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Crandall University Business Case Competition 2010

2010-04-06T11:46:00.003-03:00

Maritime Business Schools Gather at Crandall University Business Case Competition

MONCTON, NB – A team of students from the Mount Allison University won first place honours at the sixth annual Crandall University Business Case Competition held Friday in Moncton. Second place was won by Dalhousie University, while the University of Prince Edward Island placed third.

A total of eight teams from Crandall, Mount Allison, Dalhousie, UPEI, and the University of New Brunswick (Saint John) competed in the event, which required students to diagnose strategic issues facing Holey Soles Limited, a BC-based manufacturer of injection-molded foam shoes. A panel of judges consisting of Nikos Athens of Enterprise Greater Moncton, Erin Leaman of Moncton 2010, and Mary O’Donnell of Heritage Management, determined the winners by assessing the thoroughness of each team’s analysis and the quality of their recommendations.

Keynote speaker for the event was Dale Black, Executive Vice-President of Springwall Sleep Products, who delivered an address covering Springwall’s development from a regional manufacturer in Scoudouc, NB, to a national brand, to a truly global corporation. He encouraged students to consider the challenges and opportunities entailed in international business, and to consider the value of education in opening doors of opportunity.

"Today was a real showcase for the talent that exists in our regional business schools,” said Robert MacDonald, Professor of Management at Crandall University and organizer of this year's competition. "The event featured an incredible diversity of undergraduate business acumen, with students representing not only a variety of skills in accounting, management, marketing, and finance, but different backgrounds as well. Competitors represented cities and towns from across the Maritimes, as well as the United States and several other nations. Watching these students in action was truly inspiring, and speaks well of our region’s ability to attract such high caliber performers.”

The team from Mount Allison University, comprised of commerce students Samantha Lebans, Caroline Millette, Amanda Burns, and Lauren Macdonald, pocketed the $1,000 prize for first place. Jolene Koch, Christopher Keliher, Peter Green, and Nicholas Badder of Dalhousie University received $750 for second place, and UPEI’s Ashley Adams, Andrew MacVane, Luke Rowledge, and Jordan Rowledge received $500 for third. Peter Green was also judged to have made the best presentation in the competition and was recognized with an award of a digital photo frame.

Crandall University (currently Atlantic Baptist University), located at 333 Gorge Road, is a Christian liberal arts and science university with a mission of providing “quality university education firmly rooted in the Christian faith.” Undergraduate degrees are available in Arts, Science, Business Administration and Education. For more information visit our website at www.crandallu.ca or call 1-888-968-6228.

Case Competition 2010 - More Photos!

2010-04-06T11:43:00.002-03:00

Case Competition 2010 - More Photos!

2010-04-06T11:39:00.002-03:00

Case Competition 2010 - More Photos!

2010-04-06T11:30:00.001-03:00

Thoughts on a Consumer Boycott of Ganong

2010-02-05T14:00:00.000-04:00

Submitted to the Times and Transcript as an Op/Ed Piece

I have read with interest commentary both in print and online regarding recent calls for a boycott of New Brunswick based confectioner Ganong Bros. Ltd. We are made to understand that the purpose of this call to consumer action (via the social networking site Facebook) is to punish the chair of the St. Stephen based company for his role on the advisory panel on the sale of the Province’s power utility.

The use of consumer boycotts is not new – in fact the term originated the late 1800’s as the result of actions taken by tenants against English land agent Charles C. Boycott who in 1880 refused to reduce rents on his Irish properties. Boycotts have been applied throughout recent history by various groups who have sought to achieve their objectives by encouraging consumers to refrain from purchasing the goods and services of target companies. Research has demonstrated that the use of boycotts as a coercive marketplace tactic is widespread, and that our cousins south of the border have particularly embraced the idea, with approximately 18% of Americans – predominantly with high incomes and college education – reporting participation. But the question must be asked – are boycotts truly effective in achieving the aims of their organizers?

At face value that’s a difficult question to answer, as boycotting groups often claim success while target businesses downplay the effects of boycotts on operations and profitability. What we do know is that while boycotts may temporarily reduce market efficiency, many are ultimately ineffective because of what researchers call “small-agent” and “free-rider” problems. The small-agent problem describes a consumer’s perception that boycott activity will have a personal cost and result in little overall impact (e.g. “I am just one person… will Ganong’s really miss the profits from one box of chocolates if I decide not to buy it?”). The free-rider problem describes a rational and egoistic consumer who prefers that other consumers engage in boycott activity while s/he does not, creating a situation in which the individual consumer will not suffer personal deprivation and yet may still benefit from any perceived positive boycott outcomes (e.g. “Sure I support the boycott in theory… but there are lots of other folks involved, and I sure do love chicken bones.”)

