University and business partnerships

guest commentary by Steve Williams, dean of the College of Business at the Univeristy of Arkansas at Fort Smith

“Given the current economy, we need visionary leaders capable of acting as effective agents of change. Today, more than ever, area businesses and UA Fort Smith need to connect.” Bob Meyers, former vice president, Arkansas Best Corp., and chair of the College of Business Dean’s Leadership Council.

The College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith believes strongly that the preeminent interests of both business and business schools are best served when open communication, active dialogue, and ongoing collaboration occur between the two. As an example, the quote above was offered by a well-known Fort Smith business leader at a recent meeting of the Dean’s Leadership Council held on the UA Fort Smith campus. At this meeting, we discussed how the business school and the rest of the university can begin building and strengthening partnerships with Fort Smith and the regional business community.

Historically, many in business have perceived little need for interaction with or involvement in business schools since academia is seen as the proverbial ivory tower where scholarship and education are often disconnected from the realities of the fast-paced, dynamic workplace and its day-to-day “real world” requirements.

Some corporate executives lament that business scholars have lost their way by focusing on research that is overly scientific and that business schools may not be preparing students to deal with the very real and very complex work-related problems they encounter every day. Further, these critics are frustrated by what appears to be a sluggish pace of curricular and programmatic change and a perceived slow response to meeting today’s business challenges. These criticisms are not without merit.

From the academic side, many business school deans and faculty believe business leaders: 1) misunderstand what it is we actually teach in business schools, and 2) fail to see the relevance of academic research and the positive impact this new knowledge creation has on the way businesses and markets operate.

Business schools see their role as discovering new ideas, creating best practices that apply these new and innovative ways of doing things, and disseminating this knowledge through a variety of mechanisms including classroom instruction and research publication. We see ourselves as the transformational conduit through which students develop the analytical skills and critical thinking tools needed to sustain them through an entire career, and we accomplish this by applying our content expertise and research findings to classroom instruction and continual student interaction.

One of the main reasons the UAFS College of Business (COB) has launched the Dean’s Leadership Council (DLC) is to establish, enhance, and reinforce relationships between the COB and the business community. The DLC exists to help the COB attain its vision by providing advice and input to the dean and business faculty as we strive toward the continuous improvement of quality business education. This 19-member council includes a cross-section of business leaders from the Fort Smith area and regional businesses, representing highly successful companies of all sizes, who suggest opportunities for engagement activities and serve the public good by establishing, maintaining, and nurturing important linkages between UAFS and the business community.

While the DLC is representative of many Fort Smith business concerns, the COB would like to reach out to others in the community and establish an ongoing dialog. Here are what I see as the key reasons for establishing and maintaining a collaborative relationship between the Fort Smith business community and the College of Business:

• Help us determine if we are targeting and teaching the right things.
We would like to develop mechanisms for understanding the essential competencies and skill sets of business graduates, forecasting how those competencies will change in the future, and assessing the level of mastery of existing skills and competencies. In short, how can we better prepare UAFS students with employable skills and make them more valuable to Arkansas? Involving community leaders in discussions about curriculum, the assurance of learning process, and other UAFS instructional initiatives will be invaluable if community leaders will take the time to engage with us on a consistent basis.

• Assist us in optimizing our research to meet local and regional needs.
We need to focus on the topics most relevant for current business by understanding the driving concerns encountered in today’s workplace. Business faculty members carry heavy workloads with their emphasis on quality teaching, pedagogical and applied scholarship, and university and professional service activities. However, we can be more productive with our research if we target our activities to meet practical needs when we generate innovative ideas and create new knowledge. With improved communication with industry leaders, the business community will achieve a better understanding of the value of our varied scholarly activities while faculty will more clearly understand the pressing needs of business. Ultimately, new knowledge creation is the key to success in business, and business schools provide both the well-educated workforce and the innovations that fuel local and regional economic development and entrepreneurship.

• Guide us in keeping up with the pace and challenge of globalization.
Globalization and its challenges are a concern for both business and business schools. One of the overarching learning outcomes for all UAFS students is the ability to reflect upon cultural differences and the development of an understanding of the implications of these differences on interactions with people from cultures other than our own. Local companies involved with global initiatives on a daily basis could provide valuable insights into the globalization of business education, and the information shared by business leaders would ultimately be returned as a more knowledgeable and productive workplace employee. Again, what do we need to do to make our students competitive and successful in a global economy?

• Engage with the College of Business and UAFS as we seek new, broader, and more effective ways of exchanging ideas and concerns.
For example, how can we involve the COB and UAFS in community-related economic development activities by engaging students in economic support for Fort Smith and the surrounding area? Many faculty members would like to expose their students to a “real world” project, one that would benefit both students and the Fort Smith area. Ideally, these types of projects would lead to additional interaction, provide valuable experience that would advance student careers, and meet community economic development needs. However, we need community assistance to begin exploring possible mechanisms for this type of engagement. Related to this latter challenge is letting us know how we can assist with responding to the evolving issues encountered by the business community and what we can do to help the Fort Smith area think strategically during the current uncertain economic situation. Specifically, what programs and initiatives should the College of Business be developing and/or delivering to meet the needs of business operators in the current economic downturn? What does a manager in today’s company need to know to function effectively, to address current workplace concerns, and to prepare for the future? What can we or should we be doing to meet area needs and help lead the way toward a more prosperous economic future?

To achieve these goals, we need to open up communication channels, engage the business community, and forge partnerships. In short, we need your help. Please feel free to contact me (or any COB faculty member) at [email protected] with your ideas and suggestions. Also, you can gather more information about the University of Arkansas Fort Smith at our Web site.

Steve Williams is the dean of the College of Business and professor of management and the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. He also holds the Joel R. Stubblefield Endowed Chair of Business.