FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
George M. Tomczyk, (716) 275-8189
Nadia Bolalek, (716) 273-4806
SIMON SCHOOL RECEIVES GE GRANT FOR M.B.A. MENTORING PROGRAM
Innovative Program Weaves Leadership Skills Into Internationally Recognized Curriculum
Rochester, N.Y.--January 6, 1998--In a time of overwhelming corporate restructuring emphasizing team-based management and group problem solving, the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration is being recognized for a unique program that integrates teamwork and critical leadership skills into its top-ranked academic curriculum. General Electric--through its Learning Excellence Fund, which supports programs that have a direct, measurable impact on learning--is awarding Simon a three-year, $219,645 grant for the School's Coach-Mentor Program and further study of team learning.
The Simon Coach-Mentor Program--a year-long, real-world experience in which second-year student coaches help first-year students navigate through the myriad of academic and interpersonal challenges associated with life in an M.B.A. program--is unique in its design and purpose. "In contrast to other business schools, where teams may last only as long as a class or single assignment, Simon students are wedded to each other for their entire first year of study," says Stacey R. Kole, assistant dean for academic affairs and assistant professor of economics and management at Simon. "Our program better equips them for working with others in a business setting," Kole says. According to Stephen Tucker, GE's program manager of Higher Education Grants, which currently supports 16 programs, half on business school campuses, the Simon School's focus on evaluation is noteworthy. "No one is measuring the impact of teamwork like Simon," Tucker says.
Over half of GE's grant will go toward direct implementation and evaluation of the program, while the remainder will support Simon faculty research into the larger questions involving learning in team structures. Kole and Ronald M. Schmidt, professional lecturer at the Simon School, will spearhead these research efforts.
According to Schmidt, success in team learning can be traced to three sources: the talents of team members, the intensity of their efforts and the processes that guide the coordination of the team's members. "While the last of these has attracted considerable attention, it has often been examined without making proper adjustment for the first two factors," says Schmidt. "Since our research will permit careful measurement of talent and effort, we will be better able to understand how team processes contribute to team performance." Diverse Teams, Well-Trained Coaches The Simon Coach-Mentor Program uses trained student coaches to guide teams and advise them on issues ranging from resolving conflicts to selecting courses to securing internships. Approximately 25 percent of Simon's second-year M.B.A. students are involved as coaches in the program, a position for which they must apply. These student mentors commit to three days of training over three quarters, which helps acclimate them to group facilitation and the dynamics of teamwork. According to June Hemberger, lead consultant for TeamWorks, a consulting company that helps groups build team skills, Simon's program stands out among teambuilding initiatives. "The Simon coaches invest more heavily in the program," says Hemberger. "The level of responsibility they are given and the challenges they face show them the value of strong teambuilding skills in today's workplace."
With a larger international population than any other graduate M.B.A. program (nearly 45 percent in 1997) Simon's five-member study teams are extremely diverse in work experience and cultural background. "As more companies move to global markets, overcoming cultural barriers becomes a business necessity," says Kole. "With at least two of every five students on teams coming from outside the U.S., our students learn every day about the skills necessary to work with people of different cultures in reaching goals." Evaluation Is Key The Simon Coach-Mentor Program's built-in evaluation is a key piece of the program's unique design. Bi-weekly reports from coaches, end-of-year evaluations by student team members, and faculty observations create a continuous 360-degree assessment that helps pinpoint struggling teams. According to Neil Webb '98, student director for the program, this analysis also gives coaches important evaluation skills. "Employers want M.B.A. students who know how to leverage human capital to solve business problems," says Webb. "Simon's program gives students critical hands-on experience in working with, and managing, others." Creative Compensation The program evaluation process also drives unique performance-based compensation for coaches. A three-tiered system gives coaches $100 compensation for program involvement; an additional $200 for meeting requirements such as submitting weekly reports on time; and a flexible bonus for providing special assistance, such as helping students find internships. Bonuses are determined by team-member evaluations of coaches along with faculty and student director input. According to Jeff Fagnan '98, also a student director of the program, this incentive system is a trademark of Simon philosophy. "Second-year students are sometimes distracted by graduating and finding jobs," says Fagnan. "This system pulls them back into the Simon community through an appropriately placed incentive program." Team Concept Imbued in School's Culture, Curriculum Team learning has been a part of the Simon curriculum for more than 25 years, longer than any other educational institution. Study teams for first-year students date back to the late '60s for Simon's Executive M.B.A.'s and mid '80s for the regular M.B.A. program. The current mentoring program complements the student-managed VISION Program that exposes first-year students to a series of orientation modules in areas including ethics, leadership, communication skills and teamwork.
According to Kole, the VISION and mentoring programs are just two examples of Simon's integration of practical experience with a core concept of Simon's curriculum known as "organizational architecture." The theory views organizations as a three-legged stool with success relying equally on each supporting concept: decision rights, compensation and performance evaluation. "By giving student coaches the decision rights, developing an incentive-based compensation plan and incorporating performance evaluation, we are providing students the opportunity to put into practice what we teach in the classroom," says Kole.
According to Kole, many schools have teamwork programs, but actual knowledge of what works and does not work in forming, supporting and evaluating team performance is extremely limited. "Our program uses systematic data to constantly measure its effectiveness," she says. "The GE grant will allow even deeper evaluation of the benefits of team-based learning." # # #
The Simon School is routinely ranked among the top 25 graduate business schools by U.S. News & World Report and Business Week. With one of the most highly regarded faculties in the country, it is one of the nation's leading research facilities. The School, recognized worldwide for its leading scholarship in education, employs a distinctive approach to business education because of its flexibility, innovation, youth, size, global outlook and vision.
Information about the Simon School is also available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ssb.rochester.edu.
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