Ambition is AMBA’s thought leadership magazine, offering regular insights into the challenges and trends that matter most in global management education
Ambiti n The monthly magazine of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
Issue 77 NOVEMBER 2024
French Flair ESSEC dean Vincenzo Vinzi on how to future-proof business education
CHEERING ON COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE EDHEC investigages the link between sport & success
WOMEN’S HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE Adam Smith research challenges the transition taboo
HARNESSING THE HEALING TOUCH IEDC-Bled on the horizon for healthcare
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Issue 77 | NOVEMBER 2024
NEWS & INS IGHT
REGULARS
07 | EDI TOR’ S LET TER Why prioritising empathy and wellbeing in education is essential for business schools to develop future leaders 36 | SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS An introductory guide to King’s Business School, one of nine faculties at King’s College London 38 | VIEW FROM THE TOP CEO Andrew Main Wilson reflects on his recent trip to China and looks ahead to AMBA & BGA’s Asia Pacific Conference in Malaysia
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08 | BUSINESS BRIEFING Our selection of updates from the AMBA network includes research on the importance of optimism from the University of Sydney Business School and a partnership between Telfer School of Management and Switzerland’s IMD Business School that explores how mental health challenges affect family businesses
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INTERVIEW
34 | A NEW ERA IN EDUCATION: PART 3 Anna Plechatá Krausová from Newton University discusses digital transformation and soft skills in the third of a four-part series on adapting to the needs of Gen Z MBA students
22 | SHATTERING THE STIGMA
October’s World Menopause Month kick-started conversations around women’s health in the workplace, but also underlined the need for a longer‑term commitment to inclusivity, says Adam Smith Business School’s Kathleen Riach
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 3
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Issue 77 | NOVEMBER 2024
FEATURES
20 | ATHLETIC ADVANTAGE A new study from Edhec reveals an unexpected link between the sports that students practise and the professional roles they aspire to take on
12 | COVER STORY IN CONVERSATION WITH… VINCENZO VINZI Essec dean Vincenzo Vinzi ruminates on the shrinking lifespan of management skills and outlines how the school’s new strategic plan aims to create future‑fit business education
26 | THE CARING PROFESSION Essca’s Stéphane Justeau explains how compassion in higher education can form the foundation of a holistic approach to student wellbeing and success
30 | FROM ADVERSARY TO ALLY Rather than fear the use of generative AI among students, we should seize the chance to enhance methods of evaluation, according to Sheffield Business School’s Seun Kolade and Sam Giove
16 | A PICTURE OF HEALTH Iedc-Bled School of Management’s Pierre Casse asks whether our current systems of education and perspectives on leadership can meet society’s changing views and capabilities around healthcare
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 5
ACHIEVE AMBA & BGA JOINT ACCREDITATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS SCHOOL
AMBA & BGA joint accreditation emphasises the importance of an institution’s overall impact and value creation for students, employers and communities, with a focus on responsible management, while maintaining the same level of rigour found in AMBA’s accreditation of postgraduate business programmes Achievement of joint accreditation allows your business school to demonstrate the quality of its MBA, as well as responsible management practices and positive impact on stakeholders
Undergoing a joint accreditation means that your institution requires only one visit of highly experienced assessors. This combines the necessary documentation from the two accreditations, reducing the amount of administrative work and tasks required to achieve two internationally recognised business school accreditations
EXPLORE AMBA & BGA JOINT ACCREDITATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS SCHOOL AT: www.amba-bga.com/joint-accreditation
EDITOR’S LETTER
A HEARTFELT APPROACH
EDITORIAL Head of editorial Colette Doyle c.doyle@amba-bga.com Content editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@amba-bga.com
Having compassion at the core of education is crucial for developing well-rounded business leaders
C
Art editor Sam Price Sub-editor Heather Ford
ompassionate pedagogy is a teaching technique that involves creating a supportive learning environment where students feel safe and respected. It recognises that students are individuals with unique experiences, emotions and needs and that effective teaching requires a deep understanding of these factors. Some of the key principles of this method include empathy, with educators striving to understand their students’ perspectives and emotions. Connection is also important, as building positive relationships with students is crucial for creating an inclusive learning environment. Prioritising well-being is vital too, as schools must recognise that good mental health is essential for student success. By implementing compassionate pedagogy, educators can create a more positive and effective learning environment for all students, making them more likely to be engaged, motivated and successful. Our feature from French school Essca picks up on many of these themes and looks at its practical application in education, with business schools offering counselling services, mindfulness workshops and stress management resources to its cohorts. In addition, they provide flexible learning options to accommodate students’ individual needs and circumstances, alongside experiential learning opportunities. Moreover, leadership programmes incorporate courses and workshops that focus on ethical decision-making, social responsibility and sustainable business practices. It’s important to note that while specific examples of business schools explicitly adopting compassionate pedagogy may be limited thus far, the underlying principles are becoming increasingly recognised as crucial for developing well-rounded and effective business leaders. Essca is just one of three French schools to be featured this month and in fact this issue has a real Gallic flavour to it – take a look too at our interview with Essec dean Vincenzo Vinzi, plus an article compiled by Edhec’s NewGen Talent Centre on the skills that students have developed as a result of their athletic activities. This is hardly surprising given that France has a thriving and well-established business school sector, renowned for its rigorous academic standards and international reputation – vive la formation !
