Human Skills, NOT Soft Skills
Quit calling them "soft skills" already! Soft skills - communication, collaboration, resourcefulness, resliience - are highly social, "human" skills.
09/03/2024 | By Stacey Mason
Quit calling them "soft skills" already! Soft skills - communication, collaboration, resourcefulness, resliience - are highly social, "human" skills.
09/03/2024 | By Stacey Mason
We do lots of things with time. We keep time, spend time, use time, and lose time. How do we avoid, though, the unthinkable: wasting time.
05/23/2024 | By Stacey Mason
Lencioni's modern classic shows how teams can build trust, work through conflict, show commitment, maintain accountability, and focus on team results.
04/30/2024 | By Stephen Caldwell
Covey's 7 Habits still reminds us of the foundational importance of "character ethic" principles: integrity, humillity, industry, justice, and patience.
04/04/2024 | By Stephen Caldwell
Deepfakes are still relatively new, which makes now the perfect time to inject ethical guidelines, transparency measures, and proactive governance.
03/20/2024 | By Cindy Moehring
Almost 90 years later, the simple and obvious advice of Dale Carnegie still resonate; building relationships that help you succeed never becomes passé.
03/14/2024 | By Stephen Caldwell
MBA programs allow students to touch on many different specialties on the surface, and the opportunity to become an expert in the 1-2 specialized fields.
02/29/2024 | By Sydney Combs
Savvy leaders are curious readers. Business leaders don't just need business books, as shown by the unique insights and impact from Gladwell's books.
02/22/2024 | By Stephen Caldwell
Boeing faces a long road to regaining lost trust; per Cindy Moehring, returning to its roots & aligning its purpose with strategy will keep it on track.
02/15/2024 | By Cindy Moehring
Simon Sinek's simple, intuitive premise still resonates with readers after 15 years. But readers should remember that "why" is the start, not the endpoint.
02/01/2024 | By Stephen Caldwell
3 years, 25 projects and counting: Walton MBA student groups explore what business integrity, ethics, and leadership through action in the Do Good program
01/31/2024 | By Cindy Moehring, Adam Stoverink
A new entrant into the local beer scene is showing how the "sharing economy" and a streamlined business plan can give customers the "brewer's experience."
01/30/2024 | By Mitchell Simpson
The Founder Development Initiative supports early-stage founders in NWA, helping them build resilience and deeper connections with other entrepreneurs.
01/25/2024 | By Sarah Luhtanen, Ryan Sheets
Does the advice in Good to Great and Built to Last stand the test of time? A breakdown of how these two classics hold up in today's business climate.
12/14/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
MBA programs have changed in recent years. As current Walton MBA student Sydney Combs demonstrates, there are multiple paths applicants can take.
11/30/2023 | By Sydney Combs
Sam Walton's leadership legacy goes beyond his 10 rules. His life story, willingness to break his rules, & the core principles behind them can teach us.
11/16/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Successful global growth strategies requires universally shared ethical values communicated in locally relevant ways that resonate with local stakeholders.
11/10/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Conversations about employee engagement often focus on many factors, but what roles does happiness play? Happipness can - and often does - beget happiness.
11/09/2023 | By Stacey Mason
Adhering to conventional wisdom, while a safe choice, will not help you develop your full leadership potential, as Sample's seminal leadership book shows.
10/26/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Walking down well-worn paths can often give rise to new insights. That idea animates our new series, which revisits "classic" business & leadership books.
10/05/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
When founders and leaders forget to feed a culture of integrity, it can create myriad hidden costs that they or their successors will have to reckon with.
10/02/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
The ROI for firms that operate with integrity is high - they perform better financially, see more trust from stakeholders, and are more sustainable.
08/30/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
If you only study one more thing in your life, please spend your energy developing greater EQ. EQ is a true game changer for those who foster it.
08/24/2023 | By Stacey Mason
Walton Executive Education, Arkansas Business Association collaborate on a new white paper detailing what the future of banking could - and should - look like.
08/03/2023 | By Faith Raun
Founder & Executive Chair Cindy Moehring outlines how the Business Integrity Leadership Initiative has accomplished so much in just a few years.
07/31/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Business professionals talk conversation, networking, and motivation. Learn how to relating to people can help drive success and progress in your organization.
07/06/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and DALL-E are disrupting the business world. How can leaders optimize this technology while keeping ethical guidelines?
06/30/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Why should leaders care about trust in their organizations? Learn about the practical and personal benefits of building trust with relevant stakeholders.
06/27/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Amongst other things, good organizational culture is supported by leadership, drives innovation, reflects shared values, and creates a competitive advantage.
06/08/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
According to these CEOs, hiring new people, changes in leadership, and shifting challenges are just a few factors that influence your organizational culture.
06/06/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Questioning everything might reveal what you need to succeed after graduation. These 15 questions from The Improv Lab's Stacey Mason can help get you started.
