Page Owner:  Richard L. Hannah, Professor of Economics
Middle Tennessee State University   rlhannah@frank.mtsu.edu
Fall 1999

The following answers were given by MBA students in response to a
test question given in Richard Hannah's managerial economics class in the
Fall of 1999.  The basis of the inquiry is two assigned readings
articles: Rosabeth Moss Kanter's "The New Managerial Work," and Ricardo
Semler's "Managing without Managers."  The inquiry posed is given in the
next paragraph.  The answers are numbered sequentially.  These are
provides because of their insights into student thinking about their MBA
program.  Editing has been minor, as these responses were via email and
simply cut and pasted.

Kanter and Semler present some rather radical ideas about the nature
of management in the production of goods and services.  After careful
consideration, choose the ideas from these authors that you think can be
applied in the context of higher education to the administration of the
MBA program, the structure of the MBA curriculum, and the conduct of the
learning process in MBA courses.  Describe why these ideas are
important and give specific examples of how they might apply.

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1.
Instead of the "The New Managerial Work," Kanter would write "The New
Professor" to describe his ideal concept of an MBA program.  Ultimately,
the structure and curriculum of MBAs will be the same as it stands today
at accredited business schools in America.  Thirty six hours of courses
in business with twelve hours of electives of the student's choice.  His
MBA program revolves around the new power and motivational tools to be
utilized by professors.

Kanter believes professors should teach across traditional boundaries.
For example, perhaps the finance professors could work with information
systems professors to demonstrate diversity to students.  According to
Kanter, professors would be "integrators and facilitators"(166).  Instead
of exams or projects, professors and students alike would simply discuss
various subjects.  By teaching cross-functionally, professors and
students will have a greater appreciation for one another.

Also, Kanter believes each individual (professor or student) should have
a mission.  This mission will guide professors through their curriculum
and students through the program.  Through agenda control, professors
will have more control over what they teach.  By giving students the gift
of learning new skills and applying these skills in new areas, they will
appreciate this more than the diploma itself.  The reputation of
particular universities will be a motivating factor to professors and
students will be more "employable" by their association with the
university.

On the other extreme, instead of "Managing Without Managers," Semler
would write "MBAs Without Professors."  Probably the most unconventional
MBA program would be designed by Semler.  Semler believes better MBA
candidates will result through democracy, profit sharing, and
information.

First, with the concept of democracy, student involvement is paramount.
With the concept of participatory management, each graduating class would
vote on their curriculum and professor.  These voting groups would
determine class meeting times and places.  Whether or not a student would
graduate would lie in the hands of the graduating class vote.  Second, to
motivate the professors, a profit sharing program would be intact.
Professors would earn around a 25 percent after-tax profit on each
department's tuition revenue.  This requires professors to recruit and
believe in their respective department's role in the MBA program.  Third,
all information will be shared.  Student and professor salaries will be
published in an annual report along with expenses in the MBA program.

