Latest news with #Bates
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Why business schools need to teach character development
Programs to help students discern their vocation or calling are gaining prominence in higher education. According to a 2019 Bates/Gallup poll, 80% of college graduates want a sense of purpose from their work. In addition, a 2023 survey found that 50% of Generation Z and millennial employees in the U.K. and U.S. have resigned from a job because the values of the company did not align with their own. These sentiments are also found in today's business school students, as Gen Z is demanding that course content reflect the changes in society, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and poverty. According to the Financial Times, 'there may never have been a more demanding cohort.' And yet, business schools have been slower than other schools to respond, leading to calls ranging from transforming business education to demolishing it. What are business schools creating? Historically, studies have shown that business school applicants have scored higher than their peers on the ' dark triad' traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These traits can manifest themselves in a tendency toward cunning, scheming and, at times, unscrupulous behavior. Over the course of their degree program, other studies have found that business school environments can amplify those preexisting tendencies while enhancing a concern for what others think of them. And these tendencies stick after graduation. One study examined 9,900 U.S. publicly listed firms and separated the sample by those run by managers who went to business school and those whose managers did not. While they found no discernible difference in sales or profits between the two samples, they found that labor wages were cut 6% over five years at companies run by managers who went to business school, while managers with no business degree shared profits with their workers. The study concludes that this is the result ' of practices and values acquired in business education.' But there are signs that this may be changing. Questioning value Today, many are questioning the value of the MBA. Those who have decided it is worth the high cost either complain of its lack of rigor, relevance and critical thinking or use it merely for access to networks for salary enhancement, treating classroom learning as less important than attending recruiting events and social activities. Layered onto this uncertain state of affairs, generative artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering the education landscape, threatening future career prospects and short-circuiting the student's education by doing their research and writing for them. This is concerning because of the outsized role that business leaders play in today's society: allocating capital, developing and deploying new technologies and influencing political and social debates. At times, this role is a positive one, but not always. Distrust follows that uncertainty. Only 16% of Americans had a 'great deal' or 'quite a lot' of confidence in corporations, while 51% of Americans between 18 and 29 hold a dim view of capitalism. Facing this reality, business educators are beginning to reexamine how to nurture business leaders who view business not only as a means to making money but also as a vehicle in service to society. Proponents such as Harry Lewis, former dean of Harvard College; Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University; Harold Shapiro, former president of Princeton University; and Anthony Kronman, former dean of the Yale Law School, describe this effort as a return to the original focus of a college education. Not ethics, but character formation Business schools have often included ethics courses in their curriculum, often with limited success. What some schools are experimenting with is character formation. As part of this experimentation is the development of a coherent moral culture that lies within the course curriculum but also within the cocurricular programming, cultural events, seminars and independent studies that shape students' worldviews; the selection, socialization, training and reward systems for students, staff and faculty; and other aspects that shape students' formation. Stanford's Bill Damon, one of the leading scholars on helping students develop a sense of purpose in life, describes a revised role for faculty in this effort, one of creating the fertile conditions for students to find meaning and purpose on their own. I use this approach in my course on vocation discernment in business, shifting from a more traditional academic style to one that is more developmental. This is relational teaching that artificial intelligence cannot do. It involves bringing the whole person into the education process, inspiring hearts as much as engaging heads to form competent leaders who possess character, judgment and wisdom. It allows an examination of both the how and the why of business, challenging students to consider what kind of business leader they aspire to be and what kind of legacy they wish to establish. It would mark a return to the original focus of early business schools, which, as Rakesh Khurana, a professor of sociology at Harvard, calls out in his book ' From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession,' was to train managers in the same vocational way we train doctors 'to seek the higher aims of commerce in service to society.' Reshaping business education Institute for Social Concerns and Bates College's Center for Purposeful Work and courses such as Stanford University's Designing Your Life and the University of Michigan's Management as a Calling. These are but a few examples of a growing movement. So, the building blocks are there to draw from. The student demand is waiting to be met. All that is needed is for more business schools to respond.