05/18/2023 | By Stacey Mason
Studying is a skill anybody can master. Learn how to take interest in many subjects, read with purpose, and take quality notes so you can ace that final exam.
05/04/2023 | By Liza Vammen
What can businesses do to fight child labor abuse? Cindy Moehring provides five proactive steps businesses can take to address this core ethical issue.
04/27/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Public trust in business is high compared to how the public perceives government, media, and NGOs. What can businesses do to maintain and further this trust?
03/30/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Walton College research activities result in better teaching and the advancement of new ideas that create improvements across industries and throughout society.
03/10/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence asks how students, faculty, and industry leaders can help build a more inclusive, diverse future for supply chains.
03/09/2023 | By Stephanie Thomas
What to do about ChatGPT and generative AI technology? Businesses could use ethical guidelines and human editing to account for some of its cons.
03/03/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Students need to take care of their mental health. Learn what resources, like counseling, are available to can help students facilitate their mental wellness.
02/07/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
As the FTX bankruptcy shows, running a business without ruining the business comes down to governance, risk assessment and management, due diligence, and trust.
01/27/2023 | By Cindy Moehring
Looking to boost your career while having fun? Students can network, socialize, and develop career skills by participating in registered student organizations.
01/17/2023 | By Stephen Caldwell
We excel at growing rice, our water’s mineral content is perfect for sake brewing. Origami Sake hopes to use Arkansas's strengths as it ramps up distribution.
01/04/2023 | By Mitchell Simpson
Business and improv may seem wildly different, but improv has a lot to say about leadership, listening, collaboration, teamwork, and delivering for clients.
12/21/2022 | By Stacey Mason
The 2022 Walton MBA Alumni Showcase included wisdom from Presidents & CEOs of prominent companies like Saatchi & Saatchi X, ArcBest, J.B. Hunt, Walmart, & more.
12/14/2022 | By Helen Woodham, Gracie Crain
Did you know that volunteering has physical, mental, and career benefits? Read on the top reasons why college students should start volunteering.
12/08/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
How can you support your child throughout their college experience? Read some practical tips on parenting to help your relationship prosper no matter what.
11/15/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Northwest Arkansas has something for everyone. In between study sessions, enjoy biking, hiking, kayaking, events downtown, community spaces, art, and more.
11/03/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Data scientists play key roles in helping organizations solve problems. Learn more about how Arkansas's data science program innovatively prepares its students.
10/25/2022 | By Jack Travis
Tension isn't a bad thing, yet we often frame it that way. Could tension instead just be a part of our lives that we must learn to manage rather than avoid?
10/07/2022 | By Stacey Mason
As market forces continue to affect higher education, collaborating with industry leaders to produce and distribute content is an innovative path forward.
10/04/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Don't quit your job because you're miserable. Quit because you see better opportunities elsewhere. Optimal quitting is a strategy to help you build your career.
09/29/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Work experience isn't the only valid measure when it comes to career advancement. Higher ed can help professionals continue to develop throughout their careers.
09/20/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Set a tone, and create a culture that can address challenges.
09/09/2022 | By Cindy Moehring
How can college students develop professional experience while focusing on education? Find out how study abroad, internships, and experiential courses can help.
09/06/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Looking to upskill so you can compete in your field? Or do you need new skills to switch jobs? Build your career with one of our graduate certificate programs.
08/23/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Business books are bound to offer some profound insights, but what about more unlikely sources? Discover what children's books can teach us about leadership.
07/21/2022 | By Stacey Mason
The pandemic changed everything about how marketers gain traction with their audiences. Read more from this year's top marketing articles.
07/14/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Did you buy that product because you heard about it on TikTok? Does it seem to affirm your identity? Find out more from our top articles on consumer behavior.
07/07/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Gartner ranked U of A's undergraduate supply chain program #1 for two consecutive cycles. Find out why students, and the companies that hire them, should care.
06/23/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
What does coaching look like in a business setting? Find out how coaching can shape your perspective and why it should be a cornerstone of your office culture.
06/16/2022 | By Stacey Mason
Industry knowledge & connections. Stories animating the textbook's core concepts. Learn how you can bring these to UA students through our new lecturer program.
06/01/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Words have meaning and we should choose them carefully. These phrases will help you develop richer connectivity, truer exploration, and a shifting mindset.
05/24/2022 | By Stacey Mason
Buying an existing business is a good way to get into entrepreneurship. These tips will help you avoid common pitfalls as well as position yourself for success.
05/05/2022 | By Mark Zweig
A local product management guild provides invaluable training and mentoring to product managers, promoting vendor-neutral approaches and industry best practices
04/14/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, but when it falls to us, it's crucial to do it right. Find out what to do and how to do it with tact and grace.
04/05/2022 | By Liza Vammen
Much of student success involves working with what you've got. Find out how the U of A's virtual internships gave new life to a service affected by the pandemic.
03/31/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Product management is a skill whose value will only increase as time passes. Find out what the McMillon Studio is doing to prepare its students for success.
