http://www.dbusiness.com/DBusiness/May-June-2013/Severstal-North-America-Announces-Executive-Leadership-Changes/

Tweet

Watch for more information!

Tweet

Professor Meena Razvi, Ed.D.

Adult education has the power to create a safe environment for students to practice new knowledge, collaborate, engage with new content/ideas, and build a bridge towards transfer of learning.

Meena is a new member of the adjunct faculty at Lewis. Meena graduated with a doctoral degree in adult and higher education from Northern Illinois University, and a master’s degree in training and development from Roosevelt University. Meena teaches international business and organizational behavior at Lewis in the blended and face-to-face formats. Meena’s scholar/practitioner interests include multicultural workforce development and diversity inclusiveness, by applying adult learning best practices. In addition, Meena brings her multicultural workforce development and expatriate coaching experiences with corporate clients into her classrooms to share current events and trends in the business world.

In her spare time, Meena enjoys traveling to meet and learn from people among different cultures regarding their values and beliefs, and how these affect work/life preferences. She is planning a trip to Qatar/Dubai this winter where she will visit family as well as celebrate her wedding anniversary en route.

Meena was born in Kenya, moved to England, and emigrated to USA in 1986. She speaks 3 Indian languages (Gujarati, Urdu, and Hindi) and is hoping to learn conversational Spanish.

razvime@lewisu.edu

Students say, “Dr. Razvi’s personal background in the field was impressive. Her worldwide experience provided great insights to the workplace in today’s global society.”

Tweet

This article was copied from the Herald News and was written by Denise Baran-Unland, Correspondent, January 25, 2013 2:32PM

After enduring many hardships in the Democratic Republic of Congo to receive an education, Liripa Floribert Buki of Bolingbrook recently graduated from Lewis University in Romeoville with bachelor of science degree in business administration.

Updated: January 27, 2013 3:07AM

Attending school in the Democratic Republic of Congo where Liripa Floribert Buki of Bolingbrook grew up meant eating just one meal every few days, walking five miles to school, dodging bullets and paying his monthly school fees through washing dishes, cutting grass and hair and cleaning the missionaries’ dormitories.

Those efforts were more than worth it.  “I never did fail school not once in my entire life,” said Buki, a December 2012 graduate of Lewis University in Romeoville.

Had it not been for the Rhesus factor, Buki might never have earned his bachelor of science degree in business administration. In 2007, when his wife, Sarah, was 22 weeks pregnant with the couple’s first child, Liam Buki, now 4, the couple had a health scare that brought them to the United States.

Sarah, originally from Illinois, was Rh negative, which meant that unless she received a RhoGAM injection by 28 weeks, she’d risk developing antibodies that could harm the blood cells of the unborn baby and any future babies if they were Rh positive. Buki obtained his immigrant visa, but his Congolese law degree, which he had worked so hard to obtain, was useless.

“My dream was to practice law by defending raped women and children who were forced into the military,” Buki said. “Instead, I was in America with a pregnant wife, no health insurance, no job and no transportation.

“Although I had gone through wars my entire life, it was very difficult in America. I applied at several institutions and it was almost if people simply ignored my application.”

Changing dreams

Buki was accustomed to challenges. As a boy, he had hoped to become a soccer star. Instead, Buki grew up with seven siblings. Buki’s father was a security guard for a government mining company.

His mother funded primary school for five of the children by carrying sugar cane to the local market, where she also sold tomatoes and onions.

This devoted Catholic and altar boy then attended the Petit Seminaire (the priests’ school) for one year until his parents could no longer afford it. Next, Buki attended Idap/Isp/Bunia, reputed as the best school in the district.

In 1996, Laurent Kabila overthrew the government and children as young as 11 were forced to enlist in the military.

The country divided into four areas; the government controlled one and rebel groups controlled the rest. The rebels formed militias that raped, killed and massacred as well as kidnapped children and tortured anyone who did not agree with them. Buki and his family escaped to the forests and lived there for months.

A dangerous childhood

Buki recalls the day he became a humanitarian.

