Tepper’s Legacy: Management Science Driving Business Education
The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. actively advances the frontier of management education through innovation. It champions scientific thinking over tradition, proudly calling itself the “home of management science.”
Senior Associate Dean Laurence Ales brings 15 years of experience shaping Tepper’s forward-looking curriculum. In addition, his background in economics research helps him integrate foundational theory into innovative MBA learning experiences.
Tepper School builds its core foundation on a strong heritage in management science. Professor Ales highlights, “We pride ourselves to be…the home of management science.” (00:33) Tepper’s approach moves beyond gut instinct and historical patterns to provide a scientific foundation for business leadership.
Collaborative AI: Blending Tradition and Technology
Tepper launched its Collaborative AI initiative to prepare MBA students for the next 75 years. “We have recently started…an important initiative we call the Collaborative AI,” he states. (01:08)
In short, this initiative combines case study learning and foundational theories to create dynamic, interactive management education.
Human-Driven, Data-Informed Decision-Making
Tepper values data but keeps human judgment at the centre of decision-making. Professor Ales contemplates, “We are not data-driven; we are human-driven…this being data-informed, but human-driven ultimately.” (02:22) In addition, students learn about operational research, behavioural theory, and economics.
“At the end, the human is in the middle. So, in all of these three classes, we make sure that the student realizes that ultimately, decision-making has an important human component,” Professor Ales stresses. (03:02)
As a result, students learn to make thoughtful, human-centered business decisions.
Balancing Data and Intuition in Leadership
Tepper encourages students to balance data and intuition for better decision-making in uncertain leadership situations.
Intuition as an Unconscious Structure
Tepper grounds students in foundational theory and helps them interpret data using deeper intuition. Professor Ales describes intuition as “an unconscious structure that people have in their own head.” (03:22) He goes on to explain how this helps people process information and make faster decisions.
“Intuition here, I do not want to say is like just a gut feeling…what we train students on is this fundamental theory; ‘Is there a simple representation of a problem in my head that can help me with that decision making?’…[that] we rely more and more [on]. Eventually, students unconsciously are able to do that,” he reflects. (05:05)
Through this, students build intuitive models to simplify decision-making and strengthen leadership skills.
Navigating Decisions with Limited Data
Professor Ales says that “Data has limits…data is created by humans.” (03:58) Therefore, students recognize data’s limits and think critically about its human-centered origins.
“The higher you go in an organization, the less data [exists]”, he adds. (04:45) As a result, students lead confidently by relying on intuition when data is limited.
How is Tepper Evolving Career Coaching for the Future?
Tepper adapts its career coaching to changing markets, offering students personalized guidance for future success.
Career Coaching Aligned with Industry Trends
Tepper adapts its career services to meet changing industry needs. Additionally, Professor Ales highlights, “We are extremely proud of our Master Career Centre…it’s one of the best, if not the best out there.” (05:48)
Moreover, former industry leaders coach students, track market shifts, and build career coaching on relevance and adaptability.
Tailored Coaching for Diverse MBA Cohorts
Tepper tailors career support to different MBA program formats. “We have a variety of [students in our] MBA programs… so how we match those students [with the] Career Centre is crucial,” Professor Ales says. (06:42) Career coaches customize guidance based on each student’s current career trajectory, background, and goals.
Meanwhile, the Accelerate Leadership Centre offers co-curricular training and personalized one-on-one support. “Lots of one-on-one meetings occur…to move them to where they would like to be by the time they graduate,” he states. (07:48) These initiatives equip students with the skills and support needed to reach their full potential.
Enhancing Career Coaching with AI
In response to global trends in AI adoption, Tepper is adapting their career coaching to include AI tools. Professor Ales announces, “We are launching for all students an AI leadership coach that will be able to supplement students when need be.” (12:37)
Tepper will integrate AI into career coaching, offering real-time feedback, leadership support, and personalized development.
The Power of Interdisciplinary Learning
Tepper embeds interdisciplinary learning by hiring and promoting faculty across diverse disciplines. “We do not have departments…it’s all one big happy family,” he recalls. (08:28)
Subsequently, Tepper incorporates cross-disciplinary collaboration into faculty hiring and promotion to reflect its foundational belief.
“Interaction between humans and AI is going to look…like an interaction between two individuals in different disciplines”, Professor Ales emphasizes. (09:44) Therefore, interdisciplinary training equips students to collaborate effectively with AI.
Tepper Alumni Network: Lifelong Connections
Tepper’s alumni build a strong network and drive professional growth through shared experiences. He contemplates, “Our alumni network is extremely involved, and it’s one of our biggest assets.” (10:10) Moreover, alumni offer new graduates lasting support both personally and professionally.
“Our scale is small…[which] creates an additional common background,” he states. (11:25)
Additionally, smaller class sizes and shared experiences build strong bonds and drive alumni engagement across regions.
Tepper School: Future-Ready Curriculum for Tomorrow’s Innovation Leaders
The forward-thinking Tepper School of Management blends management science and emerging technologies to build strong foundations and interdisciplinary skills. Its evolving career coaching, leadership centres, and alumni network provide lasting support while balancing human and analytical insights.
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