2.
        The MTSU M.B.A. program can gain some value from the implementation
of a few ideas which come out of the works of Kanter and Semler.  First, the
administration of the M.B.A. program can work to help students build
external relationships.  Kanter suggests that the new manager needs to
challenge employees to cross departmental lines.  It would be
developmentally sound for M.B.A. students to participate in forums with law
students, graduate students in sociology, and students involved in other
graduate work.  Semler believed in participation at all levels by employees.
If the administrations views the students like Semler views his associates,
it is easy to draw the analogy that the students need to participate in the
marketing and design of the M.B.A. program.  Students can impress upon
faculty and the administration what information is valuable to them as it
applies to their current workplace and career goals.
        Second, the structure of the M.B.A. curriculum can be impacted with
ideas coming from Kanter and Semler.  Working in team formats is a good
example of an implementation of Kanter and Semler styles of management.
Students in the M.B.A. program need to be encouraged to participate as a
team on many projects.  Working as a team is more in line with current job
expectations than working individually.  Kanter suggests that employees gain
valuable negotiating skills as they learn to work with different groups.
Selmer goes into great detail in explaining the three types of groups
functioning in his style of management.  This same style of participation
could greatly impact the focus and intensity of the curriculum of the M.B.A.
program at MTSU.  Three circle groups would exist.  One group would be small
and consist of the dean of the program and the support staff.   This group
is considered the counselors.  They  are surrounded by a larger circle which
would include faculty, staff, and department chairpersons.  This group,
called the partners, also contains coordinators such as a coordinator of the
Economic Research Center of MTSU.  The partners and coordinators work to
implement the strategy decided upon by all participants.  The associates in
this set up are the students.  Students choose many areas of participation
based on relevance to their education needs and career goals.  By including
participation from all three circles, better products come out of the
system.  The product in this example is the curriculum of the M.B.A.
program.
        Third, Kanter and Semler give suggestions for management changes
which could help the way the learning process is conducted in M.B.A. courses
at MTSU.  According to Kanter, peer networks are very important in learning
and accomplishing goals.  Students in the M.B.A. program need to work with
other students as they strive to finish course work.  Outside projects,
socials encouraging student interaction, and an M.B.A. student association
are all specific examples of implementation of Kanter's ideas.
        Implementing Kanter's five new motivation tools for managers  would
be a great addition to the learning experience in the M.B.A. program.
Students need to associate with a mission.  Students with a mission tend to
be more focused on quality work output and take pride in the long-term
learning process.  Giving students agenda control  allows them to work at
home and at hours they are not working, since the majority of M.B.A.
students work full-time.  When students work together on successful
projects, they enjoy the  sharing of value creation.  Since the work is for
grades and not dollars, the reward is geared more at recognition in the
department.  A learning M.B.A. program encourages students to learn
systematically and to continue the long-term learning process.  Students
gain motivation from professors and other students spreading news about
their work reputation.  A reputation may aid the student in finding a new
career path or enhancing the track they are presently on.  Motivating
students to learn not for monetary reasons only is one job of the M.B.A.
program at MTSU.  Kanter's five tools of motivation fit nicely into the
goals of the program.
        Radical ideas on management can bring practical changes to everyday
life.  The two articles written by Kanter and Semler give many reasons for
management change to occur.  Participation drives better results.  Finding
new ways to motivate people is a constant challenge for managers.  The
practical suggestions made here are only a few of the possibilities for
enhancement of the MTSU M.B.A. program.

3.
The ideas expressed in Kanter’s and Semler’s articles are very valid
however, their methodology, especially Semler’s, whose ideas I am focusing
on, are not necessarily applicable to the MBA program at MTSU (or any public
tax-supported collegiate institution). They are applicable for an institution or
business that is operating on a bottom-line emphasis. The goal, at least how I
think it should be, for the MTSU MBA program is to properly instruct and prepare
its MBA students for the business world. Were MTSU at the top level of the
decision-making on how the MBA program should be run, several tenets of the 
Semler text could be applied, such as removing the 
Doctor-Professor-Teacher hierarchy and tenure system and subsequent flattening 
of the intellectual hierarchy, the allowing of students to basically have
an all-elective curriculum wherein they are allowed to pick the 12 courses of 
their choice and interest, and the institution of a no-grade policy
wherein the students are trusted to do their work and studying
voluntarily and get as much as they can out of their courses, with no concern 
given to having them prove that they have indeed learned something.

Unfortunately, as promising as those ideas sound, the way our upper-level 
education is designed does not allow for these decisions to be made at the
university-level.  MTSU must report to the Tennessee Board of Regents and 
meet the qualifications required to be considered an accredited
university. We also are in direct competition with other collegiate 
institutions and must have our programs on a par level with them in order
to attract students. I would personally love to be able to choose what 
classes I wanted to form my own personalized MBA curriculum. However, this
is not possible because there are some students who would choose classes which
would not qualify them to consider themselves an MBA-caliber graduate in 
whatever field they declared. This in turn would reflect on the university
as not having the ability to properly prepare its students and any degrees 
earned from the university would hold no credit when the students were
searching for employment. The same applies to the grading situation. If all 
classes went to a no-grade policy, and responsibility was turned over to
the students to learn everything they could basically of their own free will, 
how many would actually learn enough from their courses to achieve what is
now classified as an‘ A’ or‘ B’ level education? With 
those types of‘ requirements’, anybody could get an MBA
designation, and the designation itself would become meaningless. In all
likelihood, another designation would appear above it which would require 
grades and a set curriculum and then the MBA designation would be
meaningless anyway.