“I saw a woman carrying her wounded son, badly burned,” Buki said. “She needed assistance and I was there at just the right time to help. My family brought this lady with her son to stay with us.”

Tribal wars soon began, and Buki attended school under bullets. The area was filled with “booby trap” mines; children were killed while playing with grenades. Buki stopped playing soccer for fear of winding up dead.

In 2002, Buki was caught in gunfire while taking his government exam. A man opened his door to hide him from the militia. Buki hid underneath a bed to survive. In 2003, Buki, then 17, joined the Youth Gathering for the Development of the Congo and represented the youth of the Ituri district at a United Nations peace conference among the fighting tribes.

Because of it, Buki and his entire family were threatened; they fled to the United Nations headquarters in Bunia. Later that year, Buki began attending Official University of Bukavu. In 2005, he met Sarah, a Christian, who had come from Illinois to help oppressed people.

An American education

Buki’s first job in the United States paid so little, he could not support his small family. So in 2008, Buki began working in the storeroom department at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. He set two goals: Learn academic English and earn a new degree.

In May 2011, Buki graduated with an associate degree in applied science in business administration and then signed up for Lewis University’s fast-track program. Buki is currently working on his master’s degree. He and Sarah are now also the parents of Tristan Buki, 2.

Buki has served as a board member of Women in War Zones, a decision support analyst for the strategic department of the medical center, international development coordinator for Sow Hope International and member of the Speakers Bureau for the Covenant Congo Kids Project.

His goal is to become a top-performing employee at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center and play key roles within international organizations. Buki travels to the Congo each year. In September, he returned for his father’s funeral. He also helps his mother financially.

“It always feels good to go back to the Congo,” Buki said. “The community is welcoming and they know the level of attachment I have with the people locally.”

Tweet

August 2012

• Christina Barbato*
• Sanina Campbell
• Kathleen Cheatham*
• Karin Christensen*
• Chad Funk*
• Daniel Goelz
• Ruth Quint*
• David Rucker*
• Bridget Sanchez
• Lynn Stocker-Schmidt

December 2012

• Justin Barnes
• Kimberly Brown
• Liripa Buki*
• Anna Bukowski
• Norbert Burza
• John Crawford
• Mark Curelo
• Michael Cutright*
• Frances De Rosa
• Erin DeVries
• Danielle Fernandez
• Barbara Hall
• Felicia King*
• Cathy LaMontagne
• Tracy Leon-Guerrero*
• Jenilee Miller
• Kiva Rotimi
• Jeremy Schmeling
• Aric Schwab*
• Michael Theil*
• Tobias Tully
• Al Tyler
• Angela Villanueva*
• Melissa Zirbel*

*3.5-3.999 grade point average with a minimum of 56 credit hours earned at Lewis University

Tweet

Michael Cutright of Channahon was recently recognized with the Outstanding Student Award for Accelerated Business Programs. He recently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management with an Organizational Leadership concentration from Lewis University in Romeoville.   Read the full article, here.

Tweet

Dear Future Business Student:

There are few investments that will generate the return you will realize from completing your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business. The College of Business offers a unique program that blends the Adult, Accelerated Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and the MBA Program into an attractive (yet challenging) academic experience. The unique facets of this program are:

• Lewis University is one of the region’s leaders in adult education. Our courses are offered in the evening in an accelerated format (5 or 8 week courses). We host our courses at 6 campus locations (Chicago, Hickory Hills, Oak Brook, Romeoville, Shorewood and Tinley Park).
• The College of Business is an ACBSP accredited institution (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs).
• The B.S. Business Administration degree was created in 1991 when Lewis University began degree programs for Adults. This program is recognized for preparing students to lead business enterprises in a complex environment.
• The Graduate School of Management recognizes the unique preparation of our undergraduate students and has partnered with our Adult Programs to offer the MBA Fast Track Program. This program is offered exclusively to Lewis University students.
• The Fast Track Program creates an opportunity for students to complete their MBA in only 10 courses upon completion of the B.S. Business Administration degree.

