The Similarities and Differences Between Online and Offline Professors

Online education is growing and so is the need for full-time online faculty. For those who have become accustomed to traditional educational models and the historical buildings on campus they should expect a few differences before migrating to a full-time online position. Even though online teaching is rewarding it isn't for everyone due to the differences in the nature of work.

Some simply won't be able to work for long periods of time remotely and miss going onto campus everyday. Cultural shock is one of the reasons why hopeful professors seek to transfer back to campus based systems. However, some enjoy the experience and freedom to work from home that online teaching offers.

The type of work such as teaching, research, committees, publishing, and mentoring stay the same. Differences often include:

Interaction with Students: Interaction with students will be different. Even though there is email, phone, text and many other methods the overall process is remote. This is very different than meeting your students face-to-face every day. The interaction can be just as rewarding but takes on a different form.

24/7 Schedule: Where the traditional professor has a specific class schedule and office hours the online professor is engaged throughout the day and week. He/she may not need to be connected all the time and has flexibility to work at various times they generally check in often.

Interacting With Colleagues: Professors at traditional universities interact throughout the day and many times in face-to-face sessions. Online professors also interact but do so via virtual format. They do meet each other during conferences, special meetings and events.

Pre-Designed Courses: Depending on where someone works most course are going to be pre-designed in the online world. Online professors can implement and change curriculum but not to the same extent as a traditional university. The reason being that the online format requires programming and basic shells are applied.

Marrying Business Schools and Industry for Relevant Curriculum

Business schools prepare students for business-that is what they are known for! They move through the basic business principles, theories, and skill sets needed to succeed in a highly complex world of international commerce. The curriculum is based in the needs of the business community and the general needs of society. The closer the curriculum is tied to actual business requirements, the higher the relevance of the school.

It should be noted that there is a difference between the brand of a school and the quality of its education. In many cases, brands do recognize quality but are not exactly the same thing. The best schools continue to look at, connect with, and research industry needs to develop appropriate skill sets.

Sometimes this knowledge comes through  looking at larger industry reports, reviewing previous studies, and other impartial public information. The other option is to conduct surveys and research that asks industry leaders what they are looking for. Let the market lead the school!

I am advocate of generating research by connecting with industry. It does two important things. First it turns a university from a knowledge user to a knowledge generator, and secondly it advertises the university to potential employers. No harm in offering stronger collaboration when the free results are sent and published.

The more business schools can connect with industry needs the better they can prepare students to take leading jobs. The education offered by the school becomes relevant and continuously updates each time a program and/or course goes through a developmental cycle. Universities that are focused on their end users will find themselves as praised gatekeepers to higher knowledge and higher paying jobs.

5 Sites That Help Student's Find Jobs

With a freshly printed degree in hands students walk off the podium in full gown and begin to capitalize on that degree as soon as possible. Their hopes and dreams are associated with providing a better life for themselves and the people they support. Reality hits when they have to find gainful employment but don't know where to use their new skills.

College often focuses on the skills needed to obtain employment but doesn't help student necessarily know where those jobs are or what they will need to apply. Sometimes students lack of employment prospects could be a direct result of not knowing where to apply. Schools that help students understand the job market may also benefit from better ratings.

Of course finding a job isn't only about the university and knowledge. It is necessary for student's to also have the motivation to apply for those jobs, communication skills, be ready for employment, and have something to sell on the market. Yet getting them in the right place to start looking can make a big difference if they are inclined to maximize their degree. 

5 Sites to Help Students Find Jobs:

http://www.indeed.com

http://www.simplyhired.com/

http://www.monster.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/

https://www.usajobs.gov/

The Problem of International Online Students and Local Adjuncts

Colleges adopted online platforms throughout the higher education institutions to enhance their current models. Traditional colleges are hiring local professors for online adjuncting work while not fully considering the benefits of diverse geographical hiring online education offers.  Moving beyond the traditional hiring model can help in creating an enhance educational experience.

Using local professors is great but doesn't really open the students mind to new places, ideas, and peoples. Local cultures have different values and these values are based on the way they see the world. Culture seeps through everything they do, think about, and say.

You can look around the adjunct job boards and find that many traditional universities don't post out adjunct work. Some of this is due to the influx of applications they receive but many others are a result of not yet fully understanding the online economy. They are relying on their land oriented models.

The risk is that they don't fully embrace the online economy and the potential advantages it offers. Colleges have always been slow to adapt. Very qualified adjunct, or full-time professors, are not included in their applicant pool simply because they are unaware of the opportunities. At the end of the day, the student and the university suffer from a lack of perspective.

Is Delayed Gratification the Key to Financial Success?

Your standing in a store and there in front of your eyes is a brand new watch at the bargain price of $250. Looks great on your watch and people will notice the next time you sit in a meeting. Do you buy it then or do you wait a few days to think before purchasing it? The way in which you answer that question will likely determine your overall financial success in life.

Many of the purchases we make are based on impulse. We see something that attracts us and our mind starts thinking about all the positive things the item offers. Sometimes this is about its utility and at other times it is more about how we perceive the item in relation to ourselves.

Positive images in our heads leads to positive feelings which increases our impulses to buy the product. We evaluate cost in terms of money and then decide on a purchase. If the item really has us salivating the money seems so much less important.

Those who can plan their purchases, save for items, and cut back spending on unnecessary items are likely to be successful because they can put their money into savings and investments. The more they can delay gratification for unnecessary things and focus on their long term goals the more successful they will be. A few tips below:

-Wait a few days to buy a product.
-Plan large purchases through savings.
-Understand what you need and what you don't need.
-Avoid using credit cards and debt.
-Put away money each paycheck.
-Cut back on fixed expenses and budget discretionary income.
-Rethink the first impulse.
-Evaluate the cost of items in terms of work hours.