Insight, content and PR manager Ellen Buchan e.buchan@amba-bga.com CORPORATE Commercial relations director Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@amba-bga.com
Head of marketing and communications Leonora Clement
Senior marketing executive Edward Holmes
Head of IT and data management Jack Villanueva
Head of events Carolyn Armsby
HR and employer relations manager Aarti Bhasin Finance and commercial director Catherine Walker
Colette Doyle , Editor, Ambition
THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS
Chief executive officer Andrew Main Wilson
Executive assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@amba-bga.com ACCREDITATION ENQUIRIES accreditation@amba-bga.com
PIERRE CASSE
STÉPHANE FAURE
SAM GIOVE
GENEVIÈVE HOURIET SEGARD
STÉPHANE JUSTEAU
SEUN KOLADE
ANNA PLECHATÁ KRAUSOVÁ
KATHLEEN RIACH
CRAIG ROBINSON
VINCENZO VINZI
Copyright 2024 by Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association ISSN 2631-6382 All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, AMBA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of AMBA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. AMBA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
Ambiti n
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 7
BUSINESS BRIEFING
All the latest updates from across AMBA’s global network
Ambition ’s latest collection of news and research is packed with thought-provoking insights, including the importance of optimism, why professionals don’t all aspire to reach the c-suite and the appetite for a world government designed to cure global political malaise. Compiled by Tim Banerjee Dhoul and Ellen Buchan
DESIRE FOR A WORLD GOVERNMENT FOCUSED ON SOLVING GLOBAL ISSUES
SCHOOL : DCU Business School, Dublin City University COUNTRY : Ireland
in Egypt, India, Kenya, Indonesia, South Korea, Colombia and Hungary – nations of sweeping sizes and regional contexts, showcasing a broad appeal. The findings were published in Who on Earth Wants a World Government, What Kind, and Why? by the University of Oxford’s Farsan Ghassim and Markus Pauli, an assistant professor in political science at Dublin City University (DCU), home to DCU Business School. Commenting on the high levels of support identified, Pauli said: “This reflects the global will to address crises such as climate change, war and poverty – all of them core sustainable development goals – with the help of stronger, democratic global institutions. The support by majorities in all surveyed countries – with the notable exception of the US – reflects people’s perception that the current global governance system is not capable of tackling major global challenges and needs to be reformed.” TBD
In a survey of more than 42,000 people from 17 different countries worldwide, 69 per cent voiced their support for the creation of a democratic international government designed primarily to tackle global issues. The countries polled are home to around 54 per cent of the world’s population and span the global South, North, East and West. Among individual countries, only those in the US (45 per cent) did not return a majority in support of the proposal for a “democratic world government focusing on global issues”. The specific wording is important, as variations in the survey produced differing levels of enthusiasm. While only 48 per cent supported the notion of a “world government” without definition, specifying that it would be democratic raised the proportion to 68 per cent. Throwing in a focus on global issues at the same time, meanwhile, levied support from an average of 69 per cent. The highest levels of support, where 75 per cent to 82 per cent of respondents were in favour of the proposal, came from those
8 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
NEWS & INSIGHT
New research has discovered that consumers are reluctant to relinquish their autonomy, despite companies’ efforts to inject decision-making processes with AI to save buyers’ time. In studies involving 1,700 people in the US, consumers were less keen on using an app that delegated to AI which items of food to buy. Participants were given one of four versions of the same app. In two versions they searched for products themselves, but while the final purchase decision was left to the user in one, it was delegated to AI in the second. In two further versions, participants were given a limited selection of products, with the decision once more left to the user or delegated to AI. Regardless of the number of products available, consumers were much more likely to adopt the app when they had the final say over what they bought. The researchers then tweaked the apps to show lengthy information about food items, such as expiry date, nutritional values, origin and chemical composition. The idea was to see if a more laborious process would boost the popularity of AI making final decisions. However, participants still preferred the app when they retained overall buying responsibility. A third study concerned the purchase of running shoes. Participants were again given one of four versions of an app, with free or limited choice and a final decision given either to them or AI. As before, all users preferred the app which gave them the final say. However, among those with an existing interest in running, the limited selection of shoes proved more popular than sifting through a wider choice. This implies that consumers might enjoy saving time when they know exactly what they’re looking for. Although some companies are working on supplying customers with AI-determined items for their convenience – for example, in monitoring and restocking fridge items – the research advises caution, arguing that taking final purchasing decisions away from consumers will be difficult. Published in Decision Support Systems , it was led by assistant professor of marketing at Neoma Business School Mariyani Ahmad Husairi. TBD CONSUMERS DON’T WANT TECH TO TAKE AWAY THEIR BUYING AUTONOMY SCHOOL : Neoma Business School COUNTRY : France