As the need for prepared managers grows, education that is relevant, respected, and flexible provides the best avenue for career advancement. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu/academics/cob/spce/index.htm to learn more or contact the Office of Graduate and

Adult Admission at 815-836-5610 or acceleratedprogram@lewisu.edu.

Sincerely,

Mike
Michael Cherry, Ed.D.

Academic Coordinator, Adult Business Programs

815.836.5562

College of Business

Tweet

Average salary for an entry-level Information Technology Manager in the Chicago land market is $57,151. PayScale.com

Given such high, predicted demand, a rigorous and relevant technical education will increase your competitiveness in the workforce. Conveniently, this rigor and relevance can be found at Lewis University.

The Information Technology Management degrees offer a technology-oriented, integrated, and innovative program with a strong emphasis in management. These degrees, for working professionals, are meant to increase skills in managing the strategic objectives of a technology based team, unit or division. Unique elements of these programs include:

• Students will work on and manage a project as it moves through the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• The curriculum was recently streamlined to focus and expose students to key skills employers are seeking.
• The end deliverable is a complete project e-portfolio which fully documents all elements of the SDLC.
• Course work will include leading edge topics such as Enterprise Security and Project Management.
• Adult Focused Format – evening courses, accelerated format (5 or 8 week courses) with rolling admissions (9 start times per year).
• Courses are delivered in a face-to-face, blended and/or on-line model.

As the need for prepared technical executives expands, education that is relevant, respected, and flexible provides the best avenue for career advancement. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu/academics/cob/spce/index.htm to learn more or contact the Office of Graduate and Adult Admission at 815-836-5610 or acceleratedprogram@lewisu.edu.

Sincerely,

Michael Cherry, Ed.D.                                                            Dr. Safwan Omari

Academic Coordinator, Adult                                            Assistant Professor, Management

Business Programs                                                                  Information Systems

815.836.5562                                                                            815.836.5928

College of Business                                                                  College of Business

Tweet

Aristotle, 350 B.C.E./1962, p. 43

Aristotle provides insight into the effective use of emotions and could be considered one of the earliest advocates for the importance of EI. He suggests that the mark of virtue is being aware of the right emotion at the right time then using that recognition for the right purpose. Since Aristotle’s time, our understanding of the impact, use and definition of EI has grown considerably. This article will introduce you to EI through a definition of the term and construct. In addition, we will highlight the research connecting EI to leadership and organization success and we will explore some “questions” regarding EI. We hope to shed light on EI as a tool to assist your practice of leadership. Let’s get started…

EI Defined

EI is defined as the ability to recognize one’s own emotions, sense emotional input from others, and react appropriately to that input. The definition and construct of EI was developed by Salovey and Mayer and popularized through a robust series of books and articles by Daniel Goleman. Because of its value to understanding and developing leadership practice through EI, Goleman’s Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, “What makes a leader?” has become the most widely requested HBR reprint in the last 40 years. Let’s explore Goleman’s approach.

Goleman’s model (shown in Figure 1) includes two domains and four competencies. The first domain is Personal Competence which relates to how we manage ourselves. This domain includes self-awareness which is the ability to recognize and assess one’s own emotions and to have self-confidence in one’s capabilities. In addition, this domain includes self-management which is the ability to control, demonstrate, adapt, and effectively use one’s emotions.

The second domain is Social Competence which determines how one manages relationships. This domain includes social awareness which is the ability to recognize and understand the emotions of others through the use of empathy. Relationship Management is also included in this domain and is defined as the ability to use emotional input in interactions with others regarding motivation, influence, change, teamwork and collaboration.

We often frame Goleman’s model using the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis that many of our clients are familiar with. A SWOT analysis has both an internal (strength/weakness) and external (opportunity/threat) orientation. In Goleman’s model the internal orientation is represented by self-awareness and self-management. The external dimension is represented by social awareness and relationship management, how we are interacting with others.

