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When students pick undergraduate schools, they often look at rankings to determine which school has the best faculty-to-student ratio, the nicest dorms, the most state-of-the-art libraries and recreational centers, and the prettiest campuses. And while these rankings are important, valuable tools for comparing schools, MBA rankings are even more closely examined. Business publications like the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, FT.com, and BusinessWeek release regular MBA rankings, and they all differ. Some of these publications even create different lists based on different qualifications like American schools vs. international programs; readers’ choice; school size; and more. So how are prospective MBA students supposed to interpret these lists? Below is an outline to help you understand what MBA rankings are based on and what they mean.
Each publication or institution that releases a list of MBA rankings uses different qualifications to determine their top picks. Before scanning lists, review the methodology used, so that you have a better idea of what the rankings mean. The Economist, for instance, explains their methodology here as being based on the MBA market at the time the list was prepared. They asked schools with full-time MBA programs only from around the world to participate in a survey, and then selected the top 100 from their choices. So, if you want to attend a school that only offers part-time MBA programs and do not see its name on an MBA rankings list, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the program is considered poor: it just wasn’t qualified for that particular list.

In most MBA rankings, many aspects of the program and school are considered, including student-to-faculty ratio, program size, financial aid and value, career services, student assessment, recruiters, number of student who found jobs soon after graduating, size and influence of alumni network, number of offered programs, average GMAT score, student diversity, campus services and facilities, and others. Publications like BusinessWeek develop different lists to help students narrow down their search and find more focused information on the schools they’re applying to. Two of these more specific lists include “ROI: Business Schools with Bang for the Buck” and “European B-Schools.”

Top-rated MBA programs and schools will have received favorable scores in most if not all of the qualifications listed above. There may be very slight differences in scores in schools, so don’t cross off a program just because it isn’t ranked in the top 10 or 20 on a single list. Compare lists, and make sure you always read the methodology and individual school report before making a decision to apply to that program or not. Campus visits, interviews with students and faculty, financial aid, and the appropriate program offerings are also very significant factors when choosing an MBA program.
By-line:

This guest post was contributed by Alvina Lopez, who writes on the topics of accredited colleges online. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez@gmail.com.

I wanted to also let you know that some of the graduation party photos are online now on the ESADE Alumni website. Check out the photos of the pre-graduation party here and the graduation party here.

This is the agenda for tomorrow in case you have missed the emails and notices.

Graduation Day on Friday 26th March .

Please find below the order of the day:

Location: Garden of ESADE BUSINESS SCHOOL, floor A next to Career Services.
Av. d’Esplugues 92-96

Agenda

11.00-11.30 Reception
11.30-12.00 Welcome Speech
12.00-13.30 Brunch

You are also invited to a Mass given by José Gette on the same day. It will be held in room A012 at 10.00.

Casa Llotja
18:45: FT MBA Class 2010 Graduation Ceremony.

Ceremony Location: Casa Llotja, Passeig d’Isabel II, núm.1- the main entrance is located on Pla de Palau, not Passeig d’Isabel II.

Enjoy and make sure that you charge your camera battery

Then I  noticed that there is an increased link between MBASA, the student body and the program mangement. MBASA is now entitled to join and participate in the monthly program management meetings and therefore is now able to contribute the student’s views and feedback and direct them directly to the program directors and the Dean. This is a great move forward from the past and it is good step forward for a closer collaboration.

Today I get an email from MBASA informing students that they would like to change the constitution with more modern and flexible statutes in order to allow for implementing changes more rapidly. This is very proactive and I am glad to see that the change process starts at the core. In addition they sent out a survey asking for the students’ opinion on the proposed changes and this leads me to my next point.

MBASA revamped its website. The survey was conducted on their website, which I didn’t know was relaunched recently. Great way of promoting the new website that hopefully will become the center of information. What I like is that there you can also find there the archived newsletters that I mentioned earlier. The clubs are also now being migrated to the same MBASA address so the online representation of the clubs becomes more uniform.

In addition on the right you will find a calendar for all the MBASA and student related events. This is a long awaited move and I am glad to see that it is finally online. Now we just need the calendar link so that we can import it into our calendars and that it becomes automatically updated on our computers as well.

The next thing that I suggest you start a little online shop for MBASA and ESADE merchandise so that we can buy the products all year around. I truly like the ESADE merchandise and I hope that we get to see more ESADE t-shirts, hoodies, caps, etc. on campus. You might want to use the Abacus technology of the current ESADE shop website.

Good job MBASA and keep it up. I like what I am seeing!!!!

Congratulations Brasilata and keep making headlines like this. The following is an excerpt (full article here):

Excerpt from Switch: Inventing an identity

Brasilata — a $170 million Brazilian producer of steel cans—actually invented the identity that became the engine of its success. Can manufacturing is a relatively mature industry—not much growth or excitement. But Brasilata defies the boring, stuck-in-its-ways stereotype. In fact, it has one of the best reputations for innovation of any company in Latin America.

