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							Volume 4
Issue 4 2008

Major upgrade of facilities on the way for MBS!
Contents
1 Exciting changes ahead for MBS

We are most pleased to announce the major renovation and upgrading of our facilities, which commence the week of the 7th of May. This upgrade will involve all three floors of the business school and will result in more lecture rooms being available, as well as complete upgrades on equipment and facilities for your learning convenience. The building renovations will take approximately four months to complete. The top floor where the LRC is, will be affected with restructuring and renovations taking place there first. We plan to keep disruption to accessing the LRC facilities to a minimum.

Applied Project 2 Management (June 2007) - hand over their funds raised for charity

3 KNOWING ME— KNOWING YOU What does it take to be emotionally competent?
By: Dr Hennie Scheepers Dean of Student Affairs

We have made provision for the LRC to operate from L5 in the interim, which is opposite L4 on the first floor. Your electronic access and Bizhub printing requirements will continue to be met as normal from this interim facility. Remote access to the LRC facilities, which was recently introduced for students’ convenience, can be made via your “Student’s Online” portal, on the www.milpark.co.za website. We will ensure that as far as possible, each floor is complete before we move onto the next level. Furthermore, we assure you that exam timetables have been taken into account, and no building work will take place on those days, that would cause noise discomfort or distraction to you. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience the building work may cause you, whilst we create a bigger and better MBS for your enjoyment. If you have any questions regarding the renovations, please feel free to discuss this with any Milpark Business School staff member, who will gladly talk you through the exciting changes ahead.

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CORPORATE AWAKENING
By: Dr Cobus Oosthuizen
MBA lecturer for HR Strategies for Flexibility and change

BOOK REVIEW 5 Allan Greenspan: The Age of Reason By: Dr Barry van der Westhuizen

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Volume 4, Issue 4, May 2008

The Milpark Business School Applied Project Management Students (June 2007 intake), facilitated by Dr Dennis Laxton, Anton Pieterse and Leonard Carls, hand over the funds they raised during their final projects to the Soweto Hospice and the Tembisa Society for the Care and Welfare of the Aged, with Dr Barry van der Westhuizen (Academic Director) and Vicki Jessop (Marketing and Sales Manager) from MBS.

A total of R13500 was raised for each , and judging from the happy smiles and grateful attitudes of the support workers, management and staff of both centres, it will be put to good use to cover 2 their many expenses. Well done to the Applied Project Management team members for their

Volume 4, Issue 4, May 2008

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KNOWING ME—KNOWING YOU
What does it take to be emotionally competent? By Dr Hennie Scheepers—Dean of Student Affairs at MBS The world within we live is socially constructed, which implies that there will always be some or the other form of interaction between people. In this arena, where persuasion is often a subconscious agenda, it is not uncommon to see people struggling to understand others. A key element, often neglected, is being skilled in the understanding, and handling of emotions. Trying to define emotions can be quite challenging, since there are many approaches to this. A basic definition of emotion needs to contain reference to a mental state experienced in reaction to events, and which goes hand in hand with physiological changes. Thus, whether we experience happiness, disgust, sadness, surprise, or fear, there is always a change in what we think, and our bodies’ experience. The moment people interact, they will experience one or more of the emotions they have learnt. When turning our attention to emotions and human interaction, and recalling that this interaction often has a persuasive agenda, we will realise the importance of “reading” someone else’s emotions. In terms of this, we will subconsciously base our assessments of people’s emotions on what we can see. Our striated (skeletal) muscular system will cause a combination of gross (major) body movement, as well as the so-called expressions of emotion. Examples of the former include tapping feet or fingers, making a fist, or even fighting or running away. Expressions of emotion would include facial expressions as well as less obvious body movements, such as raising one’s eyebrows. Considering the above, it seems apt to consider next what specific skills differentiate emotionally aware or competent individuals from those who have a hard time interacting with others on an emotional level. To this end, it is useful to differentiate between personal and social competencies. For the purpose of the current article, consider the following areas which constitute personal competence (social competencies will be discussed in the next article):

 Self-awareness: before we attempt to read others’ emotions, we need to first be able to understand what emotions we ourselves are experiencing, as well as how this impacts on our behaviour. As soon as we have an emotional self-awareness, it is imperative to also know what our strengths and weaknesses in this regard are. We should, for example, know what angers us, what makes us laugh, fills us with disgust, or contributes to the experience of any of the myriad of emotions. Finally, we need to have a level of emotional self-confidence, which implies that we can be decisive in making decisions, and that we can also voice less popular opinions.  Self-regulation: this refers to the ability to manage impulses and deconstructive emotions, such as anger, fear, and the like. When we achieve a state of self-regulation, we will be seen as possessing an ability to stay focused under pressure, and to handle our negative emotions in such a way that it will not have a negative impact on others. In addition to this, self-regulation also assists us to be innovative, act conscientiously, and be trustworthy. Self-motivation: this refers to the internal striving towards achievement and standards of excellence. If we are competent in this area, we will be able to set goals and take risks, be resultsoriented, and find ways in which we can improve our performance. Being self-motivated is also linked to showing commitment, showing initiative, and being optimistic.