As for the changes to the hierarchy of instructors, once again, this would 
require a radical change in the overall structure of the collegiate-level
ruling bodies. I do not believe there will ever be a day when there are no 
concessions made to those instructors who go on to achieve the professor or 
doctor designations. If they were viewed on an even keel with those
instructors who had not achieved these designations, what incentive would 
there be to go and work for them? None. Those universities that did reward
the doctors and professors would attract them away from those universities 
that did not, and then the students would also migrate, as their degrees
and quality of education would be viewed with more favor and as being
more valuable. It seems to me, based on the little knowledge I possess of how 
the tenure system works, that those professors who have tenure are given a
little more flexibility and leeway as to how they teach their courses, which 
basically goes along with Semler’s and Kanter’s idea of
allowing employees to feel more in control of their own jobs and requirements. 
It would be nice to be able to say that all instructors at the university
were able to choose, design and implement their own courses as they saw fit, 
and that type of freedom would possibly attract many potential professors to 
the university. Unfortunately, the university does not answer to itself
alone on the test scores and quality of students it produces. It answers to 
the Board of Regents and to the accreditors, and ultimately it answers to
the community into which the students disperse.  Implementation of these 
ideas, the prospect of which would probably excite the lesser-motivated
students, would ultimately discredit the university as a proper
institution of higher learning, and taxpayers would no longer desire to 
waste tax money in its support.

5.
While Kanter and Semler's articles were quite different in a variety of
ways, I believe that they more or less agreed on some areas that can be vital
in today's workplace.  Their emphasis on teamwork was probably closest to
target when speaking of the MBA program.  It seems that 99% of companies are
now dependent on teamwork and the MBA program, I feel, properly prepares its
students for that.  While teams in our classrooms may be much smaller than
our future teams may be as working professionals, they are definitely an
adequate starting point in preparing us for future (or in some cases present)
employment.  This team work as an MBA student relates more to Semler's idea
that the teams will develop their own leader without one having to be elected
by a superior (or in this case, a professor).
    While Semler may have a good point or two, I have a hard time believing
that his laid back way of doing business would work in the MBA program or in
any company that I have come in contact with.  Give students flexible class
hours and they would never show up until test time.  Let them choose class
location and it would be at the hottest bar in town.  Share individual
students grades with their classmates as Semler did with salaries and you
will create a hostile environment to say the least!  So if these ideas would
not work in a classroom of well educated individuals, why would it work in a
workplace consisting of a variety of employees with various educational
backgrounds?
    I do believe that the traditional hierarchy is no longer the answer.  As
Kanter stated, all managers must be able to think cross functionally in
today's team oriented society.  I believe that the MBA program does an
excellent job of preparing its students for just this, as it provides a great
deal of knowledge in wide variety of areas.  One cannot survive the program
by having merely a great deal of expertise in the field of marketing
alone--there are accounting principles to fully grasp, computer courses to
tackle, and managerial leadership tactics to be learned.  The MBA program
seems to be organizing its structure in a way that reflects most companies.
As Kanter pointed out, effective managers are no longer watchdogs.  They are
now integrators and facilitators.  I think the same can be said about
students pursuing an MBA in today's age.

The two articles spoke on what is now becoming a new concept in
organizations.  Companies are becoming flatter and as the education level of
society increases they will continue on this path.  Many organizations are
giving subordinates the opportunities to convey ideas to management in hopes
of a beneficial effect on the success of the company as a whole.
        In the first article, The New Managerial Work, Kanter talks about
companies becoming leaner and less bureaucratic.  He then goes on to give
three examples of employees and how they are dealing with this new concept.
This method of management resembles, somewhat, the method used in our M.B.A
program here at M.T.S.U.  The M.B.A program is very autonomous in the way it
works.  In the past, a person had to deal face to face with teachers and
faculty to register for a class or pay fees.  Now you simply need a phone or
internet access to conduct such transactions.  This method also carries on
into the classroom where the class can at times become more of a discussion
than a lecture format.  This is due to the overall level of students in the
M.B.A program.  For the most part, each student brings a certain level of
work experience with them into the classroom.  This provides more real life
applications of the items covered in class.  This setting also gives the
teacher more time to interact without have to "manage" the classroom as
much.
        Kanter goes on to discuss the five tools for motivation. Each tool
listed in the article can definantly be applied to classroom setting. Listed 
below are the five areas along with how they apply:

Mission:
Each student should have a mission.  Kanter says "good leaders can inspire
others with the power and excitement of their vision and give people a sense
of purpose and pride in their work."  This is done each time a student
receives a good grade or encouragement from the teacher or fellow
classmates.