3 days ago
- Politics
Execution date set for man who abducted woman from insurance office, killed her
A man who abducted a woman from a Florida insurance office and killed her is scheduled for execution in Florida under a death warrant signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Kayle Bates is set to die Aug. 19 in the 10th execution scheduled for this year. DeSantis signed the warrant Friday, just three days after the state executed Michael Bell for fatally shooting two people outside a Florida bar in 1993 as part of an attempted revenge killing. Bell was the 26th person to die by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., exceeding the 25 executions carried out last year. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death. Bates, now 67, was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White. Bates abducted White from the State Farm insurance office where she worked, took her into some woods behind the building, attempted to rape her, stabbed her to death, and tore a diamond ring from one of her fingers, according to a letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier summarizing the history of the case. Bates' attorney, James Driscoll Jr., said in a phone call Saturday that he would be filing further appeals in the case. 'We believe his execution would violate the U.S. constitution,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The screen queens building Brisbane's answer to Pixar
Five of the films take place in the same cinematic universe. 'Sanctuary City' is a seaside utopia inhabited by animals from every continent, but dominated by Australian ones, voiced by the likes of Deborah Mailman, Sam Neill, Angourie Rice, Thomas Weatherall and David Wenham. 'What's so impressive about their work is that they are championing Australian talent,' says Australian Cinémathèque associate curator Rosie Hays, who has programmed the Like A Photon Creative back catalogue for a Saturday screening series at GOMA. 'They're Brisbane-based. They're doing all of the things that many in the film industry say are not possible. I love that they're women-led, and I love that they just get on with making great stories.' On a cold Wednesday morning in a nondescript office block in West End, Bates and Souvlis are getting on with the storymaking business. Both graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Industries at QUT, the two met while working on children's TV at Channel 10 on Mount Coot-tha and decided to start out on their own. 'The industry was changing. YouTube Kids was just coming about, so I was looking at the media landscape for kids and thinking that we had something to offer,' Souvlis says. 'We were really dedicated and passionate about quality children's content that had kindness and representation at its heart.' Despite having experience in live action only they quickly became the first female Australians to be commissioned to make an animation for Sesame Street (titled 1 to 10 Hoedown). At the same time Disney commissioned them to make a 26-episode preschool series, Balloon Barnyard, about two balloon donkeys who solve problems and mysteries. The third string to their bow was a reading app for children called Kindergo, which rose to be the number one kids' app in over 30 countries. That's when Universal Pictures came knocking. 'Universal said, 'would you be interested in doing theatrical releases in Australia for Australian audiences? Can you create us a movie?'' Bates, a former teacher and children's book publisher, recalls. 'And we said, 'what if we created you a Marvel-esque universe whereby we had six to 10 films, and all of those stories wove into each other. Wouldn't that be better?' And they said, 'yeah, actually that would be better.'' The first cab off the rank in was The Wishmas Tree, both a cautionary environmental tale and a smart dive into the yuletide film market. Despite an unlikeable protagonist and a curtailed cinema release due to COVID, it got them off to a strong start. The film that followed, superhero story Combat Wombat starring Mailman, taught them a major lesson in what makes a character relatable. 'A 40-year-old, reluctant female superhero – you couldn't possibly tell where that idea came from,' Souvlis laughs. 'In the beginning, I was like, 'kids won't relate to this',' Bates says. 'But you find the heart of that hero. I mean, look at [2009 Pixar film] Up: you've got your older character and your younger character, and you feel just as strongly for the old character.' Occupying a pleasing middle ground between Hollywood and Studio Ghibli, the Sanctuary City movies are both earthily comedic ('You've gotta make 'em laugh,' Bates says) and emotionally affecting. Amid the knockabout action, Daisy Quokka portrays a child finding her own path and a parent reconciling with his estranged daughter. The Lost Tiger tackles First Nations identity in the story of a thylacine adopted by kangaroos as a baby who reconnects with his mob. Then there's The Sloth Lane – an anti-fast food quasi-zombie movie that is also a heartfelt celebration of family. With its cast including Latino and American actors, the 2024 film played on 1000 screens in both North and South America. Bates says that they feel a responsibility to tell stories about kindness, empathy and compassion. 'That there are consequences to actions. That you have responsibilities within a family or community unit. They're inherent in all of the stories that we do.' They also decided early on that continuity of work was crucial. 'We're not project-by-project; we are a pipeline,' Souvlis says. 