03/11/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Product management is a vital part of today's business landscape. Find out how you can turn your interest into a secure and successful career.
03/09/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
When it comes to product management, there's more than meets the eye. Learn what it is, how it works, and why it's necessary for success in business.
03/07/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
A thread of innovation and transformation runs through Steve Nelson’s career, and that bodes well for Northwest Arkansas.
03/02/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Good leadership is about more than authority. Explore these tips to help make yourself someone your team can count on to lead fairly and effectively.
02/21/2022 | By Ryan Sheets
The transition from high school to college can be tough, but forethought and good habits can set students up for success in academia and beyond.
02/16/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Financial troubles are the last thing students and families want to worry about. Find out where and how you can apply for scholarships.to ease the burden.
02/08/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Given the flood of text in the Information Age, writing is more important--and more common--than ever before. Here are some tips on writing with purpose.
02/02/2022 | By Liza Vammen
If life is the proverbial road trip, then it might serve us well to stop every now and then to check what we have packed in our bags.
01/31/2022 | By Stacey Mason
Leaders who take care of themselves and who see a connection between their passions and their work will naturally perform at higher levels and inspire others to do the same.
01/19/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Can you make a career out of introspection? Probably not. Can you make introspection an essential part of your career? Absolutely. Ammen Jordan discusses why.
01/12/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
Read about the latest star in the field of supply chain management and see how the University of Arkansas has used the opportunity to reach and teach.
01/06/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
A good company culture is key to success in business, life, and leadership. Find out what steps you can take to ensure that you and your employees thrive.
01/05/2022 | By Stephen Caldwell
When did we stop becoming fearless? Or stop believing in our own creativity? Or afraid to take center stage? Let's figure out how we can come back to ourselves!
12/13/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Leaders have to lead, even when they don't have the skill or the information they need. Here are some tips for doing a lot with a little.
12/01/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Seth Godin's analogy of maps & globes reminds us to think broadly, with context rather than deeply/narrowly, to consider general relevance plus specialization.
11/22/2021 | By Stacey Mason
It's confession time - here are some mistakes I've made in my career. Acknowledging them, learning from them, and moving on have developed my leadership skills.
11/17/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Mergers and acquisitions fail more often than they succeed. Fortunately, we know why. Follow these tips to give your M&A the greatest chance for success.
11/10/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Sometimes the path to success is anything but straightforward. This advice will give you the confidence to navigate its twists and turns.
11/08/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Few words matter more to Walton's culture than "value." Our MBA program, as shown in a WSJ study of graduates' debt-to-income ratios, exemplify this commitment.
11/04/2021 | By Ryan Sheets
My 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur takes a lot of maintenance. So have my businesses. Doing these six things over the years have improved profits and operations.
10/28/2021 | By Mark Zweig
One of my favorite improv exercises is Fortunately/Unfortunately, which helps us focus on our own unique perspective, belief systems, and examine our intentions.
10/27/2021 | By Stacey Mason
If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to realize there's no roadmap to follow. That said, Collin Jones has some timely advice for future entrepreneurs.
10/25/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Failure and entrepreneurship don't have to be synonyms. Finding the right doorway to entrepreneurship (startup, buying a business, franchise) reduces your risk.
10/20/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Lessons for navigating change come from unexpected sources. The nontraditional route Reginald Miller, McDonald's VP & global chief DEI officer, exemplify this
10/18/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
From mentoring to maker spaces, the University of Arkansas has created a vibrant startup network to support student entrepreneurs like MORE Technologies.
10/11/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
How exactly does one become a social media influencer? See the six steps Rachel Mooreland took during her internship experience to get into influencer marketing.
10/04/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Instead of focusing on short-term wins & route profitability, JB Hunt succeeded by analyzing the whole trucking system & by constantly innovating its operations.
09/28/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
We can all talk about various methods to develop our business plans or test the market acceptance for a new product idea, but how about we spend a little time in the weeds going over some stuff that startup founders should really be thinking about and doing?
09/22/2021 | By Mark Zweig
09/20/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Few things are as dangerous - and as avoidable - to an entrepreneur than a lack of realism. Avoiding these 6 pitfalls will help you stay focused and succeed.
09/08/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Cash flow problems aren't uncommon for entrepreneurs. Check out these seven tips on how to navigate having to ask friends and family for a bailout.
09/01/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Want to become future-proof? Take Stacey's advice to stay curious, encounter new ideas often, and develop a higher level of intellectual adaptability.
08/18/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Do you want to get your business into the NIL game? Stephen Caldwell explains the various rules, regulations, and best practices for NIL and businesses.
08/06/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Looking for thought-provoking, engaging reads this summer? Maybe something outside your wheelhouse? See what the Improv Lab's Stacey Mason recommends!
07/16/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Since so many people ask him for advice on their startups, entrepreneur Mark Zweig provides his insights on hiring, legal setup, debt, marketing, and more.
