Business schools in the wake of technological revolution
In response to Desautels Professor Henry Mintzberg’s oft-quoted assertion that that no direct link exists between leadership education and business success, an article for HR Magazine argues that business schools can indeed prepare the leaders of tomorrow to thrive in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Scholars weigh in on National Security Strategy
In the next few days, the Trump administration will likely release its first National Security Strategy (NSS). In the lead-up to publication, many are turning to academic perspectives, such as those put forward by Desautels Professor Henry Mintzberg, to evaluate its viability.
Workplace communities for better business
In an article that explores the importance of building a community in the workplace, the author cites Desautels professor Henry Mintzberg’s conception of “communityship”, a distributed form of management that engages and unites employees across levels.
For the author, building workplace communities where individuals care about one another on a human level will reap larger benefits for businesses in the long-term.Â
When “MORE” becomes too much
In a recent blog post, Desautels professor Henry Mintzberg issues a call for society to disavow its quest for “MORE”, which is destroying our businesses, communities, and planet, to refocus on improvement, or the “better”, as he puts it.
For Mintzberg, today’s enterprises have lost sight of what is right in favor of excess and greed, but there are many ways in which businesses can transition to operate and thrive responsibly.Â
To lead is to manage; to manage is to lead
A piece for The Star Kenya tackles the age-old question of whether managers can also be leaders and cites Desautels professor Henry Mintzberg’s view that the two are not mutually exclusive.
Indeed, for Mintzberg, “management without leadership is sterile; leadership without management is disconnected and encourages hubris.”
How management can function amid unpredictability
In an article that explores how managers can adapt under circumstances that defy predictability or norms, the author cites Professor Henry Mintzberg’s discussion of Honda’s entrance into the North American market as an example of unpredictability in business.
Indeed, Honda’s success in North America was a phenomenon that resulted from forces that could not be ascertained or mastered a priori.
Moving away from sports analogies in business
A piece for Forbes.com argues that good management is not akin to a competitive sport, and that managing a company as if it were can yield disastrous results. The sports analogy often used in business promotes the extreme use of resources to create rapid growth, which seems to invariably lead to collapse.
Peter High on strategy, adaptation and integrative thinking
In a piece for Forbes.com, Peter High, President of Metis Strategy, cites Professor Henry Mintzberg to assert that societal change has always been perceived as occurring at lightning speed, and that it is common tendency to believe that the present is different from the past, as it is unresolved by nature.
How business can lead change in South Africa
An opinion piece for News24 argues that, in general, business leaders in South Africa have been heavily influenced by greed, showing little interest in using their resources for improving the nation’s socio-political context.
Beef cattle management includes pregnancy checks
A piece in the Coshocton Tribune delves into the subject of fall-season beef herds and how to decide whether to cull a female. Pregnancy status can be the determining factor, since caring for a cow can cost $1,000 per year. If a cow isn’t a good bet for breeding, it might be better to sell it off or harvest the meat. Since a cow isn’t fully mature until the age of four, good nutrition is crucial for cows that are being aimed at breeding while they are themselves still developing.
Wisdom, comfort zones and Henry Mintzberg
A recent piece in India’s Free Press Journal delves into wisdom and the six parameters listed in the ancient Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. The parameters include listening intently and gaining a full understanding of something before jumping into action, being able to hold forth on seminal books, having a quick mind and so on. Loyalty is also listed as a big factor, as is openness to change.
Management and Mintzberg’s Five Ps of Strategy
Executive Coach Robert Mandeya writes for the Zimbabwe Independent that organisations live and die by the strategic decisions that their top executives make, and that strategic management is not necessarily the same as strategy. Using Apple’s iPad2 as an example, he delves into the formal tools that help us get a handle on the relationship among factors like executive decision-makers, their companies, and their industries.
Giving disruption a new face
A recent article in Forbes India looks at the buzz-concept of disruption, and how many companies are caught up in a disrupt-or-die philosophy.
When the idea of disruption was first floated in the early 20th century, it reflected the standard market movements of the day; today’s lightning-fast disruption cycle has completely turned the old concept of “normal” on its ear. But is disruption just a by-product of the modern world?
New international sustainability test module based on Mintzberg book announced
The Sustainability Literacy Test (aka “Sulitest”) is both a non-profit and a method for verifying sustainability know-how across the globe. It is the work of an international cadre of academics and business professionals alike, mandated by the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012.
Jose Carlos Marques Finalist for 2017 AOM SIM Dissertation Award
The dissertation of Desautels PhD alumnus Jose Carlos Marques (PhD'17) was selected as one of the three finalists for the Academy of Management Social Issues in Management Best Dissertation Award 2017.
