MBA student shortlisted for prestigious Student of the Year award

James Boyce has been shortlisted for the AMBA (Association of MBAs) Student of the Year 2024 thanks to his exceptional leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and innovative mindset.

AMBA is one of the world’s leading international management education associations and the Student of the Year Award recognises students who have shown exceptional career potential and who can act as ambassadors for the high quality of accredited MBAs.

Following graduation, James, a full-time British Airways (BA) pilot, wants to use his MBA to make a positive social impact in the world. He said: “I am thrilled to be shortlisted for the AMBA Student of the Year 2024 Award. For as long as I can remember, I've been motivated by wanting to help people. One of the reasons I decided to complete my MBA is because I noticed that many well-known philanthropists completed an MBA before starting successful companies, which they used to finance projects that have social impact."

AMBA, who will announce the winner in January 2024, is one of the three accrediting bodies that award the OUBS its elite triple accreditation status, which is held by only 1% of business schools worldwide.

Happy 40th anniversary to us!

Founded in September 1983, this month marks the Business School’s official 40^th anniversary and we are proudly celebrating our successes of the past 40 years.

After launching the MBA in 1989, we soon became Europe’s largest business school and to-date, we have more than 110,000 alumni across 125 countries, including more than 28,000 MBA alumni.

The School’s research has had a strong impact on society, with the 2021 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) rating over 75% of our research outputs as internationally excellent or world leading. Plus, we are part of an elite group to have achieved triple accreditation status by AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB, something that only 1% of business schools worldwide can claim.

From Monday 6 November (rescheduled from this week) we will be dedicating a whole week to our 40^th anniversary across our website and social media platforms and we hope you will join us in celebrating.

Your views: What issues will businesses face in the next 40 years?

As part of our 40^th anniversary reflections, we are interested in what our valued Business School students and alumni think the global business landscape might look like in another 40 years. This could be in public, private, or voluntary sectors and may be related to organisations in the UK or internationally (or maybe even further afield...like off-world?).

Richard Gadd, OU MBA graduate and Founder and Executive Director at Developing Business Excellence Ltd, predicts there will be a decline in people’s loyalty and goodwill, as well as customer service.

Richard said: “I strongly suspect that the recruiting and retention of talent will become a major challenge, and that technological advancements particularly in AI will enable far more personalised shopping experiences.”

“I’d imagine that the cultural and ethnic composition of the workforce will change beyond recognition, and that global population shift will continue. As a result, I’d anticipate successful businesses having to demonstrate much greater multi-cultural, tolerant, and inclusive working practices.”

What challenges or opportunities do you think will shape the business world over the next 40 years? How might businesses need to adapt by 2063? Let us know your thoughts at OUBS-alumni@open.ac.uk

Celebratory graduates of new bilingual OU-validated MBA course

Fifty MBA students in China are looking to new horizons and beyond after being the first people to graduate from a new bilingual MBA course validated by The Open University.

The course began in 2020 on the XuetangX platform, the first of its kind to offer Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). XuetangX has licensed the content from the Business School’s triple-accredited MBA programme, adapting it to meet its own local business context.

The OU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Blackman addressed students at a special ceremony with the UK Ambassador in China, Caroline Wilson.

Tim said: “Today is extra special, as you are our very first Open University validated MBA graduates in China. This is a monumental occasion. Today’s event not only marks your achievements as graduates, but it also celebrates the success of XuetangX, a dynamic MOOC provider, successfully combining academic rigour and real-world business know-how with unique distance learning.”

SHORT COURSE SPOTLIGHT: Analytical thinking for problem solving

Explore the problem-solving skills you need to make a real difference in your organisation with this 10-hour online course. You’ll discover how to promote a solutions-focused culture by instigating, demonstrating, and sustaining evidence-based approaches in the workplace.

You will learn how to use analytical thinking to scope a work-based problem, how to use appropriate techniques to solve it, as well as best practice ways to engage with colleagues to apply a solution.

This course can be started at any time and you can work at your own place. You’ll acquire transferrable skills that are relevant to many organisations and you’ll receive a digital badge and certificate upon completion.

Blossoming North Yorkshire Police partnership yields results

The OU’s Department for Policing, which sits within the Business School, will see the first two cohorts of officers who successfully completed the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) graduate next month.

This collaborative programme with North Yorkshire Police has been a huge success since it launched in 2020 with more than 300 new recruits joining the force.

Jo Lambert, the Teaching Director for Policing Organisation and Practice (POP), said: “They will graduate at our Harrogate ceremony on Saturday 14 October after starting their programmes at the height of Covid-19. They trail-blazed the new qualification, learning while we learned. We’re also delighted senior members of North Yorkshire Police, including the Chief Constable, are taking part in the academic process with us to mark this milestone.”

Find out more about this innovative partnership and hear from some of those who have undertaken our policing programmes here.

