In recent years, managers and executives have faced a challenging and rapidly evolving social, economic, political, and technological environment. Globalization, technological change, privatization and deregulation, transformation of traditional hierarchical organization into flatter, more dynamic organizations, and a range of other forces have changed the nature of managerial responsibility.
Managers are forced to operate in complex and high velocity environments, under conditions characterized by radical change, and in response to highly uncertain forces. However, one of the most profound set of changes to confront managers, and by extension, schools of business and management, is the emergence of the new information economy. The Internet and its applications are changing the way customers, suppliers, and companies interact, creating huge opportunities as well as unforeseen competitive threats for businesses. The Internet is also changing the way companies work internally, collapsing boundaries and redefining relationships among the various departments, functions, and divisions within a business.
The response of most Schools of Business and Management to these changes has been limited and traditional. They continue to focus on teaching only. Students continue to take courses and supposedly learn via lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments. This model requires students to memorize and apply the acquired information/ knowledge in business situations. While acquiring knowledge in this way is necessary, it is not sufficient. After taking courses in such a traditional teaching environment, students are ill prepared to apply their knowledge in real life business cases. Additionally, they are inadequately prepared to lead and add value in the business organizations they join.
At the College of Business and Economics of Qatar University, we believe that we have the responsibility to graduate adaptive problem solvers who have the necessary skills to contribute to the society and be the future business leaders. Therefore, we adopted what we believe is an innovative and effective approach to business education - Transformational Learning. By applying this model, we seek to transform the hearts and minds of our students to become adaptive problem-solvers. As a result, we believe that our students will be equipped with the necessary skills to enable them to meet the challenges of an increasingly global and knowledge based business environment.