07/01/2021 | By Mark Zweig
You also can mix up the genres and styles. Read a non-fiction book on leadership, the latest best-selling novel, a book of poetry, a biography or autobiography, historical fiction, current events, a faith-based self-help book or how about this – a children’s book.
06/10/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
I have found that most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice pertaining to one discipline – with just a bit of translation – has meaning in other disciplines.
06/03/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Universities, and business schools in particular, face more tension than ever between long-held commitments to reward deep, theoretical research and the need to educate agile, nimble students who can thrive in the workforce.
05/20/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Our program is not only practical, but it can provide some potentially life-changing experiences for our students.
05/14/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Nothing is as powerful as the discoveries we make along the way. I thought I would share 15 things I’ve learned since I was a 20-something college student.
05/06/2021 | By Stacey Mason
More times than not, failure is based on internal mistakes businesses owners make, not external conditions.
04/23/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Quotes are like true north on a compass - they matter.
04/14/2021 | By Stacey Mason
I thought it might be interesting to review what happens when you, as a business owner or owners, embark on an external sale and the deal falls apart in the 11th hour.
04/13/2021 | By Mark Zweig
The finance faculty at the University of Arkansas began noticing a trend a few years ago during field trips to visit companies across the region. While job titles remained largely unchanged, descriptions of the actual work finance majors were doing was shifting.
04/08/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Whichever way you go, you need to thoroughly understand the pros and cons as to how they relate to you.
04/06/2021 | By Mark Zweig
The IMAcc provides the smoothest path toward a seamless, five-year competition of both an undergraduate and master’s degree. And the restructured master’s program provides concentrated options for students no matter the next step in their academic or professional journeys.
04/01/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Entrepreneurs are kind of like artists. Every 7-year-old is an artist. But few 22-year-olds are. And most every 7-year-old is an entrepreneur too—selling lemonade or girl scout cookies. But few adults are. Somehow, along the path of life, we lose that entrepreneurial spirit.
03/23/2021 | By Mark Zweig
The Master of Science in Economic Analytics is a recently created one-year program designed with training in both economics and cutting-edge data science, but without the heavy-lifting research and dissertation that comes with a doctorate.
03/18/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Whether you are considering starting a new business, or already own your own business and want to supercharge your growth, buying a business that is already up and going is always an option that should be considered.
03/16/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Graduates leave with practical experience using current software and a chance to step into well-paying jobs that are in high demand. Those jobs might involve retail, manufacturing, sports or any number of other industries, but they all involve one common theme: using data to solve a business problem.
03/12/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
These talks are courageous and ingenious, harrowing and humorous.
03/11/2021 | By Stacey Mason
You need to educate your people on why making a profit is essential and where that money goes.
03/09/2021 | By Mark Zweig
With the critical role supply chains are playing in the success of modern organizations, a master’s-level education in the field provides a competitive advantage.
03/04/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
Creativity and innovation won’t happen if you do things the way you always have done them. It starts at the top and takes more than just talk.
02/23/2021 | By Mark Zweig
It’s about leaning in to the unknown and trusting in an outcome you can’t see or predict.
02/11/2021 | By Stacey Mason
Anyone who knows me or who has read anything I have ever written knows I am a big fan of bootstrapping — i.e., avoiding any outside equity funding for a new startup.
02/09/2021 | By Mark Zweig
The idea behind the Walton College Student Success initiative is to bring a comprehensive, systems-thinking approach to efforts around student engagement, retention, degree completion, career readiness and job outcomes.
02/04/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
My contention has always been that allowing yourself to abandon that preconceived notion opens up a whole range of new opportunities.
02/02/2021 | By Mark Zweig
Accounting is less about high-level mathematics, for instance, and more about giving structure to unstructured situations by learning and speaking the language of business.
01/21/2021 | By Stephen Caldwell
The program is unique in that it caters to students who don’t want to wait for graduation to start their venture or work on innovative projects. Many, in fact, use class projects and competitions as a launching pad for starting a business while still in college.
12/10/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
Business travel is way down. I don’t think it will be back for 10 years or more — that is if it ever comes back to where it was.
12/08/2020 | By Mark Zweig
When students earn an undergraduate business degree in management, what they’re really pursuing is an education in how to manage in ways that help people and their organizations become more successful.
12/03/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
I would encourage those creating new ventures to not pursue outside equity if there is any way to avoid it. I would say more “real” entrepreneurs — people who actually plan on committing themselves wholly to their new ventures — are very leery of it, and for good cause.
12/01/2020 | By Mark Zweig
I thought I would share the 15 people that I keep on speed dial. Not so much individuals but rather perspectives that I rely on as I navigate the journey that is called life.
11/18/2020 | By Stacey Mason
Being real entrepreneurs who earn a living from the businesses they create is a lot different from being coffee shop 'wantrepreneurs.'
11/17/2020 | By Mark Zweig
A degree in supply chain management provides a broad range of career opportunities – inventory analysts, demand planners, purchasing managers, warehouse supervisors, logistics specialists and account representatives, just to name a few.
