8 Ways Online Education will Help Balance University Budgets

A sound college degree is expensive and the cost of managing universities is continuing to put pressure on stretched state budgets. Online education entered the market in the past few decades and is disrupting the traditional system. Despite this feather ruffling it also will bring a few new things that may help both universities and states become more cost effective.

The legal design of the institution (for or non-profit) is less important than the actual quality of education provided. To that end, traditional land based universities have come grudgingly to accept the merits of online education in both terms of cost and learning quality. Online education will change the cost structures of universities (Cowen & Tabarrok, 2014):

1. Using the best professor and content creators to teach more students.
2. Save time with less repetition and commuting costs.
3. Flexibility in when and how lectures are viewed.
4. Greater productivity improvements as software substitutes labor.
5. Additional incentives to invest in quality as market increases.
6. Stronger feedback through adaptive systems.
7. Greater student measurements.
8. Reduce cost and increase quality of higher education through enhancing productivity.

Online education is here to stay and will continue to grow and develop over the years. It will provide a number of benefits for universities whose administrative and cost burdens are high. By focusing on high quality online quality learning, universities will be able to find higher economies of scale and greater reach for their educational benefits.

Cowen, T. & Tabarrok, A. (2014). The industrial organization of online education. American Economic Review, 104 (5).

Beautiful Beaches Raise San Diego’s Digital Profile as a Vacation Destination

San Diego Beaches are some of the most beautiful in the country. According to Trip Advisor the beaches of La Jolla, Coronado and Carlsbad made their way into the nation’s top 25 (McVicker, 2014). As a local attraction beaches are a clear draw for people and a way people envision San Diego. The right kind of images can raise the status of an area.

If you doubt the brand of San Diego as associated with sunny beaches go ahead and ask someone from any place in the country what the first thing they think of when the city is mentioned. Most likely they will say something about the weather, ocean, beaches, restaurants and military. San Diego is seen as a destination place for vacation and fun.

Having positive reviews of San Diego in the news, vacation sites, and in general on cybersphere helps to raise the status of the area. The more times it is mentioned in various information channels and media the higher the association of the image in people’s minds. This can help the area become a greater destination place that reaps the financial rewards.

Consider how people find information today for trips and vacations. They search online using key terms such as “best U.S. vacation places”, “vacation places with beaches”, etc… The frequency of terms used to describe the city, or any city, will impact the which localities will be recalled for people to consider in their choices.

Trip Adviser is one popular site that impacts the amount of people who will eventually visit the area and spend their money. Like the marketing of any company the more people who see positive information about the city the more likely they will choose to vacation here.  The money people spend is converted to profits, wages, taxes, and investments.

Beaches may not seem like much but they are a major draw for vacationers. Other factors that attract people are the types of jobs in the area, the recreational activities, the social life, and the type of city governance. When people are deciding where to visit and spend they will naturally gravitate where their interests lay. Where and how they find that information is becoming increasingly digitized.

McVicker, L. (Feb 18, 2014). 3 San Diego Beaches Ranked in Top 25 in US. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/3-San-Diego-Beaches-Ranked-in-Top-25-in-US-292477631.html#ixzz3UrohZTHj

Exploration and Exploitation as Effective Parts of Leadership

Exploration and Exploitation are two facets of leadership not often discussed in academic circles. Exploration in leadership is a process that leads to new creative breakthroughs and knowledge while exploitation is the process of using that new knowledge in a way that creates the most effective outcomes. Well rounded leaders should be able to explore new ideas and then develop strategies to capitalize on their findings.

Exploration makes possible the understanding of new information and gathering knowledge on key issues. Exploitation is the ability implement sound strategies that can meet and achieve organizational objectives. People who are able to expand their current knowledge and then put that knowledge to good use are an asset to the organization.

According to Keller & Weibler (2014) both exploration and exploitation comes with certain personality traits. For example exploration is associated with open to experience and environmental dynamism while exploitation are closely tied to conscientiousness and transactional behaviors. Without an open mind it is difficult to learn new ideas and without conscientiousness it can be hard to create effective policies.