From a financial perspective it has been demonstrated that boycott results are counter-intuitive in that the value of targeted firms actually tends to increase when boycotts are announced. Research by P. Koku, A. Akhigbe, and T.M. Springer actually demonstrates that boycotts fail - on average - to instigate financial loss in targeted firms (although they do recognize that boycotts can be an effective negotiating tool, and that those enjoying significant public sympathy tend to result in speedy settlement, while those that do not tend to continue for years).

In light of these facts, a consumer boycott of Ganong would seem extraordinarily misplaced, especially when you consider that the boycott is really unrelated to the company’s business, and rather a seemingly knee-jerk reaction by some to a particular position articulated by Mr. Ganong. While it may be true that his firm (and others in New Brunswick) will stand to gain from the sale of NB Power, one questions how consumer action against one of the Province’s oldest and most-respected companies (which would appear unlikely to succeed anyway) will further the cause of those opposed to the sale of the utility. Opponents of the deal could better spend their time and energies elsewhere.

Robert A. MacDonald is the Stephen S. Steeves Professor in Business at Crandall University, Moncton, NB, where he serves as the Chair of the Faculty of Business Administration.

Chapel Presentation on Jesus' Parable "The Shrewd Manager"

2010-02-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

Presented in Chapel at Crandall University January 28, 2010

As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved stories. Stories that ranged in topic from vagabond princes who through unlikely circumstances rose to become kings, to common, everyday young men building a backyard spaceship to travel to the moon. One of the earliest I recall was a book I received when I was six years old – Barney Beagle Plays Baseball… a text that challenged me at a tender young age to consider the subjective human experience in contrast to the objective truths of mathematics and science, and the extent to which said truths were too detached or observational to define the human experience. [Actually, the book was about a small dog that kept running away with the ball at a baseball game. I just made that part up because I thought it sounded impressive].

Speaking truthfully however, I feel that my love of stories helped shape for me what would ultimately become my current area of research – that being the development of case study narratives (or stories) in business (a fact which several of my students are all too well aware).

Over the past few weeks we have been presented with stories – in particular stories told by Jesus to eager listeners designed to communicate truth. These so called “parables” have been repeated and retold down through the ages, to the point that many of us who have grown up in the church shrug and yawn and say, “Yep… that’s the old prodigal son again.”

Yet when we take the time to really dig into what Jesus is saying, we find that the old stories we have heard again and again may have taken on a complexity that – like case narratives for business students – we did not know existed.

Today we are going to consider one such parable – the story of the Shrewd – or some would say Dishonest – Manager. It’s found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 16, and verses 1-13.

Luke 16

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'

And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.'

So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'

He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'

He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'

He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

I remember when I first read this parable – it frankly failed to make any sense to me:

§ A man is accused by his boss of wrongdoing and fired.

§ He goes out and cheats his boss out of more money.

§ His boss finds out and tells him what a great job he has done.

§ Then Jesus tells His disciples that they should be like the shrewd manager.

§ Huh?

[Not surprisingly the story of the Shrewd Manager is considered one of the most difficult parables – if not the most difficult to understand].

First, it might be helpful to understand the setting. Luke 15 tells us that Jesus was speaking to an audience comprised of common folk – sinners like you and me – who had come out to hear him. In the crowd, however, were a number of Pharisees and law professors – the religious and political elite of the day – who were complaining about Jesus and the fact that He welcomed sinners and spent time with them without judging them… as these society types were wont to do.

So Jesus tells them three stories about being lost and found – the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost – or prodigal – sons. Then Jesus turned to His disciples and told them the parable of the Shrewd Manager, after which we’re told that the Pharisees – who loved money – ridiculed Him.

Money. Nothing gets people going like money. Like the old O’Jay’s song “For the Love of Money” says:

Some people got to have it

Some people really need it

Listen to me y’all, do things, do bad things with it

You wanna do things, do things, good things with it

For the love of money

People will steal from their mother

People will rob their own brother

People can’t even walk the street

Because they never know who in the world they’re gonna beat

For that lean, mean, mean green

Almighty dollar, money

Give me a nickel, brother can you spare a dime

Money can drive some people out of their minds

So Jesus talked about money here – but more specifically he sought to get at a deeper, related topic: greed. Greed was a sin that plagued His audience then, and one that we continue to wrestle with some 2000 years later.