11/12/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
If you own a business, the time flies and someday you will find yourself my age (or older). Things won’t be the same as they were when you started your business at 22 or 25 or 30 or 40.
11/10/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The best way to look at the value students gain when pursuing a degree in marketing from the Walton College is to keep in mind that those students are growing in extremely rich soil and that results in several benefits to what they learn.
11/05/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
If you are creating a business plan and want to be in the former category versus the latter, please allow me to make some observations about where some of the common deficiencies are in these plans.
11/03/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Students who earn a degree in information systems take what they learn and apply it in jobs with all types of titles, from analysts to database administrators, to leaders on IT teams.
10/29/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
If you feel like you are due for a spate of good luck, here are some things you can do that might increase your odds of experiencing it.
10/27/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Raja Kali, the chair of the Department of Economics at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, likes to use the Star Wars analogy with students and prospective students who are considering economics as a major, because it makes the point that economics underlies almost every aspect of human interactions.
10/22/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
What’s going on inside your head will determine your success or failure.
10/20/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Happiness is an individual decision; a choice I make. And happiness begets engagement. Let’s get to the root of the discussion. What we need is for the human race to discover happiness.
10/15/2020 | By Stacey Mason
You may not be the next Elon Musk or Steve Jobs and that’s OK. You could actually be more “successful” than them — successful in life.
10/13/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The bottom line, however, is that an owner who is conscious of and working on the drivers of value for their business will do better at exit than those who aren’t!
10/06/2020 | By Mark Zweig
There may be some qualities these successful entrepreneurs have that bond them together — qualities not everyone possesses. Here are some I have observed in the preponderance of successful entrepreneurs I have met and/or worked with over the years.
09/29/2020 | By Mark Zweig
When things are going well, business ownership can be incredibly rewarding. But when things aren’t going well, it can feel like you have a Titanic-size boat anchor chained around your neck.
09/24/2020 | By Mark Zweig
No one has a crystal ball that tells them the future. But by being smart and using every single resource at your disposal, you can — most likely — weather this storm.
09/16/2020 | By Mark Zweig
In a world that contains this many word choices, coupled with nuances in delivery method and tone (how I say what I say), perhaps it is no wonder that effective communication can be tricky. But to triumph over the tricky simply requires a few techniques.
09/10/2020 | By Stacey Mason
I want my students — I want everyone, really — to understand that they all have the option of creating their own job. But too many of my students come into the class with the belief that starting a business would be nearly impossible for them.
09/09/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Big data and analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain influence how industries do business. With technology changing rapidly, students, faculty and industry professionals must collaborate to embrace the future.
09/04/2020 | By Ryan Decker
For those of us who teach at the university level, how we can increase student engagement when we may never even physically see our students is something we are all thinking about.
09/02/2020 | By Mark Zweig
I have found that most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice pertaining to one discipline – with just a bit of translation – has meaning in other disciplines.
08/27/2020 | By Stacey Mason
There is a lot of interest in startups. Where people got their idea, how they raised the capital, what their elevator pitch was, and so on.
08/26/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Procter & Gamble’s decision to open an office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1987 was a seminal moment in the history of corporate retail, but it also became a catalyst for changes that, among many other things, have helped shape and transform the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
08/20/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
I wanted to put out one more post on my best advice for dealing with the various professional service providers one has to deal with in the course of this business as well.
08/19/2020 | By Mark Zweig
When Gartner announced that it had ranked our undergraduate program No. 1 in North America, we were pleasantly surprised, to say the least.
08/13/2020 | By Brian Fugate
Here are some potential issues you may face related to your family and your business that you may have already experienced but if not, ones you need to be prepared for when they do crop up.
08/12/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Replace judgment with curiosity. I don’t know if these words found me or if I found them, but they have transformed my life, my work, and my understanding of human-ness.
08/06/2020 | By Stacey Mason
You have to be careful or you can easily waste your money and do things that you won’t be happy with, nor help you to recover and earn a return on your investment.
08/05/2020 | By Mark Zweig
All of our students deserve an opportunity to be scholars and entrepreneurs, explorers and changemakers, and the evidence shows that this is not only possible, but good for everyone.
07/31/2020 | By Sarah Goforth
The announcement of a $194.7 million grant to the University of Arkansas from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation is notable for its amount, but far more significant because of its potential for making a positive, lasting impact on our campus, our state, and the future of higher education.
07/30/2020 | By Matt Waller
We never had a huge operation compared to some, but for most of each of the last 10 years or so we probably sold $5-10 million worth of properties annually through our design/build/development/property management company, Mark Zweig, Inc., and were pretty well-known in the area for doing high quality projects.
07/29/2020 | By Mark Zweig
It turns out that I spend a fair amount of time each day doing something that I’d never heard of just a few years ago: boundary spanning. At least I think that’s what I’m doing. I was pretty sure until I looked this phrase up and came away unexpectedly confused.
