Knowledge Network: Podcasts

Closing the Services Gap

jamesd — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:23:51 +0000

Services companies struggling to close the gap between their customers’ expectations and perceived experiences need to look at four areas where blunders occur, Thunderbird Professor Sundaresan Ram, Ph.D., said June 30. “If perceptions exactly match expectations, then the gap is zero, and you have an ideal service,” Ram said. “The problem is, expectations can be a moving target.” Ram said the Services Gap Model points to four crucial points in the process where companies can gain or lose ground. The first is the expectations gap, which occurs when customers arrive with unrealistic expectations. The second is the knowledge gap, which occurs when people designing the service do not know what their customers want. The third is the design gap, which occurs when a services company designs the wrong thing. The fourth is the delivery gap, which occurs when a services provider fails to deliver a service as promised. “I do not know any services organization where the gap is zero,” Ram said. “But if we can get it as close to zero as possible, then we have done a good job.” His comments came during a Thunderbird staff meeting, where Ram presented research on ways to improve customer service perceptions among students and other stakeholders at Thunderbird. | Podcast: Services Gap Model (30:24)

Start with your weakest link to fix service delivery

jamesd — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:24:12 +0000

Any customer service organization is only as good as its weakest employee, Thunderbird Professor Sundaresan Ram, Ph.D., said June 30 at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. “People who deal with others one-one-one create your brand,” said Ram, an associate professor of global marketing. “If the person does not belong in the front line dealing with customers, move him to the back office.” Ram said effective service delivery hinges on four components: 1. Hiring the right people, 2. Motivating them (through competitive pay and other perks, such as flexible hours.), 3. Training them, and 4. Consulting them. “Service delivery is always done in real time, in the face of the customer,” Ram said. “There is no room for error.” The comments came during a Thunderbird staff meeting, where Ram presented research on ways to improve customer service perceptions among students and other stakeholders at Thunderbird. | Podcast: Four Keys to Effective Customer Service Delivery (4:30)

Fastest way to build your brand

jamesd — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:26:16 +0000

The fastest way for any customer service organization to build its brand is to admit a problem and then fix it, Thunderbird Professor Sundaresan Ram, Ph.D., said June 30 at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. “We should not be afraid to say we are having problems,” said Ram, an associate professor of global marketing. “There is no service business without a problem.” He said businesses that disappoint their customers and then recover actually create stronger brand loyalty than businesses that keep their customers happy from the beginning. “The customer sees that you really care,” Ram said. “Service recovery is the fastest way to build your brand.” However, companies should not get into the habit of messing up. “Even the most disloyal customer will forgive you once,” Ram said. “The second time it happens, you have problems.” The comments came during a Thunderbird staff meeting, where Ram presented research on ways to improve customer service perceptions among students and Thunderbird Corporate Learning clients. | Podcast: Turning Your Weaknesses into Strengths (1:19)

Finding innovation at the interface between business and nonprofit

jamesd — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:13:21 +0000

Leaders with big ideas to change the world face a tough choice early in their careers. Or at least they think they do. If they want to make money and help themselves, they must choose the business sector. If they want to improve the planet and help others, they must choose the social sector. Historically, the paths do not cross. But lately the line between for-profit and not-for-profit has blurred. New cooperation and competition at the interface between the sectors has led to fascinating solutions to complex global problems at the base of the pyramid. Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., discusses the trend April 29, 2010, during the second annual American Express Emerging Social Sector Leadership Program developed at Thunderbird. Audio: Innovation at the Interface (20:20)

Thunderbird BRIC Series: India’s Promise and Pitfalls

jamesd — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:23:57 +0000

One Thunderbird professor makes the case for doing business in India, while a colleague does his best to prove the rosy projections wrong during a Thunderbird Executive MBA forum May 20 in Glendale, Arizona. The two Ph.D. professors, Kishore Dash and Sundaresan Ram, assumed the roles of optimist and pessimist during the first installment of a four-part BRIC series organized by Thunderbird Executive MBA faculty and staff. Audio: India’s Promise and Pitfalls (37:54)

