The seminar, led by MSU College of Business faculty member Laura Black and Interim Dean Dan Moshavi, features an innovative blend of practical experience and hands-on, interactive demonstrations designed to help participants better understand why people resist change, actively or passively, when different types of workplace initiatives are introduced.

"Managing change inside an organization is an incredibly challenging task," said Dr. Black. "Our goal is to provide some useful tools and skills to help managers move their organizations forward cohesively."

Executives from local businesses including RightNow Technologies, Scientific Materials Corp., Bacterin and Delaware North, as well as mid- and senior-level managers and department heads from Montana State University, will advance their abilities to effectively implement change initiatives as they practice a variety of tools and methods for communicating their own ideas and facilitating constructive conversations with others.

"We are delighted to have local executives from industry as well as the MSU community participating in this seminar," said seminar leader Dan Moshavi, interim dean of the College of Business at MSU. "Dr. Black and I look forward to helping these executives equip themselves with strategies designed to effectively manage change in the workplace, improve employee interactions and encourage buy-in."

Both Dr. Black and Dr. Moshavi bring extensive business experience to their roles as seminar leaders. Dr. Black received her Ph.D. from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and brings internal and external consulting experience as well as research focused on collaborative practices, particularly in the context of new product development and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Moshavi received his Ph.D. in management and organizational studies from the University of Oregon. Dr. Moshavi has an active consulting practice that focuses on helping organizations manage their critical "touch points" with both employees and customers. He has worked with both public and private sector organizations (including Nike, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MT, Computers Unlimited, Montana State University Extension Services, and the City of Bozeman) in such areas as creating dynamic customer interactions, enhancing employee engagement, breaking down silos, and developing high-impact interpersonal communications tools.

The MSU Management Institute was developed by the MSU College of Business to offer executive education designed for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West. These professional development opportunities give participants real-world insights and a deeper understanding of business principles that can be applied immediately to their ventures.

"The faculty now assembled at the College of Business has a broad skill set and executive education experience which made the time right for us to offer high-quality, affordable executive education programs right here in Bozeman," said Rich Semenik, professor of marketing at the College of Business and director of the MSU Management Institute.

The next MSU Management Institute seminar, entitled "Strategies for Developing and Managing Your Brand for Market Impact," is scheduled for April 24, 2009 and will be led Dr. Semenik. This unique session focuses on strategies to develop and manage a company s brand for maximum market impact. The course format provides insights into branding "best practices" and also uses hands-on brand development and management exercises which will result in brand strategy ideas that can be implemented immediately.

To find out more about the MSU Management Institute, go to http://www.montana.edu/cob/ManagementInstitute/, call Lisa Daniels at (406) 994-1874, or send an email inquiry to MSUmanagementinstitute@montana.edu.