[Watch Video Clip]

An Angry Boss

Jesus begins his story with a wealthy landowner who is upset with his manager – the character of Jasper in the video. The manager is called on the carpet – he’s been caught misusing his employer’s money. He doesn’t say a word when confronted by his boss – he knows he’s guilty and has no defense.

Fired

Yet even though his boss has every right to throw him in jail, he chooses instead to show mercy and terminate Jasper’s employment.

A Shrewd Plan

And so Jasper is presented with a dilemma – he’s in a serious situation; he needs his job. He can’t go back to manual labour. He can’t beg for bread. But then an idea forms – the hammer hasn’t fell on him yet. Jasper knows he’s been fired; his boss knows he’s been fired; but no one else knows. He still has his employer’s resources – all of the resources afforded a manager - at his disposal.

A Plan In Action

So Jasper acts. He knows that his boss has many tenants who owe him money. He also knows that if he can secure a discount for them that they are going to give him the credit – these guys are going to owe him big time in the future. As the video unfolds, Jasper makes all kinds of new friends in the persons of these tenants as they find their rents reduced.

A Commendation

When Jasper next meets his boss we’re blown away. Instead of ripping into him for shrinking his revenue stream, the boss commends him for acting so shrewdly.

Why is that? First, you need to recognize that the employer really only has two options – he can cancel the discounts Jasper has given out, but then his reputation in the community will suffer… the business will be seen as reneging on an established deal. On the other hand, if the boss allows the deal to stand, there’s going to be plenty of good PR coming his way as his generosity becomes known – not surprisingly, he chooses the role of the hero over the villain, and has to admit that, like it or not, Jasper has been one shrewd operator. Think about it:

§ He understood his situation: he was fired and he had to have a job

§ He understood his goal: he needed the cooperation of others to solve his dilemma

§ He thought about what he had under his control: the accounts, his influence, and his boss’s tenants

§ He acted quickly to pull together and execute a plan

Divine Praise

Looked at from this perspective we too are forced to admit that this manager – in spite of questionable actions – acted shrewdly. But how do we explain Jesus’ subsequent commentary on the story? Instead of condemning the manager’s actions – which were clearly dishonest – Jesus seems to be holding them up as behaviours His disciples should emulate.

The key to understanding this story is to get at the point of comparison Jesus is making. Let’s revisit what Jesus says in verse 8 of the passage:

For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

Jesus is splitting up the world into two parts: the Kingdom of God (the light) and the kingdom of Satan (this world). He compares these two kingdoms in terms of the service of their inhabitants to their respective kings, essentially saying that the people of the world apply the principles they are supposed to live by with much more wisdom that do the people of God.

Jesus’ story is the case in point. The manager – a man of the world – is dishonest… he’s not even sorry when he gets caught. Instead, in the midst of his personal dilemma he continues to be dishonest and cleverly uses that dishonesty to win allies within his world. And frankly, his boss – also a man of the world – has to commend him for acting shrewdly according to worldly principles. By manipulating the fellow inhabitants of his kingdom, he benefits from it according to the rules of his kingdom.

Remember, Jesus addressed this parable specifically to His followers – and His point is this: you who are children of God’s Kingdom sure don’t act like it. Instead of being shrewd according to the principles of your King and dealing with your fellow residents as God commands – for example with generosity, kindness, and love – you are not clever at all. When challenges come, you ultimately fail – and in this sense the people of the world are better at playing their game than are the people of light.

Jesus also goes on to say:

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

“Unrighteous wealth” is Jesus’ way of addressing the way that money reigns supreme in the kingdom of the world. He is not saying that wealth in itself is a bad thing, but rather recognizing that it has often been corrupted by greed and made into an idol. Further, these “friends” to whom Jesus is referring - keeping our comparisons constant – would be those highly valued inhabitants of the Kingdom of God. This would imply, then, that wealth that operates according to the principles of this world should be co-opted by Christ’s followers to be used according to the principles of God’s Kingdom.

How should a Christian go about using wealth according to the God’s principles? I’d submit to you that there are many ways; not the least of which has been suggested by Jesus Himself in the Gospel of Matthew (25:34-40):

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Food, water, hospitality, clothing – all of these things cost money. And money – and the life in which we earn it – is fleeting… Jesus presses us to take care of those inhabitants of the kingdom who are in need.

