In brief

JENELLE PETRINCHUK STAFF

Asper School hosts international competition
The 2007 Manitoba International Marketing Competition (MIMC) was held in Winnipeg from Jan. 4-7. The event was hosted by the University of Manitoba’s I.H. Asper School of Business.

The competition is comprised of three parts: a computer simulation, a strategy statement and, the event that took place in Winnipeg, presentations, on which the finals are based.

The theme for the competition this year was “Business Decisions in a Marketing Environment.”

Teams from all over the world participated, including Germany, Hong Kong and Switzerland. The University of Alberta and the University of Winnipeg were also participants.

The competition also acted as a social event for business students around the world to meet and learn from each other. A wine-and-cheese night was held on Thursday, while the presentations took place on Friday with the event wrapping up Sunday morning.

The team that took home first place this year was from Loyola Marymount University located in Los Angeles, Calif..

What goes around comes around: study
A University of Manitoba study, recently published in the Jan. 2007 Journal of Applied Psychology, reveals that management that mistreats employees may eventually get what’s coming to them.

Sandy Hershcovis, lead investigator of the study, said what may be most important in a manager/employee relationship in terms of aggressive employees is how decisions are communicated. The study also indicates that “employee aggression” is related more closely to a bad supervisor instead of personality factors.

“Unfair compensation, promotion, or procedures are related to employee retaliation,” she explained in a U of M press release.

The study was conducted by summarizing 57 prior studies on the subject of workplace aggression.

Manitoba works at becoming safer
Manitoba has officially become the first province that requires “mandatory, standardized training and licensing for all security guards,” according to a Manitoba news release. The change was officially implemented on Jan. 8 and now requires more training for inhouse security guards.

In-house security guards are those hired by an employer to work exclusively for them. They can be compared to security guards that are hired by a security company to work at various locations and events, that were already covered under the training legislation.

Now all guards must complete a criminal record check, a child abuseregistry check and must complete the Manitoba security guard training program, things that weren’t previously required for in-house security guards.

Guards that can prove they have been working in security for a minimum of 3,000 hours in the past two years will not have to complete the training program.

“The improved level of training will boost the knowledge and skills of all security guards and will lead to higher levels of service and safety for the public,” commented Attorney General Dave Chomiak in the announcement on Jan. 3.

Scarves warm up to Day of Action
TESSA VANDERHART STAFF
Plans are underway for the Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) Day of Action, this Feb. 7.

UMSU held a planning meeting on Jan. 5, to make scarves and buttons in advance of the event.

A number of students showed up to the meeting to cut scarves from white fabric, for distribution at the Day of Action. The scarves are similar to the ones distributed in 2005 during the university’s contract negotiations with sessional instructors, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 3909).

UMSU president Gary Sran said that “people are wearing the scarves to imply that they’re going to be at the Day of Action.”

White was chosen, he said, as a colour that is “flashy but not yellow” — pink and black were rejected in favour of white, so that the scarves would stand out with a clear meaning even after the Day of Action.

He added that the CFS expects this to be a record year for the Day of Action — 4,000 students are expected to participate in Winnipeg alone, and CFS Manitoba has invited the local chapter of the Canadian Auto Workers Union and Manitoba Nurses’ Union.

Buttons stamped “I’ll be at the Day of Action” were circulated on campus beginning Jan. 8.

The Day of Action will take place at the Manitoba legislature, with students from the University of Winnipeg, St. Boniface College, and of course the U of M. UMSU officially participated in the Day of Action for the first time in 2005, when hundreds of students attended the event at the U of M.

In 2001, Winnipeg students occupied the federal Human Resources and Development office, as well as the premier’s office, though UMSU (then a member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations) did not participate, citing ideological differences.