The Business School Broadcast - 1st December 2017

In this week’s Business School Broadcast, we take a look at research coming out of Harvard Business School that suggests there is potential to triple the amount of apprenticeships in the US, discover the best route to becoming a CEO, and ask if consumers really know how much they are paying for things. And of course, we also focus on this week’s launch of the QS World University Rankings: Global MBA Rankings 2018 and the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings 2018.

QS launch new suite of rankings

In the roundup of this week’s news, we were hardly likely to start anywhere else, were we? The QS Global MBA Rankings 2018 are the most sophisticated rankings we have ever produced in the business education space. Released in conjunction with the QS Masters in Finance Rankings 2018, QS Masters in Management Rankings 2018 and QS Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2018 (the first time we have ranked business masters programs), the aim is to provide a suite of rankings that can be compared and contrasted, to determine the program that best fits students’ requirements.

US has potential to triple apprenticeships, researchers from Harvard Business School and Burning Glass Technologies find

The number of occupations commonly using apprenticeships could potentially be tripled, and the number of actual apprentices expanded eightfold, according to new research from Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work, and labor market analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies.

“Expanding the number of apprenticeships available will open pathways to good-paying jobs for more middle-class Americans, as well as help bridge the skills gap by providing a pipeline of skilled workers to firms,” said Joseph B. Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School and co-chair of the Project on Managing the Future of Work.

Choose a traditional career path if you want to become a CEO

New research carried out at emlyon business school has revealed the career tactics necessary to become a top company CEO; specialize in one industry, get promoted regularly and resist the urge to change jobs frequently.

Bernard Forgues from emlyon business school worked with colleagues to identify the career trajectories of the top 100 CEOs according to the Fortune 100 listing of companies. The research team charted each CEO’s career from the very beginning to when they became a CEO.

The main finding was that if you want to be a CEO, it is best to have a traditional, linear job progression; 37% of the list had been with the same company since the beginning of their careers.

“The message from this analysis is very clear,” says Forgues, “The typical career has changed a lot in the last twenty years. People have more jobs in a lifetime and are generally far more willing to move around different industries and job roles. But – if you want to become a top CEO, it pays to be more conservative in your career choices.

Rice U.’s Jones Graduate School of Business now accepting applications for new online MBA program

Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University is now accepting applications for MBA@Rice, a new online Master of Business Administration degree for professionals across the country.

“The launch of our online program marks a significant milestone for our school as we prepare to welcome a new group of business leaders to our family,” said Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business, “MBA@Rice will make our outstanding programs accessible to working professionals who don’t live in Houston. Their contributions will, in turn, strengthen our existing programs, allowing students and faculty to draw new inspiration from diverse experiences and industries across the U.S.”

Alibaba rethinks its aversion to hiring MBA graduates

The FT (subscription required) published an interesting piece this week on how Alibaba, the major e-commerce platform, is eager to hire MBA and masters in management graduates. Business development managers from Alibaba are touring campuses at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois, and the London School of Economics in the UK.

This marks a change of approach from company founder Jack Ma who in the past has been critical of MBA graduates.

Do consumers know exactly how much they are paying?

Airline baggage fees, fuel surcharges, hotel resort fees, online shipping options and cell phone service fees are just a few examples of discrete pricing elements that are now the “new normal” of our shopping experience. As the practice – called partitioned pricing (PP) – becomes more widespread, new research from Columbia Business School sheds light on how consumers react when they encounter PP.

“From regulatory efforts to pricing strategies, policy makers, researchers and marketing managers need to better understand the way that consumers evaluate and feel about partitioned pricing,” said Eric Johnson, Norman Eig Professor of Business and director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School.

Big, beautiful, and better for the environment: Michigan Ross’ newest buildings awarded gold for sustainability

The buildings that comprise the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan are stunning, with their airy ceilings, tall windows, shiny floors, and silver fixtures, but these beautiful structures are more than just the home of the next generation of business leaders—they’re also environmentally friendly.

Kresge Hall and the Jeff T. Blau Hall recently earned LEED Gold certification for the construction and renovations that began in April 2014 and finished this summer.