Forty students and six faculty members participated in the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) Business Cases, Workplace Communication, and Leadership Professional Development Workshop May 1 & 2. Dr. Beth Polin, Assistant Professor of Management and SAM Advisor, provided the vision and leadership for the two-day event.
Workshop leader, Marc Ankerman, related well to all of the attendees with very relevant messaging. Ankerman has been in human resource training and education for over 29 years. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business delivering a variety of professional development courses to MBA students. He is a former Director of Training at Williams-Sonoma, Express, Michigan National Bank and Galileo International. Ankerman specializes in the multi-unit, multi-divisional retail world.
The two-day event was an interactive workshop on professionalism, team design and function, problem solving, persuasive presentations, and managing realistic workplace situations.
Polin commented, "This workshop allowed students to consider the theories, models, and examples they encounter in the classroom and apply them to real-world business situations. They had to pull knowledge from a variety of business areas and think critically to solve challenging business cases." She continued, "The students approached this professional development opportunity with a great deal of talent and enthusiasm."
According to department chair, Dr. Lana Carnes, "Without question, students gained valuable insight into communicating effectively and persuasively in the workplace. The case competition was fun, as well as a valuable learning experience for all." She continued, "Students took the competition seriously and presented themselves professionally for the event."
SAM promotes interaction with professionals in all disciplines and increases awareness and knowledge of career opportunities. It encourages cross-functional participation in activities that will benefit students' choice of career and future success. For more information, contact Dr. Beth Polin at beth.polin@eku.edu.
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