New frontiers in emerging markets

jamesd — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:25:02 +0000

The world is in the midst of a massive economic shift led by China, India and other emerging economies, Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., said May 19, 2010, at Business Beyond Our Borders, a forum presented by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Cabrera said entrepreneurs with a global mindset will seize opportunities as they adapt to the new landscape, while others who cling to old business models will be left behind. Audio: New frontiers in emerging markets (24:06)

Canadian entrepreneur plans next moves after sushi success

jamesd — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:09:48 +0000

Canadian entrepreneur Ken Valvur never tasted sushi until he arrived at Thunderbird in 1987 and decided to learn Japanese to boost his international career. “On pure commercial grounds, I picked Japanese,” says the Thunderbird graduate. The decision has paid off for Valvur, who eventually returned from an expatriate assignment in Tokyo with the inspiration for Bento Nouveau. The company, which Valvur founded in 1996, sells more than 10 million servings of sushi per year in Canada and parts of New York. Valvur sold control of the enterprise to a private equity group in 2007 and is now exploring other ventures, including a possible saké brewery in Ontario. Audio: Betting on sushi (12:16)

Why the world needs more Goldman Sachs

jamesd — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:46:23 +0000

Rather than destroy Goldman Sachs, over-regulate them or view them as the source of the global financial meltdown, the more rational approach would be to create an environment in the United States that rewards financial services innovation and develops more companies like Goldman Sachs. Thunderbird Professor F. John Mathis, Ph.D., says U.S.-based competition at the top of the investment banking pyramid would benefit the United States and help create sustainable prosperity worldwide. Mathis, director of Thunderbird’s Global Financial Services Center, talks April 26, 2010, in a campus interview in Glendale, Arizona. Audio: Why the world needs more Goldman Sachs (5:47)

Straight talk on Goldman Sachs fraud allegations

jamesd — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:35:59 +0000

Confused about the fraud allegations against Goldman Sachs? Thunderbird Professor F. John Mathis, Ph.D., reviews the allegations and puts them into perspective April 26, 2010. Mathis, director of Thunderbird’s Global Financial Services Center, says the notion that Goldman Sachs deceived investors stems from misunderstandings about the bank’s duties as a market maker in the financial services industry. Audio: Straight talk on Goldman Sachs allegations (7:40)

Don’t blame Goldman Sachs: What really went wrong

jamesd — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:18:12 +0000

Critics anxious to blame Goldman Sachs as a key player in the recent financial crisis should point the finger elsewhere, Thunderbird Professor F. John Mathis, Ph.D., said April 26, 2010. Mathis, director of Thunderbird’s Global Financial Services Center, said the real problem was the failure of central banks to manage excess liquidity in global markets from 2003 to 2007. In this interview, he discusses lessons learned from the crisis and keys to avoid a similar meltdown in the future. Audio: What really went wrong (6:49)

Global Citizenship at PepsiCo in Asia, Middle East and Africa

jamesd — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:13:26 +0000

Corporate leaders who put short-term profits ahead of global citizenship lose in the end, Thunderbird graduate Saad Abdul-Latif said during a campus visit March 16, 2010. The CEO of PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle East and Africa Division said the key to sustainable prosperity is to reach out to local communities and find ways to make the world a better place. In this podcast, he talks about corporate social responsibility and explains why access to education and women’s empowerment are top priorities in his own social agenda. Podcast: Global Citizenship at PepsiCo in Asia, Middle East and Africa (7:54)

Global Mindset Lessons from PepsiCo executive Saad Abdul-Latif

jamesd — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:24:14 +0000

Thunderbird graduate Saad Abdul-Latif says a global mindset has helped propel him to the top of PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle East and Africa Division. He says managers sometimes succeed at home but stumble when their companies send them overseas because they overlook cultural differences and fail to develop a global mindset. Abdul-Latif talks March 16, 2010, about the development of his own global mindset and ways that PepsiCo adjusts in different markets. Podcast: Global Mindset Lessons from PepsiCo (6:32)

