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SUMMER 2009 DATES AND TOPICS

Monday, July 13, 2009 - SALEM
"Participation: The New Era in Business and Politics" with Professor Paul Dwyer

Thursday, July 16, 2009 - PORTLAND
"Servant Leadership" with Professor Geoff Guilfoy

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TOPIC DESCRIPTIONS:

PARTICIPATION: THE NEW ERA IN BUSINESS AND POLITICS
Presenter: Professor Paul Dwyer
Description: Since the Internet went mainstream in the mid 1990's it has fueled radical change. That change continues as increasingly, people who were confined to the limited role of consumer or constituent are demanding a role in the production of goods, and the wielding of power, to receive greater satisfaction.  We see signs of this shift in the rise of organizations that have had unprecedented impact on our society: Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Google and Team Obama - all on the basis of public participation. In this presentation, we look at seven ways public participation has and continues to change business and the society in which it is embedded. We look at examples, both good and bad, of how organizations are reacting to this change and suggest four basic principles that will help any organization adapt to this change.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Presenter: Professor Geoff Guilfoy
What is a servant leader and why is servant leadership a powerful way to lead, motivate and inspire employees to accomplish great things in your organization?  Come and find out in an interesting and interactive lunch session with Geoff Guilfoy. 

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Locations:

Willamette University Portland Center
1120 NW Couch Street, Suite 450
Portland, Oregon 97239 [Map]

Willamette University Main Campus
Hatfield Library - Hatfield Room (Building #24 on Campus Map)
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97301 [Map]

Past Topics:

Tuesday, June 9 , 2009 - SALEM and Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - PORTLAND
"Social Networks for Managers: The Choreography of Successful Technological Innovation" with Professor Polly Rizova

Description: What types of informal relations are critical to the work processes and performance in your organization? How are they structured? How would you identify these 'social networks'? How do they differ from the relationships prescribed by the organization’s formal structure? What is more, how would you find out who are the people who occupy positions of high status and prestige in your organization's social network and therefore, can affect organizational outcomes? How can organizations put the formal and the social relationships together in a way that benefits the transfer of the critical knowledge and information? To offer some answers to these questions, Professor Rizova will look at the interactive effect of the formal and social networks' structures on the outcomes of six technologically innovative projects in a R&D laboratory of a Fortune 500 company.

Ready to learn more about the MBA for Professionals? For more information on visiting the Portland Center and upcoming online chats with current students and alumni, click here.

For information on the Early Career MBA in Salem, click here.