Management Institute
Every organization includes people who bring talent, commitment, and energy to their work. However, as these individuals advance and their responsibilities grow, they may require new skillsets to lead successfully in the organization. The Western New England University Management Institute offers businesses throughout New England a fully customized program to help nurture and develop these leadership and team-building skills.
The Management Institute is operated by the Department of Management, one of five academic departments in the Western New England University College of Business. From the flagship MBA program to its newest graduate offering in Organizational Leadership, the Department is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for the quality of its programs and expertise of its faculty.
Through the Management Institute, businesses large and small from throughout the region can now tap into this valuable resource. Our leadership development programs focus on building within any organization the requisite skills, knowledge, and abilities that will contribute to its long-term success. To do so, we use a three-step process:
Step One
Working with the business' leadership team and other appropriate stakeholders, the Management Institute works to identify skill/competency gaps and develop program objectives consistent with the organization's requirements. This is an iterative process intended to ensure that final program design addresses current needs and is aligned with the organization’s resources and strategic direction.
Deliverables for this step include:
- Identification of skills gaps within a specific level or group, or the organization as a whole, given the business' strategic director and structure
- Development of a list of leadership competencies to be addressed by the program
- Design of a leadership development program that addresses necessary competencies within organizational resource parameters
Step Two
Once learning goals and program design are confirmed via contract, attention focuses on program delivery. This process involves contracting with individual faculty for instructional design and delivery, and the ongoing integration of these elements within the program framework. This process is overseen by the Management Institute Director. Programs may be delivered on-site at the contracting business, at the University, or in a local hotel meeting room, and are generally conducted in a series of evening sessions or all-day formats.
Program content may address one or more of the following broadly-defined areas:
- Identifying and addressing individual leadership strengths and weaknesses
- Building/transforming team, group, or organizational culture
- Interpersonal communication and team effectiveness
- Strategic positioning and evaluation
Step Three
Skills development and participant satisfaction are hallmarks of all Management Institute programs. Although described as the final step, program evaluation and follow-up may be viewed as an ongoing process insofar as the Managment Institute Director and organization's liaison are in contact throughout the program, feedback is requested at the end of each session and again at the conclusion of the program experience. Participant feedback is available to the organization’s leadership team at the conclusion of the program. In addition, The Management Institute conducts, upon request, a follow-up evaluation three to six months after program conclusion to assess the program’s long-term usefulness to participants and the organization.
Management Institute faculty are full-time members of the Department of Management who possess diverse corporate, nonprofit, consulting, and business ownership experience across a variety of industries and managerial functions.
Management Institute Faculty
-
Jeanie Forray, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Twenty years’ experience in business including ten years as a senior manager in the entertainment industry; fifteen years as a member of the Department of Management with undergraduate and graduate teaching expertise in leading change, organizational behavior, international management, and intercultural competence; serves as Chair of the Department of Management and Director of the Management Institute.
-
Joe Gerard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management
Ten years’ experience in strategic planning, execution, and evaluation including business ownership in both service and manufacturing sectors; four years as a member of the Department of Management with undergraduate and graduate teaching expertise in project planning and implementation, strategic management, innovation, and ethical/sustainable management.
-
Jack Greeley, MBA
Executive-in-Residence
Thirty years’ experience in executive management including ten years in the health care industry; eight years as a member of the Department of Management with undergraduate and graduate teaching expertise in leadership development, strategy, and change management; serves as Director of the Springfield Leadership Institute.
-
Melissa Knott, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management
Ten years’ experience in corporate management including four years in training and development in the automobile industry; six years as a member of the Department of Management with undergraduate and graduate teaching expertise in team effectiveness, interpersonal skills, leadership, organizational change, and organizational behavior.