Research Espresso | June 2023 Issue 21

Research INSIGHT

From the showroom to the boardroom–Can your best salesperson make it as CEO?

Research INSIGHT

From the showroom to the boardroom–Can your best salesperson make it as CEO?

Kim, J. & Makadok, R. “Where the stars still shine: Some effects of star-performers-turnedmanagers on organizational performance” Strategic Management Journal, 2022; 43:2629–2666.

RESEARCH INSIGHT

In the Peter Principle – a management book from the 1960s – it is said that “in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence” since a person who is competent at one specific function such as sales will eventually be promoted to a position requiring entirely different skills. Is that thesis still valid today? Using data from the National Basketball Association (“NBA”), a recent paper explores whether former basketball stars could also succeed as managers/coaches (Star performer-turned manager, “SPTM”) and, if so, how.

Organisations tend to be led by employees who were outstanding as individual contributor. Thus, it’s common for a firm’s best salesperson or researcher to be asked to assume a more senior leadership role. But can star performers repeat their success in a different position? As it’s easy to identify which coaches were once star players and since a team’s performance can conveniently be measured by counting wins & losses, the NBA provides a fertile ground to assess the performance of SPTM. In addition, as the factors explaining the success of a NBA coach can also be partially measured using media commentary as a proxy, the dataset is also relevant to generate valuable managerial insights. Analysing 37,780 NBA games played from 1981–1982 to 2014–2015, the study classifies 37 out of 195 managers as SPTM, based on their selection in an All-Star team. The findings reveal that, despite some notable failures – such as Isaiah Thomas’s disastrous tenure with the Knicks – SPTM generally have a positive impact on the performance of the NBA teams they are hired to coach.

Findings suggest that being a role model for local players, having the authority to make personnel decisions – such as when a coach also acts as general manager – and possessing the talent to develop players all help explain why SPTM were able to produce better results than regular managers. Meanwhile, morale building – as measured by a coach’s ability to deliver the sort of inspiring speeches and rah-rah pep talks which are a staple of sport movies – the fostering of a collaborative learning environment and the adoption of specific basketball strategies had no significant impact on team performance. Additionally, SPTM achieve greater success when supervising less experienced employees such as rookies. Another crucial finding is that the impact of a SPTM’s stellar past performance depends on whether their subordinates are aware of it and appreciate their manager’s historical achievements. To compete against SPTM, non-SPTM should thus focus on excelling at building morale, acquiring strong organizational and strategic skills and developing the oratorical prowess required to deliver inspiring speeches.

So if you can’t hit your sales target, just try to sound like Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday!

Dr. KIM, Jongsoo Assistant Professor Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems

NEWS

HKBU School of Business co-hosts Asia’s largest academic conference in Chinese management research

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) School of Business co-organised the 10th Biennial International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR) Conference from 14 to 18 June on the HKBU campus. Nearly 1,500 scholars, students, managers and consultants who are interested in advancing their knowledge about organisational management in the Chinese context gathered from around the world to share the latest research and exchange views on Chinese management and organisation in over 100 keynote panels, symposiums, paper presentations and roundtables. Representatives from the HKBU School of Business also participated actively in the Conference to share with their counterparts their education and research excellence.

In his remarks at the Conference’s welcome reception, Prof. Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said that rapid technological developments have taken the world by storm, with the most recent example being the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Ongoing global challenges and geopolitical dynamics will continue to create uncertainties on the outlook of globalisation in future.

“As educators at HKBU, one of our key concerns in addressing the challenge of globalisation is to educate the next generation with an innovative and transdisciplinary approach, so that they will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and visionary mindset to help them seize the opportunities that technology brings,” he said.

He said that the Conference offers an ideal platform to discuss higher education’s models and practices in the fields of business and management.

Prof. Xu Huang, Associate Dean (Research & Impact) of the HKBU School of Business and the Local Arrangements Committee Chair of IACMR 2023, thanked the sponsors and participants for their support to this esteemed event. “The HKBU School of Business has been dedicated to research excellence and advancements of knowledge. We are honoured to co-host this year’s IACMR Conference, providing you with a brand-new experience the School, the University and Hong Kong have to offer.”

are exactly the strengths of the whole-person education that the School and HKBU have been emphasising.”

