Darden Launches Website to Share Practical Business Knowledge

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business has launched a website, Darden Ideas to Action, to share business knowledge – research, analysis and commentary – from Darden’s highly acclaimed faculty.

The site, launched Thursday, presents information on an array of business topics, including accounting, finance, leadership, strategy, operations, entrepreneurship, innovation, growth and global markets, among others, offering forward-thinking business leaders ideas they can immediately put into action in the workplace.

“At Darden, we focus on the challenges executives face every day in the business world,” said S. Venkataraman, Darden’s senior associate dean for faculty and research. “We believe the information gathered on Darden Ideas to Action – culled from books, research papers and case studies written by Darden faculty, as well as insights from Darden’s 10 research Centers of Excellence, and conferences and events sponsored by the school – will inspire and equip managers with new knowledge and skills as they lead organizations in today’s complex, global world.”

Darden Ideas to Action will deliver a steady stream of practical articles, such as how to:  

• Assess the three critical factors of strategy;
• Forecast to predict possible outcomes of your decisions;
• Determine the best time of day to place earnings calls;
• Address diversity by “leveraging difference”; and
• Use design thinking to solve problems and innovate

Case studies on the site are sourced from Darden Business Publishing, which sells case studies and technical and teaching notes from its case collection, the second-largest of any business school in the U.S. A hallmark of the Darden experience, the case method prepares students for responsible leadership by presenting them with real-world business challenges and putting them in the role of the decision-maker, who must analyze the situation and recommend solutions.

Darden Ideas to Action also invites input from practicing managers. Visitors to the site are invited to share their real-world business challenges with Darden’s faculty members through the “Ask the Experts” page. All submissions will be considered, and individuals will be notified if a professor publishes an article in response to their business challenges.

“Darden’s faculty members are thought leaders whose ideas shape the way the world does business,” Venkataraman said. “Ideas to Action will share many of these insights with the world and reinforce our strong and vibrant connection to the practicing manager.”