Author: Angela Leone

A talk between MBA classmates: Interview with Dina Yassin

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What drove you to pursue an MBA at this stage in your life?

I’ve always wanted to do my postgraduate studies, and pursuing an MBA seemed the right fit. Coming from a creative field and incorporating that business knowledge and perspective was just what I needed to better understand the luxury market, along with providing innovative strategies to help me tackle the future of fashion and design. I was also hungry for a new challenge, and of course, a different experience  ̶  and with the pandemic, it was just the right time.

Was there any particular reason behind picking MIP over other institutions?

Well, a good friend of mine highly recommended MiP, and after doing thorough research, I knew it was just what I was looking for in terms of a good and prestigious European business school, as well as what it had to offer when it comes to a theoretical approach to teaching.

Describe your journey. Were there any particular moments you recall?

My journey was a challenging one yet filled with so much excitement. Due to Covid and the related delays, I had to carry out my studies remotely while working throughout. It wasn’t easy, but I looked forward to my classes, the assignments, the collaborative projects with my peers, everything. We definitely were a great group of people and together, we built a strong unit. I have to say, I learned so much from many of them, I felt I belonged to something substantial, and I gained strong ethics and leadership qualities I had never imagined before, because of the calibre of my peers and professors. There were many moments I recall, but the one that has stuck with me was working on The Mark Challenge with a fantastic and resilient group: we may have not won, but we made it far enough as a team and with a brilliant idea!

Did you face any particular challenges with the hybrid model of the program?

Well, for the most part, it was fine, but challenges of being in front of my laptop for over 7 hours daily came with its effects of exhaustion. Sometimes, I’d be working in areas with limited Wi-Fi access and attending classes would be difficult, so I’d have to catch up later. Time management was key, so utilizing it to the best of my abilities was something I strived for. I was lucky to be surrounded by good people who always wanted to help, and for that I’m grateful. Now looking back, I’m glad to have experienced a hybrid model of the program as it strengthened my focus and prepared me for an unpredictable global future.

Do you have any words to share about your colleagues/professors/MIP staff?

They were all a wonderful bunch of people and I learned so much from them. My professors’ abilities to deliver such great lectures remotely was an incredible experience, their patience and the overall knowledge that they shared with us was exceptional, incomparable, and valuable. My colleagues were amazing; I’ve made some good friends I could call family who came with strong ethics and backgrounds  ̶  without them, this MBA journey would not have been the same. The MiP staff were great too, they delivered well and accommodated our needs during a challenging time. The pandemic hasn’t made it easy for many, however, they made it work… I’ll never forget Martina and her dedication to us… Thank you!

How was the experience of finally meeting everyone at the graduation?

It was surreal! I was so happy I made it to the graduation to meet everyone! After a whole year of hard work online, the least I could do was stand there with everyone and share in the moment of accomplishment. I wish I had more time to spend with everyone, but it was short and sweet… hopefully next time!

Do you have any particular plans for the future?

Well, the sky is the limit! I’m currently looking to move back to the USA as an exciting opportunity has presented itself. Hoping to share more soon!

 

About the author
 Rakshit Behel

A results-oriented marketing communications professional helping brands achieve objectives with integrated marketing campaigns built around branded content. From creatively developing and implementing digital marketing and content strategies to measuring performance with analytics and providing insights into useful data, aligned to brands’ business goals; experience of working with clients from different industries: Hospitality, IT, Fintech, Media and Healthcare.

 

How the MBA made me discover the usefulness of Machine Learning in my daily job

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Big Data. Machine Learning. Artificial Intelligence. Terms on everyone’s lips. Everyone wants them. Few have any idea about what they are.

My opinion? Actually, I didn’t have one. This is why I tried to exploit my experience of the International Part-Time MBA at MIP to create one. But let’s start from the basics.

To define what Big Data is, let’s think for a moment about our daily life: interactions on social networks, a click on a website, our interconnected smartphones. All this generates an incredibly high amount of data compared to a few decades ago. Huge volumes of heterogeneous data by source and format, which can be analyzed in real time: all this is Big Data.

In short, we are increasingly surrounded by data, but how to extract value from Big Data? Big Data Analytics is talked about a lot, in every area.

Having defined what Big Data is, however, is not enough. It is also necessary to know how to exploit them and with what techniques. One of these is certainly Machine Learning, which is nothing more than a system capable of learning from experience, with a mechanism similar (at least in appearance) to what a human being does from birth.

