Skip to Content
  • Canvas
  • Baker Mail
  • My Baker
Baker College
  • (855) 487-7888
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Request Info
Apply Visit Request Info
  • Degrees
    • Bachelor’s
      • Bachelor Degrees
      • Areas of study
        • Health Science
          • Health Science Bachelor’s
            • Healthcare Administration
            • Radiation Therapy
            • See All Health Science Degrees
        • Business
          • Business bachelor’s
            • Accounting
            • Business Administration
            • Finance
            • Human Resource Management
            • Logistics
            • Management
            • Marketing
            • See All Business Degrees
        • IT & Engineering
          • IT & Engineering Bachelor’s
            • Computer Science (Computer Programming)
            • Computer Science (Data Analytics)
            • Game Software Development
            • Information Systems (Information Assurance)
            • Information Systems (Project Management)
            • Information Systems (Web Development)
            • Information Technology and Cybersecurity
            • See All IT & Engineering Degrees
        • Nursing
          • Nursing Bachelor’s
            • Nursing Traditional
            • Accelerated Nursing
            • Nursing (Post-Licensure)
            • See All Nursing Degrees
        • Occupational Therapy
          • Occupational Therapy bachelor’s
            • Pre-Occupational Therapy
            • See All Occupational Therapy Degrees
        • Social Science
          • Social Science bachelor’s
            • Criminal Justice (Criminal Justice Studies)
            • Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)
            • Human Services
            • Psychology
            • See All Social Science Degrees
        • Liberal Arts & Sciences
          • Liberal Arts and Sciences bachelor’s
            • General Science
            • General Studies
            • See All Liberal Arts and Sciences Degrees
        • Education
          • Education bachelor’s
            • Early Childhood Education
            • See All Education Degrees
        • See Full Program List
    • Master’s
      • Master Degrees
      • Areas of Study
        • Business
          • Business Master’s
            • Accounting
            • Business Administration
            • Business Intelligence
            • Finance
            • Healthcare Management
            • Human Resource Management
            • Information Systems
            • Leadership Studies
            • See All Business Degrees
        • IT & Engineering
          • It & Engineering MASTER’S
            • Information Systems (MS)
            • See All IT & Engineering Degrees
        • Nursing
          • Nursing MASTER’S
            • Nursing Administration
            • Nursing Education
            • See All Nursing Degrees
        • Occupational Therapy
          • Occupational Therapy MASTER’S
            • Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
            • See All Occupational Therapy Degrees
        • Social Science
          • Social Science MASTER’S
            • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
            • See All Social Science Degrees
        • See Full Program List
    • Doctoral
      • Doctoral Degrees
      • Areas of Study
        • Business
          • Business doctorates
            • Business Administration (DBA)
            • Business Administration – ABD
            • See All Business Degrees
        • See Full Program List
    • Associate
      • Associate Degrees
      • Areas of Study
        • Health Science
          • HEALTH SCIENCE ASSOCIATE
            • Cardiac Sonography
            • Diagnostic Sonography
            • Health Information Technology
            • Physical Therapist Assistant
            • Radiologic Technology
            • Surgical Technology
            • Veterinary Technology
            • See All Health Science Degrees
        • IT & Engineering
          • It & Engineering Associate
            • Mechatronics
            • See All IT & Engineering Degrees
        • Occupational Therapy
          • Occupational Therapy Associate
            • Occupational Therapy Assistant
            • See All Occupational Therapy Degrees
        • Social Science
          • Social Science Associate
            • Criminal Justice (Criminal Justice Studies)
            • Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)
            • See All Social Science Degrees
        • Liberal Arts and Sciences
          • Liberal Arts and Sciences Associate
            • General Studies
            • See All Liberal Arts and Sciences Degrees
        • Education
          • Education Associate
            • Early Childhood Education
            • See All Education Degrees
      • Affiliated Programs
        • Culinary
          • Culinary Associate
            • Baking and Pastry
            • Culinary Arts
            • Food and Beverage Management
            • See All Culinary Degrees
        • Auto Diesel
          • Auto Diesel Associate
            • Automotive Services Technology
            • Diesel Service Technology
            • See All Auto Diesel Degrees
        • See Full Program List
    • Certificates
      • Certificates
      • Areas of Study
        • Health Science
          • Health Science Certificates
            • Medical Assistant
            • See All Health Science Degrees
      • Affiliated Programs
        • Auto Diesel
          • Auto Diesel Certificates
            • Automotive Services Technology
            • Diesel Service Technology
            • Welding
            • See All Auto Diesel Degrees
        • See Full Program List
  • Admissions
    • Admissions
    • STUDENTS
      • Transfer
      • Graduate
      • Adult
      • Active Duty Military
      • Veteran
      • Returning
      • High School
      • International
    • OVERVIEW
      • Applying to Baker
      • Undergraduate Application Process & Requirements
      • Graduate Application Process & Requirements
    • Special Programs
      • Health Science Direct Admissions
      • RunningStart
      • View Admissions Department Home
  • Tuition & Aid
    • Tuition & Aid
    • PAYING FOR SCHOOL
      • Tuition
      • Net Price Calculator
    • Ways to Save
      • BeFree Tuition Guarantee
      • College Credit for Work and Life Experience
      • Financial Aid
      • Grants
      • Scholarships
      • See Tuition & Aid
  • Student Life & Services
    • Student life & Services
    • Life on Campus
      • Student Life
      • Housing
      • Campus Safety
    • Student Services
      • Bookstore
      • OneStop
      • Academic Resource Center
      • Learning Support Services
      • Disability Services
      • See All Resources
  • News & Events
    • News & Events
    • At Baker College
      • News
      • Blog
      • Events
  • About Baker College
    • About Baker College
    • Explore
      • Office of the President
      • Accreditation
      • History
      • Nonprofit
      • Careers at Baker College
      • Modern [email protected]
      • Get to Know Us
  • Tools & Resources
    • Tools
    • Academic Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Catalog
      • Full Course List
      • Student Handbook
    • Job Readiness Resources
      • Career Services
      • Transcripts
      • Handshake Hiring Program
      • See All Tools & Resources
  • Campuses
    • Campuses
    • Michigan Campuses
      • Cadillac
      • Muskegon
      • Owosso
      • Jackson
      • Royal Oak
      • Campus Maps
      • See All Learning Options
    • Online Campuses
      • Baker Online
      • Online Live
    • Affiliated Institutions
      • Culinary Institute of Michigan
      • Auto / Diesel Institute
  • Current Students
    • Canvas
    • Baker Mail
    • My Baker