How does a metal can company become known as an innovator? Brasilata’s founders were inspired by the philosophy of Japanese car manufacturers like Honda and Toyota, which empowered their frontline employees to take ownership of their work. In 1987, the founders launched their own employee-innovation program.

A new identity was its core. Employees became known as “inventors,” and new hires were asked to sign an “innovation contract.” This wasn’t just feel-good language. Employees were challenged to be on the lookout for ideas on how to create better products, improve production processes, and cut costs. Systems were developed that made it easy to submit ideas. The program succeeded beyond reasonable expectations. In 2008, a total of 134,846 ideas were submitted—an average of 145.2 ideas per inventor!

These suggestions often led to new products. In late 2008, for instance, the company came up with a new approach for a steel can designed to carry flammable or otherwise dangerous liquids. To meet UN standards, such cans must withstand a drop from about four feet. Most companies had solved this problem by thickening the metal layers, which used up more raw material. And even the reinforced cans were prone to split if they landed on an edge. Brasilata’s inventors suggested a new design, inspired by car bumpers that collapse on impact. The new cans deformed slightly on impact, reducing stress on the critical seam. They resisted falls better while also reducing the amount of steel in the can.

Inventors have also led the company through emergencies. In 2001, a severe energy crisis forced Brazil’s government to give businesses a strict quota of electricity. In response, Brasilata’s employees dreamed up hundreds of power-saving ideas. Within a few weeks, Brasilata’s energy consumption had fallen by 35 percent, reducing it below quota, so the company could resell the extra energy.

Let’s remember something: this inventor identity, which has fueled the company’s business success and employee satisfaction, was made up. None of Brasilata’s employees was born an inventor. This identity was introduced to them, and they decided it was a mantle worth wearing—a source of pride and strength.

Most successful companies have a distinctive identity in our minds. I can picture the identity of a Wal-Mart or a Southwest or an IBM employee. I have a harder time picturing the identities of some of their competitors. Intel recently has been running a national ad campaign that features its own employees. It’s called “Our rock stars aren’t like your rock stars.” Ajay Bhatt, one of the coinventors of USB, is shown walking into a company canteen and being surrounded by adoring employees. The point is that what they value at Intel may be different from what’s valued in the outside world, but if you’re the next Ajay Bhatt, you want to work for Intel, where your talents will be respected. Another great example of a company that motivates employees by giving them a sense of identity is Brasilata.

Everyone who wishes to attend is welcome!

The Hamburg-based company Papermoles, a famous bookbinding company that produces the folders for some of the most luxurious yachts, restaurants and hotels in Northern Germany, provides a special edition of its leatherfolders to ESADE.

These handmade folders are made of the highest quality upper leather, pure wool for the inside and each one individualised with your name on the front cover. At the end of the day it is all about you and “Enjoy business your way” pretty much says it all.

They are offering us the special edition, which will have black leather on the outside and blue wool on the inside corresponding to the ESADE colors. Each folder will have your name embossed on the front cover and if you wish also the ESADE logo below (for a fee). You can chose between the formats A5 (PortBook) and A4 (PortRing) and the prices will be reduced of course depending on the quantity ordered. Don’t forget that this is the highest German quality.

• Papermoles PortRing A4: contact me for ESADE promotional prices
• Papermoles PortBook A5: contact me for ESADE promotional prices

In case you are interested please drop me an email (here) with your name and size of the folder that you are interested in by Monday evening (15.03.10) and I will organise the folders before graduation. Images of the folders are below.  Check out the entire Papermoles Catalogue (German) in case you want different colors and different products. You can chose among 4 different leather colors and 8 differend wool colors in any combination you wish because it is all about individualism at the end of the day.

I have been using mine for the last year so if you want to see them I am more than happy to show them to you!!!! I am proud of it! I don’t only love my folder ut I have  bought several now…

Papermoles.com

Papermoles.com

Next question now must be:  how are the banks doing it now?

To get an impression they are gathering anecdotes people might have on how banks did or did not educate consumers. So far, they have some interesting examples from India and the Netherlands. It would be interesting to see what examples exist from the rest of the world. Join the discussion in the quest for change here.

Even if your primary interest is Banking or Consulting and not necessarily in Cleantech, this is a perfect opportunity to network with Consultants, Politicians, Investors and Business Angels, Academics, Industry groups and Multinational Companies.

It’s a full day event packed with more than 30 speakers from different companies, plenty of food and drinks, and tons of dedicated interaction time between the audience and speakers.

BiCE has been featured in the Wall Street Journal Europe (March 3rd issue) under the Future Leadership Institute section. For full details or to register online, kindly log on to www.bicesummit.com

Business in Cleantech & Environment Summit 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Time: 11:00 – 19:45

ESADE FORUM
Av. Pedralbes 60-62
E-08034
Barcelona, Spain

For full details, kindly log on to www.bicesummit.com
Register here
For queries, please contact mbacleanenergyclub@esade.edu