School of Business

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Dean

Yunn K. Kang, MBA

Associate Professor

John A. Covone, MBA

Assistant Professor

Phillip K. Feather, MEd
Stephen Haney, MBA

Adjunct Faculty

Zachary B. Bingaman, MBA
Derek T. Cooper, PhD
Timothy K. Hui, JD
Robert B. Kramer, DMin
David Marks, MS
Megan McInnis, MEd
O. Kenneth McClellan, MBA
John Mesher, JD
Frank Robinson, MBA
Emir Ruiz Esparza, EdD
Graham Thorpe, MBA
David Tideman, JD

The School

In America today, more business degrees are conferred upon college graduates than any other degrees. But succeeding in business is about more than getting a job, and the marketplace needs more than graduates with business degrees. Business is influential, and people in business shape the world we live in.

Students who are serious about their faith and want to be successful business leaders, managers, or entrepreneurs can bring those commitments together at Cairn.

Students in the School of Business receive an education that prepares them professionally and personally through the development of business skills, ethics, integrity, and character. A biblical worldview is integrated in every subject, whether business communications, accounting, or organizational leadership.

On both the undergraduate and graduate levels, students are mentored by faculty with business and leadership experience. Faculty instill and encourage initiative, responsibility, creativity, and the application of wisdom in and out of the classroom. Practical business experience through internships, student groups, and employment strengthen the business education at Cairn. Graduates of the School of Business serve in for-profit and nonprofit business careers.

Mission Statement

The School of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs that aspire to educate students to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world by integrating the business skills learning process with a biblical worldview to produce biblically minded, well-educated, and professionally competent men and women of character.

The mission statement is realized by pursuing the following major goals in all of the school’s programs:

• Admitting students from diverse backgrounds with high leadership potential
• Engaging students with a powerful Christian developmental experience using a nurturing educational process
• Fostering a biblical world/life perspective grounded in ethical standards, a global outlook, deep functional knowledge, and a commitment to lifelong learning
• Developing programs that foster intellectual and spiritual maturity, leadership potential, and a global view of missions
• Sustaining an environment that attracts, develops, and retains the finest faculty in the world for this purpose
   

The Programs

The School of Business offers the following graduate programs:

• Business Administration (MBA)
• Data Analytics (MBA)
• Marketing (MBA)
• Nonprofit Management (MS)
• Strategic Management and Leadership (MS)

While these programs are complementary, they are different in their focus, purpose, and curriculum. The Strategic Management and Leadership program combines the human side of the enterprise with the operations, while the focus of the MBA programs is on the functional (business) side of the enterprise. The Nonprofit Management program applies the same competencies as the other programs to the nonprofit and social sectors.

Business Administration, Data Analytics, and Marketing

The purpose of the MBA programs is to ensure graduates will understand the multicultural, political, legal, and regulatory business environments and comprehend critical functional business areas.

The MBA programs offers courses in:

• Effective Organizations
• Decision Analytics
• Finance
• Marketing
• Operations
• Global Business
• The Legal Environment of Business
• Strategy

The MBA degree can be customized by using the elective courses for concentrations in organizational development, organizational culture, nonprofit management, human resources, innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship (on campus time required), or strategic planning and management (on campus time required).

MBA Program Objectives

Business Competence
Students will demonstrate understanding of core business subjects such as operations, finance, strategy, marketing, and leadership.

Leadership and Teamwork
Students will gain the skills needed to succeed as leaders and managers of diverse teams, and apply biblical and ethical values.

Biblical Foundation
Students will apply biblical principles as the foundational core for their business decisions and actions.

Decisive Action
Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate and apply appropriate and relevant decision-making tools and principles, and then follow through on their decisions with action.

Effective Communication
Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in business interactions of various types.

Nonprofit Management

The Nonprofit Leadership (MS) program prepares students to be effective leaders, not just managers, of nonprofit organizations. The program is offered in a combination of online, hybrid, and experiential courses and can be completed in 20 months. The program combines organizational leadership courses with nonprofit management and strategy courses to prepare leaders to direct nonprofit organizations, social ventures, and other agencies with innovation and excellence. The program trains leaders in finance, strategy, leadership, and other business competencies as they apply to a nonprofit or social organization. The program culminates in a capstone leadership practicum to put the skills learned to use in a real-world environment.