From Palestinian Childhood to PepsiCo ‘C Suite’

jamesd — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:27:05 +0000

Saad Abdul-Latif calls himself “a guy from the neighborhood.” The 1981 Thunderbird graduate grew up in East Jerusalem surrounded by poverty and violence. His Palestinian family was displaced after the Six-Day War in 1967, and he had little exposure to the outside world. The first time he stepped on a plane was after high school, when he flew to Lebanon to start college. Today, Abdul-Latif travels the world as CEO of PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle East and Africa Division. He talks about his path to the “C Suite” during a Thunderbird visit on March 16, 2010. Podcast: From Palestine to PepsiCo “C Suite” (10:45)

Arabic instructor finds peace after discrimination, violence in Iraq

jamesd — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:08:32 +0000

Thunderbird Arabic instructor Firdos Jawad, Ph.D., survived gender discrimination, political persecution and even gunshot wounds in Iraq. After attempts to resettle in Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, she and her family eventually came to the United States. Dr. Jawad says her first “breath of peace” came on May 13, 2009, when she arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. | Podcast: Breathing Peace (9:07)

Climate change creates four areas of opportunity

jamesd — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:31 +0000

Politicians can set environmental policy and create incentives for sustainable business practices, but the innovations necessary for a low-carbon economy will come from entrepreneurs in the private sector, Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., said Nov. 6 in Macau. “Politicians are not very good at innovating,” Cabrera told an international audience at the Thunderbird School of Global Management alumni reunion. “It would be a mistake to expect them to try to choose the winning technologies.” | Blog: Read Dr. Cabrera’s blog on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network | Video: Entrepreneurs, not politicians (1:49) | Video: Thunderbird Oath of Honor explained in Macau (1:50) | Video: Thunderbird foreign language policy explained in Macau (2:45) | Podcast: Four areas of opportunity for entrepreneurs (8:51)

Questions that financial journalists should have asked

jamesd — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:29:46 +0000

Business journalists asked the wrong questions in the months leading up to the global financial crisis, Fast Company magazine co-founder Alan Webber said Nov. 3 at Thunderbird during a visit to promote his new book, Rules of Thumb. “If you ask the wrong questions, you get the wrong answers,” he said. “If all you worry about is who can make the most money the fastest and become the biggest celebrity, they did a great job.” Instead, Webber said business journalists should have taken a step back and asked bigger questions.
Podcast: Thunderbird student Janet El-Saad interviews Webber (9:51)

Why China has fared well in global financial crisis

jamesd — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:52:17 +0000

Thunderbird Professor Roe Goddard, Ph.D., sat down this month with Thunderbird Knowledge Network reporter Darien Carroll and discussed China’s emergence from the global financial crisis. Goddard teaches a course on the regional business environment of Asia, and he follows China closely. Overall, he has made 49 trips to the country. His most recent visit was Oct. 19-25 with 23 students in Thunderbird’s On-Demand Global MBA program. Watch highlights of the Goddard interview in the following videos, or listen to a podcast of the entire conversation. | Video: Why China Fared Well in Global Financial Crisis (3:28) | Video: No surprises from China (3:32) | Video: Thunderbird On-Demand in China (2:35) | Podcast: Full Goddard conversation (9:58)

Seven views on cross-cultural communication and the COI

jamesd — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:09:30 +0000

Thunderbird professors Denis Leclerc, Ph.D., and Karen Walch, Ph.D., enjoy watching students in their cross-cultural communication classes learn to thrive in diverse work environments. “The students realize that sometimes the issues they have in teams are not due to personalities but actually due to cultural misunderstandings and miscommunication,” Leclerc says. In this podcast, recorded July 16, 2009, Leclerc and Walch talk about the Cultural Orientation Indicator (COI), a self-assessment tool Thunderbird uses to help its students and corporate clients understand their own cultural preferences and the preferences of others. The professors are joined by five Thunderbird students from Italy and India, who talk about their own adventures in cross-cultural communication. Audio: Seven views on cross-cultural communication and the COI (15:25)

‘Less bad is the new good’ with U.S. GDP numbers

jamesd — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:45:02 +0000

Gross domestic product numbers in the United States were bad but not horrible in the second quarter of 2009, and Thunderbird Professor F. John Mathis calls that good news. “All these things really reflect a slowdown in the deterioration of the U.S. economy,” Mathis said. “So that’s good.” He said the U.S. economy may see positive numbers in consumer spending, exports and business investment by the end of the year. “We may actually get some positive numbes next quarter,” he said. Mathis spoke July 31, 2009, on Financial News Radio’s “Business for Breakfast” with Ken Morgan and Julie Dougherty (KFNN 1510 AM in Phoenix).
Audio: Mathis breaks down the second-quarter 2009 U.S. GDP numbers (7:07)