Creating the "Can Do" Attitude In Your Workplace

The "Can Do" attitude can do wonders for your business and its bottom line. Human Resource managers are generally stumped about how to create an atmosphere that encourages performance. The complex nature of motivation is based upon many different factors some of which are the way in which think about the purpose of their actions, the resources needed to act on goals and how they view themselves in relation to others.

Purpose is important because without purpose there is no reason to act. If a goal has a purpose and has value to the people within an organization they are more likely to take positive actions toward that goal but also sustain necessary actions over a longer period time. When goals don't have a deep purpose they are often discarded quickly.

It is also important for a person to have resources to act on achieving a goal. If someone doesn't have the education, motivation, ability, or other resources to act they will likely not act. Each person makes an evaluation of alternatives and decides that acting is something they want to do and can do.

The "Can Do" attitude is social by nature. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are internalized social constructions. How we view ourselves is based on how other people interact with us and the cues they give us. Leadership and followership dynamics are based on how people view themselves within their social networks. Those who believe in themselves also believe in their ability to get things done.

Human Resource professionals and managers should create a purpose, ensure the necessary resources, and foster the belief they can get things done. The "Can Do" attitude is largely individualized but based upon the cues and resources of the organization. Positive attitudes are culturally based and organization leaders should do what they can to create the right environment.

Investing in Firm Specific or General Human Capital Development

Learning new skills is an additive process that begets more complex skill. Organizations are faced with trying to develop either firm-specific or general human capital capacities to create competitive advantages. Knowing whether to invest training resources into firm specific or general skills helps to create stronger competitive advantages. Where to invest in training depends on the type business and its products.

The discussion should first start with understanding the nature of broad versus firm-specific skills. Broad skills as contained within a degree like engineering that can be applied across many different businesses and industries.  It is a general battery of knowledge that is necessary to create a foundation of specific knowledge. 

Firm-specific skills are more focused on that which directly benefits the firm and applies to the unique nature of that company. Specific skills, like using a proprietary tools,  are generally not seen as transferable to other businesses. They are often taught in job specific training and practice. 

It is believed that there is a current global underinvestment in firm-specific human capital that creates competitive abilities (Coff & Raffiee, 2015). This is because of the transient nature of employment, a long term recession that limited training dollars, and a general migration to relying on formal higher education. 

Investing in firm specific skills is beneficial when the firm has a unique service/product that requires specialized firm-specific knowledge to maintain. Such firms may hire for general knowledge but use that knowledge to create specific skills needed within their proprietary environment. At its core, all learning, even on the micro level, can be applied to other places due to the additive process of learning. Investing in firm-specific or general knowledge will depend on the competitive offerings of each firm to determine its return on investment value.

Coff, R. & Raffiee, J. (2015). Toward a theory of perceived firm-specific human capital. Academy of Management Perspectives, 29 (3). 

Friends Influence Your Studying Habits and Chances of Completing College

Friends are an important part of having a healthy college life but it also influences the overall likelihood of getting good grades and completing college. College is a new experience and people are open to meeting all types of new people. Your friends will influence how you view school and your purpose for being in school. A few tips can help you stay on track.

When entering college for the first time you may not have a large friendship network and are naturally motivated to meet new people. This makes you open to new relationships and this is great! Make sure you evaluate the quality of those friends before moving from acquaintance to friend status.

It is important to find people who have an interest in completing college and have goals in their lives. Such friends will spend their time studying, socializing with others, and enjoying the college experience. They have a solid balance between work and play but always keep their eyes on their goals.

Your friends will also influence where you live, the things you do for fun, and the type of people you meet. Putting a positive spin on your college experience also means ensuring that you are hanging around with people who support you and enjoy similar activities. Good friends will help you stay focused on your studies and keep you out of problems.

Your friends will influence how much time you spend studying, class attendance rate, and the activities you will be completing. Making sure you got the right friends from the start will make a big impact on your whole college experience and potentially influence your graduation rate. Do yourself a favor and get in with the right friends right away to give yourself the extra support you need.

Researchers Say People are Dying from Not Finishing Their Degrees!

Will getting a degree help you live longer? According to a study publish in PLOS ONE Journal people who have obtained a higher education live longer. Annual deaths association with education are 145,243 not having a high school diploma, 110,068 for people who have only some college, and 554,525 for all people who don't have a BA degree. Who thought not reading would kill you?

It seems almost ridiculous that attending courses and reading books somehow translates into saving hundreds of thousands of lives but this is exactly what is happening. The reasons why this is the case will make a little more sense after you understand all the confounding variables in the study. It isn't necessarily the education but the lifestyle choices.

Higher education is a pathway to understanding and processing information. It impacts everything from our social networks to how we feel about ourselves. If we don't have the right connections, ability to handle our complex world, understand nutrition, motivation, healthcare access, etc... then we are limiting our potential. We die from an inability to navigate our environment or make proper choices.

Our lifestyle determines how long we will live. Higher education helps us increase our lifestyle and handle situations as they occur. We make better choices and understand the consequences of those choices. In the end, all of these small choices add or detract from our life expectancy. Life appears to be a bunch of baby steps that add up to some end. Higher education isn't only about books but also about our lifestyle!

Kruger, et. al. (2015). Mortality attributable to low levels of education in the U.S.. PLOS ONE http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131809#abstract0

Harvard Panel Advocates Education to Industry Needs

The Harvard Business School Association of Boston recently held a panel with industry stakeholders to discuss the need to include more experiential curriculum in education at all all levels including private, k-12, and post-secondary levels. The focus is more on technical and technology training for skilled positions at the middle level. There are a number of benefits for such programs.