Economic optimism boosts national productivity, as well as research and development (R&D), according to a new study from the University of Sydney Business School. “Our research suggests that optimism is important for orchestrating a productive and innovative economic environment. Some 20 years of data shows us that optimistic countries are more productive and engage in more innovative activities,” remarked co‑author and senior lecturer in finance at the school Danielle Kent. Analysing figures from 42 countries, including all 38 members of the OECD as well as Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa, the study found that optimism among producers has a positive impact on R&D productivity. The impact of producer optimism was also found to be 33 per cent higher than that of consumer optimism, suggesting that it is policies aimed at improving business confidence that are most likely to have a positive impact on a nation’s innovation ecosystem. “Optimism creates a fertile ground for innovation by encouraging more R&D activity and boosting productivity,” explained Kent. However, optimism alone did not yield more innovation outcomes, as the University of Sydney Business School senior lecturer further elaborated: “The quality and quantity of outcomes may still depend on other factors. Our research highlights the importance of creating a balanced environment where producer optimism is supported by other innovation-enhancing policies, such as targeted support for R&D, technological development and entrepreneurship.” The study, entitled The optimism effect on country productivity and innovation activities , was written with researchers at the University of Concepción and Macquarie University. It was published in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge . EB UPBEAT ATTITUDE LEADS TO POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN STUDY OF PRODUCTIVITY SCHOOL : University of Sydney Business School COUNTRY : Australia
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 9
In the world of MBA-level management education, it’s easy to assume that people working in big businesses are all eager to climb the corporate ladder and reach the top. However, new research from the University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School has found that many employees are reluctant to step up to senior leadership roles. This is because of the perceived impact of higher levels of responsibility, with many sharing the view that such positions are “unbearably stressful, political, risky, lonely and unhealthy”. Among 550 professionals in Ireland surveyed for the Answering the Call to Lead report, approximately a third said that they didn’t want to step up to a leadership position despite thinking that they had the skills to do so. Concerns over a loss of work-life balance were the number one reason for not wishing to seek career advancement for 27 per cent of respondents. “The decision to step up to lead should be more exciting than daunting. Future leaders should feel ready and willing but that is not always the case. Understanding why some people feel ready and others do not, why some know they can do the job but chose not to right now (or not yet) is important for Ireland and its international competitive positioning,” declared Kemmy Business School assistant dean and associate professor Sarah Kieran. Men and women were equally likely to be worried about the impact of senior leadership roles on their family life, health and wellbeing. However, other respondents were not deterred by such considerations, with 28 per cent indicating that they would be ready to step up to senior leadership this year and 45 per cent hoping to do so within the next five years. Even so, the report believes that companies might be missing out on key leadership talent due to hesitations about what the position would mean for their personal and professional lives combined. As such, it urges businesses to support strong role models and reaffirm work-life balance policies. EB LEADERSHIP ROLES DEEMED UNATTRACTIVE TO A THIRD OF EMPLOYEES IN SURVEY SCHOOL : Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick COUNTRY : Ireland
Telfer School of Management is teaming up with IMD Business School in Switzerland to explore how mental health challenges affect family businesses in a new research partnership. “Mental health is a global challenge and we, as humanity, are starting to become more open and transparent about it. Yet, in the context of business-owning families, this topic is vastly ignored or swept under the carpet,” affirmed Peter Vogel, project co-lead and director of the IMD Global Family Business Centre. Elizabeth Tetzlaff, project co-lead at Telfer and member of its Family Enterprise Legacy Institute further expounded that the impact of mental health conditions on family businesses and the people within them is “still in its infancy. More research is needed to explore the nuances and how business families can develop healthy and effective coping strategies for both their business and their family.” The idea behind the alliance is to equip family businesses with insights, tools and techniques that can help them safeguard their members’ wellbeing and ensure their long-term success. “Mental health, like physical health, is something that no family or individual is immune to and the implications of being diagnosed with a mental health condition doesn’t only affect the individual, but also their family,” explained Tetzlaff. “In cases where the family is a business family, the implications of such a diagnosis become more complicated, as the impact extends to the business as well as the family.” For access to the lived experiences of family businesses across the world, the two institutions have joined forces with the Family Business Network (FBN), a Lausanne-based federation of member associations that span 65 countries and bring together 4,000 family businesses. The partnership aims to produce various research papers over several years in addition to a global mental health report that is set to be presented at the FBN Summit in Miami in November 2025. TBD MENTAL HEALTH’S IMPACT ON FAMILY BUSINESS IS THE FOCUS OF NEW PARTNERSHIP SCHOOL : Telfer School of Management University of Ottawa COUNTRY : Canada
10 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
NEWS & INSIGHT
NEW REPORT CONSIDERS WAYS OF CURBING BLACK ACADEMICS’ UNDERREPRESENTATION SCHOOL : Durham University Business School COUNTRY : UK