Agenda Control:
        Each time a professor gives a test or project, they are monitoring
the ability of the student.  Not always are they looking for a concrete,
right or wrong answer.  They sometimes want to make sure the concept is
understood.  Deriving the right answer is always a must, but it will never
occur if the concept is not learned.

Share of Value Creation:
        Each student knows the main incentive is a good grade.  This not
only reflects the current project of test, but also acts as a motivational
tool to encourage that student to study equal or more for the next
assignment.

Learning:
        Students in the M.B.A constantly look for new things to learn that
they can apply on their daily job.  As opposed to undergraduate work, the
majority of the students in the M.B.A program have full time jobs.

Reputation:
        This is one of the most important factors in the M.B.A program.  The
school itself constantly tries to advertise their reputation.  This not only
will bring in more students, but in turn it will make the degrees already
received more valuable.  The students themselves use the M.B.A program as a
chance to enhance their reputations in the workplace.

        Semler's article is similar, but goes into some of the reasons for
the success of his company.  Many things in this article can be related to
the M.B.A program.  Early in the article, Semler talks about "participatory
hot air."  From this, he goes on to speak on employee involvement.  This is
applied in the classroom each day.  Students need the opportunity to be
involved.   When a teacher decides to talk for two hours with no class
participation, the student gains nothing.  Students get more out of class as
the participation level increases.
        Semler also has a section titled "Hiring Adults."  He states the
important roles his employees play in the community, by electing government
officials, raising children, etc.  Semler's theory is, why should their
ability change when they enter their place of work.  This is a key to the M.B.A
program.  The students in the program have full time responsibility
outside of school, and should be expected to show that same responsibility
inside the classroom.  This is one of the reasons the teacher expects so
much.  This expectation should be viewed as a compliment, because the
teacher knows each student is capable of completing the assignments.
        He concludes his article by explaining that his employees can do
whatever they want.  This is the basis for any higher level of education.
Don't get me wrong,  students should have parameters.  They should also,
however, have the freedom to know what it takes to successfully complete the
program.  The teacher can assign whatever they want, but the student must
realize they are ultimately responsible for the choices they make.

6.
I considered Semler^Rs management technique to be the most radical.  Matter
of fact, I considered it to be extremely radical.  However, he made an
excellent point when he talked about their concept of hiring adults and
treating them like adults.  The idea makes perfect sense.  Adults make
decisions every day that affects their life and future.  It would seem then
that these same adults would be able to be responsible enough to do what^Rs
right on the job.  That concept is being practiced at MTSU in the MBA
program.  For example, you don^Rt take role in class.  If you do, I^Rm not
aware of it.  Also, in my other class, I^Rm not expected to turn in
^Shomework^T showing I read the assignment.  I was given the assignment to
read; therefore, it is assumed I am responsible enough to read it.  We
discuss the topics in class and if I haven^Rt read it, then my classparticipation
grade will suffer.

Another point made by Semler that is indicative of the MBA program is
hunting the woolly mammoth.  In this section he discussed how groups of 4 or
5 hunters would get together.  One would be the runner, one would do the
spearing, one would be the leader, etc.^E.  This happens in group project
settings that appear to be commonplace at MTSU.  I was a member of a group
that facilitated a conversation the other night.  The professor did not
point out a leader, a speaker, or a researcher.  We just naturally picked
ourselves to do the job we were best fitted for.  By letting this natural
progression take place instead of appointing positions, everyone in the
group was happy and our facilitation went off without a hitch.
A concept that most professors practice is transparency.  There are not
many secrets.  What is expected of you is known and results are returned in
a timely fashion.  The key word here is most.  Grades are not sugar coated
during the semester, which means the final grade is rarely a surprise.
The one section of the Kanter article I thought might be of some use around
MTSU is sources of motivation.  Even though it is no one^Rs job to motivate
students, I think it makes for a better environment all the way around if
they are motivated.  For example, how you can read my boring papers is a
mystery, and I consider myself motivated to do well.  Imagine reading a
paper from an unmotivated person.  The five topics covered under motivation
are important in making graduates out of students.

Let^Rs look at mission.  If a student feels like he^Rs on a mission and has
ownership in what he^Rs doing, then he should do well.  The article talks
about good leaders inspiring their subordinates and giving them a sense ofpurpose
and pride in their work.  Pride becomes an issue.  No one wants to
admit failing a class.