Perspective on election fallout in Iran

jamesd — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:15:43 +0000

More than 70 percent of Iran’s population is under 30 and social media savvy. Thunderbird Professor Paul Kinsinger says this makes technology the worst enemy for Iran’s hard-line leadership, which has attempted to block cell phone and social media use to quell protests over alleged election fraud. Kinsinger talked June 15, 2009, with Phoenix reporter Jim Cross on KTAR (620 AM) about this and other topics.
Article: America’s stake in Iran, by Paul Kinsinger
Audio 1: Kinsinger on potential spillover from Iran and the influence of social media (1:47)
Audio 2: Kinsinger talks June 22, 2009, with “Horizon” host Ted Simons (10:52)

Time for MBA schools to rethink ethics education

jamesd — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:46:28 +0000

Business schools leery of teaching MBA students the difference between right and wrong need to rethink their approach to ethics education, Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., said June 17, 2009, at a global conference in Phoenix. “Not only is it OK for us to tell future managers what is right and wrong, it is an absolute duty of ours,” said Cabrera, who received a standing ovation after his keynote address at the MBA Career Services Council annual meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.
Audio: Listen to the full keynote address (30:18)

The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business

jamesd — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:04:37 +0000

Whether it’s a standoffish coworker or an arrogant boss, incivility at the office doesn’t just affect the moods of a few employees. It hurts an entire company. Thunderbird Professor Christine Pearson and co-author Christine Porath provide a decade of research that shows how — and what you can do about it — in their new book, The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It (Portfolio Hardcover, July 2009). Pearson talks about the book May 15 at Thunderbird.
Audio 1: Research origins: From workplace homicide to incivility (02:27)
Audio 2: Incivility defined: What it looks like (04:22)
Audio 3: Incivility costs: How it hurts your business (02:17)
Audio 4: Habitual incivility: Beware of repeat offenders (02:21)
Audio 5: Coping with incivility: What to do about it (03:11)

Coca-Cola’s Neville Isdell calls for connected capitalism

jamesd — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:49:15 +0000

The troubled world of global business needs an updated version of capitalism that bridges the gap between fiscal and social responsibility, recently retired Coca-Cola chairman and CEO Neville Isdell told Thunderbird graduates May 1 in Glendale, Ariz. “We need leaders who will help update capitalism for the challenges the world faces today,” Isdell said. Audio: Neville Isdell’s commencement address at Thunderbird (14:47)

Professor shares insights on violence in Mexico

jamesd — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:23:22 +0000

What does violence in Mexico mean for tourists and global managers doing business in the country? What about stories of rogue taxi drivers who take foreigners to remote locations and extort money? Thunderbird Professor Roy C. Nelson, author of the new book, “Harnessing Globalization: The Promotion of Nontraditional Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America,” offers his insights April 23, 2009, during an interview on the Pat McMahon Show on AZTV (Channel 7) in Phoenix.
Audio: Roy C. Nelson on the Pat McMahon Show (14:08)

Marketing versus Finance: Reconcilable Differences

jamesd — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:59:46 +0000

Marketers and finance professionals have a “famously fractious relationship” that sometimes resembles a sibling rivalry, Thunderbird Professor Richard Ettenson, Ph.D., told representatives of both sides April 21 at the Advertising Financial Management Conference hosted by the Association of National Advertisers in Phoenix. The tension that results may seem irreconcilable, but Ettenson said marketers can get the chief financial officer on their side when they learn to articulate a business case for their activities. Learn more in the June 2007 issue of Harvard Business Review. Audio: Tea and Toyotas: Real Payoffs of Marketing (8:31)

Philanthrocapitalism: How the Rich Can Save the World

jamesd — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:23:40 +0000

Billionaire Warren Buffett stood in the New York Public Library in June 2006 and announced plans to give away most of his wealth. Matthew Bishop, chief business writer for The Economist, left the library with the idea for his new book, “Philanthrocapitalism: How the Rich Can Save the World.” He spoke March 6 at Thunderbird about the challenges of giving away money with maximum impact. Audio: Bishop on “Philanthrocapitalism” (13:45)