07/23/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
You talk with as many business owners as I have over the last 40 years and you will hear them quite often speak disparagingly about their employees and how engaged and committed they are.
07/22/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The ever-increasing and pervasive existence of technology in our lives makes the ethical use of it more important than ever.
07/16/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
As someone who has started a half-dozen or more business, mostly on my own but sometimes with one or more partners, I know there are steps one can take before taking the plunge to start that new venture. Sometimes the information you can learn will actually keep you from starting the business.
07/15/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Internships are a rite of passage for most college students, providing a bridge between what they learn on campus and what they will experience in the professional world.
07/08/2020 | By Deb Williams
A full two-thirds of the world’s supply of cobalt is found in the Congo, and tech companies need it to make the lithium-ion batteries in phones, computers and almost every other rechargeable gadget.
07/08/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
A company’s commitment to honor its contract terms – explicit and implicit – is one of the six principles for practicing business ethics effectively.
07/02/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
As someone who has started, owned, run and sold several high-growth businesses, I have plenty of experience with debt.
07/01/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The #metoo movement is a practical way of thinking about one of the six principles for the practice of business ethics – respect everyone’s autonomy.
06/25/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
The hardest integrity lessons to learn are often the ones that seem so simple. It pays to be reminded of them because managers slip up on the seemingly easy things and ruin their careers, over and over again.
06/18/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
Young, old or middle-aged people each have the opportunity to start or buy a business that they can nurture and grow to create value that they can harvest upon exit — one of the primary distinctions of an entrepreneurial venture versus something that is just a small business.
06/17/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The list of career options in the “not for me category” is extremely long, and it pretty much includes anything with the word “analytics” in the job title, job description or educational qualifications.
06/12/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
Let’s look at those four scenarios and how you, as a leader, can better ensure your organization’s culture is positioned to either prevent unethical behavior or quickly nip it in the bud.
06/11/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
Not all business ideas are good. Not all of them can be used in every business. But here are a few simple strategies and tactics that I have employed over the years in my own businesses (as well as others) that I can say without question I would use again were I to start or acquire another business.
06/10/2020 | By Mark Zweig
This year’s Edelman trust barometer reveals that despite a strong global economy and near full employment, none of the four main societal institutions scored high enough to be considered trusted. None of them.
06/04/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
Never is there a better time to start your own business than now. You will need every bit of energy, enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice to succeed. Do it while you are young.
06/03/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Supply chain managers are connect-the-dots sort of people, so they tend to understand just about every aspect of a business and how they fit together.
05/29/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
I never put myself in a state of anguish wondering what might have been … could have been … should have been. Rather, I think about the lessons I’ve learned that have shaped me and placed me exactly where I’m supposed to be.
05/28/2020 | By Stacey Mason
Building culture; that’s the tougher part of the equation because it feels like a paradox – contradicting pieces and parts merging to create an environment that ebbs and flows over the life of the organization. It’s a beautiful thing to watch when it’s done well.
05/28/2020 | By Stacey Mason
It’s hard to know where we go from here. Yet, the ability to accurately predict the future is essential to our ability to first survive, and second, succeed.
05/27/2020 | By Mark Zweig
When you examine those who accomplish a great deal over their lifetimes, one thing is apparent. They get things done even when they don’t have to.
05/20/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Business schools have a role to play here in making sure current and future business leaders learn from these situations and avoid making the same mistakes.
05/20/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
Following up on my last blogpost where I provided my best advice for graduating seniors, I thought it might be good to share axioms I have lived by that would benefit anyone who plans on owning a business.
05/13/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Posting insightful articles on LinkedIn is a strategic focus for progressive business leaders and academics, so we figured it would be helpful to share the tips more broadly. They fall into two categories: writing tips and marketing tips.
05/07/2020 | By Lindsey Wagaman and Stephen Caldwell
The first thing I want to say is, “Congratulations!” You should be proud of yourself. You have accomplished something important. It shows you can set a goal and do the work necessary to achieve it.
05/06/2020 | By Mark Zweig
You might not learn new painting techniques in business school or how to escape from a tar pit. But you will learn – if you do your part – the theories and best practices about business that will set you up for success.
04/30/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
While I realize that none of us has been through a pandemic like the one we are currently experiencing with COVID-19 and the resulting worldwide economic slowdown, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, we have to look ahead.
04/29/2020 | By Mark Zweig
I am a big fan of the sciences. I’m an even bigger fan of the arts. And I’m fanatic about the intersection of the two because that’s where the magic happens.
04/23/2020 | By Stacey Mason
Now is the time to work harder than ever and do everything we can to not go down.
04/22/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Times like the present – when so much of the economy is shutting down – will test all of us working in organizations, large and small.
04/15/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Many Americans will get a check for up to $1,200, with up to an additional $500 per child for some, as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. And it raises the question: If you want that money to actually help stimulate the economy, what’s the best way to put it to use?
