On Tuesday, April 1st, Professor John Van Maanen, a professor of Organization Studies at MIT Sloan School of Management, gave an interactive lecture to the Fudan IMBA Class of 2015. Professor Van Maanen engaged IMBA students on the topic of Organizational Change. Students thoroughly enjoyed Van Maanen’s energetic teaching style. During an interesting discussion on the right ways for a manager to communicate with his employees, Professor Van Maanen stood on a table in the back of the classroom, giving students a visual representation of how unskilled managers can be intimidating and unapproachable.
The keys to successful organizational change, as discussed by Van Maanen, are to consider the change from three separate perspectives: Strategic design, Political, and Cultural. Van Maanen noted that when making a change to an organization, no single perspective can achieve success without the success of the other two. In addition to the three perspectives, the effectiveness of organizational change also requires choosing the right project leader. The project leader should be one who is experienced, well-respected, and local.
This was Professor Van Maanen’s first visit to the Fudan School of Management. Upon the conclusion of his lecture, Van Maanen took time to chat and take pictures with IMBA students. Students wished Professor Van Maanen all the best during the rest of his trip in China and encouraged the professor to return to Fudan in the near future.
（By IMBA Class 2，David Schuessler）