UK’s largest study into online violence against women and girls reveals shocking results

A Professor of Law at the OU Law School (sister to the Business School) has conducted the UK’s largest ever study into societal attitudes and experiences of online violence against women and girls (OVAWG) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Professor Olga Jurasz led the research, surveying 7,500 adults over the age of 16 in February 2023, via YouGov, which revealed that more than one in 10 women in England have experienced online violence, with this figure increasing among those aged 16-24 (25%) and LGBTQ+ women (35%).

It also found that of those women who have experienced online violence, more than one in ten (13%) said it later progressed to offline violence. Online anonymity (49%), ease of getting away with it (47%) and misogyny (43%) top the most commonly perceived reasons why people commit online violence against women and girls.

The OVAWG research project forms part of the OU’s Open Societal Challenges (OSC) Programme. Last year, Olga and colleague Dr Kim Barker launched the Observatory on Online Violence Against Women (ObserVAW) which is set to become Europe’s first to unite leading academics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), policymakers, regulators, legal practitioners, educators and social media platforms to fight digital abuse. 

Designing workplace-friendly menopause leave

Professor Jo Brewis has written an article about designing menopause leave that supports women in the workplace for The Conversation.

The government rejected a proposal by the Women and Equalities Commission (WEC) to pilot and evaluate a menopause leave policy with a large public sector employer, on the grounds that it would be too expensive and that the government would prefer to provide information and best practice for employers. But Jo argues this makes employer action voluntary and places the onus back on the individual employee.

However, Jo said: “It is possible to design menopause leave that is both workable and effective. This would involve including menopause as a reason for taking sick leave and ensuring it is classified by HR as an ongoing health issue on this basis.”  

'Rebel' Jessica now loves her studies

Jessica Charlish was a self-admitted rebel at school and left with few qualifications, unsure about her career path. Year later, after seeing family and friends proudly returning from university having earned their degrees, Jessica was inspired to explore her own degree opportunities but felt apprehensive about whether she could succeed at higher education learning. Wanting to test the waters, Jessica enrolled on one of the OU’s introductory Access modules which she successfully completed, and now, not only does she have a BA (Hons) in Business Management, but she is on her way to completing a Master’s.

Jessica said: “I was so proud collecting my degree. The reward and satisfaction felt like such a buzz I started wondering whether I could actually take on a Master’s degree! I picked up an MBA prospectus while I was there, and the rest is history.”

What can a good Business Management Consultant do for me?

MBA alumnus Richard Gadd (who also shares his views on what the business landscape might look like in 40 years, above) has submitted a blog for the Business School’s Professional Knowledge Bank. This explores some of the myths associated with Business Management Consultancy and proposes a low-cost alternative to enable business leaders to achieve their growth potential.

The article covers what business management consultancy actually is, as well as tips on how to access a consultant and how to pick the best consultant for your business.

If you’re interested in raising your profile and contributing to our Professional Knowledge Bank, then find out more.

Free membership for OU in Ireland MBA students

MBA students at the Open University in Ireland are entitled to free membership of the MBAAI (MBA Association of Ireland) until they graduate, which gives them access to valuable resources and events.

If you are an MBA student at the OU in Ireland click here to access your membership and select the €0 student option. You will then be able to access materials and register for MBAAI events using your username and password. For any queries, please contact support@mbaassociation.ie.

Event: The Impact of AI in Finance

PryceWilliams, the firm of MBA alumnus Parrish Pryce-Williams, is hosting an event for finance professionals and business leaders about the impact of AI on finance and how it will influence ways of working and doing business.

The in-person event will take place on Thursday 12 October (9:00 –11:00) at the Electric Works Conference Centre in Sheffield and will guide finance and business leaders who want to understand more about AI and the impact on business strategy. You can find out more about the event and register here.

Embracing AI in your career and job search

Thursday 19 October 13:00 -14:00

If you’re thinking about your career, now is the time to replace the question, “Should I be using AI?”, with the question, “How can I use AI better than anyone else?”

This session showcases the potential of Generative AI for career advancement.

Alison Edmonds, Executive Careers Coach, and Ian Smith, Innovation Leader and AI expert, invite you to see the strengths and weaknesses of AI in your job search, emphasising a hands-on approach that you can start to use straight away.

How to know your own value and negotiate the best deals for your career

Nothing is more important than believing in, and knowing, your own value. Take a look at this webinar (recording below) to learn more about understanding who you are and how to value yourself to help ensure you speak up for what you want in work and life. The session covered defining your value proposition to get clear on what you want, ascertaining what you actually have control over and negotiating with people you know and don't know, and includes a useful salary negotiation strategy.

Eli Bohemond, Head Coach at Your Career Strategy, delivered this engaging and insightful one-hour event, which was a dabble of psychology, career management, and negotiation!