Archive for the ‘Washburn, Nathan’ Category

Expatriates need to rethink their roles in emerging markets if their organizations expect to stay relevant in the post-recession economy, said Thunderbird Professor Nathan Washburn, Ph.D. “They have seen their job as coming in and transferring their expertise to the emerging economies where they are assigned,” Washburn said. Expatriates who cling to this mindset will miss the innovation that increasingly flows the other direction. Washburn said expatriates sent to open factories or implement strategy still need to transfer knowledge in, but they also need to listen and gather information. “Emerging markets are the hotbeds for innovation,” he said. “The great innovations in the future are not going to happen in our mature markets.” | Podcast: Nokia’s hard lesson in India (5:23)

Right-click here to download

BP, Toyota and Goldman Sachs have taken public image beatings in 2010. Many would say deservedly so. But other firms linked to irresponsible behavior have escaped close scrutiny. Thunderbird Professor Nathan Washburn, Ph.D., has a theory why the public singles out some firms for criticism but not others. Working with Don Lange, Ph.D., at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, Washburn has identified three factors that shape public perceptions of corporate behavior. He says the first step in managing a corporate image is understanding how these factors work together when things go wrong. | Podcast: Why some firms face ire and not others (13:46)

Right-click here to download