The program offers courses in:

• Nonprofit Innovation
• Best Practices in Nonprofit Organizations
• Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
• Leading in Complex Environments
• Action Research
• Fundraising and Development
• Leadership Capstone

Nonprofit Management Program Objectives

Organizational Effectiveness
Students will demonstrate and apply the skills and understanding of how to scale the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations.

Management Competence
Students will demonstrate understanding of core business subjects such as finance, strategy, and leadership.

Leadership and Teamwork
Students will demonstrate the skills needed to succeed as leaders and managers of diverse teams, and apply biblical and ethical values.

Biblical Foundation
Students will employ biblical principles as the foundational core for their business decisions and actions.

Decisive Action
Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate and apply appropriate and relevant decision-making tools and principles, conduct research and analyze results, and follow through on their decisions with action.

Effective Communication
Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in organizational interactions of various types.

Strategic Management and Leadership

Churches, schools, parachurch organizations, social service agencies, businesses, and hospitals meet people’s needs by providing a variety of services and products. While each organization has a specialized function, unique culture, and diverse resources, there are also a significant number of similarities, including complex human and political dynamics, diverse values and goals, and specialized technologies and skills. Christians in positions of leadership need to develop the skills required to work in collaboration with diverse groups of people, create a healthy and productive environment, and cultivate transformational change that leads to long-term viability and effectiveness.

This program is designed for professionals who desire a better understanding of organizational dynamics and who value collaboration with and insight from experienced peers. The educational approach of this program recognizes that all adult students possess insight and experience which, when shared with others, is a valuable contribution to the overall learning process. Students are provided with an environment that encourages reflection, innovation, dialogue, interdependency, and skill development.

The purpose of the Strategic Management and Leadership (MS) program is to contribute to the development of professionally effective and relationally healthy Christian leaders locally, regionally, and internationally.

The program offers courses in:

• Effective Organizations
• Leading in Complex Environments
• Organizational Culture and Change
• Systems Thinking
• Strategy
• Action Research
• Leadership Capstone

Strategic Management and Leadership Program Objectives

Human Dignity and Diversity
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the critical importance of human beings, human dignity, and human values, as bearers of God’s image, and the richness that human diversity brings to organizations.

Personal Character and Credibility
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the critical nature of strong personal character and credibility in exemplifying good leadership. Students will demonstrate an integration of a biblical worldview of organizational leadership into life and practice.

Effective Communication
Students will be able to demonstrate effective communication and presentation skills in an organizational setting, as well as the ability to apply facilitation and consultation skills in appropriate situations.

Organizational Assessment and Intervention
Students will be able to employ organizational strategy, systems thinking, and intervention skills, as well as critical assessment, critical thinking, diagnostic and research skills, and reflective practice skills to their decision-making and leadership development.

Decisive Action
Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate and apply appropriate and relevant decision-making tools and principles, conduct research and analyze results, and follow through on their decisions with action.

Managerial Competence
Students will demonstrate understanding of core business subjects such as operations, strategy, and leadership.

Related Program Information

Delivery Methods

The graduate programs in the School of Business are designed to accommodate working professionals by providing various program delivery options. Classes are held on Cairn’s Langhorne campus and are conducted in hybrid online/onsite sessions and seven-week modules. Seven-week modules meet one night a week for three hours during the fall and spring semesters.

Incorporating state-of-the-art technology, all graduate courses are web-enabled and designed to incorporate Cairn’s online course management site, eLearning. This site is used for online learning collaborative activities, for posting learning materials, and for course work submissions. Students will research pertinent topics and/or discussion questions, post results to forums, and engage each other in meaningful dialogue. Additionally, students are placed in learning teams and use the eLearning site to collaborate on project activities, presentations, and participate in group discussions.

Student Profile

One of the enriching elements of the programs is the diversity within the student body. Such diversity provides the opportunity for exposure to unique experiences and perceptions, as well as valuable interaction which benefits all participants.

Career diversity: Students work in varied leadership roles in churches, businesses, nonprofit organizations, government, and education.

Ethnic diversity: In a typical class, ethnic diversity is Asian, 8%; Black or African-American, 20%; White, 34%; International, 24%;  Other, 10%; Two or more races, 4%.

Age diversity: The average age of students in the programs is 33. Students’ ages range from the mid-twenties to the early sixties.

Gender diversity: The average class is approximately 46% female and 54% male.

Church diversity: Students in the programs are evangelical in their doctrine and come from diverse church backgrounds, including Baptist, Assemblies of God, Bible Fellowship, Calvary Chapel, and Presbyterian.

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