First, it is important to understand that not everyone needs a Ph.D to succeed. Higher education has been focused on theoretical understands and research that furthers the intellectual capacity of the nation. Even though this great it does come with a cost when the masses are being trained for something they do not necessarily need.

An economy is much like a business. If you don't have the right skill in the company you will need to either train existing workers, hire new ones, or outsource. American companies are finding themselves outsourcing work and hiring workers from overseas because they don't have enough home grown talent in the right places.

A huge percentage of jobs are in the middle income levels but require specific technology, STEM, and industry knowledge to compete. This is where schools can do a better job at preparing students to take on these jobs at a higher level than other nations. Focusing efforts on the middle helps ensure that people are finding gainful employment while still receiving a solid education.

It also helps the nation continue to adjust higher education to the needs of the economy. There has been some criticism that higher education is not really preparing people for jobs that they can actually take. Focusing more closely on industry needs ensures that education stays relevant and people are finding employment.

Improving the intellectual and human capital of the nation is an important affair. There is a balance between creating knowledge and applying that knowledge. Some will be researchers that expand intellectual capacity while others will be users of that knowledge. Universities that infuse a little more industry knowledge into their curriculum will find it to be relevant and practical. Starting people at a younger age learning the right kind of skills can make an impact throughout their educational paths.

Eating for Higher Grades! The Link Between Food and Intelligence

Don't feel guilty eating for grades! Spend a little time thinking about your food before you crack open your book. What goes into our body determines how we feel and think. Those who eat lower quality food can score around 8 points lower on an IQ scale than those who eat higher quality food (Summ, 2012). In this case, you are what you eat!

Oily fish foods, tomatoes, lean meats, whole grains, vegetables, blueberrys, liver, spinach, bananas, nuts and  tea improve your brain function, memory and focus. The very same foods that encourage a healthy body weight also seem to encourage better brain functioning while protecting against cognitive diseases.

Why eat healthy foods? Beyond simple health it is beneficial for your test taking, memory and recall. By providing the right nutrients the brain can obtain enough oxygen and other materials it needs to  keep neurons firing to collect, store, and recall information.

Another benefit of eating for intelligence is that foods like vegetables, berries and tea can actually protect your cells through the removal of free radicals. These high antioxidant foods are working in the background to clean up any toxic mess that could lead to diseases later.

You might be tempted to jump for the chips and candy when your hungry. Think about your tests and schooling and how food can actually help you get a higher grade. By eating the right foods a day or so before you have a big exam and while you are studying is likely to help you store and recall important facts and figures when you need it. Eat away...just eat right!

Stumm, S. (2012) You are what you eat? The association between food and cognitive ability. Educational Journal, 143.

Improving Performance by Market Segmentation

Companies will decide whether or not they want to focus on market segementation or try and create a broad based approach that nets as many customers as possible. Organizational performance is often dependent on the strategic approach the company takes. Effectiveness and productivity concerns revolve around 1.) links between segmentation, performance and measurement and 2.) productivity gains from full segmentation implementation (Dibb & Simkin, 2009).

It can be hard to determine whether higher performance can be realized simply by focusing on a specific segment. The right kind of measurements will need to be developed that ensure improvements are realized. This requires a level of research and analysis to pull off and understand the market and potential segments.

Let us assume for a minute that 60% of your customers make purchases for $15 but 40% make purchases around the $45 dollar range. Further analysis shows that the lucrative $45 purchase price customers have some similarities in characteristics that can be defined into a segment. Pushing to gain more of those customers can pay a company higher returns on investments.

Not only will the marketing approach need to change but the very way the business conducts its daily operations will need to change to make it happen. Everything the company promotes and offers should adjust towards its most lucrative customer base. As the company becomes aware and successful in this approach they should be able to reap more of the financial rewards.

Segmentation should be considered carefully. Sometimes the market is too small and at other times the company has a value proposition such as cost effective manufacturing but can switch its operations to follow broad trends. Each company is unique and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities of each company should be reviewed to determine whether or not segmentation will work for them. 

Dibb, S. & Simkin, L. (2009). Editorial: bridging the segmentation theory/practice divide. Journal of Marketing Management, 25 (3/4).

Three Things Everyone Who Wants to Start a Small Business Should Know

You have about to launch a new business venture and are so excited that your palms are sweaty and your throat is dry. For the past few months you have thought about all the things you could do and finally settled on that IDEA that will transform your life. Anyone who is going to start a business should think deeply about and research operations, financials, and their market.

1. Operations: You will need to know the flow of your business and how you are going to create value. Your operations should take into account all of your materials, processes, and outputs. Understanding the products you have and how they will be produced is the core of your business.

2. Financials: The financials include items like your sunk investment, taxes, costs, revenue, and projections. Start with how much it will cost you in supplies and equipment to start your business, think through your daily operating costs, and understand your potential revenues and tax liabilities.

3. Market: Without a market you don't have a business. Define your customer and how you are going to reach them. For some businesses it could be people in the neighborhood while for others it could be those interested in a specific aspect of your business. All of your marketing efforts and products/services will be geared toward this market.

Staying Focused on Your Education

Education is important for your life and the lives of your children. You will naturally set the standards for what has value and what wont have value in your life. Education is only one thing out of many. Some will choose immediate gratification to buy the things they want while others will delay that gratification for more knowledge. If you are going to spend money on an education then it is beneficial to stay focused to maximize your return.

What and and where you spend your money says a lot about you in the same way as where you spend your time. If you are crunched over your video game for 6 hours a day or out fixing your car every moment you can afford then you are obviously very interested in games or your car. The same can be said of your education.

