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JULY | AUGUST 2015 BizEd 43 Ranked Top 10 in research productivity over the past five years*, the Department of Management at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business is leading the way in academic research. Our faculty includes five fellows of the Academy of Management and associate editors of Strategic Management Journal and Academy of Management Review. We prepare students to lead organizations and change, and produce new insights for a rapidly changing business environment. * Management department research productivity, Texas A&M University and University of Florida Management Research Rankings (2009 – 2013) wpcarey.asu.edu/research Recent W. P. Carey Department of Management research with real-world impact: DAVID ZHU | WEI SHEN | AMY HILLMAN n Discovering the influence and impact of increased diversity on boards of directors ANGELO KINICKI n Exploring why humble bosses outperform others and empower teams to achieve greater success MATTHEW SEMADENI n Analyzing how different levels of CEO pay and company performance affect shareholder voting leading the way who would nominate members of their workforce for sponsorship. Some schools even would reserve a certain number of seats for employees from local companies. This B2B model allowed business schools to charge a premium. But today's recruiting process follows more of a "business-to-con- sumer" model, with program direc- tors selling the program directly to prospective students themselves. Business schools can reconfigure their tuition and cost structures in ways that target a consumer audience. For ex- ample, many HR professionals have told me that they view the EMBA as a "lux- ury product," because business schools provide executive students with so many amenities. One way for schools to lower tuition for self-sponsored students? Eliminate unnecessary amenities that do not impact the academic experience. Oer blended programs. Blended EMBA programs not only allow stu- dents to complete much of their work online, but also can reduce long-term program costs for classroom space, food, and other on-campus amenities. When used eƒectively, in ways that do not compromise academic integ- rity, blended learning platforms can better serve millennials and future generations who will continue to de- mand more e—cient, convenient, and cost-conscious educational options. Remove "executive" from the title. While the average age of EMBA students has remained steady—between 36 and 37, according to EMBAC—the typical career goals of these students have changed dramatically. Rather than being future C-suite executives, more EMBA students are career changers, entre- preneurs, and functional and technical specialists with no direct reports. Such diversity has changed EMBA programs for the better. But this shift raises questions. Given that many EMBA students do not hold executive positions, does the term "exec- utive" fit anymore? Perhaps it's time to consider removing the term "executive" from the product title, opting instead for more inclusive terms such as "MBA Program for Managers" or "MBA for Working Professionals." Such an ap- proach would acknowledge the elements that draw a wide range of prospective students to the product, while avoiding the implication that these programs are "for executives only." That strategy could solve another problem: If some stakeholders think the EMBA has negative connotations, a name change could be part of a process to rebrand this important business school oƒering.