In 2023, just one per cent of professors in the UK were defined as Black, according to the latest figures from the country’s Higher Education Statistics Agency. A new report seeks to get to the heart of this continuing underrepresentation and put forward ways in which institutions can combat it. Unblocking the Pipeline is the work of the Society of Black Academics, recruitment firm GatenbySanderson and the Higher Education Policy Institute. It was co-authored by Durham University Business School associate professor of accounting Mercy Denedo. Based on a survey of almost 100 early-career Black researchers in the UK, the report reveals numerous areas for improvement. Only 34 per cent of respondents thought their workplace was inclusive and less than half felt they could be their true selves at work. When it comes to remuneration, only 32 per cent believed that they were paid a fair wage. Writing in Times Higher Education , Denedo argued that institutions should commit to creating support networks for the wellbeing and development of Black academics. While more funding for studentships and living costs is one obvious way to help, the Durham professor emphasised that more
needs to be done to support academics while they are working. She also pointed out that Black academics tend to face a higher workload than their peers by taking on additional responsibilities, such as participation in affinity groups or mentorship schemes. Often treated as falling outside a ‘normal’ job description, the importance of these activities should be recognised and built into the workload, according to Denedo. Interviews with Black academics conducted alongside the report’s survey showed that diversity, equity and inclusion training has been the most effective initiative in improving inclusivity. However, these interviews also revealed a lack of support schemes tailored specifically for Black academics. Denedo therefore called for more spaces for Black academics to voice their concerns and participate in decision-making, with a recommendation that institutions pool their data as part of efforts to better understand the lived experiences of Black academics. EB
SHARE YOUR NEWS AND RESEARCH UPDATES by emailing AMBA & BGA content editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul at t.dhoul@amba-bga.com
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 11
Ambition editor Colette Doyle talks to ESSEC dean Vincenzo Vinzi about T-shaped leaders, the shrinking lifespan of skills and how the school’s new strategic plan aims to create future-fit business education In conversation with… Vincenzo Vinzi
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to be in your current role “I was born and raised on the Italian island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. I earned my PhD in statistics at the University of Federico II in Naples, where I also taught as a professor in the same field. For many years I was a visiting professor and lecturer at universities and research centres across Europe, the US and Asia. “In 2007, I moved to France to become a professor of statistics at ESSEC Business School in Cergy-Pontoise, near Paris. In 2011, I was elected dean of faculty and then appointed interim dean in 2017; I took up the position as dean and president of the school in 2018. I am the first non-French president of ESSEC, as well as the first-ever faculty member to serve in this role.” How have things changed in business education since you started out at ESSEC in 2007? “I believe that the business world has changed more quickly and deeply over the past 20 years than management education has. For example, according to the OECD, the lifespan of technical skills has dropped from 30 years in the mid-1980s to just two years. For fields such as deep tech, the lifespan has shrunk further and is only six months. Undoubtedly, it has never been more important to upskill and pursue lifelong learning. “Business schools have an extremely important role to play in preparing students for the challenges and
complexities they will encounter as leaders. In order to do so, they must remain relevant. Close proximity to the business sector will allow schools not only to respond to the needs of companies, but to anticipate them. “This requires breaking down the silos between disciplines, not only within business schools, but between other areas of study, such as engineering, design, law and geopolitics, as well as between academia and the corporate world. “At ESSEC, we offer many double degrees, with CentraleSupélec, Berkeley Engineering, UCLA School of Law, Columbia University and Parsons the New School, to name just a few. These types of partnerships have the virtue of creating T-shaped leaders, ie people who possess both broad and deep skills, as these are the individuals best poised to navigate complex problems.” What have been the highlights of your career to date? “I expected academia to provide me with the opportunity to undertake significant and meaningful projects – and I certainly have not been disappointed in that regard. Indeed, I’ve been lucky to have a career that is extremely fulfilling. For the first half of my career, I did extensive research in the area of statistics, publishing more than 80 scientific papers in international journals. “I have always loved teaching, so when I began to lecture at university I asked myself how I could captivate 300 students in an amphitheatre on a subject matter often seen as dull. I learned to capitalise on my links with business
12 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
INTERVIEW WITH THE DEAN
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Vincenzo Vinzi has been the dean and president of ESSEC Business School since January 2018. He holds a doctorate in Computational Statistics from the University of Naples Federico II as well as a Master’s in Business and Economics from the same institution. In 2007 he joined ESSEC as a professor of statistics and was elected dean of faculty in December 2011. As the dean of academic affairs and a member of ESSEC’s executive committee, he was responsible for faculty management and development. Recognised internationally for his expertise, Vinzi is the author of approximately 80 scientific articles that have received more than 19,000 citations, published in international journals on topics ranging from big data to business analytics. Between 2012 and 2015, he was president of the International Society of Business and Industrial Statistics (ISBIS). Vinzi also sits on several boards of directors: namely, CentraleSupélec Engineering School, the Alliance Française Ile-de-France Paris (AFPIF), the American Chamber of Commerce in France, the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE) and l’Ecole. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of Solvay Business School and Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He is also a member of the International Advisory Council of Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona School of Management and an honorary member of the board of France Digitale. In addition, Vinzi is a member of the OECD Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) partnership, as well as president of the Diversity Commission of the CGE and Concours Sésame, a competitive entrance exam for French business school undergraduate programmes. He is also acting president of the CDEFM (Conference of Directors of French Business Schools)