04/09/2020 | By Raja Kali
It’s popular these days to bash higher education. All you hear about is the high cost of it and the excessive debt that students take on to get “useless” degrees. And then there is plenty of criticism for how we teach it. Some say the system is completely broken.
04/08/2020 | By Mark Zweig
These tips to help ease family tensions and increase the odds that the business will thrive are based on experience (I grew up in a family business), observation and research.
04/02/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
We know that planning for the future is not a precise science. But you can put yourself in the place of most potential by developing timeless skills.
03/31/2020 | By Stacey Mason
Really understanding marketing and using that knowledge every day is essential to growth and continued success.
03/18/2020 | By Mark Zweig
There’s no one way to succeed at working from home, but here are a few things that help me stay productive and moderately sane.
03/17/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
As we navigate uncharted territory, I am thinking about my students - particularly my amazing, talented and caring seniors who have had their last semester so abruptly disrupted. I hope my students, and others, will find these five pieces of advice helpful during this transition to online learning in these uncertain times.
03/16/2020 | By Molly Rapert
The journey toward becoming a more innovative organization (or individual) requires opening yourself up to a deep understanding of the people you identify as users or customers.
03/13/2020 | By Jessica Salmon
For most, I believe “the power of the positive” is relatively intuitive – it’s not just a mantra to lead by, it’s a mantra to live by.
03/12/2020 | By Steve Schumacher
It takes a lot to keep a business running past the startup phase. Here are nine factors that help to keep businesses growing.
03/11/2020 | By Mark Zweig
The lines between right and wrong have been blurred, leaders’ actions are not matching their words, and accountability is lacking.
03/10/2020 | By Cindy Moehring
Stock analysts aren’t yet fully applying network theory in their work, but they do understand the importance of digging deeper into the connections that form a supply network.
03/05/2020 | By Marat Davletshin
One thing that any company of any age, size, or type can do to help make them more successful is to either add outside directors to their board or add outside advisory (non-voting) board members to their board.
03/04/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Recently I’ve come to appreciate something new – the story of the family that built this business and the value of the business that goes well beyond a good price on a well-made shirt.
02/27/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
One of the most frustrating people problems to have as a business owner is when two employees, both of whom are productive ones, don’t get along.
02/26/2020 | By Mark Zweig
All of these benefits to a department with a named endowment lead to better teaching, better research and better prepared graduates.
02/20/2020 | By Matt Waller
How effectively your organization handles these critical transitions will greatly determine its long-term success.
02/19/2020 | By Mark Zweig
MBA students who put in the work on the front end tend to spend less of their own money and creatively find ways to earn money that helps them avoid debt that sucks the “return” out of their ROI.
02/14/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
Defining your strategies is not just an academic exercise, but it is something that can be crucial to your success..
02/12/2020 | By Mark Zweig
I must admit that I have always admired the businesses with a strategy of doing things “the old way” – changing little to nothing with the times – that actually thrive because of that.
02/05/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Greg Smith has witnessed a great many groundbreaking innovations in supply chain management over the past 35 years, but not as a passive observer.
02/04/2020 | By Donnie Williams
Through my work as a small business and entrepreneurship teacher at the Walton College, I have witnessed the owners of many of these businesses struggle to survive and make a profit.
01/29/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Many new companies have been founded by applying data science, predictive analytics, and big data to supply chain management.
01/23/2020 | By Matt Waller
There are things you can do to build valuable relationships with your bosses, clients, customers, suppliers, regulators, teammates and subordinates, both inside and outside of your organization.
01/22/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Great people have made J.B. Hunt a great company. Those people represent many different disciplines, but as a leader in the supply chain industry, we obviously depend heavily on leaders with expertise in supply chain management.
01/21/2020 | By Kirk Thompson
The McMillon Innovation Studio...has a brief but interesting history at the University of Arkansas that in some ways runs counter to traditional higher education norms but in every way is beholden to the fundamental concepts of innovation.
01/16/2020 | By Stephen Caldwell
Buying a business – one of the “doorways to entrepreneurship” – is too often not considered by those seeking self-employment.
01/15/2020 | By Mark Zweig
As a land-grant and flagship institution, the University of Arkansas and the Walton College are committed to engaging with all of Arkansas. Business challenges, ideas and concepts aren’t limited to publicly traded entities or even small for-profit businesses.
01/10/2020 | By Blythe Eggleston
LinkedIn has established itself as the social media platform of choice for executives, but choosing the platform and using the platform effectively are two very different things.
01/09/2020 | By Matt Waller
Pricing of whatever you sell is so crucial to your success, yet rarely given the attention or scrutiny that it deserves. Here are a few of my thoughts and observations on this subject.
01/08/2020 | By Mark Zweig
Every business owner better be concerned with the quality of what their firm does and how they service their clients and customers.
12/18/2019 | By Mark Zweig
There’s an intentional process that ensures the right people with the right skills, insights, and personalities join forces so that the team is efficient and effective.