Second, there is agenda control.  The College of Business almost dictates
an agenda for each MBA student.  There is limited flexibility in what
courses one can take and still graduate.  This agenda gives students
direction and a feeling that they are contributing, and in charge of, their
future employability.

The share of value creation concept is already being practiced.  A student^R
s reward, their grade, is a direct result of them hitting their performance
targets.  Most professor^Rs also give a reward discussed here that is free
and abundant ^V recognition.

Learning is self-explanatory.  The opportunity to learn is an important
motivator.  When you consider that most of the graduate students are here to
learn, that makes this concept even more obvious.  We are all here to learn
more, to make us more marketable and add more security to our futures.
The last concept is reputation.  This concept can be divided into two
groups: MTSU^Rs reputation and the reputation of MBA graduates.  MTSU^Rs
Business College is accredited and their degree^Rs are accepted without
question.  MTSU has had an accredited Business College at least since 1990.
I remember because that^Rs when I came here.  Motivation can be increased by
knowing the reward, walking across the stage and receiving a diploma, is
ahead of us if we succeed.

6.
In reading the supplemental readings of Kanter and Semler, I found Kanter's
ideas to seem much more commonplace in comparison to the ideas of Semler.
In taking the ideas of Kanter and Semler and applying them to higher
education and the MBA program, I found the following ideas detailed below to
be the most applicable.

Kanter
Bases of Power - As corporations become leaner and flatter, many of the
traditional management positions are disappearing.  In light of this, MBA
programs should be geared more towards developing more well rounded
individuals.  Managers must be able to see the "big picture" and not just
get lost in their own departments needs.  Being able to see how everything 
fits together and what impact you have on other areas is very important.
More courses on communication and developing negotiation skills should be
offered.  Today's managers are having to communicate with more and more
people and negotiate or sell their ideas to others.  A greater emphasis
should be placed the  requirements in computer and analytical courses.  No
longer do managers have the luxury of a complete staff of people dedicated
to research and reporting.  Managers need to be able to find their own
information and develop their own reports.  Continued use of groups and
teams in the MBA program are a must.  This goes great lengths towards
teaching us how to work better with other people.  More emphasis should be
given to the course offerings on the topic of motivation.  Motivating
today's employees is not always the same as in the past.  You cannot always
offer promotions to people.  Due to flatter organizational structures, you
must grow and reward employees while maintaining their positions.

As for the administration of the University, much of the flatter
organizational structures that are developing today could be applied to the
University's organization.  Colleges are traditionally very hierarchical in
organizational structure.  Political motivations also play large roles in
the structure.  By flattening the organization, the degree of bureaucracy
and political power could be reduced.  This would be the result of reduced
level of perceived power associated with the different levels on the
organizational chart. Semler

Semco is a very unique company in comparison to virtually any other company
in the world.  While many of their ideas and practices seem reckless, it
truly shows what people are capable of when they are all motivated towards
achieving the same goal.  This motivation comes from empowerment and the
elimination of many of the layers of company.  This makes everyone feel more
compatible or equal to each other.

Semco's practice of allowing the promotion of an individual hinge on an
interview process with the future subordinates is a great idea.  Applying
this model to the promotion of a faculty member would be very beneficial.
Students and faculty members know which professors are good educators and
which ones would make good leaders.  The interviews and/or questionnaires
would also be good for faculty to use on the leaders of the university.
This would allow the faculty to feel more in control of what happens and
give them a voice in the affairs of the University.  The faculty (employees)
would have the feeling of ownership and being empowered to make things work
for the best of everyone.

Semco allowed the employees to make very large decisions such as where to
locate the new manufacturing facility.  This was even a hard one for the
management of Semco to swallow.  However, the management went with the
decision of the employees and the results were incredible.  This is due to
the employees being the owners of the decision.  They controlled their own
destiny and took responsibility for it.  Allowing students and faculty to
decide certain policies and operating procedures would increase moral and
enthusiasm for the school.  Currently the Phillips bookstore and several
offices on campus have very limited hours and service offerings.  This is
very obvious to students that commute from surrounding areas and are unable
to complete certain tasks without taking a day off from their jobs.  By
listening to the students (customers) the University could become much more
appealing. By doing this, students would be happier and would relay their
experience to others thinking about going to school.  This would increase
the positive word of mouth advertising for the school.