From an IT point of view, the programmer’s approach radically changes: if before, it was necessary to write detailed lines of code to instruct the machine on what to do situation by situation, today it is the algorithm itself that develops its own logic and consequently performs certain actions, depending on the data set available.

Well, all this information may seem relevant only to slightly nerdy data scientists, like the “Big Bang Theory” ones. But believe me, it’s not.

As previously mentioned, the managers of the future will have to make the most of the greatest resource they have available: data. Data are the new oil, the new gold, and knowing how to extract value from them is the real competitive key for large companies and SMEs. It is the skills and technologies of Analytics that transform raw data into valuable information for business decision-makers: it is now possible to gain a competitive advantage thanks to timely and more informed decisions, not only for larger organizations but also for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This is the main reason why I decided to select the elective course offered by MIP Politecnico di Milano related to “Big Data & Machine Learning”. I admit that before taking this course my ideas regarding these issues were quite confused. They were “fascinating” and “fashionable” topics, but I never thought they could have such a tangible impact on my everyday work.

I am a Supply Chain Manager, and in my daily life I deal with sales forecasts, margins, pricing strategies, etc. I therefore deal with data, which have a certain meaning and which I often evaluate in a “standard” and “repetitive” way. Here, I learned that everything that is “standard” and “repetitive” can be analyzed and automated in some way through Machine Learning.

Obviously, I am not a Data Scientist, but it is becoming increasingly necessary to understand this “new language”, even to managers: knowing the possibilities offered by technology is the first step to making the most of it, interacting with data teams, or other experts in the sector.

Ignoring these skills means falling behind. And today’s world, with its constant changes, no longer allows the existence of the so-called “old guard”. Today’s world needs managers who keep up with it. Take it or leave it.

 

About the author
 Marco Di Salvio

Alumnus of the International Part Time MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano.
Industrial Engineer currently working @ Gucci as WW Supply & Demand Planner, based in Florence.
Tech passionate, Cinema-lover, Sports addicted.
Solving the world’s problems one spreadsheet at a time.

 

‘New Generation’ MBA will prepare future leaders to succeed, give meaning to their success, and to contribute to build a better future for all

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MIP, the Business School of Politecnico di Milano, has launched a unique ‘New Generation’ MBA, that will train a new generation of leaders to deliver more impactful and sustainable performance.

The New Generation MBA will not only deliver advanced management skills but will combine these with tools to unleash the latent power of purpose and enable a new generation of leaders to meet the unique challenges of the 21st century.

In addition to teaching core topics from a traditional MBA, the full-time programme will teach students how to generate and sustain higher levels of meaningfulness, motivation and effectiveness in themselves, their teams and their organisations.

Federico Frattini, Dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano said: “The world of business, and indeed society at large, is going through sweeping changes. In response, together with our partners at The Mind at Work, we decided to redesign our full-time MBA programme to prepare a new generation of managers, entrepreneurs and professionals, to meet the challenges that are arising.

“When considering what is required in response to these challenges, managers point not only to the realm of hard skills but most importantly, to skills, such as the capacity to engage people, understand motivation, and the ability to connect to emotions — especially in highly charged situations.”

MIP’s New Generation MBA integrates these two dimensions for the first time. Students will go through a rigorous programme to provide the hard competencies and skills they will need to perform.

In addition, they will be exposed to cutting-edge tools to elevate their performance by developing their awareness of self and others, to consciously choose purposes to create higher levels of engagement, motivation and alignment, and to combine through this deeper awareness and understanding of complexity the pursuit of higher purposes and positive impacts on society with sustainable financial performance.

Thus, students will possess what is needed to achieve both superior performance and personal fulfillment, at individual, team and organisational levels.

Darren Rudkin, founder of The Mind at Work, added: “This is genuine personal and professional growth, a personal journey of discovery — not just so that you can make a difference, but so that you can become the difference. It is a real breakthrough in the landscape of business school education. Business Schools have been recently criticized for their inability to contribute to train a new generation of leaders who are able to combine shareholder value and positive impact on society. This program is an unprecedent response to this criticism, and has the potential to pave the way for a new approach to management education that is suited to the challenges that our society is confronted with”

 

Post MIP, our alumnus goes global

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Varun Bohra, an alumnus of MIP’s International Full-Time MBA, has packed a lot into the few years since he left Milan, travelling around the world and working in several sectors of industry. Here, he recounts his time following graduation and his motivations, and gives some advice to those contemplating following in his footsteps.

