New global business skills initiative targets CEO's

Thursday 28th October 2010

A $1.3 million pilot programme involving a top international global management school to teach global business skills to top New Zealand managers is to be established with The University of Auckland.

Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee announced the initiative and recognised that New Zealand businesses “lag behind other countries in adopting the management mindset needed to succeed in international markets.”

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has appointed a consortium made up of The University of Auckland Business School, business growth centre The ICEHOUSE, and US-based Thunderbird School of Global Management to design and deliver a highly-targeted initial 12-month pilot programme.

Thunderbird is rated first in the world for executive education by the international business newspaper of record, The Wall Street Journal.

The programme, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, will be aimed at chief and senior executives, owners, and directors of New Zealand firms doing business internationally, Brownlee said.

Research released earlier this year by the Ministry of Economic Development showed that the management practices of New Zealand manufacturers were “middling to average” by global standards.

“The Management Matters report showed our manufacturing firms are good at operational and performance management, but find it hard to attract and retain talented staff and are not good at addressing poor performance. There is a lot we can learn from being exposed to overseas best practice,” Brownlee said.

The 12-month pilot programme is scheduled to start in mid-2011 and is intended to become self-funding.

Businesswire.co.nz

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