Profit sharing is another great idea for motivating employees and at the
same time encouraging them to work smarter and more efficiently.  When
employees know that they will receive a portion of the profits they will
make a greater effort to do things the best way possible.  This program also
weeds out sub-standard workers because good employees will not tolerate empl
oyees that hurt the company and ultimately their own pay check.  Finding a
profit sharing strategy for the University could go a long way towards
encouraging faculty to do their best job educating the students.  It would
also motivate staff members to make the school a very desirable place to
attend.  Being a state supported school, I am sure that this would be
extremely difficult to implement.

7.
Kanter and Semler emphasize how the structures of corporations,
organizations, or institutes need to be more flexible and team oriented to
accomplish their desired goals.  Corporations are moving away from the
hierarchy or pyramid structures.  Today's manager needs to be more of a
leader and motivate his subordinates. The employees or members need to take
the innovative and strive to make the organization successful.  It is each
employee's responsibility to motive his fellow peers.  Employees must realize
that their input is essential to the success of the organization. The
organization can accomplish any goal it establishes if the employees will
work together and tap into the different resources that each member possess.
Employees can learn from their fellow peers. The employees need to continue
to raise the goals and standards of the organization.

Administration of the MBA: The administration of the MBA program could work
closer with outside corporations.  Bring more executives into the program to
show the students how the theories and practices taught in the classroom are
applied in the business world. The students could see how certain business
policies and principles effect the business environment. Real life
experiences are an excellent learning tool. The structure of the MBA 
curriculum: The administration could give the
students more freedom in their class schedules.  Allow more independent
studies or more mini sessions, such as the ones given in the summer.  By
offering more mini sessions, such as in the fall or spring, students could
increase the number of classes they take during each semester.   This could
allow students to excel at their own pace.  Those students eager to graduate
could double up on classes (take 4 mini sessions a semester), while those who
are not can take the traditional route of 2 to 3 classes a semester.  Mini
sessions in the fall and spring would also allow professors the opportunity
to teach one course of 4 to 5 weeks and then take the other time in the
semester off to do more resource on their given fields.

Another change to the structure of the MBA program would be to have more core
courses combined.  Show the students how economics and finance, finance and
accounting, or accounting and marketing work together.  It could be a
cross-functional type of environment where the economic or finance professor
teaches one week and the accounting or marketing professor teaches the next.
The two would work together to take actual business experiences and show how
the different subjects are linked. Conduct of the learning process in the MBA
program: The administration could
develop a program where certain classes (finance, accounting, marketing, and
economics), of about 10 students each, work on a major project together.
This could give the students a simulation of how different departments in the
business world have to work together to achieve a goal.  Each week the
professors could throw different obstacles at the groups to see if they can
over come them.  The professors may pull students out of one group and place
them in another group to see how the groups adapt to the change.  These types
of changes would also force different individuals to be the leader at
different times.  Students will have to learn to negotiate with each other,
budget time and projects, and work as one team to succeed.  Either all groups
pass or all the groups fail.  An ultimatum like this normally motivates
students to do everything they can do to succeed.

Second scenario with the assistance of an outside corporation: Have 10-15
students work together with an outside corporation for a year or two to take
a product from the development stage to the launch stage.  The students would
have to do the market research, handle financing and accounting, forecast
economic demand, and manage the production trials.  It would be similar to an
internship, but the students are solely responsible for the product.  The
student's grade for all core curriculum classes would be based on how they
were able to meet the deadlines that were established prior to the beginning
of the program.  If successful, the corporation has the option of hiring the
students full time.  The corporation would get young minds eager to learn and share
ideas, while the students get a valuable learning experience.

8.
After reading the Kanter and Semler articles, I have a greater understanding
of the reasons that started the "postenterpreneurial" period in corporations
throughout the world.  At first, corporations were forced to cut out levels
of management in order to stay in business and remain competitive.  After
downsizing was underway, many individuals began to notice the benefits and
synergy's that were created by having fewer levels of management in an
organization.  For one, a more horizontal organization was created.  This
horizontal system helped improve relationships between peer groups throughout
organizations.

Some of the same principles from the article can be applied to the MBA
program at MTSU.  For instance, more classes could be offered that focus on
the entire business picture.  I know that "Business Policy" tries to
encompass all of the knowledge an MBA student has into one class, but by the
time the student reaches the class, it maybe too late.  Since I began the MBA
program, I have heard horror stories about the Policy class.  Students are
scared too death before ever enrolling. Administration could do a better job
structuring classes that combine
multiple topics.  Maybe offer a combination Marketing/Economics class that
focuses on the role marketing plays on determining demand of a particular
product or service.  I know that this sounds somewhat simple, but I think you
can see where I am going.