Blog

  • About Baker
  • Get to Know Us
  • Blog
  • Agile Leadership in the Digital Age: Critical Thinking, Innovation, and the Co-creation of Knowledge
Filter by
Filter By:
Cancel Apply
Center for Graduate Studies

Agile Leadership in the Digital Age: Critical Thinking, Innovation, and the Co-creation of Knowledge

By: John Vinton, Ph.D.
February 12, 2020
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Linkedin
Email Print

Group of four business leaders discussion strategy in an office.

The next ten years will be radically different than the last with exponential change occurring in technology, globalization, and the environment. Technology will have a significant impact on the nature of work and employment. Complex global supply chains will dictate where value is added, profits accrue, and wealth is distributed. Environmental changes will intensify economic and social impacts. All three trends will create disruption as well as opportunities for innovation.

What must business leaders do to navigate these accelerating changes?

They must integrate critical thinking into decision making.

Baker College DBA graduate Timothy Scheid described how challenges facing today’s decision makers require the integration of critical thinking with executive decision making. In his dissertation, entitled Integrating a Formalized Critical Thinking Model with Executive Decision Making, he described critical thinking as a formal process not a personal attribute. Everyone imagines him or herself as thinking critically, but few reflect before acting, examine his or her underlying assumptions, remain open to others’ thoughts, or gain as complete a picture as possible before taking action.

As the pace of change increases exponentially and with cognitive and data analytic functions being outsourced to computers, the temptation is to skip these key steps in the critical thinking process. Separating signal from noise, fact from opinion, and assertion from argument is more important than ever. Formal education, therefore, with its emphasis on critical thinking has a role to play. For that reason among others, a close collaboration between scholar and practitioner is essential in the digital age.

They must innovate.