Those students who make it through have persistence because they have the willpower to stay at it day-after-day and year after year until they get to the end. Those who want a degree but couldn't care less about the education will focus on the degree and grade while completely neglecting the higher responsibility of learning.

Staying focused means spending your time and effort on learning instead of wandering into other activities. Each person is different in this respect. Some are capable of balancing their time and energy while others do not have this ability. If you are having a hard time with distractions then cut them out completely so they are no longer pulling on your attention strings.

Getting ahead in life is not easy and does sometimes require sacrifice. There are things that will come easy and there are things that take more time. If you have the right skills and your research and writing come easy then you obviously don't need all the time someone who doesn't have these skills will need. Be honest with yourself, stay focused, and be diligent with your efforts.

How the Department of Education's "College Scorecard" Will Change the Market

College comparison can change the market. The Department of Education's College Scorecard will make an impact on the market simply by the way in which data is presented and offered. Informational is powerful because it becomes a way we think about the world through impacting our mental structures and models. College Scorecard will not only change the way we think about college but also which get the best advertising through the site.

Let us first cover the idea of mental structures and models.  The ways we think about the world are socially constructed so a large website that contains lots of interesting data will naturally change the way we think about higher education. By relaying information by cost, graduation rate and wages we begin to view these things as most important. Right or wrong it will not make a difference.

No doubt they are important but those universities that rely heavily on subsidies, endowments, taxpayer dollars, and legacies are likely to rank higher. Land grant universities and those with taxpayer dollars will come out with the best rates. If given a choice of one school or another you might just chose that ranks the best. Who wouldn't want to go to a prestigious land grant university?

Costs are skewed based on whether someone is in or outside a state. For example, if I attend an out of state school I could be paying a much larger rate when compared to in-state students. Most public universities are going to have a higher local rate based simply on that cost. The information only applies to local candidates and isn't a true reflection of all the costs.

It is also possible that elitist schools that are highly selective and restrictive to those with all the right financial and social connections will rank the best in terms of graduation rates and employment income. It is the same process with public high schools and how the neighborhood demographics influence school success rates. Those without the right backgrounds will be pushed into lower quality schools with lower graduation rates.

The website is beneficial but it should be seen with a grain of salt as no data can perfectly capture and reflect what is going on in the market. The data gives a hint at what is happening but won't truly show the whole situation without additional research. Most of us are not going to do that research so we will take what the site says at face value. When it impacts hiring decisions and college placement we may have a future problem leaving out those who appreciate the word "opportunity" the most.

The Life of the Online College Student

The online college student's life is very different than your traditional 18-20 year old fresh faced traditional student that has significant financial and parental support to achieve their goals. The online student is generally older and has lots of responsibilities that include managing a house and taking care of their children. Sometimes they can be stretched thin but show a resilience others students don't.

Despite their tough circumstances they made the choice to go back to school and succeed. They are taking steps to to improve their competitive position. Whether one is a successful MBA student with a solid career or a single mother starting out in life the online degree is one of the only available options that is reasonable.

Where traditional students are heading out with a weekend backpacking trip with their friends the online student is spending his/her weekend taking care of the other life responsibilities. Despite these challenges they continue to attend school day after day reading, writing, posting and engaging. They are the true champions of higher education.

Higher education is about broadening one's mind and learning new skills that can make one competitive on the market. It shouldn't be confided to a certain type of person from a particular background. Those who have to manage life and go to school have a higher degree of motivation than those who have all the support they need. The life of the online college is student is simply just-life.

Philanthropy Through Business Investment

Philanthropy doesn't have to be only about giving money but can be part of something greater than itself when it creates new investments and expands opportunities well beyond the initial amount. Donating money is important but donating money that keeps on giving is a gift that can be felt throughout generations. The long-term impact of resources should be of consideration.

Philanthropic and business interests can work well together. Major failures of revival have occurred because there wasn't enough time or escape velocity to change the fabric of an area. Uncoordinated efforts that don't truly change the fundamental platform or only short-lived changes that end when the resources dry up.

Changing the foundation and structure of an area changes its nature forever. Philanthropy can be about investing in schools, landscape, oversight, clean up, child-care, health-care, training, recreational facilities, or any other contribution. Yet something like reinvestment in new business ventures, property development, and other profit oriented activities is equally philanthropic.

People make the assumption that is is wrong to profit off of philanthropic activities. It isn't. If investment can be considered philanthropic then it is possible that a profit would leave more money for future philanthropic investments in other areas. What is better? Investments that leads to more investments or a one time influx of money?

Take Some Time for Yourself-Go to the Beach!

Your life is busy and you got a lot of things going on. So much so that you look more like a robot going automatically from on task to the next without much thought. If your not sure what you are doing or why you are doing it then it may be time to take a little time and go to the beach. The ocean, water, sun, and fun is one great way to let the stress melt away.

Taking time off to relax and get your focus with the other side of life helps to enhance your current performance. How? It encourages you to maintain you focus, raise your enthusiasm, and get creative. It lets you step back from your current happenings and gain another perspective.

Sitting back from our daily schedule gives us a better perspective because we are able to see the bigger picture. When we are engrained in our busy lives we can see the trees but neglect seeing the larger forest. In essence, we can't see that many of the things we do are unimportant.

Take some time for yourself and gain a better perspective that will help you maintain your motivation and see what is really important for you to work on. Working yourself to the bone without respite isn't going to do you any good and is likely going to lead to burn out. Make sure work hard but also take time to play as well for life fulfillment. 

How to Balance Work, Study and Play

Work, study and play is the simple story of those who want to succeed in life. People have goals and they have to balance between making income, studying during college, and getting their recreational time in. Each can be a compliment to the other but requires a level of planning and balance in order to achieve. For those studying online and trying to take care of other responsibilities it is a necessity.