'Our staff are the most important people that are ever going to come through our building.' They have nurtured directors including Murray, Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó. Cussó now co-runs Cosmic Dino, the studio tasked with production on the Bluey movie for Ludo, the BBC and Disney. Bates points out that the first four animated movies to be directed by women in Australia are all theirs – and all three of the filmmakers were pregnant during production. 'Being able to offer the opportunity for women to work in the industry in the way that men take for granted is really important to us.' Nor is it insignificant that their first six movies all have female protagonists. Several hissworthy villains are women too, ranging from Judith Lucy's scheming PR-agent koala in Combat Wombat to Celeste Barber's greedy archeologist in The Lost Tiger. Launching a movie business during COVID followed by a crisis in the streaming business has made them resilient, Souvlis says. 'We didn't have a lot of luck on our side when we started out, and that has made us better business people.' Loading Crucial to their success has been support from Screen Queensland through the Screen Finance Fund and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive. Its chief creative officer, Dr Belinda Burns, says companies such as Like a Photon Creative are putting Queensland on the map for animation. 'Nadine and Kristen have built a dynamic production company with a unique slate of characters and films, while also amplifying diverse voices,' she says. Any parent who has despaired at the hold that YouTube Kids has on young viewers should rejoice that children's screen entertainment still has passionate advocates. Yet it's a rapidly shrinking genre, internationally and locally. 'There are no buyers in Australia, really, because we don't have any quotas,' Souvlis laments. Nevertheless, the Photons are poised for greater success. Their next film, Pout-Pout Fish: The Movie, is in the can. Based on a New York Times best-selling picture book, and nearly double the budget of any previous LAPC film, its voice cast includes Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Jordin Sparks and Miranda Otto. It's being made in collaboration with another female-owned production house, New York-based MIMO Studios. So is another film based on a major children's book, Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort, currently in production for a 2026 release under director Allison Brownmore. Just like Daisy Quokka, creative people in Brisbane are used to being underestimated and overlooked. But Bates believes it's precisely this that has given them the drive to succeed. 'It's because we are underdogs, right? Because we aren't having opportunities handed to us,' she says. 'We have been called 'regional filmmakers' before,' Souvlis laughs. 'People come here and go, 'Oh! There's a city here!''
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
The screen queens building Brisbane's answer to Pixar
Five of the films take place in the same cinematic universe. 'Sanctuary City' is a seaside utopia inhabited by animals from every continent, but dominated by Australian ones, voiced by the likes of Deborah Mailman, Sam Neill, Angourie Rice, Thomas Weatherall and David Wenham. 'What's so impressive about their work is that they are championing Australian talent,' says Australian Cinémathèque associate curator Rosie Hays, who has programmed the Like A Photon Creative back catalogue for a Saturday screening series at GOMA. 'They're Brisbane-based. They're doing all of the things that many in the film industry say are not possible. I love that they're women-led, and I love that they just get on with making great stories.' On a cold Wednesday morning in a nondescript office block in West End, Bates and Souvlis are getting on with the storymaking business. Both graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Industries at QUT, the two met while working on children's TV at Channel 10 on Mount Coot-tha and decided to start out on their own. 'The industry was changing. YouTube Kids was just coming about, so I was looking at the media landscape for kids and thinking that we had something to offer,' Souvlis says. 'We were really dedicated and passionate about quality children's content that had kindness and representation at its heart.' Despite having experience in live action only they quickly became the first female Australians to be commissioned to make an animation for Sesame Street (titled 1 to 10 Hoedown). At the same time Disney commissioned them to make a 26-episode preschool series, Balloon Barnyard, about two balloon donkeys who solve problems and mysteries. The third string to their bow was a reading app for children called Kindergo, which rose to be the number one kids' app in over 30 countries. That's when Universal Pictures came knocking. 'Universal said, 'would you be interested in doing theatrical releases in Australia for Australian audiences? Can you create us a movie?'' Bates, a former teacher and children's book publisher, recalls. 'And we said, 'what if we created you a Marvel-esque universe whereby we had six to 10 films, and all of those stories wove into each other. Wouldn't that be better?' And they said, 'yeah, actually that would be better.'' The first cab off the rank in was The Wishmas Tree, both a cautionary environmental tale and a smart dive into the yuletide film market. Despite an unlikeable protagonist and a curtailed cinema release due to COVID, it got them off to a strong start. The film that followed, superhero story Combat Wombat starring Mailman, taught them a major lesson in what makes a character relatable. 'A 40-year-old, reluctant female superhero – you couldn't possibly tell where that idea came from,' Souvlis laughs. 