profit organizations.

JD/MBA
Executive Development Center (EDC)
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 2
Contact Name: Anne Murray Allen
Contact Email: amallen@willamette.edu

The Executive Development Center prepare leaders to think holistically, act boldly and lead ethically in response to organizational and industry change. Programs provide an integrated, systems-oriented approach that helps managers see the whole system in which they operate (profits, people, planet) as complimentary parts of a unifying goal, collect better data, enable clearer decisions, ethical action and greater results. When all of these things are all working together, organizations and communities are truly prepared to ‘thrive into the future.

Programs with direct impact on environmental management, ethics and social responsibility include:

1) Sustainable Enterprise Certificate - the SEC program explores the interconnectedness of social well-being, financial success and environmental health. The program is presented in a way that integrates all areas of sustainability. This is done by focusing on the dynamics of complex systems, followed by a practical look at social systems and how the expansion of social well-being ties directly to economic and environmental well-being. Participants gain an understanding of sustainable business practices, an invigorating paradigm shift, and a refined ability to see challenges in their larger systems. Also includes webinars presented by leaders in the field of climate change, sustainability leadership and transformation.

2) Certificate in Career Management and Coaching: Applying Emotional Intelligence: Participants explore and practice skills critical in building effective, sustainable, and rewarding professional relationships, building trust in the workplace, using influence effectively and fostering cooperation and collaboration. .

3) Utility Management Certificate (UMC)—Rates, regulations and resources guide the decision making at gas, and electric utilities. The UMC program educates participants on management practices and how to apply them o the unique environment of a utility

4) Certificate in Public Management -- public and not-for-profit managers learn and apply the best practices of management to their jobs in government and not-for-profit organizations

Center for Sustainable Communities
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 3
Contact Name: Joe Bowersox
Contact Email: jbowerso@willamette.edu

The Center for Sustainable Communities reflects Willamette University’s commitment to fostering resilient, prosperous, and healthy communities that strike a sustainable balance between resource use, the needs of the environment, and the social, cultural,

Council on Diversity and Social Justice
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 1
Contact Name: Shelby Gould
Contact Email: sgould@willamette.edu

The purpose of the Council on Diversity and Social Justice (CDSJ) is to deepen the University's commitment to diversity across campus and in all schools. A student and staff representative from the Atkinson school serves on the Council each yaer.

The CDSJ works out of the President's Office and provides services through the following activities:

* Promote the centrality of diversity and social justice in the University mission statement and core activities;

* Create and support educational programs related to diversity and social justice;

* Fund and award grants that enhance diversity and social justice on campus;

* Promote a diverse faculty by assisting in developing effective recruitment and retention practices;

* Promote curricula that appropriately reflect diversity and social justice;

* Invite speakers--some for extended stay--to campus to discuss and debate issues related to diversity and social justice.

Center for Governance and Public Policy Research
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 1
Contact Name: Fred Thompson
Contact Email: fthompso@willamette.edu

Willamette University's Center for Governance and Public Policy Research (CGPPR) works to support the policy making process in the Northwest with high quality and timely research and analysis on topics pertaining to public policy issues. The Center is founded on the principle that collaboration and communication between the academic and policy-making communities can improve policy. In support of its mission, Center staff works with members of both communities to identify research questions, to provide support for public policy-oriented research by Willamette University faculty, and to disseminate the research results.

The Center performs policy-relevant research concerned with organizational governance and transformation issues, primarily those with a financial component. The center examines issues that have a direct influence on Oregon citizens.

In addition to publishing research, the Center sponsors conferences, seminars, and workshops. It emphasizes projects that involve interdisciplinary collaboration among Willamette University faculties in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Law, the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, and the School of Education; the Center also encourages collaboration with faculty at other universities. In support of the Willamette's educational mission, the Center aims to involve students in all stages of analysis and dissemination.

