Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou Co-Authors Two New Book Chapters

What does it take to prepare business leaders for a world facing near-constant technological and global changes? In two recent book chapters, Tepper School Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou examines that question with leading faculty members. Reconnecting Business Schools with Business (Taylor & Francis) features "The Making of a Product Manager," with Tim Derdenger, and "5 US MBA Programmes: Clearing the Runway for Global Business Leaders," with Oliver Hahl, which appears in Management Education and the Rise of Uncertainty of Global Business (Oxford Academic). The chapters examine business education through two degree programs offered at the Tepper School, the Master of Science in Product Management (MSPM) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

The Product Manager Evolution

In the early 2000s, the technology product manager was an ad-hoc position, a person who somehow translated what the engineers were doing into the practical language of the marketplace. In "The Making of a Product Manager," Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou and Tim Derdenger argue that the era of the impromptu product manager has reached its conclusion. Instead, product managers are recognized as an essential position requiring a cross-section of skills, and there has been a shift toward a rigorous academic discipline that treats product management as a specialized craft rather than a byproduct of a general MBA. By centering the curriculum on the product triad, where business, engineering, and user experience intersect, institutions like the Tepper School can now train students to navigate the entire software development life cycle.

Tim Derdenger, Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy

For the technology industry, this addresses a talent shortage that once required companies to train product managers in-house through expensive programs. Companies now look to universities like Carnegie Mellon for candidates who are ready to run products on day one. These managers are capable of working with cross-functional teams without formal authority, relying instead on a grounded understanding of market research and technical specifications.

The industry also profits from a self-sustaining network of alumni who return as mentors and adjunct faculty. This feedback loop creates a new class of leaders who view technology as a system they are uniquely equipped to steer. Ultimately, the programs at The Tepper School provide the precise preparation required to manage the tools that shape the technology and business processes for future product development.

The MBA's Global Evolution

While the first article explores the technical architecture of modern business, the second, "5 US MBA Programmes: Clearing the Runway for Global Business Leaders," co-authored by Bajeux-Besnainou and Oliver Hahl, examines how international students find American MBA programs and the subsequent employment opportunities attractive, but face obstacles to achievement.

Bajeux-Besnainou and Hahl cast the American MBA as a high-stakes "runway" for international students who, by spending several years studying at American universities, contribute an estimated $44 billion to the domestic economy in a single year and have founded nearly half of the companies on the Fortune 500 list. However, international students may face various obstacles, including H-1B visa regulations, adjusting to an unfamiliar culture, and communication gaps. This means that aspiring leaders must navigate a system that relies on their talent but frequently complicates their path to residency.

The Tepper School helps ease the transition with specialized support like the Business English and Cultural Immersion (BECI) program, which acclimates students to American academic life weeks before the first lecture. The Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC) offers coaching to develop emotional intelligence and cultural humility, helping students form the professional identities that are essential for inclusion.

Changes to visa policies and immigration practices have created new barriers to international student enrollment. Competing universities in places like Canada have already streamlined their immigration processes to lure students away from the United States. Despite these friction points, the achievements of alumni demonstrate the value of a globalized curriculum. These leaders eventually return their contributions to the global economy through innovation and inclusive leadership. American innovation relies on this synthesis of diverse ideas and individuals to solve the most difficult problems of the future.

An Intersection of Unique Opportunities

Oliver Hahl, Associate Professor of Organization Theory, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship; Associate Dean, Masters Programs; Director, International Pertnerships

Viewing these two perspectives simultaneously illustrates how contemporary business education is a laboratory for a globalized, highly technical future. The specific demands of the product triad and the personal risks of the international runway intersect in the same classrooms, creating a new class of leaders who must master both machine learning literacy and the complexities of global migration. The challenge for American universities involves providing the technical tools to solve "big design problems" and also maintaining a clear, unobstructed path for the diverse minds capable of using them.

The synthesis of these ideas suggests that innovation depends as much on human mobility as it does on digital platforms. A sophisticated understanding of user interface design or market strategy loses its value if the person wielding that knowledge is hindered by restrictive policies or inadequate cultural integration. This also affects employers and hiring decisions, reducing the talent pool for firms. The first step to mitigating these barriers begins with a business school that functions as a hub for both interdisciplinary mastery and global mobility. As other nations, particularly Canada, simplify their immigration paths to lure away this same pool of talent, the ability to integrate specialized technical training with a welcoming, predictable path for international ambition will likely determine which economy leads the next century.

More information:
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters … nainou-tim-derdenger

academic.oup.com/book/61649/ch … 39983937?login=false

Provided by Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University