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In May, the program participants of the WHU CIO Leadership Excellence Program traveled to China in order to learn about the characteristics and challenges of the Chinese economy. The trip to China was the second module of the program which had started in fall 2013. The first module focused on “How to face leadership challenges as a Chief Information Officer”.

Throughout the trip through China, the 20 IT-Executives gained a deep insight into the Chinese economy and culture. The four-day Executive Education program in Shanghai and Peking combined academic parts with company visits. In various talks at FUDAN Business School, the participants learned about the economic conditions and current developments in the Chinese political system. During company visits at SAP, HP, and Daimler the executives were given the opportunity to exchange experiences with Chinese CIOs and participated in lectures on differences in company culture. Finally, a visit to the European Union Delegation and the European Chamber Delegation concluded the program in a perfect manner.

Negotiation skills are essential in many corporate situations, as well as in personal life. WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management now offers an Executive Education program providing executives with the key tools and techniques for effective negotiations. This practice-proven program for managers, with a focus on multiparty and intercultural negotiations, starts in Düsseldorf in June 2014.

Executives often experience that negotiation strategies are significantly influenced by the personality traits and cultural backgrounds of the people involved. WHU has developed an Executive Education program preparing managers for the difficulties which may occur while negotiating. The program is beneficial to executives who would like to enhance their negotiation skills and expertise as well as to those who are not highly experienced in negotiations yet.

“The winning formula for negotiations is: patience, persistence plus practice,” says Professor Lutz Kaufmann, Faculty Director of the program. Participants will on the one hand learn about key tools and strategies for negotiations, and on the other hand, they will be confronted with heterogeneous negotiation situations. By making use of, for example, role-plays, participants will experience different scenarios and practice and improve their communication and influencing skills. By combining theory and practice, participants will gain more confidence in navigating complex negotiations and will learn to achieve better results in negotiations.

As cross-cultural misunderstandings are often deal-breakers during negotiations, the WHU Negotiation Program emphasizes intercultural negotiations: “If you really want to understand the motives which drive the other party, you need to understand why they behave in certain ways”, explains Kaufmann. Knowing the principles of cultural analysis and the culture-specific values and communication habits, common mistakes based on biases can be avoided.

The 5-day program will also go deeper into advanced negotiations, whereby complex multi-issue negotiations play an important role – a skill which – once mastered – will contribute significantly to successful leadership.

In a new WHU Executive Education program, executives learn how to do business with and in India. In the innovative program, executives learn to be successful by understanding Indian culture, politics, industry, and business structures on-location. In spring 2014, the program participants will spend seven days in India.

India is a highly fascinating and contradicting country with highs and lows in growth, infrastructure, education, and training of its labor force. The fast-paced Indian market offers both opportunities as well as challenges: to be able to enter this market one needs to be aware of the cultural differences. The 7-day “Doing Business With India Program” takes participants by the hand and gives them a profound insight into India. While visiting companies, they gain deep insights into the leadership culture and get to know the Indian consumer. Furthermore, during lectures, talks, and case study discussions they learn about the characteristics of the Indian law system and how to create a successful business model. “This program is a really unique learning experience”, says Rebecca Winkelmann, Managing Director of WHU’s Executive Education. “We have blended many different elements and formats in order to make participants both learn and feel the Indian environment.”

Wolfgang Messner, Faculty Director of the program and Associate Professor of International Management at MYRA School of Business in India adds: “In this program, we will show you how to make business in India happen – and how innovation generated in India and for India can unlock other opportunities worldwide.”

This practice-oriented WHU Executive Education Program is suited for executives who are either facing challenges that come with doing business with India or for executives who are planning to expand their activities in India. The participants´ industry background and level of seniority may be diverse. “Whether you are a CEO, strategist, marketer, supply chain manager, engineer, or policymaker – business in emerging markets is a phenomenon you need to understand” explains Messner.

Doing Business With India Program at a Glance

• Topics: Indian culture, politics, industry and leadership culture
• Date: March 30, 2014 – April 5, 2014 (7days)
• Venue: India (including Bangalore, Mysore)
• Fees: € 8,950 excluding airfare to and from Bangalore
• Participants will receive a WHU certificate of attendance after successfully completing the program

For more information please visit our website: LINK

In September, the first open WHU Executive Education program started at WHU Campus Düsseldorf. In this first five-day module of the program 12 participants from South Africa, Germany, Mexico and Brazil learned the basics of Strategy and Accelerated Skill Development.

Moreover, they started to work on the “Business Impact Project”: In cooperation with the non-profit organization BOOKBRIDGE, they will create a business plan for a learning center in Cambodia. During the fourth module of the 21-day program, the group will travel to Cambodia to implement the business plan on-site. In the evening, Carsten Rübsaamen, BOOKBRIDGE, gave a lively introduction to Cambodia.

The next module in December will focus on Leadership, Business Functions, and Change Management. In the meantime, participants will continue working on the Business Impact Project in virtual team workshops and will contact local project partners.