Texas Tech Biz Prof Snags Harvard Business Case Study with Graphic Novel

Holy Academia! Even the likes of Batman and Superman have never dared enter the halls, or publications, of the Ivy League.  Yet Jeremy Short has adapted for the first time a case study in graphic novel format for Harvard Business School’s case collection. Short is the Jerry S. Rawls Professor of Management in Texas Tech University’s Rawls College of Business.  “To my knowledge, this is the first ever Harvard Business case published in graphic novel format,” Short said. “The co-author is Robert Austin, a faculty member at Harvard Business School. He found out about my interest in the graphic novel and contacted me about adapting a well-known Harvard Business case he had written a while back.”  The case itself, Harvard ‘iPremier (A) Denial of Service Attack (Graphic Novel Version)’ describes an IT security crisis, and raises issues of risk management, preparation for crises, management of crises, computer security and public disclosure of security risks. It is available at hbsp.harvard.edu.  The illustration team is made up of Lubbock artists, including Short’s wife, Tessa, an art major and ambassador for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, who helped with the lettering.  Short also has published the first-ever graphic novel textbook on management, which is out this summer.  The first chapter of “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed” can be viewed online. Short thinks the book, which took about four years to develop, will appeal to college students. The story in “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed” is about two college seniors starting their own restaurant called the No Cover Café. The storyline helps keep the information accessible and interesting. Short said they were able to inject a lot of humor into Atlas Black, which breaks up the material and helps students to stay focused and engaged. Both the case study and the textbook concepts were supported by Short’s peer-reviewed article, published in Business Communication Quarterly.The Graphic Novel: A “Cool” Format for Communicating to Generation Y, explores the subject of using graphic novels for teaching business. The article highlights how and why this format can be a useful tool to present management content relevant for the current generation of business students. Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu. CONTACT:Jeremy Short, professor, Rawls College of Business, (806) 833-5555, or jeremy.short@ttu.edu.