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 13
How important are rankings to you and your school? “Rankings are paramount for top business schools today, but they are not an end in themselves; they are a means to an end. The mission of our school is to create and transmit knowledge and support businesses and industries, so the rankings serve as a good reference as to the quality and the relevance of our output. “Of course, we always want to be ranked higher than the previous year and we do our best every day to make sure that everything we do is of the highest quality. But rankings must not be an objective per se , otherwise we risk creating uniformity among schools while each institution must remain true to its own DNA. Our goal should be to serve the diverse needs of the many different types of businesses out there and inspire them to make a difference.”
and industry; statistics becomes a fascinating topic when you understand its potential and the way it can concretely be used to inform the decision-making processes in both the public and private sectors. I then moved to a new stage in my career when I was appointed as dean and president of ESSEC, because even though I am still in academia, my daily life and duties have completely changed compared to when I was a professor. “I’m very proud of having signed agreements and double degrees with top US academic institutions (for instance, Tepper at Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, The University of California at Berkeley and Parsons School of Design in New York) during my tenure. I’m also proud of having turned ESSEC into a
profitable institution, while remaining a not-for‑profit organisation. This is a status to which I am deeply attached because it allows us to reinvest any surplus revenue into our own excellence, into services provided to our programmes’ participants and into cutting‑edge and distinctive research that provides informed solutions to contemporary issues.” In what ways does the MBA need to reinvent itself in order to remain relevant in the 21st century? “As I mentioned earlier, MBA graduates must become T-shaped leaders: capable of mixing a deep expertise in one domain
What has becoming AMBA-accredited meant to your school? “It is a gauge of our global recognition and proof of the quality and relevance of our MBA programmes on the international market. AMBA accreditation has also allowed us to enter the triple-crown club, which brings together the best schools around the world.” What kind of skills do you think are necessary nowadays in order for MBA graduates to become efficient and productive leaders? “Addressing the complex contemporary challenges
ESSEC aims to provide a holistic, transformative and learning- centric experience, cultivating inclusive, multi-cultural leadership
with a broad understanding of the company’s functioning and ecosystem. This type of leader is able to understand the importance of artificial intelligence or the impact of climate change, or take into account geopolitics when making business decisions. “A leader is first and foremost a decision maker; indeed, the MBA programme is all about acquiring the right skills and developing the necessary competencies to adopt cutting-edge knowledge to the professional environment. Leaders need to adapt their expertise in the context of unprecedented situations and also anticipate unforeseen events, so as to come to the right decisions in order to make a difference for the company in the long term.”
facing today’s leaders requires trans‑disciplinarity. The most effective solutions arise from dissolving boundaries not only between disciplines, but also between academia and industry and across diverse cultures and societies. “Additionally, those students who are able to adapt and who possess self‑awareness and emotional intelligence are poised to drive positive change and are the most likely to succeed as inspiring leaders.” How do you think the ongoing global geopolitical unrest has affected the business school sector? “Business schools have been affected by geopolitical unrest like all other sectors. There is an obvious impact on student
14 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
INTERVIEW WITH THE DEAN
Having campuses on three continents, including ESSEC Africa in Rabat (pictured), the school is sensitive to global geopolitical situations and facilitates tolerance among community members
under which AI can have a positive impact on both organisations and society at large.” You are unveiling a new strategy this October; can you please elaborate on what this will involve and how you believe it will enhance the MBA programme experience at ESSEC? “Our new strategic plan, Transcend, builds on the success of our former strategy. Transcend stands for transcending borders, creating trans-disciplinarity and going above and beyond. Our goal is to move towards a future-fit
and faculty recruitment, as the majority of today’s business schools are international. But world events can also create tensions among members of the same community. At ESSEC we have campuses on three continents, which means being sensitive to the different geopolitical situations occurring around the globe and facilitating understanding and tolerance amongst our community members, built through dialogue and based on mutual respect.” The impact of AI and other generative algorithms such as ChatGPT on business school education has
been well documented – what’s your position on it at ESSEC? “At ESSEC we recognise the transformative power of generative AI while maintaining a vigilant stance to address the potential risks associated with its implementation. For example, we use AI
business education that fosters progress. Across our four campuses and with all our partners we aim to make ESSEC a centre of collective, transdisciplinary and connected intelligence to address the greatest challenges of both today and tomorrow.