Atkinson Management Today

Atkinson Management Today (AMT) Online Journal is an online business journal written and produced by Willamette MBA students. AMT staff research top management techniques, trends, studies, and tips from the experts to bring practicing managers news they can use about a variety of important business topics. Recent articles include from spring 2010 included: The Greening of Corporate Oregon, Greenbuild 2009 - A Personal Odyssey of Where Green Meets Green, and What You Didn't Know About Your Colleagues

http://www.willamette.edu/agsm/amt/

International Graduate Students Association (IGSA)

IGSA promotes cross-cultural understanding among international and American students. IGSA provides new international students with collegial support as they adjust to a new culture and academic environment. IGSA also provides an ongoing forum to convey the special concerns of international students to the administration at Atkinson; works to foster an awareness of the Willamette MBA among institutions of higher learning, corporations and students in other countries; and sponsors the annual international dinner which has become a means to bring cultures together and celebrate them in one of the most attractive events of the year. All international and U.S. students are encouraged to participate in IGSA and to use its services as a resource.

International Breakfast is an event/exhibit where international students are encouraged to share their home country’s main dish and exhibit posters about their specific cultural traditions. This event is a bridge between all of the Atkinson community and global environment. By sharing flavors and showing pictures and symbols, students are communicating a way of understanding cultural differences, interactions and behaviors.

International Dinner provides a way to build bonds and break barriers of separation. By exchanging traditional clothes, guests are encouraged to share cultures, connect to others, and learn values of collective societies. By sharing food and cultural performances, this annual event is a way to build synergy and foster cross-cultural communication.

International Networking and Job Counseling events help international students understand how to overcome work challenges in US. IGSA invites professionals, consultants, international alumni of Atkinson to share their experiences of cultural and professional career barriers and challenges of adaptation with the students. A Career Trek with global firms is being planned for next academic year.

National Association for Women MBAs

NAWMBA Atkinson Chapter is an affiliated student chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs. This organization is dedicated to "empowering women MBAs and graduate women in business in order to propel more women into leadership positions in corporate America and to enhance the diversity of the nation's workforce." NAWMBA Atkinson Chapter promotes networking and business opportunities for men and women with MBAs and provides professional resources, networking, speakers, and social events.

Student Human Resource Management Association

Atkinson Graduate School of Management (AGSM), Student SHRM organization provides opportunities and information to the general student body through guest speakers and community service projects. Recent community service projects include working with local high school students on mock interviews to help them enter the workforce, and working with Habitat for Humanity.

Net Impact

Net Impact is a "global network of leaders who are changing the world through business." "It brings together MBA students, graduate students and young professionals to "network, learn and take action on socially-responsible business issues" and use their skills for social impact."

The Willamette chapter joins more than 260 other chapters from many of the world's leading graduate schools, and will provide a platform for students to immerse themselves in sustainability and service through projects, educational experiences and networking.

For fall 2010, Net Impact Atkinson Chapter focused on serving the local community while observing and gaining valuable business management skills. By volunteering at the local non-profit, Marion-Polk food share, chapter members learned constraints and challenges of running a non-profit organization. On the second service day, Net Impact was on different side of service at Marion-Polk Food share learning about the edible landscaping project by gardening and harvesting food. Net impact also invited the President of Marion-Polk food share to share his experience of challenges of non-profit management, sustainable businesses and the emerging hybrid business model. To build stronger contacts, Net impact visited Portland Chapter for a networking event and toured local wineries who utilize sustainable practices. The chapter president also participated in the Net Impact conference and the campus-wide Sustainability Council retreat.

 Resource- and institution-based approaches to biotechnology industry development in Malaysia
Author(s): Ahn, Mark

Abstract In this study, we use both resource-based and institution-based theories to examine potential sources of competitive advantage in the relatively new and rapidly growing biotechnology sector. We then use those theories as the basis for a multimethod study to assess the priorities, capabilities, and competitiveness of the emerging biotechnology industry in Malaysia. Multifunctional experts from a biotechnology industry organization in Malaysia identified the use of biotechnology for agriculture and biofuels as key country priorities, with access to funding and talent cited as key capabilities required for successful sector development. The gap between capabilities required and strategic priorities provides a “to do” list for industry development, with government institutions playing a central role in accelerating technology development and providing the capital flows necessary to bridge this gap. Implications include the need for public–private sector collaboration to enable biotech firms to efficiently obtain international investment and alliances to ensure sustainability, as well as to develop bold and creative approaches for developing and recruiting talent both at home and abroad.

Journal Title: Asia Pacific Journal of Management Volume: doi: 10.1007/s10490-009-9147-2 Edition: doi: 10.1007/s10490-009-9147-2 Page Numbers: doi: 10.1007/s10490-009-9147-2