Avnet drives profits through employee engagement

jamesd — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:04:22 +0000

Profitable growth starts with employee engagement, Avnet Chairman and CEO Roy Vallee said March 19, 2009, at Thunderbird School of Global Management. He describes the “service value chain” that has become a primary focus at the Fortune 500 company based in Phoenix. “Engaged employees plus loyal customers equals profitable growth,” he says.
Audio: Roy Vallee on employee engagement (15:35)

Realities, past and present, of global oil

jamesd — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:35:31 +0000

Thunderbird Professor Michael Moffett, Ph.D., works closely with oil and gas industry leaders as the academic director for Thunderbird’s various International Consortia programs. “The expertise involved in the industry globally is absolutely amazing,” Moffett said March 6 during a special homecoming presentation. “And they’re pouring money constantly into further research and development.” Moffett updated alumni on five issues affecting the industry: complex global value chains, countries reaching peak production, the increasing difficulty of development, price volatility and alternative sources of energy. Audio: Five issues affecting global oil (17:34)

Fluor CEO tackles corruption through global initiative

jamesd — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:08:20 +0000

Ethical companies face disadvantages when competitors pay bribes and engage in bid rigging. Alan Boeckmann, chairman and CEO of Fluor Corp., watched the corruption in the engineering construction industry and decided to do something about it through the World Economic Forum. He talks Feb. 26, 2009, about the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative.
Audio: Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (06:19)

From corruption to ethics at IHS

jamesd — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:10:50 +0000

Jerre Stead got a call on Thanksgiving eight years ago. He was serving on the board of a large holding company that owned IHS, a Denver-based information solutions provider. Something was wrong at IHS, and Stead was asked to investigate. What he found was a culture of corruption that started at the top of the comany. What began as a two-day inquiry turned into an eight-year project for Stead, who is now chairman and CEO of the company that went public on Nov. 11, 2005. Stead talked Feb. 24, 2009, at Thunderbird about the process of bringing values-based leadership to IHS. Audio: Jerre Stead on values based leadership (14:27)

Humanize your selling strategy to win

jamesd — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:23:58 +0000

“Swim with the Sharks” author and syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay built a multimillion dollar envelope company in Minnesota by learning people’s names and humanizing his selling strategy, the entrepreneur says Feb. 17, 2009, at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Part of the strategy includes a 66-question customer profile for every client.
Audio: Win with 66-question customer profile (15:45)

Saving world heritage sites through cultural tourism

jamesd — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:56:54 +0000

The ruins of great civilizations often are found in some of the poorest nations of the world. Jeff Morgan, executive director of the Global Heritage Fund, works in places such as Laos, India and Guatamala to preserve these sites. He speaks Feb. 12 at Thunderbird about blending cultural tourism with development.
Full length: Creating cultural windows into history (29:37)
Condensed: Guatamalan project avoids Mexico’s mistakes (03:28)

Microfinance pioneer defends commercial model in Mexico

jamesd — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:10:53 +0000

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and others accuse Carlos Danel of exploiting low-income families in Mexico by using a commercial microfinance model at Compartamos Banco. Danel defends the commercial model Feb. 10 at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Full length: Serving clients and shareholders together (28:40)
Condensed: Reality check for microfinance banks (00:40)

Feeling stressed? Try these crisis management tips

jamesd — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:34:27 +0000

Business managers and others dealing with stress during the economic downturn need to stop and take a deep breath. “You can have a sense of paralysis because the anxiety is so high,” Thunderbird Professor Christine Pearson, Ph.D., says during a roundtable discussion Feb. 5 that included input from two other Thunderbird professors and several students.
Audio: Dealing with workplace stress and incivility (09:08)

The power of optimism in a world turned upside down

jamesd — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:12:18 +0000

Thunderbird Professor Karen Walch, Ph.D., remains optimistic about the future despite a global recession that has turned the world upside down. The cross-cultural negotiation and brain science expert says the world is on the edge of a new frontier. “The new frontier is exploring what we can do with our minds,” she says Feb. 5 during a faculty roundtable discussion.
Audio: Exploring the new frontier of the mind (05:31)

