This review of Prepare to Chair: Leading the Dissertation and Thesis Process provides a comprehensive overview of the essential skills needed by new faculty members assuming the role of dissertation committee chair. Drawing from personal experiences, the authors offer practical advice on communication, leadership, and managing the dissertation process. The book emphasizes the importance of empathy, clear expectations, and the chair’s role in guiding students through the challenges of dissertation writing. While highlighting useful frameworks such as situational leadership and mindfulness, the review also points to the need for further exploration of the power dynamics involved in this role.
This review examines Bad Company by Megan Greenwell, which exposes how private equity firms dismantle essential institutions—such as hospitals, housing, and journalism—in pursuit of profit. It highlights the book’s relevance for management educators, especially in ethics, strategy, and public policy. By critiquing shareholder primacy and advocating for stakeholder-based leadership, the review positions the book as a timely resource for courses focused on responsible capitalism, governance, and systemic impact.
The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study with embedded units was to explore the opportunities and challenges African American women faced while having successfully ascended the corporate ladder in STEM fields. Qualitative data from six semi-structured interviews, reflective journaling, and archival data on career trajectories and labor statistics of African American women in the STEM industry were collected and triangulated to answer the central research question. This study was grounded in theories that included two key concepts: (a) Bourdieu’s (1977b) concept of social capital and (b) Collins’ (2015) concept of intersectionality. Three identified themes were revealed from the thematic analysis of data: (a) the importance of mentorship, (b) the sense of self or belonging, and (c) success strategies: overcoming the barriers. This study’s results indicate that African American women in STEM fields successfully overcame obstacles to break the discriminatory barriers they faced while progressing toward diversity and inclusion goals that afforded them leadership opportunities. This study may drive positive social change by highlighting the benefits of diversity and inclusion and equal opportunities that promote and support the value of processes to advance African American women to executive-level positions.
This teaching case explores how Namibia—an emerging leader in Africa’s green hydrogen sector—leverages digital diplomacy to build international trust, attract investment, and manage domestic stakeholder expectations as part of its Green Industrialization Roadmap. Centered on the leadership of President Hage Geingob, the case examines how digital platforms are used to navigate competing pressures from global investors, local communities, environmental advocates, and regional partners. Designed for MBA, Executive DBA, MPA, and international affairs programs, the case engages students in a real-world leadership dilemma involving ethical trade-offs, stakeholder complexity, and geopolitical opportunity. It supports a range of immersive learning activities including stakeholder mapping, digital strategy design, executive simulation, and ethical debate. Grounded in theories of public diplomacy, stakeholder theory, sustainability governance, and transformational leadership, it equips students with tools to analyze complex systems and communicate across sectors. For faculty, this case provides a flexible, interdisciplinary resource that integrates strategy, ethics, communication, and global leadership in a single cohesive format. It is especially useful in courses seeking to move beyond Western business environments or to expose students to high-stakes decision-making in resource-constrained settings. While focused on Namibia, the themes and decision points mirror challenges faced by U.S.-based executives, public officials, and nonprofit leaders working in sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and international development. The case offers both global perspective and domestic relevance, making it an ideal addition to faculty teaching portfolios.