Life if full of all type of distractions. If you are the type of person that has lots of hopes and dreams but not enough time you should seriously consider the merits of narrowing down those goals to those that matter the most. Start prioritizing! Conquering the world will need to wait until you are out of school and cleared the big things off your plate so you can focus.

Once you have your main objectives narrowed into something feasible which should of course at least include school and work you can then figure out how you are going to achieve them. For some, this will require at a minimum a few hours a day studying and a number of hours a day working to fulfill your financial needs. Recreation will need to take a back step and be squeezed in when time allows.

When you get good at balancing all of your core goal requirements start to incorporate in your recreational activities. This will keep you sane as you work maintain your grueling schedule. People need down time and fun like going to the beach, sports, working out and having fun just as much as achieving their other life objectives. When you get old and look back it won't be all the money you will think about but your memories. Try and ensure a healthy balance so you have memories and a retirement.

Collaborating Stakeholders to Build Better Online Universities

Stakeholders in higher education can and do collaborate together to create new and unique products. Universities, publishers, writers and artists along with technology companies can work together to create supperior online educational platforms. This process will become more powerful as decentralization occurs but could eventually challenge traditional models.

According to an article in Crains Chicago online publishers, education companies, and other important stakeholders are working together to develop stronger models (1). If this is a foreshadowing of investor interest in higher education a big battle is brewing.

This is the wave of the future as traditional ground based systems are challenged by more nimble online companies that can do more at a cheaper price. They will progress and innovate faster than others making them industry leaders.

Industry is known for being faster than government.

Of course there is huge regulatory interest in ensuring this doesnt happen. What would be the outcome if elite ground school were matched in prestige and quality of developing elite online schools? The foundations of higher education as we know it would shake.   The battle of regulation is just getting started.

(1): http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150926/ISSUE01/309269992/higher-education-signs-online-program-management-firms-for-digital

Painting: Cherry Blossom Beach

Cherry Blossom Beach is a painting that seeks to connect the sunset to the cherry tree. Not a normal spot for such a tree to grow but who cares. It is ore of an experimentation of color. The point of the picture is ore surreal that everything in this world is reliant on something else. Simply because it normal in our environment doesn't mean that it isn't beautiful, acceptable, or even an enhancement.

California Higher Edu Master Plan-When is Outsourcing Good? Bad?

Education has an important function in society. It helps feed our industries, governments, and intellectual capital by developing highly skilled individuals that can succeed on the international market. Outsourcing services and learning do have benefits but comes with a few caveats. As with all outsourcing, it is important to keep a few things in mind that include performance, cost, integration, and decision making.

Outsourcing should enhance the current abilities of public institutions at a cheaper price. Higher education has a cost and when we outsource it much be to a more innovative, flexible, and cost-effective partner. If the outsourcing options cannot consistently outperform government in effectiveness and cost it should be reconsidered.

Outsourcing options should be well integrated into the overall government system. Sometimes entities outsource, and the services become disjointed level thousands unable to fully utilize the system due to lack of knowledge, gaps in services, and ineffective integration plans. The way public universities and outsourcing services integrate together should be as seamless as possible.

Core processes must be held by the University. Outsourcing should be an enhancement to core processes not making business decisions over those main processes. The mission and core decision-making processes are to be held by the public institution in order to ensure control over the services.

Outsourcing has possibilities to save money and improve services. It doesn't always do this as sometimes the management of such systems is ineffective. Outsourcing public institutions requires deep thought and adequate strategic planning before implementation. Vendors should enhance current capacities through superior performance when compared to keeping the service in-house, should be cost effective, well-integrated, and should be reliant on the main entity and the mission of the public institution.

Who is Likely to Succeed in Online Education?

College is a right-of-passage to turn the uninitiated into the initiated of higher knowledge. Students are attracted to online education because of its convenience will soon be exposed to a heavy workload that leads to greater awareness. The difference between those who succeed, from those who don't,  is the “grit” that comes forth from self-motivation.

Students are not all the same and gravitate to virtual or traditional based on their personal preferences. The online world attracts people who are slightly older, English speaking, prolific Internet users, internally motivated and engaged in a career (Kahu, Stephens, & Zepke, 2013; Johnson, 2015). Student’s unique situation and personal characteristics are often evaluated before taking a particular course.

Online students are highly motivated and often lifelong learners. Like traditional college students they attend a higher education institution to get ahead in life and choose the best path that helps them achieve their ends while balancing other responsibilities. The online approach requires a high level of commitment and internal motivation.

Upon entering a higher education institution the individual student’s personality and abilities begin to take precedence in determining their performance. Separating the wheat from the shaft occurs through the retention and persistence rates from course to course. Convenience meets hard work and some students may not be adequately prepared for the challenge.

Persistence is where online students show their ability to be succeed in school and life. Those who overcome life challenges are persistent with their goals and don’t give up are often those who become successful. Those that make it to the end are a cut above the rest as they managed their lives, careers, and school work load without the same level of social support as other programs.

Differences between virtual and traditional education does exist even though the ultimate need to grow and progress is the same. The online student may be initially attracted to the convenience of remote education but will soon need to tap their internal motivations to succeed  in a virtual modality. The online graduate is a highly motivated independent thinker that can keep going even when no one is cheering them on.

Kahu, E R, Stephens, C, Leach, L & Zepke, N 2013. The engagement of mature distance students. Higher Education Research & Development, 32,(5).

Johonson, G. (2015). On-Campus and Fully-Online University Students: Comparing Demographics, Digital Technology Use and Learning Characteristics. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 12 (1).

