Ivey Business School changes the Face of Business Education

Revamps curriculum, research and organization to focus on Cross-Enterprise Leadership

The Richard Ivey School of Business announced that it has embarked on a new approach to business education.

Known as Cross-Enterprise Leadership, this unique learning model is designed to generate business leaders who will have the breadth and capacity to always see the bigger picture and lead initiatives that enhance the whole enterprise.

Cross-Enterprise Leadership is the first major break from the traditional ‘functional disciplines' model that dates back to 1881, when business education was first conceived at Wharton.

“The world is changing at a relentless pace,” said Ivey Business School Dean Carol Stephenson,” and business education needs to innovate in order to serve the needs of tomorrow's executives. Cross-Enterprise Leadership provides future leaders the skills to adapt to the societal forces swirling around them such as globalization, competition and technology. It envisions a generation of executives who can think, act and lead cross-enterprise.”

The transformation impacted all facets of the School, including its programs(MBA, HBA, Executive MBA and Corporate Education), research and internal organization.

Since May 2006, Ivey Business School's full-time MBA program was converted to a one-year curriculum focused on Cross-Enterprise Leadership. The case method, for which Ivey Business School is renowned, will continue to play a central role, with new cases being written solely for use at Ivey Business School that will expose students to timely issues and help them build frameworks for cross-enterprise thinking, action and leadership.

On the research front, instead of researching single subject topics like finance, accounting, or marketing, four Cross-Enterprise Leadership research centres were set up. These research centres focus around: (1)Building sustainable value, (2) Driving growth through entrepreneurship and innovation, (3) Engaging emerging markets, and, (4) leading cross-enterprise-aiming to cut across functional areas and focus on current business issues.

Turning the Model Inside Out
Under traditional business education models, the core curriculum is based on functional disciplines such as finance, accounting and marketing. A cross-functional approach is sometimes added through capstone courses, simulations and field projects. But in the real world, problems do not come neatly defined in functional groups.

Cross-Enterprise Leadership starts with the premise that the main task of leaders is to tackle cross-enterprise issues. The learning experience is then structured to generate graduates who have the ability to think, act and lead from a cross-enterprise perspective. Cross-Enterprise Leadership builds on Ivey Business School's bench strength in experiential learning that immerses students in practical, real-world business problems through the case method and field work.

“When we looked out at the business school landscape, we realized that tinkering with the traditional model would not suffice,” continued Stephenson. “So we decided to turn it inside out- to start with the goal of producing cross-enterprise leaders and to build from there. Our own alumni, business leaders and leading corporations provided us valuable insight into how business education should be improved, and this has played a significant role in helping us create this exciting new approach.”

Cross-Enterprise Leadership is an action-oriented approach that prepares high-performing Ivey Business School graduates to look beyond the walls, org chats and silos and approach issues from a perspective that spans the entire organization. They have an advanced understanding of the ramifications of their decisions and actions across the organization. They know how to capitalize on the opportunities and synergies that result from seeing the big picture.

Those admitted to the Cross-Enterprise Leadership MBA last May experienced numerous innovative moves by the school, in the development of Cross-Enterprise Leadership cases, class team-taught by faculty members of different disciplines, and dealing with issues spanning the entire enterprise. For example, students were exposed to how the Stratford Festival could try to turnaround its sagging fortunes, with insights from the Artistic Director, and gaining first-hand knowledge by experiencing the Festival itself; taken to the remote Canadian north (via video) to experience how the Northwest Company, a retail chain, was able to deal with the issues of decentralizing its operations, and were able to dialogue with CEO; and exposed to the challenges of a major Canadian financial institution, Sun Life Financial, going global and dealing with start-up operations in India, with insights from the executive vice president who made it happen.

It has now been three month science students from this 1-year MBA program have graduated from their studies and placement rate for this group is usually high! This is a testament to the quality of the program, the admissions processes, and Ivey's hold new strategy as confirmed by recruiters of its graduates.

“With Cross-Enterprise Leadership, we've designed an unparalleled learning experience that combines the rigour and intensity for which we are renowned with a holistic approach to the challenges that businesses face and how students learn to deal with these challenges,” concluded Stephenson

Summer 2007
Canada Hong Kong Business
– The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong