Over a decade ago, as my academic career was being established and the joys of tenure were conferred upon me, a colleague approached me with an interesting proposition. That was, the idea of teaching abroad to a group of business and government executives. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, as I’d always longed for such an experience and saw it as a way to: (1) not only solidify my own reputation and academic credentials, but also (2) as a way to explore the world and relax. The day I arrived in that country, my colleague and I had a conversation during which he made the following comment to me: “Leyland, there comes a time in one’s life when making a difference is what truly matters.” I must admit, once again, that those words sounded really hollow to me. After all, what crazy stuff could he have been using to arrive at such a conclusion? I smiled, nodded politely, and the conversation moved on.
To my surprise, my experience in the classroom that very first trip made me look at things differently. Standing in front of a class filled with business executives and senior government functionaries, I began to understand just what he was trying to tell me. Seeing a yearning for knowledge, a willingness to engage, the freedom to share ideas and, most importantly, the humility of individuals with larger revenue streams and societal prestige, was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.
Today, I can speak about the wealth of experiences that have been afforded me from continuing to interact with those and others whom I have taught. Throughout the past decade, from those simple encounters, I’ve not only developed lasting friendships but also seen many young men and women, whose parents I taught, have the opportunity to expand their horizons. Travelling to study in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe, those simple encounters have now produced young graduates at all levels including PhDs, in Business fields, Engineering, Actuarial Science, Natural Sciences, Attorneys, and young business executives. Though I’ve never admitted this to him, let me use this opportunity to say, “Thanks Buddy, I got the message you sent on that first encounter.”
For the last two and a half years, I have also been blessed with the opportunity to help shape tertiary education in Guyana. Responding to an invitation from Vice Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith, I participated in the shaping of a new entity called the School of Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation (SEBI). Doing so was certainly not an exercise in academics. Instead, we sought to address the concerns of the business community and other stakeholders. And, in so doing, SEBI has attempted to transform the experience of business students.
Since its launch, SEBI has experienced a number of challenges, not unique to it but, common throughout the institution. These include:
● Shortage of qualified faculty with terminal degrees.
● Reliance on part-time faculty.
● General shortage of financial resources.
At the same time, SEBI has also enjoyed a number of successes. These include, but are not limited to:
● The introduction of a new curriculum.
● Expansion in the number of majors offered.
● Introduction of a foreign language, science, and critical thinking courses into
the core curriculum.
● Focus on blending theory with practice.
● Offering multiple sections of classes in an effort to reduce the student-
faculty ratio and enhance the learning process.
● Inclusion in the Guyana Resilience and One (GRO) Programme under
Conservation International.
● Successful launching of a conference on Entrepreneurship & Economic
Transformation.
● Establishment of the SEBI lecture series with a tribute to Yesu Persaud, on
the occasion of his 90th birthday.
● Injection into the debate on Local Content both through published articles
in the popular press, and hosting of a forum on this subject.
● Establishment of an Advisory Board.
● Creation of Visiting Professor of Practice and Executive in Residence
designations to help students learn from seasoned business and public
sector executives.
Though no scientific analyses have been undertaken, anecdotal evidence suggests that SEBI is on the correct path and has begun to demonstrate its value to Guyana, its public, private, and non-governmental institutions. So, to all those involved in the process, let me express my sincere gratitude.
As I look back on these accomplishments and challenges, it brings me to the question: What should be the future role of SEBI in Guyana? I am unwilling to suggest that I have exclusive knowledge of the ways in which SEBI can fulfill its role and contribute to the development of Guyana. Yet, I feel compelled to offer the following thoughts in this specific area. My thoughts are driven by a simple understanding – no organisation could exist without a sense of purpose. For me, the purpose of SEBI revolves around the notion of making a positive contribution to the development of Guyana and its people. Consequently, I frame these thoughts within the context of Community, Classroom, Faculty Development, and Interdepartmental linkages.
Community
Like the rest of the university, SEBI must ensure that it is relevant. Too often, we sit in our Ivory Tower pronouncing on the ills of society. We operate from a ‘know it all’ posture with our titles and accolades, professing to have the solutions. Yet, we fail to demonstrate that we understand what really befalls our society. As some would profess, this is an untenable situation that would result in a failure of initiatives. Consequently, we arrive at solutions that do not fit the environment. As a group once remarked to me in one of my overseas experiences, “Prof, sorry but that solution won’t work here.” Knowing your environment is key to arriving at viable solutions.
One way in which we can develop a better understanding of the problem and arrive at appropriate solutions is through field trips. Our students must go into the communities to interact with local residents. By interacting they learn things about the communities that aid their understandings. Learning about a community’s history, and interacting with dwellers across the economic spectrum will be vital to these efforts. For instance, one cannot talk about providing employment opportunities without addressing the need for after-school child care. One cannot speak about business growth opportunities without understanding patriarchal relationships and solutions applicable to a problem in Region One cannot be similarly applied in Region Six. Though part of the same country, each region enjoys its own idiosyncrasies which cannot be ignored.