Focus group meetings between faculty and students would help the
teacher/student relationship.  Yea, this sounds good on paper, but how
practical would it actually be.  Would students participate on their own time
is the big question?  Try offering coffee and donuts as an extra insensitive
to participants and see what happens.

Administration could form liaisons with local corporations and have a group
of student's work in a team environment to solve a problem.  I have heard
that many higher learning institutions form such corporate partnerships.  It
is a win-win situation for everyone involved.  During my undergraduate
career, I participated in an internship with Eastman Chemical.  A project was
assigned at the beginning of the semester and you were given the entire
semester to complete it.  Status meetings were conducted monthly with Eastman
to feedback any concerns and ask any questions one might have.

9.
    I agree with both Kanter and Semler that management is changing in
American companies.  I have seen some of the changes take place in front of
my eyes.  When I came to Nashville Wire nearly 5 years ago the organization
was very hierarchical and not very flexible.  Today we are working towards a
team based environment, financial information has started being shared with
all levels and management is still trying to change.

    For a moment, I am going to be critical of the MBA program so far in my
experience.  While I understand the importance of having an overall view of
the organization and environment of business is the cornerstone of all MBA
programs, I have to wander if we may need more real life lessons.  (example:
Your question on demand for our companies product.)  Occasionally I feel
academia is somewhat removed from day to day business. 
I would like to see more management courses focused on team based
management.  We like to talk about this concept but never seem to go into
much detail.  I took the base management course a couple of semesters ago
and don't even remember discussing how to manage or operate in a team based
company.  Examples, I would use to illustrate this point are out of the
Kanter article.  How do you deal with subordinates that do not adapt to new
business practices.  How do you deal with the political nature of change
from hierarchical to team based in a real world setting.

    The other change I would take is from the Semler piece.  I really liked
how the manager in the piece (the counselor) tried to unify the
organization.  The current practice of having nearly isolated classes
doesn't lend itself well to the current business environment.  Let me
explain this one a little further.  The relationships of the functional
areas is one of the most important problems facing most businesses.  Yet in
the MBA program we spend only one class in a policy or overall perspective
environment.  I just don't feel this is enough to wrap up 6 years of college
and 4 years of business education.  Learning how to be "cross-functional" or
a councilor will not come easy in the current academic model.

9.
This is my first MBA class, and I am taking this class from the Smyrna
location.  In addition I have never been on MTSU's campus nor talked face to
face with any administration.  Therefore, my experience with the MBA program
and administration is very limited.

The Kanter article did not convince me that the new managerial workplace
could be beneficial to any organization.  Except that employees were
encouraged to think cross-functionally, and to view the business as a whole
and not just departmentally.  In application of cross-functional thinking in
the structure of the MBA curriculum, elective courses would be more diverse.
Generally, an MBA program is a broad understanding of the business field as a
whole.  However, using the radical view of the articles, classes that do not
pertain directly to business should be offered.  For example, a science, philosophy,
or geography classes could be offered as electives to produce an
even more well-rounded graduate student.  Non-business courses would help
students think about and appreciate other important issues than just how to
make a profit.

In regards to the administration of the MBA program, the "Hiring Adults"
concept from the Semler article could apply well.  Students seeking an MBA
are adults, and good portions of them have full/part time jobs and families.
Therefore, "giving employees (this case students) control over there own
lives" would help students balance their time when and how they desire.  For
example, MBA classes should be more flexible by offering more correspondence
classes like internet and video courses.  So students can work on their own
time, and this would allow them to use their own judgement.  A more flexible
class environment would not be ruled by specific time schedules.  Students
would be given a deadline and they decide when to work on an assignment, when
to study, and when to be tested.

Breaking up the classroom atmosphere into separate groups could aid in the
MBA learning process.  The groups would be given assignments and they must
rely on each other for the best solution.  With as little help from the
professor as possible, the groups would be forced to learn from each other
and rely on each other.  As noted in the Semler article, "put ten people
together, don't assign a leader, and you can be sure that a leader will
emerge."  The leader will hopefully help to keep the group on track and
possibly generate motivation.  In addition, let the class see the scores ofthe other
scores for comparison.  Teamwork is one of the best ways to help
students learn to deal with and get along with different types of people.
Even though I think these two articles are very extreme because there seemed
to be too much freedom and not enough control (coming from an auditor).
However, there are certain ideas that could be pulled out and utilized in
organizations that may be useful.