“MBA graduates must become T-shaped leaders: capable of mixing a deep expertise in one domain with a broad understanding of the company’s functioning and ecosystem”
“Parts of our strategy involve providing a holistic, transformative and learning-centric experience of the highest calibre, cultivating inclusive, influential and multicultural leadership and developing our global footprint and international network of partners. These goals will contribute to providing an optimised MBA programme experience for our participants and help make them inspiring leaders who drive positive change for a prosperous and resilient world.”
to create adaptive educational content that caters to individual learning styles and speeds. We also experiment with it to develop interactive simulations and collaborative learning environments. “Just like companies, business schools must be aware of the risks and ethical concerns of AI, but learn to create added value from it. Through our Metalab for data, technology and society we explore these themes and invest in the production of research that examines the conditions
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 15
T A picture of health The world of healthcare is changing and so are society’s views on what constitutes good health. The question now, argues Iedc-Bled School of Management’s Pierre Casse ,
is whether our current systems of education and perspectives on leadership are up to the task
16 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
LEADERSHIP
T here is nothing new in what I am going to share with you. We all know of the revolution that is required for higher education to meet the demands of the fast‑changing world we all belong to today. And this certainly applies to the challenges and opportunities in healthcare that are appearing slowly but surely in this evolving landscape. The French humorist Pierre Dac once said: “Dying in good health is the dearest wish of all healthy people.” Yet, it’s important to reflect on what we know of the changes taking place in healthcare from a leadership viewpoint and understand the potential consequences of ignoring certain trends, whether we do that consciously or not. At times, ignorance can be justified; that is, if it is acknowledged properly. Yet, deciding not to face things that are both obvious and disconcerting can be a major mistake, as we know from history. Here are some questions to ask yourself in the context of leadership development: Why should leaders bother about health and wellbeing when many consider it to be a personal issue? What are some of the major challenges that leaders will have to face today and more importantly, tomorrow? To what extent, if any, might missing these challenges in our efforts to prepare leaders adequately for their future careers prove to be disastrous for people’s health? How might we be able to adjust our systems of health education and support to accommodate these challenges? And lastly, how much do our traditional ways of managing education and public health need to change? Re-evaluating definitions & assumptions Even the most tentative answers to these questions will highlight, I hope, the need for leaders to act quickly and deeply in some key areas. Furthermore, I strongly believe that those actions will require some major shifts in the way we currently approach things. To begin with, we must consider what we mean when we talk about health, sickness, medical diagnosis and even dying. Humans produce assumptions to help explain the world around us and better understand
ourselves. In health, as well as in other fields, this often amounts – simply and provocatively – to lying to ourselves. This is because we have a tendency to see what we want to see, rather than face reality. At times, this habit becomes very dangerous for all of us. Our human assumptions are, we must remember, subjective interpretations that we use to give things meaning. They are important but they can become obsolete, so we must revisit them every so often, challenge them and even reinvent them if necessary. This is a leadership challenge in itself. Values are another crucial factor in the context of health because they speak to what we care about and place importance in. Think about how people react when medical professionals tell them something about what they value regarding health and medical help. We do not always pay enough attention to people’s emotions, despite them being such important signals. If we now cast the net wider and consider our societies as whole, we will find that, for many of us, most aspects of life are organised in accordance with a set of democratic principles relating to the government of people by the people and for the people. While the assumptions and values that underpin these principles are essential to our way of life, it is becoming clearer and clearer that their translation into our daily lives is not quite right. Inequality and incompetence, with overtones of corruption, are a frequent occurrence, not least in the healthcare sector. The case for prioritising health In such circumstances, there is a real need to revisit what leadership has become today. Reviewing the available literature among scholars and practitioners suggests there is a consensus around the type of characteristics today’s leaders require. These include seeing what other people do not see, often described as the power of intuitive intelligence or ‘fast thinking’; deciding on inventing tomorrow today, namely the power of rational intelligence or ‘slow thinking’; and the ability to mobilise people around projects that are useful, meaningful and ethical, something that speaks to the power of social intelligence or ‘collective thinking’.