12/12/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
I really learned about selling when I got my first job out of grad school at 22 and went to work as the youngest employee of a small executive search and management consulting firm based in St. Louis.
12/11/2019 | By Mark Zweig
I still believe nearly everyone — no matter their background, interests or future profession or vocation — would be better off with a business degree.
12/04/2019 | By Mark Zweig
Leadership — the quality of it — is the special sauce that makes everything in the organization come together.
11/20/2019 | By Mark Zweig
What is important to remember — especially if and when a recession is underway — is that it doesn’t necessarily mean that your business will decline.
11/13/2019 | By Mark Zweig
More and more organizations, in fact, are turning to psychological profiles and strengths-based assessments to gauge cultural fit, build better teams, and help develop employees so they can more effectively and enjoyably do their jobs.
11/07/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
Instead of resorting to cost-cutting to increase business profits, make sure to explore all available options.
11/06/2019 | By Mark Zweig
Starting a new job is an exciting time. Increase your chances of success by following this new job guide.
10/30/2019 | By Mark Zweig
I have plenty of demands on my time, and I am careful not to intentionally add anything to my plate that doesn’t clearly add value to the people I serve, so launching the Be EPIC podcast about a year ago was a strategic decision. I’m happy to report that the results have exceeded my expectations – not just because of the benefits to the Walton College but also because of how it has helped my growth as a leader.
10/24/2019 | By Matt Waller
It may not always be easy or fun to work for an entrepreneur. But you can learn something from them!
10/23/2019 | By Mark Zweig
When a company grows beyond your ability to be personally involved in everything.
10/16/2019 | By Mark Zweig
Most people starting businesses don’t come up with something entirely new, so they should be looking for a niche or gap in the market that they can fill..
10/09/2019 | By Mark Zweig
I’ve been challenged more than a few times over the years by leaders who suggest entrepreneurs don’t need a college degree, much less a degree in business.
10/03/2019 | By Matthew Waller
It happens to many of us at some point—our business, our “baby,” the machine that feeds us—is struggling financially...
10/01/2019 | By Mark Zweig
There are important causes to why small businesses run out of capital.
09/25/2019 | By Mark Zweig
The culture of the advising office has a long history of being steeped in our Walton College EPIC values—Excellence, Professionalism, Innovation, and Collegiality.
09/19/2019 | By Brian Fugate
Overcommitment may be the way to make a lot of money but it is not necessarily the way to be happy.
09/17/2019 | By Mark Zweig
The elements of an organization’s mandate must be heavily rooted in the mind and heart of the leader.
08/19/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Being an entrepreneur is a mindset, one that is not limited to business.
08/12/2019 | By Matthew Waller
The supply chain involves a wide range of business activities – transportation, customer service, inventory management, order processing, payments, warehousing, packaging, purchasing, and maintenance, to name few.
08/05/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Even in an age of email and online applications, a cover letter can make or break job-seekers’ chances for getting resumes reviewed and taken seriously.
07/29/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
From business execution to enhancing opportunities, these are nine areas where a business degree will sharpen your entrepreneurial tools.
07/24/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Blogging is an essential part of my strategy for leading the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and I believe it is a useful tool any leader can use.
07/22/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Whether you want to switch careers, launch your own company, or move up in the organization where you already work, an executive MBA can provide the fuel for the journey.
06/14/2019 | By Matthew Waller
The most important thing for any business student to know about picking a major is that you don’t have to have everything figured out to make your decision.
05/28/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
Advancements in technology have made today’s online classes highly interactive, and most instructors are easily accessible during scheduled hours.
05/14/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
Jonathon is from the St. Louis, Missouri, area, in a region where he was surrounded by excellent universities and outstanding colleges of business.
05/01/2019 | By Matthew Waller
When evaluating a business college, consider the same types of factors you would if you were moving to the campus.
04/04/2019 | By Stephen Caldwell
I’ve been thinking about those people in Arkansas who don’t have the opportunity – for whatever reason – to attend a four-year university full time. It may be financial. It may be because of family obligations. It may be cultural.
02/15/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Walton College contributes to the flagship and land-grant status of the university in several different ways.
02/04/2019 | By Matthew Waller
As a student in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, you have the capacity and the opportunity to be EPIC.
01/23/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Want to learn valuable marketing concepts that will help you succeed in your career? Want a professor who will care about you? Then take Marketing Management from associate professor Molly Rapert.
01/10/2019 | By Matthew Waller
Johnson said that the key to success is creativity and persistence.
12/28/2018 | By Matthew Waller
Having business students who understand and appreciate art will help us encourage innovation in entrepreneurship and retail.
12/18/2018 | By Matthew Waller
He is an Arkansan who is a successful leader and a man of integrity. Here are seven facts you should know about his business career.
11/30/2018 | By Matthew Waller
The vision of the Walton College is 'through our research, teaching, and service to be thought leaders and catalysts for transforming lives.'
11/12/2018 | By Matthew Waller