Nicolai J. Foss: The Bossless Company, Wokeness, Bocconi - 4Sight Chats SE2 Ep.9

Nicolai J. Foss is a professor of strategy at the Copenhagen Business School. He is a prolific contributor to the research literature in management and is one of the world's most cited management scholars. He is mainly interested in the organizational and individual-level aspects of processes of creating and capturing value. Also available in video format on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QgKJOuJ1uNM CHAT OUTLINE [02:58] Can you give us a quick introduction to your recent book “Why Managers Matter: The perils of the Bossless Company”, with Peter Klein? [10:21] Mark 1 and Mark 2 authority and how the bossless company narrative confuses them [15:14] The bossless company narrative in in high power distance contexts and its psychological costs [17:15] When does the bossless company actually work? [23:23] The bossless company narrative in highly turbulent/highly uncertain environments [25:14] The deeper epistemological and political values behind the bossless company narrative [31:20] The bossless company narrative and postmodernism [34:03] Why do companies go woke? [36:16] The public response to Nicolai's work on bossless company and wokeness [40:10] Why do business schools do so little research on sensitive themes such as wokeness and capitalism? [44:52] What are the biggest problems in management research? [54:52] Lighthearted closing question: What is your experience as a business school professor in Bocconi (Italy)? MENTIONED SOURCES Foss, N. J., & Klein, P. G. (2022). Why Managers Matter: The Perils of the Bossless Company: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Managers-Matter-Bossless-Company/dp/1541751043 Wulf, J. (2012). The Flattened Firm—Not as Advertised: https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-flattened-firmnot-as-advertised Hamel, G. & Zanini, M. (2016). Excess Management Is Costing the U.S. $3 Trillion Per Year: https://hbr.org/2016/09/excess-management-is-costing-the-us-3-trillion-per-year Foss, N. J., & Klein, P. G. (2022). Why Do Companies Go Woke? Academy of Management Perspectives: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amp.2021.0201 Commentaries (and rejoinder) to the book on the Journal of Organizational Design: https://link.springer.com/journal/41469/volumes-and-issues/12-1 Heterodox Academy: https://heterodoxacademy.org Audio by Bensound Affiliated with the journal Futures & Foresight Science: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25735152 Support Alex's videos: https://www.patreon.com/alexfergnani