The outreach must be carefully designed to ensure that goals are not overly aggressive, but simple and achievable. From these field trips, students must undergo a shift in their perspectives about what makes a community better, their understanding of life in these communities must evolve and, their appreciation for diverse backgrounds must be transformed.
Like the rest of the university, SEBI must not only be engaged with the community but must also engage the community. By so doing, we ensure our relevance so long as we listen and respond to the needs of the marketplace. Those of us who are old enough can understand why this is so relevant. It is notions of invincibility as expressed in statements such as, “What’s good for GM is good for America,” and “Small cars are a fad, they will simply go away,” that have contributed to the difficulties of the American automobile industry. It is notions of invincibility by ignoring the activities of a few guys operating in a garage that helped to dethrone IBM. Overall, it is a failure to look towards the future, assuming that prior success will lead to future success, which affected both firms.
From the perspective of SEBI, engagement with stakeholders is necessary. This must be done through regular contacts with all aspects of society in order to ensure that we have a shared understanding. From SEBI’s perspective, that engagement cannot be confined to periodic interactions through meetings on campus. Instead, we must go into the communities. We must talk with various stakeholders, formally and informally. Whether it be at the community, church, civic, or other levels, SEBI must find ways to provide the broader community with the tools needed to be successful.
In so doing, it is important to note that not all these actions should cater just to those who are academically gifted. We have to develop outreach programs that meet the needs of the community. I often think of the growth demonstrated in the Vendor’s Arcade, populated by individuals who might not know what a balance sheet represents, but can figure out how to make a profit. Likewise, the farmer who can grow great produce, but cannot determine what its real value is. The candle maker produces great products, but cannot figure out how to package and label it in order to increase sales. These are simple examples of challenges that are confronting business persons on a daily basis. Hence, the need to develop programs that can assist such persons with moving their businesses to the next level.
Classroom
As SEBI strives to demonstrate its role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the question is, what skills and experiences must our students acquire in order to be effective. It is important to acknowledge that not everyone can and will become an entrepreneur. Yet, developing an entrepreneurial mindset is an important requirement in this constantly changing global environment. Hence, it is essential that time be devoted to crafting a set of tools that will make our graduates marketable and highly sought after.
In this effort, the current curricula offered within SEBI serves as a sound basis upon which such skills and competencies can be acquired. Exposure to a cross-section of courses, including those in the liberal arts, sciences, and the environment, offer a broad and diverse academic experience. Such a diverse experience, common in many other environments, reflect the demands of stakeholders and the reality of the future. However, one must also acknowledge that curricula need to be flexible. If students are to maximise their potential, curricula must be frequently revised and new teaching techniques must be embraced.
Our students must also be assisted in understanding that education occurs within and outside the classroom. We, as faculty, must encourage our students to participate in non-classroom activities that may help to inform their educational experiences. For instance, attending a talk on campus in lieu of being in the classroom is highly beneficial to the learning process. Imagine the wealth of knowledge International Business students can gain from participating in a guest lecture on foreign relations, Finance students from a lecture on the Arts and Entrepreneurship students from attending a talk on domestic violence. The last example may seem farfetched, yet it may help those students to understand a serious and often unspoken constraint on business growth among women entrepreneurs.
As students go through their classroom experiences, they must also be ALLOWED TO FAIL. Such failure has very little to do with classes and much to do with being innovative, creative, and willing to take risk. Trying new things does not always lead to success. Being innovative involves a process of trial and error. Hence, an environment in which failure is viewed as part of the learning and maturing processes must be embraced within SEBI.
Embracing such failures necessitates the establishment of support mechanisms. In this regard, Executives in Residence and Professors of Practice can be of great assistance. Our students must interact with individuals who are successful as well as those who have failed. They must understand that lessons exist both in failures and successes. Students often look at the success of Steve Jobs and speak about his business acumen, yet there is little focus on the fact that he failed several times before achieving success. There are similar lessons to be learned from our own regional and local businesses.
Faculty Development
Academics and their institutions are normally measured by three things; Scholarship, Teaching, and Service. In the case of the university, given the constraints on resources, there appears to have been a heavy emphasis on teaching at the expense of research and service. In fact, some may even suggest that service contributions are discounted, thrown into the heap of unimportant activities and therefore not to be acknowledged.
