Related Departments
Related Articles
This article is from the EMU News Archive. Current EMU new is available at www.emu.edu/news
Lithuanian Student Learns Business American Style
Sigita Lukaviciute
Sigita Lukaviciute was 13 when Lithuania declared its independence from the former Soviet Union, spawning a national movement toward privatization.
Sixteen years later, most of the country’s formerly state-run businesses are privately held — with mixed success.
"A lot of them went out of business because management couldn’t keep up with the new responsibilities," she said. "And some just couldn’t be profitable."
Today, Lukaviciute is part of an exchange between her native country and the United States.
First in Program
She is the first graduate of Lithuania Christian College to enroll in the Master of Business Administration program at Eastern Mennonite University.
Meanwhile, Eastern Mennonite has consulted with Lithuania Christian in the launching of LCC’s own program, according to Allon Lefever, director of the MBA program at EMU.
Eastern Mennonite also has established a scholarship fund for LCC business graduates who want to take EMU’s master’s program.
In October, Lefever visited LCC as entrepreneur-in-residence. For a week, he taught classes, met with students and visited LCC graduates who are starting businesses.
The Lithuanian students have a hunger for free enterprise, he said.
"The students are extremely eager to hear and learn about nonautocratic leadership," Lefever said. "They’re already making a huge impact in new ways to manage."
Hunger for Business
Located in Klaipeda, a port city on the Baltic Sea, LCC has a student body of 600 from 21 Eastern European countries. English is the language of instruction and about half the students are business majors, Lefever said.
"The students are highly motivated," Lefever said. "They packed the rooms for discussion, signed up for one-on-one meetings and were full of questions about how business works in the United States."
Lefever, who founded OneMain.com Inc. and sold it to Internet provider Earthlink in 2001, took over EMU’s MBA program in 2003.
During his trip to Lithuania, Lefever met with several graduates of LCC who had started businesses, including a construction company, a Web design firm, bookstore and a consulting business.
Before independence, that was unthinkable, according to Jim Mininger, president of Lithuania Christian College.
"With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening up of free-market economies, it is possible to open your own business," Mininger said. "There is a hunger, a drive among students to establish businesses."
Those students also have a desire for an American-style MBA, he added.
LLC’s MBA program has been designed and instructors have been lined up to teach, but the program has yet to be accredited, which may take some time.
"I’m not sure if it’s a year or a year-and-a-half away," Mininger said. "That’s the nature of bureaucracy."
Changing the Culture
Lithuania has plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs, but the Soviet culture lingers, said Lukaviciute.
Managers of some Soviet-style businesses were retained when their companies were privatized, she explained.
"Managers who are older won’t talk to a young woman who wants a job," Lukaviciute said. "But the new businesses will."
These new businesses are interested in delivering superior products and services and in keeping the customer happy.
"[With Soviet-style business], if you went into a store they acted like they were doing you a favor," Lukaviciute said. "Now we are seeing improved customer service."
Under the Soviet system, Lefever explained, people didn’t look each other in the eye.
"So they are moving from that culture of fear to a culture where you’re encouraged to look at people directly and greet them," he said. "They have great enthusiasm and hope."
Lukaviciute is not sure if she wants to start her own business when she completes the program next summer.
"I know I don’t want to work for a big company," Lukaviciute said. "I’m more inclined to work for a nonprofit organization."
