The Art of Relationships

Rutgers Business School professor "Ben" Sopranzetti uses a Chinese concept of reciprocity to develop bonds with his students

by Kristen Fiani

Ben Sopranzetti
Rutgers University

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BusinessWeek asked business undergraduates to tell us about their favorite professors. Here's another installment in the series.

The Chinese philosophy of guanxi is the belief that deep relationships between people are formed through acts of reciprocity. Benito Sopranzetti, a finance professor at Rutgers Business School uses guanxi as a guiding principle in his life, and he defines his thinking with accounting lingo. "If I do you a favor, I have an asset, and you are liable to pay [me] back," he says. "That means there is always a reason for the relationship to continue, and the relationship itself creates value."

Sopranzetti, or Dr. Ben, as he is known on campus, understands the delicate guanxi between teacher and student. Because of his ability to cultivate and nurture relationships, the students in Rutgers' undergraduate business program voted Sopranzetti their favorite professor in BusinessWeek's 2006-07 survey. In exchange for his passion, Sopranzetti receives the respect of the Rutgers students and alumni, those in his "extended family." Says Sopranzetti: "I get to be around smart, young people all the time. I get paid to learn and to share what I've learned with other people. But the credit goes to my students."

On the diverse Rutgers campus, sensitivity is the key ingredient to creating guanxi, and Sopranzetti is the master chef. "When the raw material is good, the cook doesn't have to be that talented," he says. "You just have to add the right bit of seasoning." A first-generation American of Italian descent, Sopranzetti's "seasoning" is an acute awareness of different cultures and learning styles. "I try to foster an optimal learning environment sensitive to race, creed, and how people perceive information. [My goal] is to create a lecture digestible to this diverse body of people." This includes getting to know his students personally. "He knows your name, your interests, and what's best for you," says senior Kristin Pall.

International Experience

Sopranzetti learned how to finesse guanxi by traveling the world. He has done consulting work for the Angolan and Brazilian governments, and he teaches Rutgers MBAs in China every summer. Sopranzetti often references China in his lectures, relating culture to securities trade or explaining why the Chinese prefer cash to other assets. "Everything in his class has a global spin, and it's nice to have this perspective," says senior Kavan Desai. "The numbers are just numbers, but he brings a life and story to them."

Indeed, numbers come alive in Sopranzetti's Business Valuation class, where handpicked juniors build transactions models from scratch and consult with a professional mentor who works on Wall Street. Their grade for the course is solely based on a 10-minute pitch presented to their mentor and Sopranzetti. "It's as if they were actually selling their model on Wall Street," says Sopranzetti.

Critical thinking and presentation skills are further developed in Sopranzetti's Advanced Corporate Finance elective. Students study Harvard Business School cases and apply the lessons of each to a joint project with Rutgers engineering students. The engineering majors invent a product and Sopranzetti's students write a business plan, both of which are pitched to angel investors. "The kids own it, it's theirs," Sopranzetti says. "They work hard, so they don't disappoint me or themselves. It's a big responsibility."

Rutgers alum Jeff Factor appreciates this hands-off approach. "We don't get it right the first time, but Dr. Ben helps us to realize what's good, what's bad, and where we go wrong," says Factor.

Boot Camp for Job Seekers

Midsemester, Sopranzetti stops whatever he's doing in the lecture hall and conducts a test of how students perceive his courses. "I ask them, 'How can I fix it? How can I make this a better experience for you?'" Student feedback is influential in shaping how Sopranzetti structures future classes, and it's a great example of guanxi at work.

At the heart of Sopranzetti's teaching is an emphasis on professional growth. One Saturday each semester, a lecture hall is reserved for "Sopranzetti's Boot Camp." It's an eight-hour tutorial that covers topics including résumés, interviews, and proper business etiquette. Desai, a senior, approached Sopranzetti for job advice after attending Boot Camp and wasn't disappointed. "He genuinely tries to help you out," says Desai, "and he really knows what he's talking about."

Boot Camp complements LIBOR (Little Investment Bankers of Rutgers), another Wall Street breeding ground on campus. Prominent alumni return to share their experiences and explain the science behind I-banking and marketing stocks. As adviser of LIBOR, Sopranzetti nurtures the guanxi between the alumni and undergraduates.

Last year, through LIBOR, seven students landed jobs at Citigroup (C) and another four were hired at Bear Stearns (BSC). "I direct kids into a good match for their personalities, and I can identify certain skill sets and characteristics," Sopranzetti says. Outside of LIBOR, Sopranzetti uses his many contacts to help students find jobs. "It makes me happy to hook these kids up," he says.

For his efforts, Sopranzetti has received numerous awards from Rutgers, including Most Valuable Professor in 2001 and the Thomas J. Mott Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching several times. This recognition is guanxi at its best, and Sopranzetti's assets will surely increase in the future.

Kristen Fiani is an intern for BusinessWeek.