You’ve done a lot in a relatively short space of time. Could you please give us a brief outline of where your MBA journey has taken you? What would you say is the motivating factor which leads to you taking decisions to make a major change  ̶  changing countries, for example?

So, after finishing my MBA in 2015, it’s now 2021. I have changed two jobs and moved to three different countries in six years. After the MBA, I joined SanDisk Corporation in Malaysia in a greenfield plant to set up multiple processes and, based on my performance, I was promoted and moved to the headquarters in San Francisco.

After that, for personal reasons, I moved to India into the world of supply chain consulting. I am currently working at Accenture Strategy as a Manager in the Supply Chain and Operations division.

The key driver to move to different places was to learn professionally and culturally. At the same time, I wanted to see the world.

My mind was opened up to learning culturally during the MBA at MiP and it intrigued me to discover that there is a lot to learn from other cultures which also helps in professional life.

What do you think, if anything, has changed substantially in the business world since you graduated and what should an MBA candidate bear in mind in this regard?

From 2015 to current times the biggest change has come through COVID-19. It has shown that work does not require us to be sitting at a desk in an office. It can be executed from anywhere. Recently, I have taken a staycation and sat in the hills to work and relax.

Also, future MBA aspirants should focus on what kind of profile they like and focus on their personal life too. Also, since the times of covid, corporates have realized that employees do not only need good remuneration but also a work-life balance and flexibility in working. On top of that, especially right now since the arrival of covid, the world’s organizations are realizing the value of supply chain. So if anyone is interested in supply chain and operations, right now it’s a booming industry.

How would you evaluate your studies now in terms of the long-lasting benefits? What have you learned or gained during your MBA which you consider to be the most important aspect, either in professional or personal terms?

I’ll make one point on this subject: Organizational Behavior. I came from a background in engineering and manufacturing and I had always thought everything needed to be quantified. During the MBA, I thought supply chain, statistics and business strategy, etc, were important subjects, but after graduating and joining the corporate world at mid-senior level, I released that it is organizational behavior that helps a lot when working in a corporate environment.

Do you still use the network of contacts you made back in your MIP days? Do you manage to meet up in person as well?

Personally, I got to learn about so many cultures from my lovely classmates. Yes, I keep in touch with my classmates over social media and personally. I have not been able to meet them in person but would really love to see them again in the near future; maybe in 2025 we can all celebrate the 10-year anniversary of our MBA.

 

A chat between classmates: Maria’s experience

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I have asked some classmates to share their thoughts about the International MBA path at MIP Politecnico di Milano. We are still on the first half of our journey together but we have already made it through several lectures, group and individual assignments, workshops and the first interviews with the Career Development Center.

Here are the personal experiences of Maria. Introduce yourself!

I’m Maria Antonietta Caucci, I am a 28-year-old dynamic and curious Management Engineer. I obtained my master’s degree at Politecnico di Milano following a 2-year intensive Double Master of Science reserved for five selected students and spending one year studying at the Audencia Business School of Nantes (FR). In the last four years I have been working in Milan as a Consultant in the Human Resources & Innovation field and, recently, I enrolled in a Master of Business Administration at MIP.

Would you like to describe the experience you had during the selection phase? Would you consider it as a glimpse of the effort requested by the lectures and assignments?

The selection procedure consisting of a motivational interview and a test session is both fluid and highly personalized at the same time. It is certainly challenging, since the program is limited to a predetermined number of students; however, the support given by MIP in the form of guidance and assistance spans the whole process, helping candidates to find their best path and succeed.

Have you received support from your employer? Was the decision appreciated by your line manager and colleagues?

During the last few months, I have successfully managed a challenging timetable, having had to combine the profession of consultant with my MBA attendance. This achievement has certainly been possible thanks to my manager and colleagues at work, who have supported and encouraged me since the beginning of the journey.

What about your classmates? Do you think that MIP managed to select and mix fields of expertise and seniority?

I firmly believe that one of the main strengths of the program is the contagious positive energy of the other classmates, enterprising people who are aware that they made the right choice to grow in various aspects of their education. The course mixes people from different backgrounds and academic training, creating both a professional and personal wealth that will aid us when launching ourselves into an increasingly global job market, one that is increasingly attentive to evaluating relational skills.

