From Ryan Baker of Coburg Consultants

As Canadians, we’re proud of a lot of things – hockey, healthcare, beavers and beer are just a few – and we’re definitely proud of our country.

But Canadians are equally proud of who we are to the rest of the world. Face it, we’re fun loving, cold defying, maple syrup drinking nice people. When we asked second-year MBA and French exchange student Jeanne Menon-Bertheux the first word that came to her mind when she thought of Canadians, she said “playful.”

I love that.

So, with that in mind, let’s talk about competition. There were 277 athletes in Vancouver four years ago, and another 220 this year in Sochi. As proud Canadians, we’re not only celebrating the medals we win, but also the spirit of competition itself.

There is no denying that most forms of competition produce some type of winner or loser but too often is competition confused or distorted towards a malicious intonation. Instead, we should celebrate competition as a collaborative and foundational aspect to lifelong success.

As MBA students, you’ll have numerous opportunities to form new relationships and keeping them competitive and collaborative is the toughest but most rewarding challenge. However, if you can achieve that type of synergy, there are amazing things you can do here.

You could acquire one of the CRMBA’s three consulting firms, participate in case competitions from Halifax to Calgary to Boston, or maybe even get a chance to work with microfinanced entrepreneurs in Uganda. It’s all up to you and how hard you’re willing to build collaborative relationships that motivate.

These are just a few of the amazing opportunities that await you. As someone who has been personally involved in case competitions, consulting, and will be travelling to Uganda in a few short months to represent Dalhousie and the Rowe School of Business, I can say with confidence that these are opportunities not to be missed.

If you have any questions about my experience, or my upcoming trip please feel free to reach out to me directly. To donate, please click here.

By Andy Dennis of Coburg Consultants

This time four years ago there was a buzz of excitement across the nation. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were about to begin on home soil and Canadians couldn’t wait to cheer on their favourite athletes as they fought for gold.

Fast forward to today. We are only a few days from the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Sochi and something feels different. The lead up to this year’s Games has been one of controversy as much as competition.

Russia is an emerging country highly publicized for its shaky business environment, particularly with respect to corruption.  A recent article in the National Post estimates that these games will cost $51 billion – a staggering $44 billion higher than initial estimates. The Fisht Olympic Stadium alone was estimated to cost $49 million but has already surpassed the $500 million mark.

The Sochi Olympics are so far on pace to be the most expensive Games of this century and it wouldn’t be a stretch to hypothesize that a portion of the sum was used for ethically questionable purposes.

But Russia isn’t alone. In a recent survey by the World Economic Forum, corruption is highlighted as one of the greatest barriers to conducting business in India, China, and South Africa, in addition to Russia.

Some may argue that bribery and corruption are a just a part of doing business in these areas of the world. But the public is becoming increasingly aware of the systemic issues it causes.

Corruption damages the fundamental trust between a company, its customers, and its employees, which can reduce competitiveness in the long term. Recent research shows that even though multinationals with strong anti-corruption policies and culture grow more slowly in corrupt counties, they are ultimately more profitable.

Harvard Business Review contributor James Allworth proposes that corruption can even strangle innovation as is evident in the US automotive, transportation, and telecom industries.

So what can be done?

The Internet has been a powerful tool for grassroots movements looking to blow the whistle on corrupt practices in business and the government. In Russia, the website RosPil seeks to expose corruption and has claimed to prevent deals as large as US$1.3 billion.  Other publications such as Caijing and Caixin in China take an investigative approach to bringing corruption to light.

In the CRMBA we understand the importance of ethical leadership and integrity. Through CSR and Business Ethics courses we are taught how to apply a critical lens to the business environment, while events such as the Ethics in Action conference provide the medium for open discussions around ethics in the workplace.

Corruption is not just an emerging market problem. Business leaders of today and tomorrow must be acutely aware of the social and economic costs associated with these practices – as one day we may encounter challenges similar to those in Sochi.

From Kyle Palantzas of Coburg Consultants

With the warmth of Thanksgiving top-of-mind, and our turkey hangovers behind us, Coburg dedicates this week’s blog to highlighting the efforts and giving spirit of Dalhousie’s CRMBA students.

“Giving back is extremely important for our program, especially as it matures,” says second year candidate Becky Rogez. “The more that we can get out there in the community, the more that we grow our name and our brand and the more valuable our degree becomes. Giving back also helps people become entrenched in the community that they want to live and work in.”

CRMBA students, better known as “Rowebots,” gain energy from coming together and donating their time and efforts for good causes and community betterment. From selling 50/50 tickets to participating in food and clothing drives, running marathons to hosting charity dinner galas – the Rowebots take pride in promoting good.

On tap next for these go-getters is A Toast to the Coast.

This Friday marks the 9^th year of the black tie event, a great milestone for the gala fundraising dinner that supports the Breast Cancer Foundation. Since its inception, the MBA-run soirée has raised over $60,000, with every penny staying in Atlantic Canada. This year’s goal is to raise $12,000 – an ambitious target for the ambitious Rowebots.

“Everyone who has ever participated in the event is always more than willing to help; it’s a community in and of itself that spans over 9 generations of Dal MBA grads,” says Rogez, who is co-chairing this year’s festivities. “It’s really a legacy of the program, as it stands for hope and camaraderie.”

Supporting a similar cause, the CRMBAers poured out their sweat and tears and laid it all on the line last week during The Inside Ride fundraiser – an indoor cycling challenge that raises money for children living with cancer.  Joining forces with other programs across campus, the Rowebot’s energy and enthusiasm helped raise over $12,000 for the worthy cause.

“Opportunities like these give our grad students the chance to give back to the community, promote our program, and have some fun outside the heavy course load,” says CRMBA candidate and Inside Ride Leader Irina Bojinescu. “We look forward to getting geared up in the coming months to support this great cause at other events and venues.”

However, the Rowebots don’t have to go far to make a contribution. Giving back is also engrained inside the classroom, as the CRMBA curriculum supports, encourages and even evaluates this drive to help others.

This year the program launched the Make a Difference (MAD) project, a cross-course integrative that requires students to think about how they can make a meaningful difference in the community – and then go out and actually do it.

“The Make a Difference project is a stand-out feature for the second year of our CRMBA program,” says Chaired Professor Jim Barker, who helped create the initiative. “Our students can showcase their value-creation talents and business acumen by taking a project from concept to execution, leaving a legacy they can look back on with pride.”

From ethics conferences to bottle drives, cleaning the streets to safe sex campaigns, the Rowebots are knee-deep in the planning stages of this 8-month initiative. Next week, the teams are putting their ideas centre stage and pitching to a select group of faculty and employer partners.

On an even bigger stage, some students in the Strategic Management of International Business Operations are putting together their social business ideas to compete in the annual Hult Prize. The Rowebots are going up against other students from across the globe, attempting to establish a sustainable and scalable social enterprise to combat non-communicable diseases – with the winning team taking home $1 million in seed capital.

Personally, I’m honoured to be part of this group. I applaud all our efforts, welcome new ideas and encourage positive change.