Painting Ocean Cliffs-New Horizons

At times I like to paint. Maybe becoming a better painter sometime. I view it as a way to understand and connect with the world. This one is of cliffs. It is impressionist by nature so it is not designed to be exact. However, it is designed to express a mood. In this case those times when the wind is blowing softly, everything is fresh, and new things are on the horizons.

The Online MBA will be “The Degree”

The holder of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a highly educated practitioner that can take on nearly any position within the company by applying their advanced knowledge. As jobs become more complex from one decade to the next, they naturally require more knowledge and education to meet new challenges. Professionals seeking to obtain advanced knowledge have few options under traditional models and view online education as “the degree” that suits their needs.

One of the primary reasons why online MBAs became so popular is because of their flexibility in allowing progressive individuals to go back to school and update their knowledge (Roe, Toma & Yallapragada, 2015). Under traditional models, students who are employed are unlikely to go back leaving a skill deficit in the market.

There were those who were skeptical of online education and continued to be so today. Their arguments have lost value and schools have adopted such practices because they are cost effective without hampering educational quality. The popularity of the degree continues to grow based on demand.

No doubt the world is becoming more complex, and people will need to go back to school to obtain the skills necessary to be successful in the market. Jobs that are leaning more toward the high-technology or knowledge fields require the type of personality that continues to seek new knowledge. Those who don’t will be left behind by those who did.

Online education allows hungry professionals the access they need to update their skills and compete in the market. The world is changing, and skills are fluid as the job market continuously shifts. Easy access and the ability to jump in and out of school when needed without significant loss can help the development of human capital in the country. Providing the right kind of education for the knowledge needed now works no matter what the medium.

Roe, C., Toma, A. & Yallapragada, R. (2015). Innovation in business education: developing a high quality online MBA. American Journal of Business Education, 8 (2).

Painting: Desert Pillars

Life is more simple than we think it is. Sometimes paintings can help us find that simplicity.

Hiring College Graduates for Price Tag or Ability?

What is in the value of the degree beyond the big price tag? According to a study of potential employers, the reputation of the college is of critical importance in the initial phases of a hiring process but becomes less important later in the interview process (Osoian, Nistor, & Zaharie, 2010). The quality of the degree rests on its brand recognition and first recall when selecting candidates.

Consider an organization that receives 30 to 50 resumes for a single job posting. The recognition of the degree and the school it was conferred will be part of the first cut. If the name of the school has poor recall recognition in the hiring manager's mind, it will unlikely get past the first cut. Good people are left behind because employers have a degree bias.

There is a difference between brand recognition and quality of learning. If a person attends an elite school, pays twice the amount of money, and earns a lower quality degree than a state school they will still be first in line for the opportunity. The minimum qualifications and perceived value of the degree count in making one stand out.

After the top candidates are called for interviews their work skills, communication abilities, prior experience, presentation, and other factors make a greater impression. The hiring manager will look at the overall background and "right fit" of the individual to the organization. If the overall interview goes well, the perceived value of the degree counts less.

There is a lesson for hiring managers and schools. It is important not to side step great candidates only because they didn't come from a wealthy background. Schools should learn to raise their market quality and brand image when they can. The reputation of the school may do more than the actual learning that has taken place. Once the candidate has made their way to the interview, then other factors like knowledge become important.

Osoian, C., Nistor, R. & Zaharie, M. (2010). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the employers' view upon quality of education. Proceedings of the European Conference on Research Methods for Business & Management Studies, p. 409-414 (Conference).

Customer Perception and Customer Value

Value is subjective to the beholder but follows segmented consumer demographics where value can be targeted. Each demographic within the market finds a different value based on options and price. Knowing who your target market is can make a big difference on how to create value that attracts more customers.

Trends are moving away from cost-based strategies to customer-oriented value strategies to raise market competitiveness (Tetteh, 2015). Cost is only one aspect of that perceived value. Consumers consider design, brand, functionality, quality, and many more different options in creating a perception of total product value.

Cost is what the consumer is willing to give up to obtain a certain product. Therefore raising the value also leads to greater product equity that ends with higher priced sales. People don't want to give up their hard earned money unless they find that product more to their liking than many of the alternative products on the market.

Raising value doesn't need to cost a lot. Sometimes it can require something as simple as re-branding the same product and marketing it somewhere else while it could be more complex like redesigning the next version with more focus on key customer needs.  There is a wide range of ways to raise value that also includes warranties, add-on services, bundles, etc.

Different demographic groups will have different needs. Knowing the details of the demographic group such as education, interests, lifestyle, age, income, and so forth will provide an opportunity to ensure the product meets the needs of customers. The more connected a person is to the customer the more successful they are in understanding how value is perceived and measured in that group.

Tetteh, V. (2015). Value-based strategies for business marketing. Research Starters Business.

Research as a Important Function of Universities

Universities are centers of knowledge and have a hallowed place that reminds people of chalkboards, Einstein looking professors, sun spotted hallways, and rows of dust covered books. It is a place where people sit for hours, if not days and years, to ponder how things work. One can almost imagine Newton sitting under the tree and getting clunked by an apple. Research is still an important function of universities and is an outward facing sign of internal activities.

This doesn't mean that universities are ONLY about research as they have a primary responsibility to teach students. Research helps in teaching by expanding knowledge but also by keeping curriculum relevant. It is part of the Boyer's model of scholarship that encourages the discovery of new knowledge and the integration of that knowledge into teaching for student learning advancement. Research comes with a cost and a benefit.

Research takes time, money and resources from other university activities. Where professors might otherwise engage in the  immediate needs of the university they are spending their time in longer-term research projects. The type of research often depends on the interest of the professor but is generally focused on their content areas. Something as simple as a literature review or as grandiose as a full-scale experiment can both add value in the long term but will come with a cost.