As indicated earlier, the above focuses on the individual and the notion of emotional competence. This discussion is, however, incomplete if we do not discuss the next level, i.e. focusing outward to the social sphere. The next article will shed light on the social competence, as a logical step-up from the process of personal competence.
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Volume 4, Issue 4, May 2008

CORPORATE AWAKENING
By Cobus Oosthuizen PhD Human Resource Strategies for Flexibility & Change lecturer at Milpark Business School on the MBA programme.

The role of innovation and entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important as the world shifts deeper into the knowledge-based post-industrial economy. This is particularly true for companies desiring to compete in the global arena. These companies are dependent upon creating new products and services and bringing these to the international marketplace quickly and efficiently. To achieve this, companies must achieve higher rates of innovation and new venture creation internally. To be globally competitive, companies need superior technology, more proprietary products and services, and better processes. As other competitors become more scientific and managerially sophisticated, it takes them less and less time to innovate. Companies have to increase their speed and cost-effectiveness of innovation to match its competitors’ increasing sophistication in capitalising on opportunities. The challenge for companies would be to upgrade its innovative ability, and it is therefore important to become more entrepreneurial in the face of intensifying global competition and accelerating technological change. Clearly organisations cannot rely on the strategies they have used in the past. But how can companies create fast-moving, innovative organisations? How can they achieve a steady stream of new products and services? How can they have process innovation? How can they market and sell old products and services in new ways and in new places? How can they have continuous improvements and breakthroughs? Companies can certainly achieve these things, but not as a bureaucratic organisation. To get an explosion of appropriate innovation, they must find a way to awaken, release and direct the entrepreneurial energy of all its employees – from its board members right through to the lowest levels in the organisation. An entrepreneurial leadership approach that emphasises flexibility, change, innovation and responsiveness is required, and, above all, leaders have to encourage diversity and risk, and create an environment in which entrepreneurship can flourish. Companies must tap into the creative power of their members. Ideas come from people, and innovation is a capability of the many. That capability is utilised when people are committed to the mission and life of the organisation and have the power to do something with their capabilities. It is reasonable to expect that in most organisations one would find an abundance of ideas and potential ideas that go unnoticed because there are some structural barriers to their realisation, or little or no incentive for employees to bring such ideas forth. An entrepreneurial climate is required to sustain innovation in a corporate context – what I like to refer to as internal climatic imperatives and consists of thirteen elements, namely: Entrepreneurial Leadership; Management Support; Sponsors (Champion); Tolerance for risks, mistakes and failure; Innovation and creativity / New ideas encouraged; Appropriate rewards and reinforcement; Vision and strategic intent; Discretionary time and work; Empowered teams / Multi-disciplined teamwork and diversity; Resource availability and accessibility; Continuous- and cross-functional learning; Strong customer orientation; and, Flat organisational structure with open communication and strong sense of belonging. These thirteen elements impacts on the organisational environment and enables entrepreneurial thinking, behaviour and activity to manifest. It sets the scene to establish entrepreneurship as dominant logic that permeates the prevailing mindset of every member of the organisation and drives the overall focus of the organisation’s existence in relation to 4 the combination of the business functions.

Volume 4, Issue 4, May 2008

CORPORATE AWAKENING
By Cobus Oosthuizen PhD—continued Large companies can thus be entrepreneurial in the positive sense of creating real economic value for everyone’s benefit through the development of new products and services. It is also in national interest, not only because large companies account for much of the nation’s economic output and jobs, but also because corporate and independent entrepreneurs complement and compete with one another. Having both enhances a nation’s competitiveness, and, consumers and the economy are the beneficiaries. Dr Cobus Oosthuizen lectures Human Resource Strategies for Flexibility & Change at Milpark Business School MBA programme.

BOOK REVIEW: ALAN GREENSPAN; THE AGE OF REASON; ADVENTURES IN A NEW WORLD
By Dr Barry van der Westhuizen: Director Management and Leadership Faculty. At first glance this hefty book of some 531 pages may appear to be an opus magnum of Greenspan. The interesting book is however divided into two parts. The initial part dealing with Greenspan’s life and rise to power, whilst the second half is Greenspan’s take on modern economics. Although a well read and highly intellectual man, Allan has written this book in palatable English, and one finds in difficult to put down once one has embarked on this journey with him. Greenspan offers great insight into modern capitalism, China, India, populism and corporate governance to start with. Greenspan is unashamedly capitalist in his outlook but has a sober view of the world and its many interpretations of egalite including the much proffered populism that already laps at our local shores. Greenspan’s latter take on the long term energy squeeze and corporate governance is of particular interest and dovetails in well with the preceding chapters. The Age of Turbulence is a decisive work that should form part of the repertoire of a well read businessman. Get it, read it and learn from a man that has and still does carry big sway in the world of powerful economics.

MBS ALUMNI ACCEPTED FOR PhD AT USB BUSINESS SCHOOL ONE OUT OF SIX CHOSEN FROM 38 APPLICANTS!!
Ross van Reenen is an MBA alumnus from Milpark Business School, and he has been admitted to the sought after USB—Ph.D programme. His field of research is the “Career development of professional rugby players”. Well done Ross and we are sure you will produce a study of significance!
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