BRAZILIAN EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, SUMMER 1971

TRAINING INCLUDED TOURS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC"S TURBINE PLANT & LABORATORIES,NIAGARA-MOHAWK FACILITIES IN ALBANY & SYRACUSE,NEW YORK POWER POOL,AND THE ROBERT MOSES POWER PLANT. REGULAR CLASSES WERE HELD,WITH READING AND ASSIGNMENTS DONE BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AND AT HOME. BASED ON CRITIQUES BY PARTICIPANTS,CONVERSATIONS WITH INSTRUCTORS,AND PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS, THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE BY THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR,ASSUMING THAT NEXT YEAR"S GROUP WILL HAVE THE SAME BACKGROUND AND TRAINING AS THE PRESENT GROUP. EMPHASIS SHOULD BE REDISTRIBUTED AMONG THE SUBJECTS TAUGHT,WITH REDUCED TIME FOR ENGINEERING ECONOMICS,MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES,& MARKETING; AND INCREASED TIME FOR ACTION IMPLEMENTATION,DECISION MODELS,COMPUTERS,STRATEGY,AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING. MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES,ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY,AND STRATEGY SHOULD BE TAUGHT CONSECUTIVELY. READING ASSIGNMENTS IN ACCOUNTING,FINANCE,& ENGINEERING ECONOMICS SHOULD MORE CLOSELY FOLLOW MATERIAL TAUGHT IN CLASS. THE TOUR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC SHOULD BE CANCELLED AND PERHAPS REPLACED BY A TOUR TO THE NIAGARA-MOHAWK ATOMIC POWER PLANT. CASES AND ARTICLES RECEIVING LOW RATINGS SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH NEVER AND BETTER MATERIAL. EXECUTIVES FROM AMERICAN ELECTRIC UTILITY COMPANIES SHOULD BE INVITED TO ADDRESS THE CLASS,WITH TIME ALLOWED FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS. RPI PROFESSORS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO LEARN PORTUGUESE. TWO MORE PROFESSORS WITH GOOD ENGLISH PROFICIENCY FROM THE GETULIO VARGAS FOUNDATION SHOULD PARTICIPATE,ONE IN THE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE AREA. THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR CONCLUDES THAT THE 1971 MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHED MOST OF THE DESIRED GOALS. THE ENGLISH COURSE IN WASHINGTON PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IN TROY WAS CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL AS IT SUCCEEDED IN MINIMIZING LANGUAGE PROBLEMS. THE PRELIMINARY 2-WEEK TRAINING COURSE AT THE GETULIO VARGAS FOUNDATION WAS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE GROUP.