Would you recommend the MBA at MIP to other friends and/or colleagues?

I would recommend the MBA at MIP since I believe the program can represent a solid step forward for the future career of professionals.
I would like to thank Maria, who managed to find time for this interview between her work, exams and private life. See you and other friends in class, ready to start the second and last year of this challenging and exciting experience.

 

About the author
 Simone Moscato

Having graduated at Politecnico di Milano, Simone is now working as a civil engineer in an international EPC Company while attending the International MBA at MIP. An enthusiast for travelling and fighting sports, he’s always searching for new challenges. After years, he’s still struggling to learn how to play the guitar.

 

 

Corporate Leadership & Different Types of Leaders

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A key part of our MBA at MIP, Politecnico di Milano, has been about developing an understanding of our future career path. Since the course admits high-calibre individuals with prior experience, a lot of its graduates find themselves in a leadership position.

Therefore, it’s important to understand what kind of a leader you wish to grow into as an industry professional! Let’s start with an overview of some different styles of corporate leadership:

Laissez-faire leadership
The laissez-faire leadership type, also known as delegative leadership, is a style of non-intervention and is characterised by a lack of regular feedback.

Autocratic leadership
Autocratic leadership allows supervisors to make decisions and set guidelines without group participation. The leader concentrates all the power and no one challenges his/her decisions.

Democratic leadership
Usually called participatory leadership, this type of leadership is characterised by creating enthusiasm among workers by prioritising the participation of the entire group.

Transactional leadership
Transactional leadership is based on transactions, that is, an exchange of processes between leaders and their followers. Followers receive awards for their job performance and the leader benefits because they fulfil the tasks.

Transformational leadership
Transformational leaders use high levels of communication to achieve the objectives and provide a vision of change that they manage to transmit to the employees.

If I could only pick one, I would choose to be a transformational leader; someone who is able to generate maximum output with a vision towards the future. A leader should try to ensure clear communication coupled with empathy among his/her teammates. It is important to understand the motivations of your team and what drives them at an individual level.

In view of the way businesses have had to adapt to the hybrid model that combines working in an office with working at home, as a leader I would like to keep my team congruent with the overall goals. A leader should exhibit a certain sophistication in emotional intelligence in ensuring that nobody feels like they have been left out, whether they are slogging away at their desk or at home. It becomes important to learn quickly and to be comfortable with the technology that allows for efficient communication and for daily operations to run on schedule.

Despite classifying leadership in different styles, we have often seen that it doesn’t happen in a “one-approach-fits-all” style. As a team is composed of diverse individuals, various situations might require us to be a different kind of leader while leading a team. As an individual, I have to try to take responsibility for my work, so I love working with laissez-faire leaders. A leader should keep his/her team motivated by always acknowledging their work. Sometimes you will have a view that is a little different from that of the rest of the group; a democratic leader would try to understand my perspective in order to achieve better results.

As a professional looking to grow into the role of a leader in your own field, you should try to understand which approach suits you best and keeps the morale of your team high, while simultaneously achieving the goals you have set for them. If you manage to stay involved, have good  communication in place and a clear vision of your objectives, the knowledge gained from the International MBA will help you implement successful corporate frameworks to optimise the results achieved by your team.

 

About the author
 Rakshit Behel

A results-oriented marketing communications professional helping brands achieve objectives with integrated marketing campaigns built around branded content. From creatively developing and implementing digital marketing and content strategies to measuring performance with analytics and providing insights into useful data, aligned to brands’ business goals; experience of working with clients from different industries: Hospitality, IT, Fintech, Media and Healthcare.

The manager of the future? They’re a designer

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Designers who become managers, managers who learn the tools of design. The “contamination” between these professionals is one of the answers to growing complexity. And it is at the centre of the Master in Strategic Design for Innovation and Transformation, as Claudio Dell’Era and Cabirio Cautela explain

Until a few years ago we were (or we thought we were) able to understand the world by relying on an analytical approach, that is based on well-defined methodologies, logic and categories. Today this is no longer the case. Growing complexity requires a change of pace, with the involvement of new abilities like intuitiveness and creativity. «It is the reason today’s managers can benefit from the adoption of skills offered by design», explains Professor Claudio Dell’Era, who together with Professor Cabirio Cautela is co-director of the Master in Strategic design for Innovation and Transformation at MIP Politecnico di Milano. «Indeed, the challenges of the world of work require a strengthened managerial figure, more contemporary and increasingly in demand».

