Arbeitspapier

On the importance of being earnest about business: overcoming liberal arts students' misconceptions about leadership in corporate change processes

Unfortunately, most students leave the university with little knowledge about decision-making in the public sector. Unless they study towards a management degree, most students experience little to no business education in their curricula. As a consequence, student perceptions of the business world are largely shaped by the fads and stereotypes propagated in ubiquitous business journals available in every airport bookstore worldwide. Since business plays an integral role in society, such unfamiliarity with business may have global social consequences. This article illustrates how a liberal arts class focusing on Europe’s social and political integration employs a comprehensive case study about a corporate transformation process to provide students with insights into corporate leadership and strategic decision making. The article describes how, by reading and discussing the case study in conjunction with articles about organizational learning theory, students learn to effectively challenge the myths they hold about heroic leadership and the newest management fads. A key element in the course focuses on the role organizational politics plays in developing and implementing a new vision, a new organizational structure, and a new global strategy.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: WZB Discussion Paper ; No. FS II 02-114

Classification
Wirtschaft
Subject
Betriebswirtschaftsstudium
Organisatorischer Wandel
Unternehmenspolitik
USA

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Berthoin Antal, Ariane
Dierkes, Meinolf
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB)
(where)
Berlin
(when)
2002

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Berthoin Antal, Ariane
  • Dierkes, Meinolf
  • Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB)

Time of origin

  • 2002

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