Strictly Business

Good news for business majors – according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, findings from the NACE Summer 2009 Salary Survey indicate members of the Class of 2009 who were business majors received more job offers than their colleagues in other majors.

According to Lori LeBleu, Director of Career Development for Belmont's College of Business Administration, “This news mirrors the trends we are seeing in the College of Business Career Development Center. In recent weeks, we have received job acceptance notification from several recent graduates and continue to see a stream of quality postings coming in, especially in the Accounting, Corporate Finance and Sales areas.” Belmont College of Business Administration students and alumni may contact the COBA Career Development Center at 615.460.6947 for career assistance.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently, I came across an article that suggested Canadian high school students aren’t pursuing careers in IT related fields because the work is not “cool” enough for them. Regardless of the study’s validity or the reporting of the study is an accurate reflection of the decline in enrolment in IT related disciplines here in the United States, the article does make me stop and think…What’s not cool about IT? The iPhone is now on its third release since it first entered the market in June of 2007. There are programmers and web developers creating and selling web applications to users that range from games to fitness. Millions of people are connecting with friends and family via social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. Online gaming from Club Penguin to World of Warcraft is becoming a lucrative and viable industry. YouTube has become a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Google is not only the world’s leading search engine, the company now provides a multitude of services from building and maintaining applications to creating and sharing documents. Each one of these examples requires the expertise of individuals who have a good understanding of technology. Whether or not you feel IT related jobs are “cool,” the products and services created by “techies” sure do have your attention.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am a huge fan of Google’s services, beyond their search engine. My contacts, calendar, email, internet browser, office software, and search engine are all Google products. My phone automatically syncs all that I do on Google, wirelessly, keeping my contacts and emails accurate and up to date. Windows CE is simply my gateway to Google’s world. With Android, Google’s shot at an operating system, the OS game is about to change.
Currently, Android is only offered on smart phones, competing with Windows CE and the iPhone. Several developers now have plans to sell Android based netbooks. Netbooks are smaller laptops that are cheap and efficient, designed for running internet-based applications like gMail, Google Docs, and Picasa. These laptops cost less than $450 and currently run Windows XP. With Android, netbooks can be sold even cheaper, since a license for Windows will be an unnecessary cost. Google will offer Android for free, relying on the extensive use of their online services to grow its business. This netbook movement is perfect for the average user, who uses their computer for basic office software, email, and internet browsing. Several cell phone providers now sell netbooks featuring an internal card that offers high-speed internet access anywhere cell service is available. This offers customers a truly mobile office. With Google’s applications hosted online, there are no software updates to install or viruses to worry about. Since Google’s computers do all of the complex computing remotely, netbooks can be optimized for mobility and extended battery life. Asus and Samsung currently offer netbooks that have 8-10 hours of battery life. With newer processors and Android, these battery lives are expected to increase even more.
While Android currently has compatibility issues with many accessories, their Linux based operating system will make upgrades and compatibility issues easer to work though because Linux’s open-source approach will make Android more dynamic and responsive to change. While Google may not be able to dominate the computer operating system marketplace, their approach should drive down prices and force Microsoft to rethink its strategy. Although Android is not ideal for users who need complex programs and powerful machines, the days of high-priced operating systems for average computer users may quickly be coming to an end.

Posted by Chris Tompkins at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our good friend and Massey Board Member Joe Scarlett, in his Open Letter to business leaders, provides a wonderful reminder to all of us on the importance of "personal integrity" as we go about making life's daily decisions. I encourage you to check it out as you begin this new week.

Posted by Joe Alexander at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have neat news to share about one of our alumni. Tammy Wolbers, 2001 Economics graduate from Belmont, was among the Bank of New York Mellon employees who gathered at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday to sound the closing bell and commemorate the company’s 225 years in business. Wolbers, a “Trust Associate” at the Bank of New York Mellon, is pictured on the first row, second from the right. Tammy’s story is a great example of how a business degree from Belmont can help take you “From Here to Anywhere.”

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In their book Nudge, Richard Thayler and Cass Sunstien develop a promising foundation for better governance called libertarian paternalism. The concept is based on the notion that public policy can be formulated by government that can help construct an architecture of choice that will cost effectively organize and deploy resources to improve our quality of life without government coercion and constraint. Their behavioral model is particularly applicable in the domain of energy and environmental policy. In other words, in the pursuit of energy independence and environmental protection good choice architecture may help.

Citing instances where good choice architecture has created environmentally beneficial behavior, the authors detail the spectacular successes of the emissions trading system (“cap and trade” program) and the Toxic Release Inventory in which firms must report to the EPA the quantities of hazardous chemicals released into the environment.

Individuals and firms are being offered billions of dollars in grants and tax subsidies to investigate renewable energy sources and develop energy efficient technologies; such as the $62 million of federal stimulus money to build a solar research institute at UT. Thayler and Sunstein’s research suggests that now is the time to “nudge” environmentally responsible behavior to move us in a direction of energy independence, rather than investing billions of dollars in high cost nuclear facilities and giving more tax incentives to increase oil and gas production on public lands.

Posted by Patrick Raines at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently, I completed a Certificate Program on Lean Healthcare Management with a group of 27 individuals. The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University in conjunction with Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP), and The Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) provides a Lean Healthcare Certificate Program to interested parties several times a year. This Certificate Program is designed for leaders who desire to understand the tools and knowledge necessary to drive Lean Healthcare throughout their entire organization. The Program really energized me in a very unique way to view work and work processes within the organization.

Continue reading "Lean Healthcare Management Really Can Work!" ...

Posted by Chuck Wainright at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)