FEATURE PAPER

What Students Value in Evaluating Business Professors

The following paper was wrote by Martin Meyers, from the University of Wisconsin and was presented at the Allied Academics 2011 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

Abstract

This paper discusses what students consider important in evaluating their business professors. Variables include speaking clearly, level of preparedness, knowledge of subject, relates subjects to real world, enthusiasm for subject, availability outside of class, fairness in grading, easily approachable, self-confidence, professionalism, excellent sense of humor, discusses research findings in class, makes students feel comfortable when asking questions in class, and encourages the students to think. This paper also identifies strategies that can be used by business professors to increase their popularity among their students. (page 7)

(Read Entire Paper)

TIP OF THE WEEK

Alternative Channel Arrangements

Rarely does a producer use just one type of channel to move its product. It usually employs several different or alternative channels, which include multiple channels, nontraditional channels, and strategic channel alliances.

Multiple Channels
When a producer selects two or more channels to distribute the same product to target markets, this arrangement is called dual distribution (or multiple distribution). As more people embrace online shopping, an increasing number of retailers are using multiple distribution channels. For example, companies such as The Limited, which includes Express, Victoria's Secret, and Bath and Body Works, sell in-store, online, and through catalogs. An emerging trend is ordering online for in-store pickup. Large chains such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Best Buy offer this multichannel distribution for customer convenience.

Nontraditional Channels
Often nontraditional channel arrangements help differentiate a firm's product from the competition. Nontraditional channels include the Internet, Mail-order channels, or infomercials. Although nontraditional channels may limit a brand's coverage, they can give a producer serving a niche market a way to gain market access and customer attention without having to establish channel intermediaries. Nontraditional channels can also provide another avenue of sales for larger firms. For example, Redbox uses kiosks in Walgreens, Kroger, and McDonald's to distribute movies to shoppers at those locations. The Redbox enables users to rent movies for a 24-hour period for $1.00 each and return them to any Redbox kiosk. Customers can also go online to reserve movies at Redbox kiosks to ensure their preferred selection is available when wanted.

Strategic Channel Alliances
Companies often form strategic channel alliances, which enable them to use another manufacturer's already-established channel. Alliances are used most often when the creation of marketing channel relationships may be too expensive and time consuming. Verizon Wireless and the National Football League signed a contract allowing Verizon to broadcast live Sunday afternoon football games to mobile subscribers. Subscribers will receive access to a mobile version of the NFL's dedicated football channel called the RedZone. This is the first time the NFL has broadcast live Sunday games to mobile devices. Alliances can also prove more efficient when a company wants to run promotions. PepsiCo purchased its two major bottlers and has since been able to work directly with retailers to create store-specific bundles for grocery stores (12-packs of Pepsi and large bags of chips) and for convenience stores (single bottles of Pepsi and small bags of chips). The purchase of its bottlers has also made it easier for Pepsi to work directly with stores to provide store-specific merchandise, like bringing Mexican brands to stores in San Antonio, Texas, that cater to Hispanics. Strategic channel alliances are proving to be more successful for growing businesses than mergers and acquisitions. This is especially true in global markets where cultural differences, distance, and other barriers can prove challenging.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New SBI Website

We are excited to inform you the new SBI website is Live and Ready!

Now that the website is up and running, there are a couple of housekeeping items that need to be addressed. Please read below:

Password: One of the key features of the new website is that it allows members to set up a personal password..Don't worry if you forget it you can also reset it. Please click the following link to reset your password: http://smallbusinessinstitute.biz/Sys/ForgottenPasswordRequest.

Profile: Another one of the key features is that you will now have access to update your profile information at any time. Please review your profile and make changes as needed.

E-mail: Due to the change of website providers the @smallbusinessinstitute.biz emails are no longer active. If you need to reach the board members or administrative staff you can find contact information on the CONTACT US tab or click here.

As Mike Harris stated in his announcement earlier this week, we want to do a better job of promoting the success of our members. Please send us your recent accomplishments, articles or good news, so we can share it with all SBI members.

We invite you to visit the new and improved website http://smallbusinessinstitute.biz/, tell us what you think!

SBIJ Journal

The Small Business Institute® Journal has just published its latest issue at www.sbij.org. We invite you to review the Table of Contents here and then visit our web site to review articles and items of interest.

International Journal of Business and Social Science

The International Journal of Business and Social Science is now taking manuscript submissions. All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the e-mail to the editor at editor@ijbssnet.com, or editor.ijbss@hotmail.com. For more information, click here.

Call for Panelists

The Marketing Management Association is accepting panelists for the Fall Educators' Conference on Sept 19-21, 2012 by the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Panelists are needed in the following areas:

. Effectively Using Social Media to Enhance Student Learning
. Building Information Literacy in Classroom Instruction
. Mentoring Junior Faculty: Expectations and Outcomes
. Wiki Class Applications
. Productivity in a Small or One-Person Department
. Activities to Prepare Students for the Job Placement Process
. The Millennial Mindset: Constructive Faculty Responses
. Using LinkedIn as a Teaching Tool
. Interdisciplinary Instruction: Reaching Across Business Disciplines
. Active Learning Innovations
. Managing Millennial Expectations in Team Activities
. Assurance of Learning and Student Internships
. Class Apps with Twitter, Tumblr, StumbleUpon
. Using Teaching Evaluations Effectively
. Advances in Teaching with Simulations
. Innovations in Case Instruction
. Business Ethics: Classroom Exercises with Personal Application
. Teaching Sustainability Across the Business Curriculum
. Student Learning in Undergraduate Research
. Teaching Base of Pyramid Marketing: Global Perspectives on Developing Countries
For more information, you can e-mail Dr. Brian A. Vander Schee at bvanders@aurora.edu or click here.

BABSON

The registration deadline is rapidly approaching for Family Entrepreneurship: Growing the Family Business Across Generations. This new Babson Executive Education program will take place from May 16-17, 2012. We encourage you to register, if appropriate, and to forward this message to colleagues and family members who would benefit from participating.

Built upon Babson's deep experience with family businesses, the program content covers key aspects of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership and will include a combination of lectures, case studies, and action learning projects. For more information, click here.

ICSB 2012 Public Agencies Forum

How can government bodies - such as policy departments, advisory services, regulators and service agencies - develop the most effective means of engagement, communication and information sharing with small businesses?

CONFERENCES

CALLS FOR PAPERS