Management & Operations faculty focus on three important areas: the design and delivery of innovative and action-oriented curricula that develop students into ethical global leaders; the involvement in and publication of high-level, impactful scholarship that is recognized in the top research and applied journals in the world; and the support of the students, college, and other stakeholders through meaningful service and leadership roles.
Thought Leadership
VSB Management & Operations faculty publish in journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Organization Science, Organizational Research Methods, Management Science, Decision Sciences, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Group and Organization Management, Sloan Management Review, Organizational Dynamics, and Long Range Planning.
Curricular Innovation
A major area of innovation for VSB is in the development of new courses that increasingly incorporate cross-disciplinary and team-teaching pedagogical approaches. A course entitled "Competitive Effectiveness" was introduced in Fall 2009. This course is team-taught by a professor from both the management and marketing areas and represents one of the pioneering courses at VSB to embrace this methodology.
Management & Operations faculty also strive to keep the curriculum fresh and new by finding ways to integrate real-world challenges and experiences. Management faculty offer a unique course entitled "Management Essentials" that requires students to organize themselves into companies of about fifteen students, establish a leadership hierarchy, develop plans for new products or services, and present their business plans at the end of the semester to sponsoring judges from such companies as Vanguard and Johnson & Johnson. Another example of real-world learning is found in the "Honors Policy Formulation and Administration Practicum." The course was first launched in spring 2008 and involves two student groups working directly with the owner of for-profit businesses in economically distressed areas to identify the challenges and opportunities faced by the organizations. A strategic plan of action was then developed and presented to the owners.
World-Class Degree Programs
Management & Operations at VSB offers a BBA with a major in management and a co-major in international business. Minors are offered in international business, entrepreneurship, and business analytics. Management & Operations faculty members strive to teach students the tools for effective teamwork, leadership, organizational dynamics, organizational culture, strategic planning, change management, and human resource management. Students have the opportunity to develop and refine the analytical, quantitative, and communication skills that are critical for a successful professional career, to start a company, or to pursue graduate study in business or law.