The type of research should push for advancement or understanding of the professor's field. At times this research might focus on the better knowledge depth of the professor who then publishes his/her work in a journal and incorporates it into their classroom. At other times it may seek to create something new and contribute to the entire field. Without sharing and integrating that knowledge with the world and with their students many of the benefits are lost.

This brings us back to our original idea of research being an important function of universities. That research must either be used for public consumption or integration into student knowledge. Successful research programs don't need to have an expensive laboratory but do need to highlight creative works to the public through journal publications, outward facing websites, blogs, publications, and news media outlets. They will then need to continually update their courses to integrate their research to create brand value.

Why Does Innovation Take so Long?

Innovation is the process of developing something new that has not been developed before. It may either be something unique or it could be a recombination of different elements to find new interpretations. Sometimes these innovations come from incremental increases while at other times it could completely transform the market.

At the least innovation moves through four steps. I term these steps 1.) Knowledge Integration, 2.) Ideation and Conceptual Formation, 3.) Validity Testing 4.) Development for Consumption. Within each steps are many other steps. Products and good ideas don't appear out of no where and generally rest on a large backdrop of knowledge.

Researchers spend years blurry eyed trying to understand a particular phenomenon. They read, study, understand and integrate knowledge. At some point they have accumulated enough knowledge to develop a new idea but that requires a strong foundation of previous knowledge. It may be in their field of study or a related field.

That "Aha" moment eventually develops into a conceptual vision of the product that is tested. If it works well then it will be further refined for consumptions. The development process should consider the market needs of consumers in product design and development. Innovation takes a long time because information must be integrated and synthesized to come up with a new way of solving problems.

The Spreading of Toxic Attitudes

Toxic Attitudes spread quickly throughout a department and can become embedded in the culture in a way that eventually impacts performance. The selection of managers should include personality in order to ensure that the organization maintains a positive place to work where people feel free to perform at their best. Entire departments that under perform can often be traced back to leadership and the rewards systems.

Poor attitudes and even worse communication skills lead to toxic environments. We are herd creatures and we take cues from each other. People with power who have negative affectivity beget more negativity as people pick up on their cues and react accordingly. We have all experienced people who "tick" us off and put us in a poor mood.

The problem is that we don't stop the chain. Our mood changes and we impact the next person. Some of us are more emotionally developed and can put people's behavior in context but most of us just transfer it onto the next person. Eventually we can have an entire culture of negativity that impacts performance.

Imagine if you walked into a place everyday and most of the people were engaging in negative thinking. Basic civility and kindness went out the window. Without realizing it you will begin to feel like your "walking on egg shells" within the workplace. The high stress and agitation can cause all types of problems.

Performance declines and cynicism becomes more rampant. Changing the toxicity of an environment requires either a surgical or scorched earth approach. Surgically you can spend the time investigating procedures, reward allocations, employee attitudes and personality to see what specifically is causing the problems. Scorched earth means throwing out the players with big attitudes and changing everything within the department. If you forget to hire better next time or adjust the reward mechanics you might find yourself back with a toxic environment in a few years.

When Systems Fail Themselves

When organizations lose focus on their mission they are in serious trouble. All systems have a purpose and when the individual components lose their way the entire system veers off course. A few degrees and 5 years down the road the organization is in big trouble. Ensuring everyone is focused on the mission is important for sustainable success.

Sometimes people work in a silo and fail to understand the bigger picture of the organization's purpose. Each person focuses on their individual job and conducts their work in a routine and don't think much about it. That is they don't think about it until something happens that forces them to get a bigger picture.

It is important for companies to ensure employees not only understand the mission but also their job and how that job fits with the other jobs around it. Each job works in conjunction with others and understanding the wider network also helps in putting each action in greater context. Each task takes on more meaning when it has a bigger purpose.

All decisions should be made with the greater purpose in mind. If this does not happen smaller objectives begin to take precedence and it could threaten the entire organization. How does a splintered organization survive when it becomes a bundle of self-serving mini objectives? The answer is it doesn't. Its synergy and bounded rationality dissipates and it becomes its own biggest market threat.

The Art of Reading Faces in Negotiations

The art of reading faces is ancient and comes from the subconscious and biological need to understand each other. Animals and humans have the same ability to read body language and get impressions of another's intentions. Learning how to understand those cues and use them in negotiations creates advantages the opposing side may not have. Conceptually blending the information makes additional clarity on which pathways to use to achieve goals.

Imagine if you were able to understand what a person was thinking without actually having any magical ability to do so. If knew what they wanted and understood their environment you may be able to reasonably get an impression of their thinking. It isn't always correct but you can be accurate enough to test their thinking with your own words and comments.

Consider the environment and context of the facial expressions first. Look at what they are doing, what people are talking about, where their focus is, and under what circumstance they are participating. You should be able to get a better impression of the forces and factors on each person in the room.

View their facial expressions and try to determine what they mean. Is the person's facial expressions positive, negative, joyful, upset, distracted, etc...? There are at least 21 facial expressions that we use to express our emotions. Emotions are based on the way in which we think about things.

Therefore, if you match the environment, behaviors, context and facial expressions together it is possible to determine the latent functions going on in the brain. The more you know a person the better off you are able to read their expressions because you have a context for their baseline behavior. Changes mean something is going on.

Reading people is an important but not easily developed skill in negotiations. Understand what people say and why they say it makes a huge difference. People reveal information and understanding how that information fits with the negotiation can give you a tip off on what people are willing or not willing to accept. Negotiations is not only about having a position but also about finding out how to get the other side to agree to that position.

What Your Smile Says about You?