The evolution of designers

At the same time, during the last twenty years designers themselves have seen their role gradually evolve. «On one hand they have gone from being technical figures to increasingly become managers. Just think of automotive, for example, with Chris Bangle in BMW and Walter De Silva in Audi, and then in all those sectors in which the language of the product, its structure, its meaning have an important impact on positioning» explains Cautela. «On the other hand, designers have started to become increasingly present in the marketing departments of companies, becoming fundamental not so much in product design, as in new offer solutions, that is the integrated process between product, service, communication and distribution».

Humans at the centre

The reason a company regulated on the principles of design ends up having a competitive advantage is the centrality of the human element. «Design presupposes a bottom-up involvement of employees. Only in this way is it possible to give meaning to one’s work, putting human values  before more functional and technical ones», explains Dell’Era. «This is an increasingly indispensable dynamic, a necessity more than a choice». The repercussions are also positive for users: «The new recipe for innovation must push us to create products, services and solutions that make peoples’ life experiences more pleasing. They are the people that we must put at the centre of our reflections».

Good design sells better

A point of view that is also echoed in the considerations of Cautela: «Good design makes you sell more, but above all it makes you sell better.   Because it starts from a vision of people, and not a corporate one, because it puts at the centre change, emerging cultural models, relations. Business is a consequence, not the end». And the workers involved also benefit from this: «Employee engagement is greater if it is tied to a deep motivation, to a purpose. That is not the profit, or a higher salary. The design leader must convey precisely this concept: the aim is to change peoples’ lives in a certain way. An approach that allows to retain human resources who truly believe in the corporate purpose, giving them an opportunity to enhance their creativity». 

The master’s degree  

These are the issues and the challenges which the Master in Strategic Design for Innovation and Transformation tries to address, offering training to managers who want to acquire design tools and to designers that instead feel a need for stronger managerial training. «The question we started from is:  who is the design leader?», explains Cautela. «The answer is that it is not someone who only has an ability to proactively offer solutions, but who also instils new values in the organization. To define this role, we used four thematic blocks: the first involves design as a lens with which to approach innovation, to give value to the products also for the meaning they embody. The second theme is that of leadership and engagement, as we have said. The third is that of data supporting creativity: not big data, but “thick” data, qualitative (feelings, reactions) data that provides information on individuals dealings with objects. Lastly, the fourth block involves the issue of the integration of creativity in organizations. How can it be done? It is a question that is often faced in big corporations, because the integration of new creative processes is always complex. But, if done well, it can lead to big benefits».

 

My i-Flex EMBA experience

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It was not so long ago that we celebrated the end of my/our MBA in Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan. The festive atmosphere and happiness of the ceremony were mixed up with Covid restrictions, which made the event different, but still very enjoyable. One evening this weekend, just a few weeks after that day, I wanted to sit down and take stock with a few considerations on what the i-Flex experience has meant to me and how fruitful the past two years have been.

As with all good retrospective thoughts, I want to start from the objectives of the choice to start an MBA. I wanted to boost my career, learn new topics, and mainly to lay the foundations for increasing my knowledge in a wider business context. The course does not include only theoretical education, but also practical cases and networking with inspiring people. I knew it would not be easy, especially combining all the activities with my already busy life and daily job targets, but my motivation was high.

And it has been anything but easy!! There have been intense weekdays and weekends following clips and reading books and articles, nights watching classes, heavy sessions for extra activities and teamwork, remote “dinners” discussing how to improve ourselves, and several hours dedicated to our project work. All of that would not have been possible without perfect harmony with my classmates, or at least, it would have been so different. A huge thanks goes to them and to MIP, which enabled us to meet. I well remember the energy of the first face-to-face week. We surely deserve a big round of applause. Creating durable bonding is also a matter of attitude and an open mind, expressed by the different cultural background that an international program brings, and it should not be taken for granted in an online program where there could be a gap in non-verbal communication. Sharing knowledge and experiences, supporting each other also in issues outside the course, as well as congratulations for personal and professional achievements, make me evaluate all the people I met during the program as one of the most valuable elements that I am taking home from my MBA.

