Our Wicked Problem

The Coronavirus is more than a health problem. It is a “wicked” problem disrupting work, education, travel, politics, financial indicators, and more. This label came about in 1973 to help describe a special class of situations that are volatile, uncertain and ambiguous, often difficult to recognize, and difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements. There is no clear problem definition due to interdependencies so the problem cannot be fully understood until after the solution comes about

Disruptive Effects of the Coronavirus – Errors of Commission and of Omission?

It is increasingly evident that the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is more than a health problem; it is and will continue to adversely affect work and workplaces, education, families and social engagements, political and environmental dimensions, and financial indicators. Apart from its health ramifications, the crisis is revealing serious challenges in the global supply chain. Those difficulties are, at least in part, consequences of unwise, short-sighted business decisions made over the course of decades to outsource and downsize

Executive development for higher education: A case study of the Wharton -IRHE Executive Education Program

Market forces have changed the landscape of higher education from an insular industry focused on academic pursuits into a competitive environment requiring a market oriented, politically savvy mindset. In response to the market challenges, colleges and universities are attempting to manage themselves better, to become more market-driven (Day, 1990), and to redefine their missions so that they continue to remain relevant to a frenetic global marketplace—a marketplace that breeds competitors as a signal of a healthy economic outlook. Consequently, institutions of higher education need to understand the emerging competitive marketplace and to develop sound leadership practices and evolved management tools. The issue, then, of how the leadership of institutions of higher education is prepared for these challenges is of critical importance. In fact, the manner in which these institutional leaders practice good management and decision-making has become a matter of survival for colleges and universities. This dissertation is an exploration of some of the problems facing institutions of higher education. The pathway of problems leads to a vehicle created to address the need for better management practice and the creation of a market oriented, politically savvy mindset among the leadership of these institutions. The vehicle studied is the Wharton-IRHE Executive Education for Higher Education Program (Wharton-IRHE), a “just-in-time-educational” program for higher education institutional teams to explore these challenges. The Wharton-IRHE Program is particularly relevant for study because it comes at a time of great need in American higher education, and offers a unique solution—a model of educational development that caters to the needs of an institutional team working on the challenges of the institution, with individual and group development as a residual benefit. I evaluated this program using data from multiple sources. I explored its educational design in interviews with program faculty. I reviewed program evaluations completed by the program participants. These served as a guide in interviewing representatives from participating institutions regarding the impact the program had for them as an institution, as a group or team in attendance, and as individuals. The results I found were mixed, but largely positive. In summary, the program left both individuals and institutions asking for more, and in some cases, the institutions began to explore options for continuing the learning environment. This dissertation is a case study of the Wharton-IRHE Program as a vehicle for leadership development and institutional advancement for higher educational institutions

Executive development for higher education: A case study of the Wharton -IRHE Executive Education Program

Market forces have changed the landscape of higher education from an insular industry focused on academic pursuits into a competitive environment requiring a market oriented, politically savvy mindset. In response to the market challenges, colleges and universities are attempting to manage themselves better, to become more market-driven (Day, 1990), and to redefine their missions so that they continue to remain relevant to a frenetic global marketplace—a marketplace that breeds competitors as a signal of a healthy economic outlook. Consequently, institutions of higher education need to understand the emerging competitive marketplace and to develop sound leadership practices and evolved management tools. The issue, then, of how the leadership of institutions of higher education is prepared for these challenges is of critical importance. In fact, the manner in which these institutional leaders practice good management and decision-making has become a matter of survival for colleges and universities. This dissertation is an exploration of some of the problems facing institutions of higher education. The pathway of problems leads to a vehicle created to address the need for better management practice and the creation of a market oriented, politically savvy mindset among the leadership of these institutions. The vehicle studied is the Wharton-IRHE Executive Education for Higher Education Program (Wharton-IRHE), a “just-in-time-educational” program for higher education institutional teams to explore these challenges. The Wharton-IRHE Program is particularly relevant for study because it comes at a time of great need in American higher education, and offers a unique solution—a model of educational development that caters to the needs of an institutional team working on the challenges of the institution, with individual and group development as a residual benefit. I evaluated this program using data from multiple sources. I explored its educational design in interviews with program faculty. I reviewed program evaluations completed by the program participants. These served as a guide in interviewing representatives from participating institutions regarding the impact the program had for them as an institution, as a group or team in attendance, and as individuals. The results I found were mixed, but largely positive. In summary, the program left both individuals and institutions asking for more, and in some cases, the institutions began to explore options for continuing the learning environment. This dissertation is a case study of the Wharton-IRHE Program as a vehicle for leadership development and institutional advancement for higher educational institutions

Russell L. Ackoff Centennial Celebration - Panel Presentation

From the Ackoff Centennial Celebration held on July 26-28, 2019 in Jefferson Alumni Hall is a panel discussion on the topic, “Russ Ackoff: The Vincent Van Gogh of Management? Under-appreciated during his lifetime but recognized after his death as a leader and prophet. What evidence do we have?” The program is introduced by Larry M. Starr, PhD, with Moderator Vince Barabba and panelists Bill Bellows, PhD, Derek Cabrera, PhD, Laura Cabrera, PhD, Venard Scott Koerwer, PhD, EdD, Gerald Midgley, PhD, and Nick Pudar. The Ackoff Centennial details are here: https://sites.google.com/bzlot.com/ackoff/home. Sponsored by The Thomas Jefferson University Office of Institutional Advancemen