Sumantra Ghoshal, who died suddenly in 2004, was founding Dean of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and a professor of strategy and management at London Business School. His research earned numerous awards, and he was recognized globally as one of the most influential thought leaders in business and management. Ghoshal believed that business should be a force for good, and questioned cut-throat management and forceful leadership styles exemplified by GE’s Jack Welch and Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski.
Editors Julian Birkinshaw and Gita Piramal have gathered papers that represent Ghoshal’s work over a twenty-year span. An introductory chapter by the editors traces the evolution of his career and gives context to his research and writings. The book is divided into three parts: Managing across Borders, The Individualized Corporation, and The New Management. Chapters within each section feature papers that show how his thoughts developed and why they became part of the business theory canon.
The first chapter looks at one of Ghoshal’s final papers, “Towards a Good Theory of Management,” that elaborates on his unsettling idea that “Bad management theory is destroying good management practice,” a view he expressed at a summit of world business leaders in 2003. He blamed business schools for what he saw as their “amoral and pessimistic world view” of the practice of management.
Overall this volume showcases a great man yet it is also an important read because so much of today’s business thought and practice is based on Ghoshal’s ideas and research. This book gives readers a better understanding of the fundamentals of management theory, and, most importantly, a true appreciation for what Ghoshal felt business can and should be.