'In the beginning, I was like, 'kids won't relate to this',' Bates says. 'But you find the heart of that hero. I mean, look at [2009 Pixar film] Up: you've got your older character and your younger character, and you feel just as strongly for the old character.' Occupying a pleasing middle ground between Hollywood and Studio Ghibli, the Sanctuary City movies are both earthily comedic ('You've gotta make 'em laugh,' Bates says) and emotionally affecting. Amid the knockabout action, Daisy Quokka portrays a child finding her own path and a parent reconciling with his estranged daughter. The Lost Tiger tackles First Nations identity in the story of a thylacine adopted by kangaroos as a baby who reconnects with his mob. Then there's The Sloth Lane – an anti-fast food quasi-zombie movie that is also a heartfelt celebration of family. With its cast including Latino and American actors, the 2024 film played on 1000 screens in both North and South America. Bates says that they feel a responsibility to tell stories about kindness, empathy and compassion. 'That there are consequences to actions. That you have responsibilities within a family or community unit. They're inherent in all of the stories that we do.' They also decided early on that continuity of work was crucial. 'We're not project-by-project; we are a pipeline,' Souvlis says. 'Our staff are the most important people that are ever going to come through our building.' They have nurtured directors including Murray, Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó. Cussó now co-runs Cosmic Dino, the studio tasked with production on the Bluey movie for Ludo, the BBC and Disney. Bates points out that the first four animated movies to be directed by women in Australia are all theirs – and all three of the filmmakers were pregnant during production. 'Being able to offer the opportunity for women to work in the industry in the way that men take for granted is really important to us.' Nor is it insignificant that their first six movies all have female protagonists. Several hissworthy villains are women too, ranging from Judith Lucy's scheming PR-agent koala in Combat Wombat to Celeste Barber's greedy archeologist in The Lost Tiger. Launching a movie business during COVID followed by a crisis in the streaming business has made them resilient, Souvlis says. 'We didn't have a lot of luck on our side when we started out, and that has made us better business people.' Loading Crucial to their success has been support from Screen Queensland through the Screen Finance Fund and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive. Its chief creative officer, Dr Belinda Burns, says companies such as Like a Photon Creative are putting Queensland on the map for animation. 'Nadine and Kristen have built a dynamic production company with a unique slate of characters and films, while also amplifying diverse voices,' she says. Any parent who has despaired at the hold that YouTube Kids has on young viewers should rejoice that children's screen entertainment still has passionate advocates. Yet it's a rapidly shrinking genre, internationally and locally. 'There are no buyers in Australia, really, because we don't have any quotas,' Souvlis laments. Nevertheless, the Photons are poised for greater success. Their next film, Pout-Pout Fish: The Movie, is in the can. Based on a New York Times best-selling picture book, and nearly double the budget of any previous LAPC film, its voice cast includes Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Jordin Sparks and Miranda Otto. It's being made in collaboration with another female-owned production house, New York-based MIMO Studios. So is another film based on a major children's book, Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort, currently in production for a 2026 release under director Allison Brownmore. Just like Daisy Quokka, creative people in Brisbane are used to being underestimated and overlooked. But Bates believes it's precisely this that has given them the drive to succeed. 'It's because we are underdogs, right? Because we aren't having opportunities handed to us,' she says. 'We have been called 'regional filmmakers' before,' Souvlis laughs. 'People come here and go, 'Oh! There's a city here!''
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Execution date set for man who abducted woman from a Florida insurance office and killed her
A man who abducted a woman from a Florida insurance office and killed her is scheduled for execution in Florida under a death warrant signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Kayle Bates is set to die Aug. 19 in the 10th execution scheduled for this year. DeSantis signed the warrant Friday, just three days after the state executed Michael Bell for fatally shooting two people outside a Florida bar in 1993 as part of an attempted revenge killing. Bell was the 26th person to die by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., exceeding the 25 executions carried out last year. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death. Bates, now 67, was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White. Bates abducted White from the State Farm insurance office where she worked, took her into some woods behind the building, attempted to rape her, stabbed her to death, and tore a diamond ring from one of her fingers, according to a letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier summarizing the history of the case. Bates' attorney, James Driscoll Jr., said in a phone call Saturday that he would be filing further appeals in the case. 'We believe his execution would violate the U.S. constitution,' he said.