Let me leave you today with a final thought on the Parable of the Shrewd Manager as offered by author Dennis Ireland:

Here Jesus tells His disciples how and why they can practice in their own sphere of existence the wise preparation for the future which the [manager] exercised in his. Jesus says in effect that true wisdom is to use money with eternity in view, ‘to use wealth in the service of love.’ Unlike the unjust [manager] who at best provided only for his earthly future, acts of charity by disciples will bear interest in eternity.

2008: Starting with a Whimper Instead of a Bang...

2008-01-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

Blogging's a funny thing...

You start off thinking you're going to post to this thing constantly, and then promptly forget all about it. Since the last go round an entire summer and fall have passed, bringing us to a new year.

2008 thus far has reminded me that man has his own plans... and that they don't always come to fruition. As the fall semester ended I envisioned a grand holiday season, complete with celebrations with family and friends, and time to leap into another research project to start the new year off right. Alas, on December 21st I developed a headache that advanced into daily, constant head pain - ultimately diagnosed as occipital neuralgia, a condition of the nerves running through the neck and over the scalp.

Today I still have discomfort, and looking back I lament how this chronic condition robbed me of my ability to focus on things that are important to me. Nonetheless, I've tried not to be bitter, as I have found myself drawing closer to God through it all. In some respects I've identified with the apostle Paul in his requests for God to heal him of his own affliction. In Paul's case God decided not to grant his request, as Paul's suffering was to teach him that God's grace was sufficient to carry him through his difficulty. And while I can't help but hope that my outcome will not be the same as Paul's, I do take comfort in the fact that God is gracious and faithful, and that no matter what He will never forsake me.

Sometimes God doesn't speak from the fire or the hurricane... sometimes He speaks in the stillness of quiet suffering and says "peace."

Convocation

2007-05-25T17:10:00.000-03:00

May 5th was an auspicious day - Convocation at ABU. This was a banner year for the Business program, as both the Valedictorian and the Honours Society Award recipient were graduating with BBA's that day (namely Emily Reid and Daniel Marr - both of whom we are justifiably proud).

In honor of her accomplishment, here's the text of Emily's address:

______________________________________________________

Chancellor Richardson, President McArthur, Dr Evans, members of the administration, faculty, honored guests, family, friends, and fellow graduates:

It is my privilege to address you on this day of our graduation. Thank you for this opportunity.

In this position today, I could quote Shakespeare, I could recite some foreign languages, or I could impart some life changing words of wisdom and philosophy. However, that would not be in character.

At the heart of this valedictorian is a business major and as such in this address I am going to apply the skills I have developed. So, class of 2007, I would like to propose that you be my client and I will be your consultant as we try to analyze this situation of graduation.

The analytical tool that I have chosen to use, as suggested by one of my classmates, is a SWOT analysis. With this tool we can examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that we face as we leave here today.

Our graduating class has many strengths. We are young, ambitious, and most of all confident in our new knowledge. Over the past four years many of us have learned what it is like to leave the comforts of home in some capacity and start life on our own. Our learning has been both academic and practical. Think back to some of the life lessons that you have learned. Listening to countless lectures, reading textbooks purchased from Ramona at the book store, developing new friendships, working part time jobs, understanding much like myself that the break pads on your car don’t last forever, and learning to cook like Mom, are but a few of the experiences that have increased our depth of knowledge since our start at ABU.

We also have weakness’ that can, if treated as challenges, be overcome. Our generation is often characterized as one that is more about self.
Impatient
Disloyal
Self Centered
Given this poor reputation where do we begin? It is our challenge with the education we now posses to prove the world wrong, and show that we, the millennia’s, can demonstrate that these popular conceptions are actually misconceptions. We not only have the ability to use this education, but also the ability to continue to learn as we seek to better our society.

We know the opportunities are limitless before our generation.

Our greatest opportunity is to give. If we become a generation of givers we can sway the course of our present culture. Think of the movie “Pay It Forward” and how small acts of kindness were multiplied into something bigger and better.

Jim Elliott captured this thought when he said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose”.

Opportunities are something to be seized. They are not forced upon us. By taking advantage of opportunities to better our world, we will subsequently better ourselves.

Unfortunately our world has always been plagued with threats.

