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Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Published: 16 October 2018

Have you been considering pursuing a Telfer MBA or MHA degree? The Telfer School of Management is holding an information session for each Masters program this month. If you would like to learn more about the programs, attend an upcoming session to interact with professors and ask one-on-one questions about the program.

What is the value of a Master’s Degree?

Both the MBA and MHA programs provide value through a personalized, hands-on, and connected learning experience. Each of the classes are small and engaging, which provides the opportunity to work closely with your peers, and learn from your professors in a multicultural environment. Our masters programs can enable you to build competencies, grow your career, and establish valuable, long-lasting connections, all while being located in the heart of the Canadian G7 capital.

Why take your MBA at the Telfer School of Management?

Internationally recognized Triple Crown Accreditation

• Access to top professors with valuable experience

• Industry connections

• Explore the management consulting project

• Participate in our internship program

• Receive a salary increase

• 100% chance of employment within 9 months

Register: MBA Information Session on Thursday, November 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Why complete the MHA at the Telfer School of Management?

• Prepare you to make a difference in the healthcare industry

• Assume leadership positions in all areas of Canada’s dynamic, complex health system

• Choose from two flexible program deliveries with top professors

• Obtain real-world experience with a four-month exclusive residency

• Gain tactical management skills for your career

Register: MHA Information Session on Tuesday, November 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Determine if these Telfer programs are the right fit for you today.

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Category: Latest News

Published: 10 February 2017

by Gregory Richards

In 1990, the three biggest companies in the US employed 1.2 million employees to generate a combined revenue of $250 million. In 2014, the 3 biggest companies in the US generated revenues of $247 billion with 137,000 employees[1]. These 3 companies, all from Silicon Valley in San Francisco, generate approximately the same amount of revenue as the 1990 companies with 1,163,000 fewer employees. In case you hadn’t already guessed, the three biggest companies in 1990 were all in automotive manufacturing. While manufacturing will always be a significant part of the economy for both Canada and the US, with more technology being used to enhance human production, the types of skills needed by organizations will shift significantly in the future.  Which jobs will grow and which will shrink? More importantly, what are educational institutions doing to prepare managers for the workplace of the future?

The World Economic Forum 2015 global survey of 371 Chief Human Resource Officers concluded that jobs in the following categories are likely to grow:

• management
• finance
• computers
• mathematics
• engineering
• architecture
• sales
• education and training.

By contrast, jobs in manufacturing, construction, extraction, administration, entertainment, and legal services are likely to shrink. Many of the jobs that are likely to grow, however, will still need to be rethought.  This rethinking must consider the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Artificial intelligence algorithms for example, can process financial analysis faster and more accurately than most humans. Software advances for computer-aided design allow for virtual experimentation and simulation, thus reducing the time and effort needed for the design.

The good news is that this theme of technology substituting human labour is not new; therefore we should be able to anticipate the managerial skills needed in the future. For example, throughout history, new technologies have driven changes in the supply of labour. As Carl Frey and Michael Osborne[2] point out, deskilling was in fact the outcome of early inventions such as the assembly line and interchangeable parts. In other words, a production task that used be done by one craftsman could be done faster and more effectively by many workers each doing a small part of the job of the craftsman. Job specialization therefore required more workers with lower levels of skills.

The introduction of electricity, however, reversed the deskilling trend. Electricity permitted automation of some operations. Instead of many lower-skilled workers, fewer more highly-skilled workers were needed to ensure that the new machines did what they were supposed to do. This trend has continued with the growth of the digital economy. In fact, many see digitization as the “new electricity” because it is a general purpose asset that can be applied to many different types of tasks in an organization.

What happens to displaced workers? Well, in the past they would re-skill to fit into the new world of work. The same is happening now. But in addition, new jobs were created as technological shifts led to the creation of completely new businesses. Consider that companies such as Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft, were not possible before the computer age and the introduction of the Internet.  With ongoing digitization, a similar process will occur: reskilling of labour and the growth of previously impossible new businesses. 

The challenge for educational institutions is to anticipate and start to build skills now that will be needed in the future. MBA programs in particular, need to continually adjust courses to prepare managers for the digitized workplace of the future. What do these new managerial skills look like?

Consider leading the digital organization. What should a manager know about the use of data, machine learning and artificial intelligence? How should planning processes change to embrace a rapidly changing economy? How should a manager interact with employees who have “grown up digital”? What does the level of connectivity brought about by smartphones and social media channels mean for communication in organizations? What new opportunities for entrepreneurship exist given the mass connectivity of people and machines?  While the basic functions of management (planning, leading, organizing) won’t change much in a digital world, the questions mentioned above suggest that the way in which many of the functions are carried out could change dramatically. The Telfer MBA program is aware of these changes and is continually adjusted to reflect this new world of work.

Telfer MBA Program

The Telfer MBA program is designed to connect you to course content that matters to employers in today’s competitive work environments. You can also personalize your learning to explore topics that matter uniquely to you. In addition, we share with you the close connections we’ve forged with the business community to help you build the networks you need to grow your career. Our out-of-class experiences hone the skills you’ve learned in class while creating lasting relationships with colleagues on whom you can count.

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Category: Rising Stars

Published: 08 February 2017

"I chose to continue my doctoral studies with the Telfer School of Management based on the expertise at my disposal within the faculty and the school’s proven commitment to providing its graduate students with a comprehensive educational experience tailored to their research objectives. Telfer’s research programs are designed for flexibility, allowing candidates to align their coursework and assignments with their own field of research, and enabling them to explore their thesis topic from day one. The interdisciplinary nature of these programs and the diversity of topics that are being addressed by candidates and faculty members also encourage rich exchanges, and allow candidates to be sensitized to a variety of fields and methods that enrich their own projects.”

Caroline is a PhD student in Management, in the Health Systems specialization. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization, and a Master of Science in Health Systems from the University of Ottawa.

While completing her MSc in Health Systems at the Telfer School of Management, Caroline focused her attention on human resources for maternal health in the context of development. Accordingly, her thesis research involved a case study of the obstacles and enablers to the professional development of skilled birth attendants providing perinatal care to migrants and refugees within a self-contained health system at the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Under the continued supervision of Professor Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, Caroline will utilize the PhD in Management to further develop her research skills and enrich her understanding of the complexities of maternal health workforce sustainability in the context of protracted displacement and fragility. Caroline has presented at the Canadian Association of Health Services and Policy Research Conference, the World Congress on Public Health, the Canadian Health Workforce Conference, and the Global Symposium for Health Systems Research, and will be presenting at the upcoming Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives.

Telfer PhD in Management

Today’s changing world demands creative, resourceful, and dedicated thinkers. The Telfer PhD program prepares a new generation of forward-looking scholars to confront complex management issues through research. Our PhD program is designed to shape visionary, influential thinkers who have a positive impact on the lives of people, organizations, and communities through their research. Above all, we have high expectations for our students. Whatever our students’ goals, we are always close by to help them reach them.

Download our brochure or learn more about our PhD Program and our five fields of study by visiting our website at telfer.uOttawa.ca/phd.  

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Category: Latest News

Published: 14 September 2015

Cheryl M^cWatters, the Father Edgar Thivierge Chair in Business History, received the Journal of Operations Management’s Associate Editor Service Award for outstanding service from 2010-2014. M^cWatters, in addition to serving as associate editor of the JOM, is Editor of the Accounting History Review and Associate Editor of Accounting Perspectives.

An award-winning author and editor, Professor M^cWatters has published widely in accounting, operations management, and accounting and management history. Her most recent publication, with Jerold Zimmerman, Management Accounting in a Dynamic Environment (Routledge), will be published in October.