Over the past several months, I've met with several highly successful executives and entrepreneurs - many of whom are located in northern Virginia - to share our strategic plan, mission and vision for the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. I've also sought their input on what they are looking for in hiring employees. What I learned was that many of these executives agree on the type of employees they want to hire and retain in their organizations. In addition to hiring graduates who understand the basic business fundamentals (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.), they want their people to take calculated and measured risks; to see themselves as self-starters dedicated to getting the job done; to innovate and engage others; to think entrepreneurially and to understand that failure is okay but to readily learn from mistakes; to have a can-do attitude and a positive work ethic, to be honest, promote integrity, take initiative and develop maturity over time; and to realize that they must have strong written and verbal skills and the ability to properly use e-mail effectively and efficiently. They shared that prospective employees need to develop realistic expectations about their first job assignment; to understand the concept of profit and how ideas and suggestions will enable the organization to make money rather than incur a loss; to learn to fit in with others in the organization; to be willing to learn new skills due to changes in the organization; to interact effectively with others in a team environment; and to anticipate future challenges and opportunities. Most importantly, they emphasized that students must gain practical, hands-on experiences through internships, part-time work, or in-class experiential exercises and case work.

Needless to say, this information is valuable to business school faculty and administration, so we can continue to modify and develop curricula that prepares our students for the current and future needs of the business community.

In this issue of the Byrd Business Review, I've highlighted several recent and upcoming events: the fall career fair, faculty scholarship, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) induction ceremony, Dr. Li's visit to Germany and faith-based entrepreneurship. I trust you will benefit from this review and remain in regular contact with members of the business school. I look forward to your feedback and regular visits to campus.

W. Randy Boxx
Dean and Professor of Management
rboxx@su.edu

FALL CAREER FAIR CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH EMPLOYERS

The annual fall Career Fair held in Henkel Hall on Nov. 1 connected students from the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences to representatives from firms offering internships and full- or part-time employment. The firms who participated stated they felt their job opportunities seemed a perfect match for SU students. The successful event, attended by around 70 job-seekers, gave 11 local firms a forum to meet members of the student body, faculty and staff. Students networked and shared their resumes with prospective employers. Those who had previously hired SU graduates stated they found them hard-working and dedicated.

We want to thank the following firms that participated in the career fair:

• American Woodmark Corporation, a leading manufacturer and distributor of kitchen and bath cabinets
• Aerotek, the largest private staffing firm in the U.S.
• BB&T, a full-service financial institution
• Courtyard by Marriott, a full-service hotel
• Edward Jones Investments, a financial advising firm
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car, North America’s largest rental car company, named one of the best places to work in the U.S. by Business Week
• The George Washington Hotel, an historic, full-service hotel to open shortly in downtown Winchester
• Project HOPE, a non-profit global organization that improves health care for women, children and the elderly
• Shentel, a leading provider of a broad range of advanced telecommunications services
• Shockey Companies, an unparalleled combination of experience and expertise in building construction
• Valley Health Systems, an organization of health care providers

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP: CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

Effective teaching requires intellectual activity, and continued professional development is essential for effective teaching. The business school faculty regularly engages in scholarly activities that promote their personal development, supports the business school’s mission statement and deepens an understanding of their individual fields of study.

Below is a brief summary of intellectual contribution activities made by our faculty over the past five years*.

• 100 percent of the full-time, probationary/career contract faculty produced intellectual contributions
• 90 percent of the faculty produced peer-reviewed journal publications
• 90 percent of the faculty produced Type I publications (journal articles, books, chapters, proceedings, etc.)
• Each faculty member wrote an average of 2.75 peer-reviewed articles
• Each faculty member wrote an average of 6.15 Type I publications
• Each faculty member produced an average of 13.3 intellectual contributions
• The business school’s portfolio consisted of 266 intellectual contributions
• 123 Type I intellectual contributions were published in forums involving peer reviews
• 51 percent of intellectual contributions were applied research, 31 percent were instructional development and 18 percent were basic research
• 81 percent of intellectual contributions related specifically to the business school’s mission—to prepare successful, principled leaders with a global perspective

As a result of these efforts, our academic culture has been transformed to one in which the business school faculty and other stakeholders appreciate and support the contribution of scholarship to the mission of the school. Processes and policies remain in place to ensure the continuation of future research output commensurate with outstanding teaching and service work.

*This information appeared in the AACSB International self-evaluation accreditation report submitted this past August.

SHRM INDUCTS NEW OFFICERS

The Shenandoah University Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter inducted Judy Mills and Kelly Rickert as 2006-07 officers at an induction ceremony held Nov. 15. Rickert is human resources and benefits manager at Shenandoah University, and Mills is a graduate of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. SHRM 2006-07 student chapter officers are Anthony Kim as president, Anthony Islar as vice president, Rebecca Ziegler as secretary and Chad Blizzard as treasurer.

Following the induction ceremony, business school students attended a local Winchester SHRM chapter meeting and luncheon. SHRM Manager of Government Relations Robert Carragher was the featured speaker. His topic addressed the impact of the workforce on the future of the U.S. economy. With baby boomers nearing the traditional retirement age, the economy is bracing for a major shortage of skilled workers, and employers in many sectors are already facing a lack of qualified people. A concerted, collaborative effort by all stakeholders—government, business and the academic community—is needed to reverse this trend. SHRM recognizes the growing urgency of this serious issue and has made “workforce readiness” one of its critical focus areas with a number of initiatives imbedded within ongoing programs.

ACTUALIZING OUR MISSION: DR. LI TO VISIT GERMANY WITH GCP

Dr. Bingguang Li, CFPIM, CSCP, FRM, assistant professor of supply chain management and quantitative methods, will travel to Germany during Spring Break as one of six faculty members who will participate in the Global Citizenship Project (GCP) program. Dr. Li will join the GCP team led by Dr. Petra Schweitzer, visiting assistant professor of French and German in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Schweitzer will provide an interdisciplinary and comprehensive view of Germany, especially in relation to other European countries and the European Union. The GCP team will experience first-hand many academic, cultural, ethnic and economic opportunities. The goal of GCP is to expose students, faculty and staff to other world cultures.

“I am so excited to be selected to participate in this very unique program,” said Dr. Li. “After the [GCP] trip to Germany, I’ll be more knowledgeable about European culture and the way business is conducted in that country. This trip will enrich my future classroom discussions and make my teaching more tangible and relevant to the ever-changing, global business culture. I’m looking forward to visiting BMW, one of the top manufacturing companies in the world, and to learn from executives about their business practices. As a business school professor, it is critical to personally experience the global economy and the ‘flattened’ world. And GCP supports the business school’s mission to ‘educate … students to become successful, principled leaders with a global perspective.’ I’m grateful for this special, academically enriching opportunity."

ETHICS: AN ISSUE IN FAITH-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Institute for Entrepreneurship Distinguished Lecture Series hosted Dr. M. Yaqub Mirza, president and CEO of Sterling Management Group, Inc., on Nov. 29, in the Byrd Board Room. Dr. Mirza spoke on the subject of faith-based entrepreneurship. Ethics has become a hot issue in the business press as a result of questionable behavior by some of America's leading companies (i.e., Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, MCI and Hewlett-Packard). However, it's not always clear what constitutes "ethical behavior," and the very definition of ethics is culturally contexted. Mirza's presentation delineated a perspective that goes beyond what is considered culturally appropriate to one that is divinely ordained. He believes there is a way to start and operate businesses that is based within a theological framework shared by the world's great faiths.