The second value, not in order of importance, is of course what MIP has given in terms of an opportunity to learn and improve my skills. My thanks are due to all the MIP professors and associates, who, on various occasions, demonstrated their dedication to the subjects and support on our learning path. I’d also like to give just one example of a change in my competences, and I want to underline that there are many other examples I could give. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, but thanks to the learning materials, sessions and webinars, I am digging further into the startup ecosystem. Maybe I’ll found a business with my collegues soon, stay tuned! In the last year and a half we also had to face an additional challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. It could have hampered the normal flow of learning activities, requiring rescheduling and re-adjustment of the processes. Special thanks to the whole MIP staff who supported us and facilitated our time at the business school.

Last but not least, my gratitude should also go to my family. I would say to all our (classmates’) families. They backed us, supported us, encouraged us and made sacrifices together with us. Having remote meetings, especially late at night, also meant entering each other’s houses and creating connections.

Now I’m an MBA graduate and MIP alumnus, but I don’t think my experience at MIP is concluded. Many new opportunities have opened up. An MBA is a lifelong decision that can change the course of your personal and career path. You meet a lot of interesting people with whom you can have long-lasting relationships and perhaps create something together. We are already planning our next reunion!!

 

 

About the author
 Vito Conversano

Chief Information Officer @ San Marzano Vini SpA with extensive international experience in IT & strategic consultancy for fortune 500 companies. Creative, Curious, Travel lover. Passionate about discovering new concepts, learning continuously and developing new ideas.

 

Online MBAs in Luxury Management are In Vogue

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Digital degrees are paying closer attention to the sector as it globalizes and emphasizes sustainability and digitalization

The global luxury goods market has boomed over the past two decades, reaching €224bn in annual revenue, and the number of luxury consumers has surged from 140m worldwide to more than 350m.

At the same time, there is growing demand for luxury management programs. Many business school students want to work at prestigious luxury brands such as LVHM, Kering, Swatch Group and Richemont, whose products are more tangible than services.

As the luxury business becomes more global, with growth in sales powered increasingly by Chinese consumers, who make up more than 30 percent of luxury spending, Online MBA programs are paying closer attention to the sector.

But shares in luxury goods companies have suffered in recent years following a fall in luxury sales in China, a trend amplified by the Covid shutdown that hit luxury stores in China as well as the supply chains of western luxury brands.

In the UK, Warwick Business School, which is home to a longstanding Online MBA program, offers courses on luxury management to its online students. “We examine the dominance of western luxury brands and whether that will continue with the rise of China,” says Qing Wang, professor of marketing and innovation at WBS.

“The globalization of luxury is also presenting problems for brands and potentially undermining their authenticity, especially as different cultures tend to interpret the value and meaning of brands differently,” she adds. “How are brands changing their business models for emerging markets?” It is a question explored on Warwick’s luxury courses. […]

Many schools partner with local luxury brands, bringing in executives to teach students or sending students on work placements or consulting projects. MIP Politecnico di Milano School of Management, in the heart of Milan, runs a partnership with a leading Italian fashion house, Prada. […]

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How Should Students Network on an Online MBA?

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The alumni network a big part of the selling power of an Online MBA degree. And digital interactions can be just as enriching as they are in person

The chance to build a professional network is a major draw for prospective MBA students who are building their career. Classmates and alumni networks have traditionally been invaluable resources.

For Online MBA students, the appeal of classroom sessions, group work and intense socializing remotely may seem limited. However, technological advances and changing cultural habits are making Online MBA degrees more attractive for those who want to build life-long networks.

Digital interactions can be equally or even more enriching than the in-person variety, says Birgit Newman, associate director of graduate career services, Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Improvements in digital communication have played a big part in that. “Technologies such as Zoom, Teams and Google offer the added advantage of a visual interface, and facilitate face-to-face interaction as well as shared experiences real-time,” says Newman. “Quick visual demonstrations and collaboration across multiple applications can be offered.”

She admits that “expressions of emotions, empathy and sympathy tend to be more impactful” in real life, but these can be boosted with techniques that Kelley teaches its Online MBA students. For example, the business school’s Graduate Career Services team makes networking a key part of its coaching as well as the MBA curriculum. […]

Antonella Moretto, associate dean at MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business in Italy, agrees the pandemic has demonstrated that what really matters is building and nurturing relationships. “Whether is online or offline, it doesn’t make a huge difference anymore,” she says. […]

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