You wouldn't think a smile would say much about you but it does. Smiles signal friendly intentions and help people open up to you about their needs, wants, desires, life, and motivations. A good smile is contagious and can make its way throughout an organization. Even though who are not aware that someone is smiling will still feel a positive impression toward that person.

If you want someone to listen to your message you should smile. A good smile lets them know you are open to them and like them as a person. It may  not be true but the concept stays the same. A solid simple can be overt overt or non-verbal based upon its intensity.

This can lead to more honest with employees which creates awareness of your department. When people feel positive feelings toward their boss and trust that boss it puts the boss in the center of information which is important in proper management. 

Knowing which type of smile to use and when is important. When you don't know someone try not to give a huge smile as it may hint that you are sneaky, have ill intention, or something to hide. Try and subtle smile with accents of something bigger when the person says a key point or something interesting.

Practicing a non-verbal smile you can use with everyone, a large smile in exciting situations or when you know the person, and the casual positive smile in daily conversation can be beneficial. As people respond to your positive impression with a positive response you will find your relationships improving and more people willing to listen to you.

When To Multi-Task and When to Focus

We hear about the benefits of multi-tasking but often fail to understand when it is more beneficial to focus on a single task. The difference lies in cognitive load and the amount of effort it takes to complete tasks. Some types of tasks require too much focus and effort to complete while others don't require much attention and are beneficial for multi-tasking. Knowing the difference can help.

When To Focus: Focus is best when the task is complicated and it takes considerable effort to complete. Your brain can only handle so many tasks at once. Ensuring you are reducing distractions and competing projects helps in using all your energy in completing your primary work.

When to Multi-Task: Work that is routine, doesn't require much thought and small mistakes dont matter. Let us assume you are filing papers, cleaning your desk and having a routine conversation on the door. Pretty simple. Your cognitive engagement on each task is low and therefore you have the capacity to do multiple work.

Digging Out Higher Education Strategies

Higher education needs strategy in the same way as business, government and non-profit organizations need a strategy. Strategy helps ensure that universities will maintain their relevancy long into the future.  The strategy but will rest in a number of common factors that impact all higher education institutions. Government funds may support a university but don't not necessarily determine its viability.

Quality of Curriculum: Curriculum and the quality of the information it contains is important for developing student minds. Quality includes the faculty members and their ability to develop solid educational plans, incorporate their personal and professional knowledge, and relay that information in ways to leads to higher levels of growth.

Core Student Demographics: Each university has its own core demographics much like each business has its own customers. These students create a profile of what the "target market" looks like that is used in designing courses, services, messages, and facilities. Some schools will focus on the elite, some on the middle class and others on lower income.

Marketing/Public Relations: Marketing  and other public information leaves impressions in people's minds that help formulate public image. Public image is also influenced by all positive and negative information available.  The total impression creates the perception of value in consumers minds.

Stakeholder and End User Needs: Society has needs and will seek to make those needs known through a variety of channels. Sustainable universities will understand those need and adjust their processes to ensure they are meeting these needs. Stakeholder and end user needs often include quality of education, return on investment, employer needs, research for societal enhancement, etc.

Government Regulation: Government regulations will determine how schools are expected to operate and the potential consequences for not operating in that manner. There will be laws that restrict the use of funds, have operating requirements, political maneuvering, etc. that will impact the form and nature of education within the country.

Emerging and Long-term Trends and Strategies: All entities are subject to the changes and needs of market trends. Schools should do their best to capitalize on emerging information and trends. This can include the form of school such as the original rejection and then acceptance of online coursework.

Poem: Desert Dust and Life Wins

Few things are void of life. Under the wood, rocks, and debris are seeds that may have sat dormant for centuries but will come back out. With a little water, life grows again making the desert green. Something that looks barren could have lots of behind the scenes activity occurring waiting for its chance to blossom.

As humans we look but don't often see. Looking is only the act of taking in images and impressions from our environment while seeing is understanding what all those images and impressions mean. Understanding takes much more effort and background information than simply seeing.

The lesson we should learn from the poem is that just because something looks a certain way doesn't mean we understand its complexity. There are lots of mechanics of things going on and under the right circumstances things begin to grow again.

Poem: Desert Dust and Life Wins

The heat roasts the desert floor,
The sand is parched brown.

Barren views of mountains,
Nothing but miles of desert.

The scorched earth appears void of life,
Seedlings are nestled in the ground.

It doesn't take much to bring them to life,
A little rain and they come out of their shell.

Under the best efforts of the sun,
Life blooms again because it must.

The Value of Non-Verbal Conversations with Customers

Watching people will tell you a lot about their beliefs, desires, values and behaviors. Each person comes with all types of needs. In sales it is vitally important to try and read what the customer is not telling you and make suggestions that lead to a higher level of sales. Moving beyond the conversation to the core needs of the customer can make all the difference in satisfaction. 

A salesperson's ability to “read” people impacts sales volume and service quality (Puccinelli, et. al. 2013). With the right interactions the customer will feel that his/her needs were met through positive interactions. It also impacts the ability to solicit enough information to give the customer the right product. 

Consider a customer who walks into a store and wants to buy something. Sometimes it is an urge to make a purchase that helps them look good, feel special, or whisk away a feeling. At other times they may need an actual product but are not aware of the options or whether or not there are alternatives. 

An attentive salesperson can see the anticipation, ask the right questions and then lead the person to the product/service that best suits their needs. They do this through watching closely what is actually being said through words and non-verbal actions. If they pay attention long enough and gain experience they can get good at this. 

Puccinelli, N. et. al. (2013). The value of knowing what customers really want: The impact of salesperson ability to read non-verbal cues of affect on service quality. Journal of Marketing Management, 29 (3/4)