Leaders should be good managers and managers should strive to be better leaders. Leadership is based in part on our personality traits and our ability to rise above current processes to explore and implement new ideas. These ideas cannot be haphazard or unfounded but should be goal directed and effective. Leaders will need to be good managers to be effective.

Exploration is leader’s process of learning that allows them to tap into new ideas, find different associations, and improve existing processes by trying something new. Exploitation is the ability effectively and efficiently maximize that learning to find concrete results. Leaders who have both the ability to experiment with new ideas and the knowledge to implement new strategy effectively will do well in leading their organizations through change to higher levels of performance.

Keller, T. & Weibler, J. (2014). Behind managers ambidexterity-studying personality traits, leadership and environmental conditions associated with exploration and exploitation. Schmalenbach Business Review, 66 (3).

Is Affirmative Action Still Effective?

As the twentieth century begins and in midst of Ferguson conflict and Selma fiftieth memorial march, a legitimate question emerges as to whether or not Affirmative Action and its application are still effective and compulsory. The historical background, legal ground and current social changes introduce many challenges to the half-a century-old policy. The authors wrote a solid reading of the policy from an academic perspective which presents a trial to understand the past, the present and the future for this act. 

This paper traces the elements of Affirmative Action from past to present towards a new approach for the act, using an analytical framework called the Archeology Method (Foucault, 1972). This qualitative method reviews past discourse and events, evaluating artifacts in order to assimilate different historical processes and draw conclusions for what is happening in the present.

 The authors modeled Affirmative Action in a multi-dimensional approach to purposefully serve the core cause of the act without violating human diversity. The suggested model draws a roadmap for college systems to establish admission policy to meet current diverse culture dynamics and to assure fair practices among students’ population.  

Authors: Dr. Hussein & Dr. Wiggin 

Read the PDF Here

The Benefits of Dog Friendly Cafes Like Santos Coffee House

San Diego is a dog lover's paradise. From the animal shelter that looks more like a Hilton for pets to the dog beaches you will find that locals love their dogs. They love them so much they can't imagine leaving them home when they head to the coffee shop. Heck! Have little Buster carry the newspaper for you. Santos Coffee House is one of those places where dogs are more than welcome to lounge while nibbling on a doggy snack while their owners do something more constructive.

Pets are allowed both in the main area as well as the patio. Within moments of entering you will notice the water bowls and overstuffed jar of treats. The clerk promptly comes out from behind the counter and gives a reassuring pat to your unsure pooch. 

 In a big city like San Diego Santos has something unique to offer. Finding a niche in a larger market allows the business to attract a core following. Return customers return a couple of times a week and create positive cash flow. They are the easiest to maintain and keep once their shopping pattern is formed.

There are limited resources to market cafes and coffee shops. Having a narrow focus in marketing and advertising online will do much more for the business than trying to be everything to everyone. For example, searching Yelp for coffee shops will get you a long list of options but searching out dog friendly coffee shops cuts it down to a more focused number. 

Santos is a epicurean kind of place nestled in an area that seems to be wonder whether it should convert to residential or small business commercial. It is a neighborhood coffee shop that roasts its own beans and engages in philanthropic pursuits. After a few visits you will start to know a few people who live in the area.

3191 Thorn St
San Diego, CA 92104

San Diego Employment Numbers Trip But Could Regain Footing from High Technology Firms

2014 wasn't a great year for job creation in San Diego as employment numbers left much to be desired. According to the Employment Development Department 30,208 jobs were added to the San Diego economy in 2014 missing economist projections (1). Despite slower than expected growth in construction, professional, health, and scientific jobs the service industry added the most jobs with a 4.86% increase. Employment rates may be on the rise if San Diego focuses closely on high growth industries that already have a solid present in the area.