Formal education is also important as a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship as another Baker College DBA graduate has found. Ralph Griffith’s dissertation entitled The Factors that Influence an Entrepreneur’s Decision to Seek Formal Education concluded that “Tailoring entrepreneurship curricula to traditional disciplines is ineffective. Close relationships need to be developed with industry experts, advisory boards, and alumni in order to understand the needs of entrepreneurs in a dynamic business environment and to change curricula to reflect the market.” His research on entrepreneurship led to his appointment as Assistant Prof. of Entrepreneurship at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Since joining the University, he has developed two new majors (Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship) and founded the Center for Commercial and Social Entrepreneurship (CCSE) and an on-campus business incubator, Innov828, which commercialized six products and two patents in the last year. He has also taught at different universities through a unique entrepreneurship program called Summerfuel. This program takes the brightest students from around the world and places them at a new university each year for 5 weeks of instruction.

The last three years he has had the experience of teaching at Yale University in the famous Harkness Hall, Stanford University, and this past year at Oxford University in the UK. Ralph is currently a finalist for a Fulbright fellowship to Germany. His work demonstrates that business education can catalyze innovation. Business educators must partner with business leaders to innovate.

They must co-create knowledge.

Exponential change places a special burden on business education and makes it all the more important that a close collaboration occur between academics and practitioners.  David Gomez, for example, while a student and a senior manager at an airline hub applied knowledge gained in his BUS 8130 Quality Improvement and Organizational Change class to move the ranking of the airline from fourth to first in how baggage was handled as measured by the Department of Transportation. Turnaround time at airports is a critical metric for airlines and can lead to significant fines if not properly handled.

Academics need to value the contributions that practitioners make in identifying and solving problems and adding to our understanding and practitioners need to see how theory can inform action.

The Baker College DBA program can play an important role in preparing agile and resilient business leaders for the coming decade.  With its support for reflective practice and critical thinking, its pedagogy of learner-centered instruction, collaboration, and engagement, and its support for applied research and lifelong learning, Baker’s DBA program is well positioned to prepare leaders for the exponential change that lies ahead.

Over a forty-year academic career, Dr. Vinton has held leadership and teaching positions at the University of Southern California, Hamline University, Metropolitan State University, Walden University, and Baker College. Recently, he has been interested in creating new programs for mid-career working adults who seek graduate and undergraduate degrees in Management and Business through distance education, and creating learning networks and virtual communities. He has also created several international partnerships with institutions in Mexico, Latin America, and Europe.

Dr. Vinton received his BA degree in Economics from Carleton College, an MA degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. degree in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University.

Image of John Vinton, Ph.D.
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Linkedin
Email Print

Follow Baker College

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Filter by Tag

Filter by Tag

Recent Blog Entries

Center for Graduate Studies
Celebrating Diversity: Let’s Natu Natu*
Read More
Center for Graduate Studies
#WithUsNotForUs: Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day 2023
Read More
Center for Graduate Studies
Celebrate Women’s History Month With Baker College!
Read More
We're Here to Help
Ready to take the next step?

Contact us today to speak with a
Baker admissions expert.












reCAPTCHA helps prevent automated form spam.
The submit button will be disabled until you complete the CAPTCHA.


By clicking submit, I give Baker College my consent to use automated technology to call, text and e-mail me using the contact information above regarding educational services at the numbers provided above, including my wireless number. This consent is not required to receive educational services

Admissions

  • Apply
  • Online
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • Graduate Admissions
  • Tuition & Aid
  • International Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Military Friendly
  • Running Start

About Baker

  • Schedule a Visit
  • Get to Know Us
  • Mission and Core Values
  • Accreditation
  • News
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Careers

Tools & Resources

  • Request Info
  • My Baker
  • Baker Mail
  • Bookstore
  • Academic Resource Center
  • Canvas

Contact Us

1020 S Washington St, Owosso, MI 48867

Phone: (800) 964-4299

(855)487-7888

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
  • Disclosure of Consumer Information
  • Policies And Procedures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Title IX Policy
  • ASR Health Benefits: MRF (TiC Rule)
Baker College
Baker College

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. An equal opportunity affirmative action institution. An approved institution of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC)

If you encounter an accessibility issue using this page, please contact the webmaster at [email protected].

© 2023 All rights reserved. Baker College
Let's chat! Close