SEBI, as a new unit and within the current dispensation has the ability to help change that focus. If we are to pursue our stated goals, then recognition must be given to all three areas, even if some are ‘more equal than others.’ With respect to research, it needs to focus on solving societal issues and not just academic inquiry. Communities and other stakeholders must be engaged in ways that are beneficial to society, such that lives are advanced and made better. Doing so will also create opportunities for a number of cross-disciplinary activities, as faculties team up on addressing issues unique to their fields. By so doing, we come to recognise that problems and their solutions are multidimensional.
Faculty development will also include their participation in field trips. Working along with students and interacting with different communities helps to better inform both their teaching and research. Through these interactions, faculty can acquire vital information to help in both the teaching and research processes. Moreover, through their participation in field trips, faculty may convey a sense of belonging to the local community and this may translate into critical resources to aid their professional development.
As we develop a focus, it is also important to note that different aspects of the academic experience matter to our faculty. Some find research more appealing than teaching and vice-versa. This is important because we must find a way to help faculty flourish within their comfort zones. Faculty who are good at teaching should be provided with the tools necessary to be successful, and their colleagues who are good researchers must also be provided with the appropriate tools. The university is to be commended for the recent establishment of the Center for Teaching & Learning. This unit can make a significant contribution towards teaching and helping faculty to embrace new and innovative educational techniques. Those within SEBI who are good at teaching must make full use of these facilities, while helping their less talented colleagues to become better at the craft.
It is also important to recognise that teaching and research need not be diametrically opposed. The research undertaken can provide valuable insights into the presentation of concepts within the classroom. For example, through research, cases can be developed and used to better present concepts in the classroom. Likewise, questions raised in the classroom can spur academic inquiry and lead to interesting research. My point here is that research and teaching inform each other and should be treated accordingly. If faculty think that one is viewed by administration as less important than the other, then sustained efforts at developing their craft may not be sustained.
Although service is normally treated as a third arm of academia, being a unit designed to respond to the needs of stakeholders suggests otherwise. If SEBI is to fulfill its role, then there must be continuous involvement with the community. Continuous involvement with the various communities will entail the application of our knowledge and training to benefit the communities. Through such involvement, both teaching and research can be facilitated and enhanced. For example, working with a business group could provide faculty with both access and financial resources to undertake both training and research projects. Likewise, working with a community group could facilitate access to individuals/groups who might be otherwise unwilling to discuss their business failures and successes.
Within SEBI and the entire institution, we must also seek to better understand the unique conditions confronting our students. In some cases, where we may be too quick to question the accuracy of a student’s excuse, these field trips and other acceptable interactions might help to alter our views. As part of the drive to be relevant, faculty must first see students as people. As Peter Drucker noted in one of his articles, maximum productivity and commitment to organisational goals can only be achieved if we see those who work with us as human beings. Let me use a personal experience in an attempt to demonstrate this point. A student once walked into my office and posed a simple, but surprising question, “Dr Lucas, give me a reason to stay in school?” This question was being posed by an above average student, which made it all the more surprising. Further conversations revealed that the issues were non-academic. Coming from a society where the importance of education was always emphasised, I was taken aback. Subsequent discussion exposed that peer and familial pressures created doubt in the student’s mind around the value of continuing their educational pursuits. So, I leave open the question; what could have been the outcome if I’d simply dismissed that student?
Of course, treating these various academic foci similarly does have reward implications. Given the focus of the institution and the limited resources, should there be a difference in how we reward these various foci?
Interdepartmental Cooperation & Collaboration
Although faculty within universities have traditionally operated in silos, recent experiences have seen a shift towards greater collaboration and less independence. This approach is not only influenced by the need to deal with increasingly scarce resources, but also a recognition that cooperation and collaboration can yield significant positive returns. Particularly in the area of innovations, much of its success in organisations is driven by the cooperation and collaboration that occurs within the institution. Within management research, this is often reflected through the notion of organisational capabilities, how it facilitates knowledge transfer across organisational boundaries, and how it affects success.
The relevance of interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration is a crucial aspect of SEBI’s contribution to the nation’s development. With faculty working in several areas of national importance, SEBI’s students and faculty can work closely on issues that demand actionable solutions. Because of our historical ‘silo’ approach to the educational process, many of our students might never interact with their colleagues in another faculty for learning purposes. For instance, very few students outside of one discipline may find themselves taking classes in another discipline.
The challenges linked to such an approach were rather evident during the feasibility study. The feasibility team encountered a student working on an engineering problem and, when asked “what is the value proposition?” appeared to be lost. What this represented was the fact that the student saw his work as solving an engineering problem, but never considered the business possibilities linked to the solution.
SEBI can help to foster interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration by making its classes available to students from other disciplines. Doing so allows for a multidimensional approach to problems and the identification of feasible solutions. For instance, a farmer working with the Agriculture faculty on a product standards issue could also engage SEBI students and faculty on the production and marketing aspects. Likewise, students and faculty in the Arts can work with faculty and students in SEBI to better understand issues of marketing and financing. Unfortunately, across Guyana and in many places around the world, artistic production is often undervalued because those involved do not understand the value of their work.