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Today’s leaders in both the public and private sectors have no choice but to prioritise health by paying closer attention to the environments in which people live and work. Simply put, it is a critical and growing responsibility as the social, cultural and political pressure to help ensure that people are in good shape – and remain there – is becoming stronger and stronger. Across the world, therefore, people are growing more and more demanding in terms of the quality and reliability of the health services they receive. This means, for example, a presumption that any recommended drugs and treatments will be safe and available to them when needed. There is also a greater expectation that health services are for everyone and not just a privileged elite, with quick and open access to help. A related expectation is that health support will be available at reasonable prices that everyone can afford. Yet, even a rudimentary diagnosis tells us that many societies and organisations are not ready to meet these demands and shifts in thinking. My own leadership experience offers just one indication that living and working places do not always provide stable environments, let alone healthy ones. Attributes & awareness needed by leaders A leader’s first challenge in our rapidly changing world is to acknowledge the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” They must then focus their attention on the third part of the WHO’s designation; its social dimension. Of course, good health can be understood and experienced differently by different people. Perceptions can vary according to age, gender, position in society, cultural background, wealth and so on. At the end of the day, it is all about the reference points that one uses to look at health. Differences in interpretations (ie meaning) and values (ie importance) can lead to major misunderstandings, confrontations and conflicts. Promoting universal health is not an easy task and the leaders of the future are going to have to develop a set of social attributes, both in themselves and others, that are missing in many of today’s societies, especially those that value individualism to the extreme. These qualities include social maturity, evidenced in empathy, tolerance and respect for one another; the energy or capacity to mobilise people to
A QUESTION OF FOCUS To check if your institution is focusing on the right issues in relation to health, ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the following three statements. • Mental health must be redefined and dealt with differently to meet the new requirements of today • There is nothing wrong or unhealthy in combining non-organic and organic intelligence to improve and support people’s health • Most of the commonly accepted assumptions about health, sickness and even dying must be revisited and reinvented
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LEADERSHIP
levels of urgency appropriately. Namely, it must enable some decisions to be taken at speed and without consultation when lives are at risk. Other decisions, meanwhile, will need to be taken and acted on with some explanation given afterwards to fulfil people’s right to know why choices have been made. However, there must also be an ability to acknowledge that some decisions are too important to be taken without any consensus and must therefore be based on a clear consultation with the relevant stakeholders before any action is taken. workplaces in many parts of the world rests on the credibility and the competence of those in charge of healthcare services and programmes, both public and private. The successful integration of new technologies and forms of communication will also necessitate the development of effective systems of moderation and security that prevent them from being misused. Moreover, there must be an appropriate focus on the ethical dimension of health, with a clear emphasis on social justice and ensuring health programmes benefit all. I leave you with a simple quote from Voltaire: “I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.” Conditions for success The future of good health in societies and
achieve meaningful common goals (sometimes referred to as the ‘velocity quotient’); and ethics, or the ability to act according to a set of morals. It is generally accepted that the emerging generation of leaders will face a series of major challenges loaded with positive and negative aspects. They must also adapt to the significant shifts taking place in our collective lives. This has a big impact on the way we manage our systems of healthcare. Specifically, I believe there are some key issues and developments that leaders must take on board with direct relevance to the health of individuals. These include the growing involvement of artificial intelligence in healthcare, from services and activities relating to hospitals, medicines and hygiene to research and the work of pharmaceuticals. Then, there are the implications of new findings regarding our human DNA and with reference to gene editing to consider. Leaders must also be aware of the role the mass media plays in the management of information related to health issues. Future changes to healthcare leadership How might we expect our systems of health education to change in the future? A number of trends and developments are already visible. One concerns the use of the media – in all its forms – to help healthcare service users adopt new technologies effectively and for their own benefit. For example, a user might visit a doctor armed with information gleaned from their own research into a health problem they are facing, having used ChatGPT. From the healthcare providers’ perspective, there are moves towards using AI technology across the entire spectrum of medical health, in partnership with human expertise. This will necessitate reshaping any related education and training. For example, an increasing number of health interventions, from the very minor all the way up to the use of surgery, may call on the support or direction of AI technology. Given the importance of positive encouragement and empathy in interactions between healthcare providers and service users, shifts towards the use of new technology will also require reinforcing the psychological and social side of any new or remodelled interfaces. As the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us, our health systems must be able to respond to an unexpected and dreadful epidemic with quick and decisive action, even when not much is known about the emerging threat. This means formulating a new set of democratic decision-making processes that is characterised by a flexibility to react to different
BIOGRAPHY Pierre Casse is the leadership chair at Iedc-Bled School of Management in Slovenia and the author of Leadership without Concessions and Leadership for a New World , as well as the co‑author with Paul George Claudel of Leading with Wisdom
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A study by EDHEC’s NewGen Talent Centre spotlights the surprising link between the sports that students practise and the professional roles they aspire to take on, as the centre’s associate director, Geneviève Houriet Segard relates here; with additional input from director Manuelle Malot Athletic Advantage
