An Effective Classroom Technique for Brainstorming Utilizing Play-Doh®

This article suggests an interactive management classroom activity, introducing business students to several issues that are often found in task-oriented business teams when brainstorming. Brainstorming is an essential element in decision-making and often a platform for creativity leading to innovation. In a previous classroom lecture, Osborn’s (1957) four rules of brainstorming are introduced. This work also examines topics often found in groups including leadership, social loafing, and cohesiveness. The day of the activity, the groups are assigned, given a task to perform, and one can of Play-Doh® to utilize in task completion. Teams must work together to accomplish all elements of the task given. Observers document the occurrences of brainstorming rule breaking, leadership development, social loafing, and group cohesiveness. Debriefing and evaluation by observers are presented. Students are given the opportunity to evaluate their own brainstorming abilities. Results report that successful groups (groups that can successfully complete the task) are the groups that are able to more closely follow the rules of brainstorming. Observer and individual evaluations also coincide in the successful groups. This article provides an easy activity that can be completed in a seventy-five minute class period. It may also be scaled back for completion in a fifty minute class

A Cross Country Comparison of Best Practices in Recruitment and Selection

This study examines best practices in hiring related to the recruitment and selection process in English-speaking countries with an Anglo-Saxon heritage. Since such countries share a similar cultural backgrounds and histories, best practices are likely to be somewhat similar. Studies of best practices were examined in the following countries: United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. After looking at commonalities across “best practices” studies, the current investigation presents a common set of such practices in terms of usage

The Fruitcake Capital of the World

Two different fruitcake companies in the same small town are discussed and their widely different strategies are presented. Each of the entrepreneurs began working with a “master baker” as little boys but later followed different paths to develop a successful fruitcake business. A brief history of the fruitcake is offered as evidence that the product has been around for hundreds of years and will likely not go away anytime soon in spite of the ridicule and humor that has surrounded fruitcakes during the past twenty-five years

The Fruitcake Capital of the World

Two different fruitcake companies in the same small town are discussed and their widely different strategies are presented. Each of the entrepreneurs began working with a “master baker” as little boys but later followed different paths to develop a successful fruitcake business. A brief history of the fruitcake is offered as evidence that the product has been around for hundreds of years and will likely not go away anytime soon in spite of the ridicule and humor that has surrounded fruitcakes during the past twenty-five years

A Cross Country Comparison of Best Practices in Recruitment and Selection

This study examines best practices in hiring related to the recruitment and selection process in English-speaking countries with an Anglo-Saxon heritage. Since such countries share a similar cultural backgrounds and histories, best practices are likely to be somewhat similar. Studies of best practices were examined in the following countries: United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. After looking at commonalities across “best practices” studies, the current investigation presents a common set of such practices in terms of usage

Generalizability Revisited: Comparing Undergraduate Business Students to Credit Union Managers

This paper looks at the use of college students in survey research. Specifically examined is the use of undergraduate business school students to generalize to adult populations of practicing managers. Some studies suggest that such generalizations are valid, while others argue that generalizations need to be undertaken with caution. The differences between particularistic research and universalistic research are discussed. The findings from a study of 69 undergraduate business majors and 67 practicing credit union managers are presented. In summary, the current study finds that the two groups are very different in terms of two well researched personality constructs: locus of control and need for achievement, hence caution should be taken when generalizing findings from one group to the other

Generalizability Revisited: Comparing Undergraduate Business Students to Credit Union Managers

This paper looks at the use of college students in survey research. Specifically examined is the use of undergraduate business school students to generalize to adult populations of practicing managers. Some studies suggest that such generalizations are valid, while others argue that generalizations need to be undertaken with caution. The differences between particularistic research and universalistic research are discussed. The findings from a study of 69 undergraduate business majors and 67 practicing credit union managers are presented. In summary, the current study finds that the two groups are very different in terms of two well researched personality constructs: locus of control and need for achievement, hence caution should be taken when generalizing findings from one group to the other

Global Outsourcing: A Study of Student Attitudes

The practice of global outsourcing by U.S.A. companies is frequently the source of heated debate. Recently a Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll found that 86% of Americans believe that outsourcing is the number one factor contributing to the country’s continuing economic distress. This study presents the results of a survey designed to assess the attitudes toward global outsourcing among business students and non business students at a large regional university in the Southeast U.S.A. A survey of attitudes toward global outsourcing was administered to 284 undergraduate and graduate students. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and MANOVA methods were used to analyze the data collected. Statistically significant differences with attitudes were found among the students\u27 level of knowledge, age, gender, major, and classification. The results indicate business majors are more positive toward global outsourcing than are non-business majors. Another finding is that older students (\u3e25) and MBA students are more pessimistic toward global outsourcing. Those “older” and MBA’s were mostly concerned with the impact of such outsourcing on jobs. Implications for teaching international business are discussed

Global Outsourcing: A Study of Student Attitudes

This paper presents the results of a survey designed to assess students’ attitudes toward global outsourcing. A survey of attitudes toward outsourcing jobs abroad was administered to 284 undergraduate and graduate university students. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and MANOVA methods were used to analyze the data collected. Statistically significant differences with attitudes were found among the students’ level of knowledge, age, gender, major, and classification. Essentially what was learned is that overall, business majors are more positive toward global outsourcing than are non-business majors. However, it was also learned that older students (\u3e25) and MBA students are more pessimistic toward global outsourcing. Those “older” and MBA’s were mostly concerned with the impact of such outsourcing on jobs. Implications for teaching international business are also discussed

miR-196b target screen reveals mechanisms maintaining leukemia stemness with therapeutic potential.

We have shown that antagomiR inhibition of miRNA miR-21 and miR-196b activity is sufficient to ablate MLL-AF9 leukemia stem cells (LSC) in vivo. Here, we used an shRNA screening approach to mimic miRNA activity on experimentally verified miR-196b targets to identify functionally important and therapeutically relevant pathways downstream of oncogenic miRNA in MLL-r AML. We found Cdkn1b (p27Kip1) is a direct miR-196b target whose repression enhanced an embryonic stem cell–like signature associated with decreased leukemia latency and increased numbers of leukemia stem cells in vivo. Conversely, elevation of p27Kip1 significantly reduced MLL-r leukemia self-renewal, promoted monocytic differentiation of leukemic blasts, and induced cell death. Antagonism of miR-196b activity or pharmacologic inhibition of the Cks1-Skp2–containing SCF E3-ubiquitin ligase complex increased p27Kip1 and inhibited human AML growth. This work illustrates that understanding oncogenic miRNA target pathways can identify actionable targets in leukemia