I am inconsistent. I some contexts I have banned computers and more importantly smartphone use in classrooms because it became apparent that large number of students were distracted by it. It others I have allowed it because I myself like to take notes on a laptop. Here is the evidence why at least internet connections… More »
My Notes
May 14, 2014 · Management Research
How Fast Can Firms Grow?
Abstract: Building on recent research on dynamic, high-growth firms—so-called “gazelles”—this paper explores a simple question that is important in both theoretical and practical terms: What is the fastest rate at which firms can grow? Based on a sample of seven high-growth firms (Cisco, GM, IBM, Microsoft, Sears, Starbucks, and US Steel), we find that 162%… More »
CEO of Large German Publisher speaks out: Why we fear Google
This if one of the most interesting open letter I have ever read by a CEO. Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, closes his open letter: Dear Eric Schmidt, you do not need my advice, and of course I am writing here from the perspective of those concerned. As a profiteer from Google’s traffic. As… More »
March 31, 2014 · Management Teaching
What Employers value the most in MBA graduates
A recent survey of CEOs reveals what they are looking for in today’s MBA graduates:
Self-Awareness (62%)
Integrity (60%)
Cross-Cultural Competency (57%)
Team Skills (49%)
Critical Thinking (48%)
Communication (48%)
Comfort with Ambiguity and Uncertainty (41%)
Creativity (27%)
Execution (21%)
Sales (19%)
Source: PoetsandQuants.com
March 22, 2014 · Methodology Research
Another Great Example of Serendipity in Scientific Discovery
People underestimate that scientists often make progress by chance. Here is the story of researchers studying a species that has invaded Florida’s Everglades made an unanticipated discovery: deadly Florida pythons have internal GPS. “We found that Burmese pythons have navigational map and compass senses,” said Shannon Pitman of North Carolina’s Davidson College, the lead researcher… More »
March 2, 2014 · Management Teaching
SAP Founder, Hasso Platter, on the difficulty of changing a firm rather than starting a new one
Hasso Platter co-founded SAP. For the past two decades he has been involved in trying to adopt the SAP to area of internet and cheap clout computing. When asked whether it is harder to set up a new company or to steer an existing company in a new direction, he does not hesitate with his… More »
The Three Rules: How Exceptional Companies Think
In their new book, The Three Rules: How Exceptional Companies Think, Michael E. Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed carefully identified from all publicly listed American firms those firms that performed very highly over long periods of time. When they tried to find out what they had in common, they could not identify concrete behavior. What made… More »
February 18, 2014 · Innovation Research
Joel Mokyr Sees no End to Innovation
Mokyr points out the modern GDP measures are not accounting for improvements in quality of products and life. He sees no end to innovation. Basic science needs to be funded by governments because private individuals and corporations cannot appropriate the returns from these investments. He sees culture that encourages natural skepticism of students as a… More »
February 11, 2014 · Methodology Research
Improving Your Case Method Skills: Two Methodological Pieces by Michael Scriven
The philosopher and polymath Michael Scriven has written extensively on the logic of explanations. Here are two of his most valuable pieces. The first one is how one can make good inferences from single case studies and the second one one explanations in history. 1. Scriven, M. (1974). Maximizing the Power of Causal Investigations: The… More »