The six finalists in line to be the inaugural recipient of the QBM Griffith MBA Responsible Leadership Scholarship were announced yesterday by Griffith MBA Director, Associate Professor Chris Fleming.
Stacey Coburn, Patricia Liebke, Jai Sudholz, Lisa Flower, Kellie Mayo and James Pearce will now turn their thoughts to the final phase of the prestigious competition which involves the submission of a video pitch before midnight this Friday (October 14).
The overall winner of a full MBA scholarship worth $50,000 will be selected by a judging panel including Pro Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University, Professor David Grant, Associate Professor Fleming, Griffith MBA alumnus, David Morgan and the editor of Queensland Business Monthly, Natalie Gregg.
Responsible leadership at work
“The overall standard of entries has been very high and selecting six finalists was extremely challenging,” Associate Professor Fleming said.
“Our finalists come from backgrounds in infrastructure, architecture, media, clinical education, industrial relations and the recycling industry. It was particularly exciting for us to see how responsible leadership is at work in each of these sectors, as demonstrated through their various submissions.”
The six, who hail from Southeast Queensland, central Queensland, Victoria and NSW, were decided after adjudicators considered reflective essays submitted by all the contestants who took part in last week’s MBA masterclass at Griffith’s South Bank campus.
Entrants were asked to describe and explore their future leadership and business practices in 600 words or less, based on the theories and concepts presented by four Griffith lecturers at the masterclass.
Professor Nick Barter, Academic Director, Griffith Online, delivered the opening lecture where he focused on sustainability and community and emphasised why business organisations need to increasingly understand how they shape the world around them.
Professor of International Business, Sara McGaughey, explored the numerous and very different versions of distance at work in international business today, from cultural distance to administrative distance, and from geographic to economic.
Attributes of business leaders
Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Peter Jordan, analysed the personal attributes that business owners and chief executives bring to responsible leadership, including integrity, honesty and inclusiveness.
Associate Professor Robin Roberts, Griffith Agribusiness Project Leader, took contestants on a journey to Vietnam for a demonstration of research in action and how its economic outputs can impact on some of the poorest communities.
Professor David Grant welcomed all contestants, both those who attended at South Bank and those who participated through a livestream, into the Griffith Business School community.
He highlighted the ‘rich educational experience’ on offer to MBA students at Griffith, and put the spotlight on the MBA’s core values of responsible leadership, sustainable business practices and global connectivity with an Asia-Pacific focus.
Natalie Gregg of the Courier Mail described the partnership with the Griffith MBA as a ‘natural fit’ for Queensland Business Monthly which tells the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs who make up the Queensland business sector.
The overall winner will be announced in the October 28 edition of Queensland Business Monthly. A half scholarship worth about $25,000 will be awarded to the runner-up.