10.
I believe that one of the most important common
elements in both readings is ethics. Both discuss
various ethical responsiblities from management to
consumers to shareholders. Because it was important to
both writers, I believe that graduates should be
required to take Ethics, as taught in the Philosophy
department,as a  non-business elective. As a society
we that because we know what is right from wrong, we
mistakenly believe that we know the difference between
what is ethical and unethical. Yet, managers do this
which they belive are wrong but no unethical. For
example, it may be wrong to emit acceptable levels
toxic waste, but many managers do not believe that
such behavoir is unethical. By requiring a course in
ethics, I believe, as MBA graduates, we would have a
better understanding of what is unethical nad
unethical. Furthermore, in classes, such as
accounting, in which ethics are taught, we be better
prepared to discuss ethical issues.

One topic that repeatedly comes up in many of the readings required for the
MBA, and from actual experience in the workplace, is that ^Sresults^T are
what everyone is after.  In both, Semler and Kanter, they both say
essentially the same thing, times have changed and so must you.  From an
educational perspective, what is the reason for the existence of a
university?  To teach students.  Most students want to learn and most
professors want to teach.  All other resources in the university should be
used to achieve that objective. Democratic system ^V

A questionnaire should be sent to all MBA students to determine what
their educational needs are.  Items such as expectations of the MBA
program, types of instruction, types of classrooms, teaching style,
timing of classes, days for classes, locations for classes,
internet classes, home study, hours of the book store, etc. should
be addressed.

Peers and students of the professors should do professor evaluations.
The weight of the student evaluations would be significantly higher than
the weight of the professors^R peers, ex. 80% vs. 20% respectively.  The 
students should have a widerange of areas to evaluate the professor on, with 
one of the most important being how well the student felt the professor
taught the course.  Did the professor go above and beyond or did he/she mostly
just read from the textbook?  Was the class thought provoking?  Part of
the professor^Rs responsibility would be to bring real-world examples of 
material taught in the classroom.

The professors base salary should be a percentage, ex 60%, of the industry
norm with a large portion, ex. 40% based upon their performance appraisal
of the students and peers.  By applying this methodology, professors that 
have lost the passion for teaching and are no longer effective will be
penalized, while the professors that are very zealous about teaching and 
effective will be rewarded. Sharing best practices ^V professors could
share best teaching practices with each other.  Incentives other than money 
could be used to motivate professors to share best practices, such as
recognition in the local paper for coming up with original teaching ideas or 
peer recognition in trade journals.

Team involvement ^V Since the intent of most MBA students is to learn
business, why not have a joint venture between the students and the
professors in the opening and running of an actual business?  The
professors^R would serve as a committee to point out overlooked items and
guide students in making business decisions.  All profits of the business
would go into a pool, which would be used to absorb losses of failed
businesses and to open new ones.

Many MBA students that are interested in the corporate world may feel that
running a small business is not appealing to them.   Running a small
business would provide instantaneous feedback to the student regarding
business decisions.  Additionally, according to both authors, the corporate
world needs to be more responsive to market dynamics than ever before.  The
market place rapidly changes to meet the demand of consumers.  It would be
good experience for students to see the theories applied to a real world
situation.

Teaching methods ^V Structured or unstructured?  As Semmler said, ^Swho
cares^T?  As long as the results are there, who cares how you get there?
The evaluations will let management know if the professor is an effective
teacher or not.  This type of results-oriented thinking goes beyond
themarketplace.  I recently learned that many churches are changing their
traditional format to appeal to a wider customer base.  The main objective
of the teacher should be to effectively teach the students.

Organizational Structure ^V the professors should be self-governing, with a
small administrative support staff.  The evaluations that were conducted
would be used to establish the most effective professors and they would
serve as leaders of their peers.  All professors would have an equal vote
on matters, with the leaders serving as role models. The bottom line is that all
organizations are going through rapid changes.

The organizational structures are becoming flatter are the organizations
are much leaner than ever before.  This same type of thinking needs to
occur in the educational arena as well.  Too often, red tape and
bureaucracy interfere with the real objective of the university, which is
teaching the students.