We are threatened with sickness, poverty and loneliness. But this does not mean we retreat. We are threatened by the temptation to be common and ordinary. Yet we need not yield to this temptation. One has suggested that
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

As students of a Christian liberal arts university we have come to understand that while we were created to glorify God, we have inherited a sinful nature that is a threat. Yet we have also been informed as to how to address this threat. This “clear and present danger” can only be overcome in one way, a personal relationship with Jesus. He said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except through me.”

In reviewing our position Class of 2007, the analysis shows there are many strengths and opportunities available to us. There are also weaknesses and threats, but these can be overcome through a personal relationship with Christ.

In conclusion I challenge you with the words of President Teddy Roosevelt form the turn of the last century. He summed his life’s philosophy when he said “ Do all you can, with what your have, where you are! For us this means don’t wait until you are a success. Don’t wait until your have enough. Don’t wait until your circumstances are more convenient. If we are going to make a positive difference on our families, on our community, on our country, on our world, start now.

To my fellow graduates, congratulations and May God Bless

They Call Me MISTER Case Analysis!

2007-03-19T23:00:00.000-03:00

The Third Annual ABU International Business Case Competition is officially over!

Friday marked the culmination of months of planning and days of running around in preparation as the Faculty of Business Administration held its annual case competition. This year the competition was as fierce as ever, with some six teams competing representing the University of New Brunswick (Saint John), Mount Allison University, and Atlantic Baptist University.

First let me say that the day went off without a hitch, thanks in no small way to our Project Manager, Katie McDonald. This has been the first time we've used a PM, and we weren't disappointed! Katie went above and beyond in her efforts to ensure that the event was a success, from fund raising to ordering merchandise to ensuring that the event stayed on track - by all accounts a superior performance!

The competition itself I found quite enjoyable... due to Katie's efforts, this marked the first year I've been able to actually view all of the case presentations in their entirety. It was interesting to see the different strategies adopted by the various teams, and to compare my own conclusions with those of the judges. While the judges didn't call the event exactly as I would have, I was nevertheless relatively pleased with the results, which were as follows:

First Place ($1,000): Mount Allison University (Marco Perico, Candice de Saldanha, and Andrew Nielson)

Second Place ($500): ABU (Nick Ross, Chad Lifford, Emily Reid, and Nathan Dempster)

Third Place ($250): ABU (Angeline Quek, David Freeman, Tyson McGee, and Justin Harrison)

On the whole I was very pleased with our ABU teams this year (including our third team, Amy Merrithew, Tanya Godbout, Kelsey Adair, and Erika Foran). They worked extremely hard in the months leading up to the competition, engaging in practice sessions and subjecting themselves to the best (or worst :o) criticisms that myself and Professor Steeves could muster.

With the hope of not sounding too sugary, I believe that through activities like our case competition students truly shine. What I saw Friday was a little bit of magic, as bright, energetic young people transformed theoretical knowledge into real, workable solutions for the organization in question (which, in this case, was the Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-operative of Nova Scotia). The performances I witnessed helped reinforce in my mind the value of case analysis as a pedagogical tool... as doubtless my strategy students would agree! ;o)

Chapel...

2007-02-28T01:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back. Professor Honeydew wasn't kidding when he talked about the tyranny of maintaining a blog. Let's see if I can keep things a little more up to date this time.

I spoke in chapel yesterday, for the first time in something like four years. I joked that the last time I spoke the topic had been love and sex - and hence my protracted absence from the stage (which was partially true - actually, it was the second to last time :o)

Truth be told, I was surprised by how much I took in during the presentation. I've always thought of myself as a high self-monitor, and I carry on an internal dialogue (yes, I am crazy) fairly regularly. Yesterday I found myself actually looking at many of the faces in the crowd, which for me is unusual. Typically I tend to keep sweeping the room without actually "seeing" the people - but this time things were different.

It made for an interesting internal discussion. While my mouth was talking about stewardship as presented by Jesus in Luke 16, my brain was assessing various individuals, seeking to determine whether I was engaging them... whether they were bored... whether they cared at all or were merely seeking to avoid a fine for missing the requisite number of chapels. I'm not sure I really drew any conclusions, but the whole event did make me think about chapel, and what we (i.e. ABU) seek to accomplish by them.

Is chapel a place to come and to meet with God? To be edified and encouraged in the faith? To be challenged to evaluate personal beliefs? Yes, some say. But if that is true, then why all of the laptops, ipods, and textbooks? Ahh, you say, these are those who are compelled to come under threat of financial loss. If that is the case, then, their presence is at best distracting and at worst disruptive - ergo they should not be compelled to attend, a view that is held by many individuals with whom I have spoken.

