Imagination Lab Foundation Award for Innovative Scholarship
Award Winners:
Professor Bill A. Fischer, IMD and Research Associate Rebecca Chung, IMD
Awarded for their innovative approaches to the designing of teaching sessions, preparation of teaching materials and orchestration of class discussion for executive development.
Honorable Mentions:
Professor Ole Fogh Kirkeby, Copenhagen Business School, for his unrelenting efforts to enrich leadership theory and practice with concepts from ancient philosophy; and
Assistant Professor Marcello Mariani, University of Bologna, Italy, for his efforts to learn from live music organisations.
Reactions from the Winners of the Imagination Lab Award 2008
Prof. Bill Fischer
To win this award is both an exhilarating and humbling experience. Exhilarating, because it is a real honor to have one’s work recognized and appreciated in such a manner, and because, it seems inconceivable to be singled out for such recognition. Humbling, because you realize how much more there is to do if we are to truly marry scholarly research with managerial practice. What I appreciate most about the Imagination Lab Award for Innovative Scholarship is that it unabashedly is aimed at trying to bring solid scholarship and managerial practice together in a way that makes a difference in the organizations in which we live. This is important to me, as over the past several years I’ve committed myself to two fundamental beliefs:
- ideas and practice are both necessary in order to make changes. Scholarship that doesn’t touch the manager is of little value to anyone, and managerial action without informed thought is reckless.
- human talent is our most underutilized resource. Those of us fortunate enough to have the ear of a managerial audience have an obligation to work with them to unleash the human potential they are responsible for.
Most of what I have been doing over the past four years has been an effort to address these two beliefs. I feel fortunate to have found a place – IMD – where putting new ideas into the hands of the practicing manager is the raison d'être for all we do; to have had the opportunity to work with such an innovative, and talented individual as Rebecca Chung; and to have gained the attention of the Imagination Lab Foundation, and EURAM, for recognizing our efforts, and being imaginative enough to see the merit in them.
Research Associate Rebecca Chung
First of all, Hvala! (“Thank you” in Slovenian as the award was received at the EURAM Annual Conference held in Slovenia) This award means a lot to me. In addition to recognizing our past efforts, the Imagination Lab Award is a tremendous encouragement to me to take innovative scholarship further. I am hoping to generate and implement more innovative and effective ideas for research and teaching, perhaps also with many other scholars from different parts of the world, in the future. Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Bill Fischer for giving me many collaboration opportunities. Xie xie! (“Thank you” in Chinese)
Pictures from Top to Bottom:
Prof. Bill Fischer, IMD, presented with the Imagination Lab Award by Johan Roos on stage at the gala event in Postojna.
Prof. Johan Roos, Stockholm School of Economics, Rebecca Chung, Research Associate, IMD, Prof. Bill Fischer, IMD and Prof. Peter McKiernan, University of St-Andrews and President of EURAM.
Prof. Bill Fischer and Rebecca Chung celebrating!
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