youth and their screen habits – they are passionate sports enthusiasts. We surveyed 2,600 students at EDHEC Business School in France to explore the connection between sports and careers. We asked them about the sports they practise, how they have shaped their personalities and the skills they have developed as a result of their athletic activities. We also asked them to imagine themselves in their future career and analysed how their favourite sport might influence this choice. The resulting study by the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre reveals a stronger link between the sports we play and the jobs we perform than some might have suspected, as well as providing tips on how business schools can help students reach professional and personal goals. Social, physical & competitive aspects of athletics Young people today almost unanimously define their relationship with sport as “fun and stimulating”. Three out of four play sports regularly, more to challenge themselves than to win, while two-thirds know how to motivate themselves without needing a coach. However, if they play a club sport, such as soccer or rugby, they do so to make friends and enjoy social time with their teammates. Our study also revealed some variation in sports practice by gender, with young women expressing a more urgent desire to excel and win. Meanwhile, young men claim to participate more frequently in club sports, with an emphasis on team wins and less on individual victories. We used our study to discover whether specific soft skills could be linked to a particular sport or athletic activity. To find out, we categorised sports by how they are practised: in teams (eg football, basketball, rugby), in pairs or one- on-one (eg tennis, judo, fencing), solo with a time or score
M onday mornings often bring a slew of social media posts from CEOs and senior managers detailing the weekend sporting competitions they entered (and may even have won), along with details of the athletic trials endured – all in the name of building physical strength and improving leadership skills. The benefits of sports for physical and mental health are well documented, but today more than ever they are also linked to professional growth and career success. Business school students are keenly aware of this trend and – despite what older generations may think about
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CAREERS
This trio of skills is also the one that tennis players have developed the most. It’s worth noting, too that the 38 per cent of students surveyed who play tennis said it has helped them to improve their critical thinking skills. Soccer is the sport that stands out for enhancing collaborative skills (83 per cent), as well as reliability (46 per cent). Dancing, meanwhile, develops attention to detail for eight out of 10 students, plus creativity for more than half. According to respondents, while all sports develop enthusiasm and agility, each type is more particularly conducive to the acquisition of certain skills. Collaboration for instance is the hallmark of team sports; artistic and judged sports help with improving precision in work tasks; competitive sports create opportunities to become more resilient; and timed or scored sports boost dependability. The link between sports & professional roles If we imagine the company as a team sport, 32 per cent of respondents see themselves in the role of captain, 27 per cent as coach, 19 per cent in an attack position, 14 per cent on defence and eight per cent as a referee. To better understand the ambitions implicit in these choices, we asked students to self-identify according to three career ambition profiles taken from a previous study. Competitor: Students who are ambitious and have high expectations for career success. They seek management positions, responsibility and attractive remuneration. Committed: These mission-driven individuals want to take on global CSR issues and work for companies with a positive culture and strong values. Entrepreneur : These respondents crave creativity and the challenges of inventing new products, company structures and so on. They need autonomy in their work life and the freedom to take risks commensurate with their role. Students told us that team captains are most often proactive, ambitious and dynamic leaders. Moreover, they remarked that coaches must be good at listening and motivating team members. Coaches must also be able to connect and engage with others. Looking at the role of an attacker, or offensive player, they explained that this type is always looking for ways to move the team forward, inching closer to the ultimate goal no matter the challenges ahead. Defenders are the heart of the team, protecting others and turning the tables on their adversaries through hard work and determination. Referees are the voice of wisdom, those who moderate disputes and ensure that the rules are respected. A company needs people to fill all these roles to function well and succeed in a complex and competitive global economy. For business schools, supporting students in their athletic endeavours is also a way to help them determine what role they want to play in the workplace and how best to reach their career goals.
(eg swimming, running, archery) and solo with a score set by a judge or panel of judges (eg dance, gymnastics, ice skating, diving). Overall, we found that individual sports, especially those that are timed or scored, are more likely to shape women’s personalities. Men were more often influenced by one-on- one or team sports. Student comments go some way to explaining this phenomenon. For instance: “The team spirit I found in football taught me how to defend my personal interests, while working to achieve collective goals. What’s more, the idea of pushing yourself physically, combined with the necessary creativity, particularly when it comes to dribbling, has taught me values that are indispensable to me today.” Another respondent said: “Participating in competitive equestrian sports from a very early age has enabled me to develop a fighting spirit, never giving up in the face of failure and difficulty, always pushing forward. It has also enabled me to develop a highly organised way of combining my sporting, academic and social life.” Sport seems to act as a catalyst for the development of management skills among young graduates. Resilience, enthusiasm and agility are the skills that the younger generations tell us they have developed the most – whatever the sport – and these are the self-same traits for which recruiters are looking.
BIOGRAPHY
Genevieve Houriet Segard, PhD, is associate director of the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre, a centre of expertise on youth career aspirations and job skills. With in excess of one million data points from surveys of more than 80,000 business students and recent graduates, the mission of the centre is to detect, understand and explain the changing career expectations of young people. Co-author Manuelle Malo is the centre’s director and a frequent guest on conference panels, having addressed over 1 0,000 executives and managers to date
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