management blog

The end of management as we knew it

Ravi Mattu — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:19:41 +0000

The death of the FT Management Blog

Continue reading: The end of management as we knew it

Don’t ask business to save the world

Stefan Stern — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:24:02 +0000

I always look forward to Michael Maccoby’s visits to London. He is a wise and insightful observer of the world. I reviewed his most recent book The Leaders We Need for the FT a couple of years ago.

Last week he was in town, and he told me about the senior corporate executive who had once said to him: “Don’t ask business to save the world.” What the executive meant was that all the talk of do-gooding, of CSR, of ethical business, was all very well. But in the end private sector businesses have to make a proft to survive, and nothing can get in the way of that.

Continue reading: Don’t ask business to save the world

What a way to run a country

Stefan Stern — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:38:40 +0000

I wonder what those business leaders, who lent their names to various political campaigns in the run-up to the British election, feel about the negotiations that have gone on these past few days in London? Did they strike them as being businesslike, orderly, professional? Is this how they would like to hand over power to their successors?

Business and politics rarely mix well, as I have noted here before. The last five days have only served to confirm me in that view. I wonder if businesspeople will be so quick to come forward to support any of the parties before the next election, whenever it is.

Continue reading: What a way to run a country

Sex in the office with Lucy Kellaway

Ravi Mattu — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:34:18 +0000

Sex in the office with Lucy Kellaway

Continue reading: Sex in the office with Lucy Kellaway

Los Suns: the business of sport branding

Ravi Mattu — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:13:05 +0000

The Phoenix Suns, the NBA basketball team in the midst of the playoffs, played last night’s game in jerseys that changed their name from The Suns to “Los Suns” in protest against the state of Arizona’s new immigration law.

It’s a pretty radical step for a mom-and-pop brand but it may have worked: they won the game against the San Antonio Spurs (who would have altered their uniforms if they had had enough time to) to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.

Continue reading: Los Suns: the business of sport branding

Harvard’s Nitin Nohria: what does this appointment mean?

Stefan Stern — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:48:49 +0000

Well done Harvard. That is my immediate reaction to yesterday’s news that Nitin Nohria, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, will be taking over as the schools’s new dean on July 1. He is not the “safety first” candidate. He is on the record as having declared – in the Harvard Business Review, no less – that managers have “lost legitimacy” in the wake of corporate scandals, and that business has a lot of work to do to win back the public’s trust.

Together with his colleague Rakesh Khurana, Prof Nohria has challenged the orthodoxy that claimed there was little wrong with the conventional MBA syllabus or with the approach taken by the élite business schools. Both of these things played a part in contributing to the over-confident mentality which dominated business and finance, and which led to the great financial crisis. By appointing Prof Nohria, Harvard University has signalled that it is not frightened of debate, or reform – indeed, it wants to play a leading role in both these activities.

Continue reading: Harvard’s Nitin Nohria: what does this appointment mean?

Breaking – Nitin Nohria to be new Harvard Business School Dean

Stefan Stern — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:58:19 +0000

Just about to take part in a conference call with Harvard President Drew Faust and Professor Nitin Nohria, who has today been named as the new Dean of Harvard Business School. He will take over on July 1.

This is an exciting appointment. Prof Nohria, with his colleague Rakesh Khurana, has led a vigorous debate on business ethics and the need to reform the MBA.

Continue reading: Breaking – Nitin Nohria to be new Harvard Business School Dean

Time’s 100 most influential people

Ravi Mattu — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:34:43 +0000

Time's 100 most influential people, Prudential's Tijane Thiam and Bob Geldof

Continue reading: Time’s 100 most influential people

The beginning of the end of the Happy Meal?

Ravi Mattu — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:16:32 +0000

The end of the Happy Meal?

Continue reading: The beginning of the end of the Happy Meal?

Three cheers for the exec who defends business class

Ravi Mattu — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:10:36 +0000

Hooray for Alan Yentob defends flying business class

Continue reading: Three cheers for the exec who defends business class