DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,
As you’ll learn in this issue of Foundations, I’ve become an evangelist for international educational experiences, encouraging students to study abroad and pushing RMU to offer multiple international opportunities. The reason: Students who graduate without international experiences will find themselves at a disadvantage in the workplace, especially as their careers advance. The G-20 Summit held in September in Pittsburgh reminded us that we compete in a global marketplace, and we will not succeed unless our workers have the tools to thrive in this increasingly complex and diverse environment.
Last year IBM conducted the third edition of its biennial “Global CEO Study” series, which looks at the enterprise of the future. The research was based on surveys of more than 1,100 CEOs and public sector and business leaders from around the world. The question the study sought to answer was “What will the enterprise of the future look like?” It examined the differences between the responses of financial outperformers and those of underperformers. The results indicated that the successful enterprise of the future will have five major characteristics:
HUNGRY FOR CHANGE. The enterprise of the future is capable of changing quickly and successfully. Instead of merely responding to changes, it shapes and leads them.
INNOVATIVE BEYOND CUSTOMER IMAGINATION. The enterprise of the future surpasses the expectations of increasingly demanding customers. Deep collaborative relationships allow it to surprise customers with innovations that make both them and it more successful.
GLOBALLY INTEGRATED. The enterprise of the future is integrating to take advantage of today’s global economy. Its business is strategically designed to access the best capabilities, knowledge, and assets from wherever they reside in the world and apply them wherever required in the world.
DISRUPTIVE BY NATURE. The enterprise of the future radically challenges its business model, disrupting the basis of competition. It shifts the value proposition, overturns traditional delivery approaches, and as soon as opportunities arise, reinvents itself and its entire industry.
GENUINE, NOT JUST GENEROUS. The enterprise of the future goes beyond philanthropy and compliance and reflects genuine concern for society in all actions and decisions.
So what does all of this mean for Robert Morris University? It serves as a roadmap for the type of education and experiences we need to provide our students, who are the workers and leaders in the enterprises of the future. They need to be able to understand different cultures and interact with people of diverse backgrounds. They must have a strong sense of ethics and social responsibility. They must be innovative and comfortable with technology and its applications. They must be great communicators, risk takers, and entrepreneurs. And most of all, they must not be afraid to fail.
This is how we approach our educational mission at RMU, regardless of what a student studies, because we feel this applies to everyone and in every career—especially in our increasingly complex and competitive world.
Sincerely,
GREGORY G . DELL’OMO, PH.D .
PRESIDENT