Figure 1

Goleman’s Four Quadrant Model

Business Case

EI has been tightly linked to leadership effectiveness because emotions play an important role in determining professional behavior. Saarni (2000) proposed that, “emotions are functional: they serve to goad us into action whereby we initiate, modify, maintain, or terminate our relationship to the particular circumstances we are engaged in” (p. 70). In addition, researchers have suggested that the capacity to perceive emotions and practice empathy is critical to leadership success. One could use emotions in the workplace to create an effective organizational culture, improve decision making, support individuals, and enhance working relationships.

Others have seen strong links between emotional intelligence and successful leadership practice through the increased use of participative management, putting people at ease, self-awareness, composure, building and mending relationships, doing whatever it takes, decisiveness, confronting problem employees, and change management. Another study suggested that, “Emotionally intelligent individuals received greater merit increases and held higher company rank than their counterparts. They also received better peer and/or supervisor ratings of interpersonal facilitation and stress tolerance than their counterparts.” (Lopes, Grewall, Kadis, Gall, & Salovey, 2006, p. 132). These leadership studies have led to the belief that EI could also be an effective tool for improving organizational performance.

Researchers believe that EI influences organizational effectiveness in a number of areas including, employee recruitment and retention, development of talent, teamwork, employee commitment, morale, and health. In addition, EI was shown to improve innovation, productivity, efficiency, sales, revenue, quality of service, customer loyalty, and client or student outcomes. There is also some indication that the use of greater emotional awareness and management led to work teams that exhibited better performance because of the improved ability to exchange information, problem solve and make decisions, and engage in productive conflict management.

Caution

While the research that supports EI as a successful leadership competency and ability is substantial the construct has faced scrutiny. For example, some view Goleman’s claim that EI accounts for between 85 and 90% of the difference between star performers and average performers in senior leadership positions as an indication that EI, “promise(d) more than can be delivered” (Zeidner, Roberts, & Matthews, 2008, p. 74). Critics offered that EI has tried to integrate everything but IQ and therefore fell short in terms of specificity and clarity. In addition, the multidimensional nature of EI has caused difficulty in distinguishing EI from other intelligences and personality traits.

Conclusion

Despite the cautions listed above, it has been suggested in the Harvard Business Review that EI has become a fundamental leadership competence that enhances professional success;

In hard times, the soft stuff often goes away. But emotional intelligence, it turns out, isn’t so soft. If emotional obliviousness jeopardizes your ability to perform, fend off aggressors, or be compassionate in a crisis, no amount of attention to the bottom line will protect your career. Emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury you can dispense with in tough times. It’s a basic tool that, deployed with finesse, is key to professional success. (Harvard Business Review, 2003, p. 95)

Our programs offer opportunities for students to learn, practice and develop their own EI competencies. In addition to our coursework, below are a number of articles and resources for your own ‘self-study.’ Happy reading and exploration!

References

Abraham, R. (1999). Emotional intelligence in organizations: A conceptualization [Electronic version]. Genetic, Social & General Psychology Monographs, 125(2), 209-225.

Abraham, R. (2000). The role of job control as a moderator of emotional dissonance and emotional intelligence-outcome relationships. The Journal of Psychology, 134(2), 169-184.

Abraham, R. (2004). Emotional competence as antecedent to performance: A contingency framework. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 130(2), 117-143.

Aristotle. (1962). Nicomachean ethics. (M. Ostwald, Trans.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Original work published in 350 B.C.E.).

Ashkanasy, N.M., & Daus, C.S. (2002). Emotion in the workplace: The new challenge for managers. Academy of Management Executive, 16(1), 76-86.

Becker, T. (2003). Is emotional intelligence a viable concept? Academy of Management Review, 28(2), 190-197.

Boyatzis, R. E. (1999). Using tipping points of emotional intelligence and cognitive competencies to predict financial performance of leaders. Psicothema, 18, 124-131.

Carmeli, A., & Josman, Z.E. (2006). The relationship among emotional intelligence, task performance, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Human Performance, 19(4), 403-419.

Checkland, P. (2004). Systems theory and management thinking. American Behavioral Scientist, 38(1), 75-91.