Cross faculty activities must be promoted both in all areas of the academic experience. By working with faculty from other disciplines, one gains alternative perspectives on issues that may be mutual concern. Several years ago, I asked a seamstress why she did not let more people know about her and the quality of her work. Her response was rather interesting, “Meh know dat meh can mek mo money, but who guh look after dem small children?” Yes, give her a marketing tool, but how does she deal with the social pressures? Similarly, think of the farmer looking to increase production but unsure of market prospects. Give him/her all the crop management help to increase production, but how does he/she know what should be the new price-point? Both of these instances represent opportunities for cross-faculty cooperation and collaboration in finding workable solutions.
Conclusions
When teaching strategy, I often advise students that there are four critical questions that must be answered in order to develop effective strategies. These are – who are we? Who are our customers? Who might become our customers? How do we want to be viewed by others? Answering these questions is important because it helps us to embrace a stakeholder perspective. You see, we are not entities onto ourselves but exist in a larger interconnected network. What we do affects others, and what others do affect us.
In this essay, I’ve tried to outline some ways in which SEBI can continue its contribution to Guyana’s development. Though I’ve looked at this issue through the lens of SEBI, let me take the liberty to suggest that it applies throughout the institution. Let me also say that in order to remain relevant, SEBI’s actions cannot be seen as periodic. There must be continuity, such that it becomes both part of the institutional identity and part of the assessment process.
As I have stated on prior occasions, SEBI must be at the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Guyana. It must help in the process of developing entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial mindset. Doing so will require significant interactions with multiple stakeholders to ensure that their needs are met. SEBI, and its representatives must be prepared to work individuals and organisations to ensure that dreams can be realised. Some of these may not be realised within either the short or medium term. However, the seed has been planted. As I would continually say to students, the light bulb does not necessarily go on when you expect it to, but the switch is in the on position.
It is also important to note that SEBI cannot be successful without the support of stakeholders. The education provided through SEBI should be seen as positively contributing to the development of Guyana. Our work must be seen as extending beyond the classroom, preparing students and others to address the current and future needs of society. SEBI must provide individuals, through formal and informal training, with the tools necessary to achieve economic success. In so doing, SEBI needs multiple forms of support from its stakeholders. There must be an acknowledgement that SEBI’s work is part of a larger project from which we will all benefit either directly or indirectly.
No longer can we sit in the ‘Ivory Tower’ and pronounce on the challenges of our society, appearing as ‘Lords of all we survey.’ As a unit within the premier tertiary institution of this nation, SEBI must provide a qualitatively superior academic experience. That experience cannot be divorced from how we approach our tasks and the society. By having our students and faculty engaged with communities, we demonstrate an understanding that it benefits the institution by helping to positively alter how we are perceived by our stakeholders. SEBI, through its students and faculty, must demonstrate a willingness to listen and empathise with communities, respect the contributions of others irrespective of their status in life, adapt and accept the limitations of solutions provided, and be willing to learn from others. Book-sense coupled with street-sense can go a long way towards developing effective solutions.
Finally, as part of the engagement process, our stakeholders must also respond to the question “What do we want out of SEBI?” I know that our stakeholders, in all areas of society, want to ensure that SEBI contributes to the development of the nation. Doing so will require resources, hence the need for investments in the activities of SEBI. Resources, in the broadest sense of the word, must be provided to help achieve stated goals. The need for additional resources is not simply an appeal to central government for a larger subvention. More important, it is an appeal to the larger society to become active contributors in this effort to advance our role. Though new within the context of Guyana, many of us who have been educated abroad know this to be true. No matter how many times we relocate, that letter from the University Foundation finds us. No matter how busy our schedule, either the Dean or his/her representative finds a way to solicit a monetary or in-kind contribution from us. Simply wishing to either help a cause or show appreciation for work, individuals and organisations make resources available. These are all examples of ways in which stakeholders help business schools to fulfill their goals and help people realise their dreams. As we would say colloquially, “Han wash han, mek han clean.”
Prof Lucas is Dean of the School of Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation (SEBI), University of Guyana
The list of recent accomplishments by the University of Guyana is far more extensive. These include the completion of several buildings, including the State of the Art Jay & Sylvia Sobraj Center for Behavioral Sciences and Research, upgrade of several physical facilities, and the Nand Persaud Soil Center at Johns Campus. See the University of Guyana website, for a more detailed list of accomplishments.
Drucker, Peter (2002) ‘They’re not Employees, they’re People’ Harvard Business Review, 80 (2): 70-77.
Teece, D.J., Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997) ‘Dynamic capabilities and strategic management’, Strategic Management Journal, 18: 509–533.