The numbers are not dismal and could indicate a upward swing for 2015. Service jobs are relatively easy to add and mark a level of rising consumer spending on travel, restaurants, and leisure services that mark optimism. These are some of the first jobs added to the economy before higher paying jobs also make their way onto the market.

Higher paying employment comes after lower skilled service jobs have made their initial appearance. Industries that have higher paying positions add significantly to income and wages in the area but take a little longer to kick in. Companies making larger investments in skill, recruitment, relocation, compensation and salary only add jobs when needed.

There has been a healthy discussion of encouraging technology firms in San Diego. This discussion, in addition to other high growth fields, helps in improving the future labor market by aligning the economy to industries in demand. For example, small business accounts for 2/3 rds of job creation and high growth firms 35% of job gains during the years 2009-2012 (Clayton, et. al. 2013).

Technology industries are in hot demand around the world and gaining high levels of investment. Companies that are in the high technology sectors of pharmaceutical, chemical, communication, navigation, agricultural equipment, science, etc... find themselves growing faster than many other companies. Their abilities to obtain new resources, based on market demand, pushes them forward.

San Diego has a  solid high technology based that can be used to create stronger platforms for growth. Cities that put in place policies that encourage the development and investment in growth industries often magnify growth in these sectors (Jenkins, et. al., 2006). The policies should help funnel international investment into industries that are currently, or will soon be, in high demand globally.

Encouraging those industries that are likely to provide the highest paying jobs and greatest amount of overall economic growth is smart government. It provides an opportunity to employee more people and raise the standard of living for a lot of people. Likewise, investors want a return on capital and high growth industries offer that opportunity. Making sure legislative hurdles are lowered and letting the world know of the local investment offerings in San Diego can make a huge difference in industries that are ready to break out onto the international market.

Clayton, et. al. (2013). High-employment-growth firms: defining and counting them. Monthly Labor Review, 136 (6).

Jenkins, et. al. (2006). Do high technology policies work? High technology industry employment growth in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1988-1998. Social Forces, 85 (1). 

Protecting Your Corporate Image Through Altruistic Giving

Americans are some of the most giving people in the world. The good nature of people in organizations regularly push for corporate donations to help those less fortunate. According to National Philanthropic Trust American corporations donate a whopping $16.76 annually with over 62% saying they are “giving back to the community” (1).  Altruistic corporate giving enhances the image of your company while helping the community.

Corporate philanthropy offers great benefits beyond developing a stronger public image. It can provide tax incentives, stronger labor pools, higher community relations in addition to image development (Syverson, 2006). The corporate strategy should try and maximize the benefits of giving for special causes and ensure the biggest bang for the corporate buck. 

Despite its benefits corporate giving can cause a backlash on the company if the entire process is seen as self-seeking (Kota, et. al. 2014). If the public views the purpose of the giving processes as a promotional tool then it will reflect poorly on the company. It can be difficult to disassociate corporate giving and taking advantage of the needed once it is connected. 

To counter any perception of opportunism it is a good idea to let the cause be something that interests people within the organization. Let employees vote on and choose the cause so that it is an expression of the collective will of workers. This will help to ensure that the charity strengthens commitment to the organization as a responsible company. 

Don’t try and overtly spotlight your company in the process. In other words, keep the needs of the charity or group in focus and the company second.  The difference between genuine corporate giving and opportunistic marketing is the beneficiary.  

Corporate giving is an important part of creating opportunities for people to succeed. At a time when concerns of income imbalance are prevalent it is beneficial to find a way to give back and encourage opportunities for those less fortune. Putting together corporate giving strategies that are sound and altruistic helps to focus resources where they are needed while providing periphery benefits to the company’s long term brand.  

Kota, K., romana, D. & Mallikarjuna, V. (2014). Cause related marketing: antecedents of corporate motive. Journal of Indian Management, 11 (3). 

Syverson, N. (2006). Corporate philanthropy in America: better to give than receive. Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation, 67 (1).