When business professor Mark Ferris prepared the framework for his Sustainable Business Operations class, he put together a blend of academic coursework as well as a group of business leaders who could share hands-on knowledge with his students. “To meet the challenges of climate change, more efficient resource use and more humane treatment of our workers, we are going to need a different business model and in fact that is what we are starting to see”, so he modelled the creative/sustainability awards for students on the grasshopper — one of nature’s sustainable creatures. Read More

Jeanette Grider for Saint Louis University (18 May 2012)

Sustainability Meets Creativity in Decision Sciences Class

When business professor Mark Ferris prepared the framework for his spring semester class in Sustainable Business Operations, he put together a blend of academic coursework as well as a group of business leaders who could share hands-on knowledge with his students.

Over the course of the semester his 12 MBA and three undergraduate students heard lectures from climate scientists to economists and green building architects to solar energy experts.

But some of the real fun and opportunity for creative competition came when Ferris broke the class into three groups and gave them the assignment of creating a video highlighting some feature of sustainable business operations.

These videos were evaluated by the academic and business experts who had been leading and speaking to their class during the semester. The rating system was on a scale of one-to-five with five being the highest. There were three categories – message, creativity and quality. The assignment also included the task of marketing their video to maximize the number of views.

The ratings were compiled and students received the “Academic Sustainability Awards” at their last class session. There were awards in three categories plus a best video award. Ferris said the awards were modeled after the grasshopper — one of nature’s sustainable creatures – that is both nimble and able to leap tall obstacles.

In addition to the videos, the undergraduate students created a Facebook page and Twitter account called “Sustain SLU” for fellow classmates at the University.

The Academic Sustainability Award for “Best Message” went to Randy’s Recycled Cycles. The winning team included Samreen Mehar Ali, a full-time MBA student who is a physician originally from Sudan; Kareena Lozano, a Masters in Supply Chain Management student who is an agronomist originally from Peru and currently works for Monsanto; Curtis Elwood, a part-time MBA student who is in finance and works as a manager at Express Scripts; Bill Fuhrman, an undergraduate student majoring in leadership and change; and Tony Fratianne, a part-time MBA student who manages water quality for Anheuser-Busch.

Sustainability Pros and Cons, based on the popular Mac vs. PC ads, earned the “Most Creative” award. The winning students were Mike Davis, a full-time MBA student who is a former nuclear engineer; Poonam Verma, a part-time MBA student who is originally from India and is a business leader/director for Information Security Operations at MasterCard Worldwide; Brian Holdmeyer, an MBA student with a background in economics and mathematics who also happens to be SLU’s best distance track man and is going to work at A-B and will continue track racing; Alicia Beranek, a part-time MBA student working in accounting who was a former professional ballerina in Europe; and Kevin Stietz, an undergraduate who has a double major in information technology management (ITM) and accounting with a supply chain management minor.

Saint Louis Green Building Community took top honors for “Best Picture” as it had the most YouTube views. The winners were Chang Gao, an undergraduate student in supply chain management who is originally from China; Zhiyao “Sophie” Ding, a Masters in Accounting student who is originally from China and begins her new position at Deloitte in the enterprise risk service service; Greg Brown, a full-time MBA student with a background in finance who is Abraham Lincoln’s 12th cousin; Eric Leander, a part-time MBA student with a background in business who is a small business owner selling metalworking fluids and lubricants internationally; and Neeraj Verma, a part-time MBA student with a materials and metallurgical engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology who works at MasterCard International.

Leander said the class has broadened his perspective.

“The project gave us a chance to work outside of the classroom and connect withlocal businesses.” Leander said.

“We interviewed several St. Louis business leaders using Green Building techniques, and the response from them was overwhelming. We were all surprised when we found out just how many organizations in the community are leading by example with sustainable building and operations. It inspired me to further incorporate these techniques in my products and business model, and hopefully will do the same to others who watch our video.”

Ferris believes there is something about the field of sustainability that engenders new and creative thinking which is a valuable part of planning for the future.

“If we are to meet the challenges of climate change, more efficient resource use and more humane treatment of our workers, we are going to need a different business model and in fact that is what we are starting to see,” Ferris said.

Ferris points to early leaders who saw the need to make change happen. He says the words of Abraham Lincoln still ring true as an inspiration.

“The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”

Source: www.slu.edu