Beware of protectionism as Asia falters

jamesd — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:22:23 +0000

For awhile, some economists thought that Asia would survive the global recession and come to the rescue of the West. Thunderbird Professor Roe Goddard, Ph.D., says Feb. 5 during a faculty roundtable discussion that that was wishful thinking. The challenge now is to avoid a knee-jerk reaction in the U.S. and Europe toward protectionism.
Audio: Unrest in China as unemployment rates soar (06:52)

Private equity’s new world: 2008 conference highlights

jamesd — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:04:36 +0000

Private equity industry leaders gathered April 3-4, 2008, at Thunderbird for the fourth annual Global Private Equity Investing Conference. Susan Boedy, a 2002 Thunderbird graduate and director of the Thunderbird Global Private Equity Center, discusses conference highlights, which are featured in the November/ December 2008 issue of Thunderbird International Business Review. Audio: Private Equity’s New World (1:39)

Bankers fail to grasp complexities of globalization

jamesd — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:04:37 +0000

Business leaders can no longer pretend to be working in a fragmented world, the president of Inter-American Development Bank tells Thunderbird graduates Dec. 12. “Every decision you make as a corporate executive, a government official or even as a consumer in the grocery store has a connection in the broader world,” says Luis Alberto Moreno, a 1977 Thunderbird graduate.
Audio: Increased power comes with globalization (14:29)

J.P. Morgan executive on sustainable value creation

jamesd — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:01:41 +0000

As managing director of J.P. Morgan’s private banking operations in the Middle East, Steve Klemme spends time with many ultra-high-net-worth families. Klemme, a 1985 Thunderbird graduate who lives and works in Geneva, says corporate leaders can learn lessons from these families about sustaining wealth in turbulant times and passing it on to future generations.
Audio: Steve Klemme on the global recession (04:46)

Pioneer businesswoman discusses leadership, ethics

jamesd — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:05:38 +0000

When Marilyn Carlson Nelson got her first job as a securities analyst, her boss asked her to sign her name “M.C. Nelson” to disguise her gender. Women have come a long way since then. Nelson talks Oct. 30, 2008, about her personal journey and her philosophy as chairman and former CEO of Carlson Companies.
Full length: How we lead matters (28:24)
Condensed: Fighting gender barriers (2:30)

Lessons from Tyco for today’s financial crisis

jamesd — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:20:23 +0000

Consultant Eric Pillmore, who helped engineer Tyco’s turnaround as the company’s senior vice president of corporate governance, shares lessons learned from the Wall Street scanals of 2002. Pillmore spoke Oct. 28, 2008, at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Full length: Lessons from Tyco for today’s financial crisis (16:25)
Condensed: Are you willing to lose your job? (4:40)

Accelerating growth in a high-tech company

jamesd — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:24:57 +0000

Bob Cremin, chairman, president and CEO of defense contractor Esterline Technologies, talks Sept. 25, 2008, at Thunderbird School of Global Management about streamlining operations, boosting stock values, empowering employees and “doing the right thing.”
Full length: Accelerating growth in a high-tech company (29:37)
Condensed: Empowering employees (4:57)

The science behind global mindset

jamesd — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:44:15 +0000

Some business leaders excel when their companies send them overseas to do business in foreign environments. Others flop. Thunderbird Professor Mansour Javidan, Ph.D., decided to find out why. The result was the Global Mindset Inventory, a scientific instrument that measures a person’s capacity to influence people from different cultural backgrounds.
Audio: What makes a global leader special? (2:17)

Steve Forbes shares 5 keys for stimulating innovation

jamesd — Sat, 03 May 2008 04:33:04 +0000

Thunderbird commencement speaker Steve Forbes outlines five keys for stimulating innovation and economic growth. These include: 1. Applying the rule of law, 2. Stabilizing money, 3. Lowering taxes, 4. Removing barriers that hinder enterprise, and 5. Developing a hobby. Forbes delivers the keynote address May 2 in Glendale, Ariz.
Audio: Steve Forbes gives advice to graduates (18:54)