Cherniss, C. (2000). Social and emotional competence in the workplace. In Bar-on, R., & Parker, J.D.A. (Eds.), The handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 433-458). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cherniss, C. (2001). Emotional intelligence and organizational effectiveness. In Cherniss, C., & Goleman, D. (Eds.), The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations (pp. 3-12). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ciarrochi, J.V., Chan, A.Y.C., & Caputi, P. (2000). A critical evaluation of the emotional intelligence construct. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 539-561.

Davies, M., Stankov, L., & Roberts, R.D. (1998). Emotional intelligence: In search of an elusive construct. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(4), 989-1015.

Dearborn, K. (2002). Studies in emotional intelligence redefine our approach to leadership development. Public Personnel Management, 31(4) 523-530.

Douglas, C., Frink, D.D., & Ferris, G.R. (2004). Emotional intelligence as a moderator of the relationship between conscientious and performance. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 10(3), 2-13

Druskat, V.U., & Wolff, S.B. (2001). Building the emotional intelligence of groups. Harvard Business Review, 79(3), 80-90.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Goleman, D. (1998a). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Goleman, D. (1998b). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 76(6), 93-102.

Goleman, D. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Goleman, D. (2006). Social intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Harvard Business Review (2003). The 2003 HBR breakthrough ideas for tomorrow’s list. Harvard Business Review, 81(4), 92-98.

Hawkins, J., & Dulewicz, V. (2007). The relationship between performance as a leader and emotional intelligence, intellectual and managerial competences. Journal of General Management, 33(2), 57-78.

Hedlund, J. & Sternberg, R.J. (2000). Too many intelligences? Integrating social, emotional, and practical intelligence. In Bar-on, R., & Parker, J.D.A. (Eds.), The handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 136-167). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Jordan, P.J., & Troth, A.C. (2004). Managing emotions during team problem solving: Emotional intelligence and conflict resolution. Human Performance, 17(2), 195-218.

Kelley, R., & Caplan, J. (1993). How Bell Labs creates star performers. Harvard Business Review, 71(4), 128-139.

Kramer, M.W., & Hess, J.A. (2002). Communication rules for the display of emotions in organizational settings. Management Communication Quarterly, 16, 66-80.

Lopes, P.N., Grewal, D., Kadis, J., Gall, M., & Salovey, P. (2006). Evidence that emotional intelligence is related to job performance and affect and attitudes at work. Psicothema, 18, 132-138.

Mayer, J.D., & Cobb, C.D. (2000). Educational policy on emotional intelligence: Does it make sense? Educational Psychology Review, 12(2), 163-183.

Mayer, J.D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Implications for educators (pp. 3-31). New York: Basic Books.

McClelland, D.C. (1999). Identifying competences with behavioral-event interviews. Psychological Science, 9(5), 331-339.

Noland, D.S. (2008). Emotional intelligence and the new product development team leader success in the lighting industry. Ann Arbor, MI; ProQuest, LLC.

Pearman, R.R. (2002). Introduction to type and emotional intelligence. Mountain View, CA: CPP, Inc.

Rosete, D. & Ciarrochi, J. (2005). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26(5/6), 388-399.

Ruderman, M.N., Hannum, K., Leslie, J.B., & Steed, J.L. (2001). Making the connection leadership skills and emotional intelligence. LIA, 21(5), 3-7.

Saarni, C. (2000). Emotional competence: A developmental perspective. In Bar-on, R., & Parker, J.D.A. (Eds.), The handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 68-91). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J.D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 185-211.

Sardo, S. (2002). Learning to display emotional intelligence. Business Strategy Review, 15(1), 14-17.

Williams, H.W. (2008). Characteristics that distinguish outstanding urban principals: Emotional intelligence, social intelligence and environmental adaptation. Journal of Management Development, 27(1), 36-54.

Zeidner, M., Roberts, R.D., & Matthews, G. (2008). The science of emotional intelligence: Current consensus and controversies. European Psychologist, 13(1), 64-78.

Tweet