If, however, we do not compel chapel attendance, will anyone come? Is the community of faith committed enough to show up? And what of the bored and indifferent - will they be impacted by this Christian community in any meaningful way outside of the classroom? If so, by whom or by what?

Perhaps there is no clear answer at this point. Perhaps what is important is that we continue to "live in the tension" as the VP Academic is wont to say. All I know is that one young lady spoke to me after I finished and told me that she thought my talk was funny, interesting, and that she actually learned something. For now I'll settle for that :o)

Speerville???

2006-10-19T23:52:00.000-03:00

Speerville...

The name conjurs up images of... well, nothing really. Up until a few weeks ago I'd never even heard of Speerville, NB (and neither had many students, judging by the blank stares I've received when I've told them where I'm going). Tomorrow at 6:30 am I'll be meeting Angeline, Nick, Emily and Erika - ABU's Export Marketing team - for a visit to Speerville Flour, a miller of organic grains.

As I told someone today, I've never been inside a flour mill, so this should be interesting. More interesting (I think) will be the team's reaction to the company facilities, its management, and guiding philosophy.

It should serve to be an interesting day.

Back In The Saddle

2006-10-08T00:42:00.000-03:00

For anyone who's been following along, by now you've noticed that I've moved the Window Office from Windows Live Spaces to Blogger... essentially because Live requires commenters to have registered with them before they can post. Given my hope that this blog will serve as a forum for some interesting discussion, this "regulation" seemed to be working against my intent.

That's not to say I can't appreciate Windows' position - from a business development perspective such requirements can serve to "drum up" new "clients." Alas, they don't do much to encourage the free exchange of ideas. In any event, I'm settled here now and hopefully will have lots to say in the future.

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!

Election Eve

2006-10-08T00:40:00.000-03:00

(Originally posted September 17, 2006)

While the last few years have left me feeling apolitical...

... I nevertheless must confess to having more than just a passing interest in politics. In fact, there was a day when I couldn't get enough, as revealed by my involvement in model parliaments in high school, and fiery debates with peers around the coffee table in university. So it is that I'm more than a bit curious about the outcome of tomorrow's provincial election here in New Brunswick.

According to the pundits, Bernard Lord of the Conservative Party (and incumbent Premier) is more or less in a dead heat with Shawn Graham of the Liberal Party. The New Democratic Party - for good or for ill - doesn't seem to appear on anyone's radar screen (and to my chagrin, I can't even at the moment recall the name of the party's new leader).

As an academic, one issue in which I'm particularly interested is the stance of each party on higher education. In this regard the Conservatives appear to essentially be staying the course and continuing to flog initiatives they previously introduced. The Liberals, interestingly enough, have unveiled a campaign plank called "High Hopes for Higher Education", which (among other things) calls for a $2,000 grant to be awarded to every first year student in the province. While at first blush this sounds exciting (especially if you're a first year student!), one particular concern of mine surrounds the Liberals' definition of what constitutes a university under this plan. Everything I've seen thus far in the press would seem to indicate this initiative is targeted to students attending public universities in New Brunswick.

Herein lies a dilemma. If the forgoing is indeed true, it would be difficult for an employee of ABU to vote for the Liberal agenda, given that the university is privately funded and receives no public operating support. A first year student, then, would find the ABU option to be at least $2,000 more expensive than, say, the UNB alternative - ergo, the economic implications to both student and university are abundantly clear.

I have over the course of the past week requested clarification on this issue from the Liberal Party (both locally and provincially) but as of yet have received no response (and at this point am not expecting one). The question, then, before ABU employees would appear to be whether or not to support a government that could - through its policies - have a significant, negative effect upon their employer.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day.

Is This Thing On?

2006-10-08T00:38:00.000-03:00

(Originally posted September 12, 2006)

As someone relatively new to the blogosphere, I have to admit to a certain trepidation in starting a blog. For one thing, it seems to run contrary to long held sentiments I've had about them - i.e. that they're a playground for techno-geeks with way too much time on their hands. I have, however, found my sentiment changing of late, given that I've encountered a number of blogs that I've found to be quite interesting and far from banal in nature. Also, given that I'm prone to lecturing students from my own window office about the impact of technological change upon the way we do business, I've decided to at least attempt not to be left behind in the rush.

In the days ahead I'm not sure I can promise that anything incredibly profound will be written here, but I will at the very least attempt to provide the best rumination my cluttered little mind can offer.