Other issues explored at the Forum include the challenges of AI and Chatbot posed to business education, the future of online and hybrid learning, and the development of business schools in the post-COVID era etc. The panelists agreed that with genuine creativity, educators and researchers would be empowered by technology to enhance their teaching and research rather than being threatened.

Prof. Leo Ho, Professor of Practice of the HKBU School of Business, spoke on the topic “Involving senior executives in management education: Insights from Professors of Practice” at the pre-conference session on 14 June. He unlocked the hidden benefits of involving senior executives in management education, including breaking the divide between academia and industry with handson and real-world experiences, and providing more networking and collaboration opportunities for students and other faculty.

Prof. Gerben S. van der Vegt, Visiting Professor of the HKBU School of Business, highlighted the recent changes in the conceptualisation and study of organisational work teams at the Keynote Panel on Organisational Behaviour Research. These changes focus on the stability of team membership and the fact that most employees nowadays are members of multiple teams at the same time. He also highlighted the usefulness of developing a strong relationship with organisations to come up with new research questions that are practically relevant and scientifically important.

One of the highlights of the Conference was the Dean’s Forum held on 17 June. Prof. Ed Snape, Dean of the HKBU School of Business, was joined by six renowned scholars and heads of business schools from Arizona State University, Fudan University, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University and The University of Hong Kong, to discuss on the theme “The Future of Business Education”.

The panelists exchanged insights into how business schools should nurture students to meet employers’ demands and develop stronger ties with the industries. Prof. Ed Snape believed that strengthening the “human elements” while developing students’ business skills would be the way forward. “These skills, for example, communications, leadership and teamwork, are irreplaceable by machines or artificial intelligence (AI), and

Eleven scholars and researchers from the HKBU School of Business also presented their paper on a wide range of topics throughout the conference, from gender issues and creativity, disruption and crisis, to corporate governance and corporate social responsibilities.

The Conference was concluded with a mesmerising performance themed “Four Seasons – Summer Fantasy”, featuring student musicians from the HKBU Academy of Music, blending art and innovation with AI and other advanced technologies. The next IACMR Biennial Conference will be held in Xi’an in 2025. More information will be available on https://eng.iacmr.org/ .

Highlights of IACMR

3. Prof. Leo Ho spoke on the topic “Involving senior executives in management education: Insights from Professors of Practice” at the pre-conference session.

4. The Dean’s Forum featured seven scholars and heads of business schools to discuss on the theme “The Future of Business Education”.

2.This signature academic conference has been widely covered by media for the speakers’ insightful sharing. Phoenix TV.

1. Prof. Xu Huang received the IACMR Conference Silver Sponsorship Award on behalf of the HKBU School of Business.

7. The IACMR Conference 2023 was successfully concluded with the mesmerising musical performance by student musicians from the HKBU Academy of Music.

5. The IACMR 2023 gathered nearly 1,500 scholars, students, managers and consultants to advance their knowledge about organisational management in the Chinese context.

6. Prof. Gerben S. van der Vegt highlighted the recent changes in the conceptualisation and study of organisational work teams at the Keynote Panel on Organisational Behaviour Research.

The Centre for Sustainable Development Studies

leads knowledge exchange workshop on fighting poverty and sustainable development

The Centre for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) of the HKBU School of Business coorganised the Knowledge Exchange Workshop on fighting poverty and sustainable development on 1 June 2023. Participants from the community and financial institutions gathered to share experiences and best practices around the topic to raise awareness and inspire future actions.

Themed “Sustainable Development: From University to Community”, the highly interactive workshop presented a platform for academia and community partners, including NGOs, non-profit organisations, social enterprises and schools, to discuss how the higher education sector could contribute to the poverty issue and society’s sustainable development as a whole.

Dr. Aries Wong, Associate Director of CSDS, thanked the enthusiastic participants for their generous sharing. “With the key takeaways from the Workshop, we will be able to follow up and partner with different organisations with rigorous evaluation on poverty alleviation measures, translating insights into actions and impacts for sustainable development.”

At the same time, community partners highlighted the challenges they have faced in their community projects, providing insights into how academic institutions could play a role in poverty alleviation measures, and how a successful collaboration with other parties look like. Miss Kit Ko, a representative from YWCA, shared a successful service-learning project collaborated with students from the HKBU School of Business, helping young mothers develop their own business in selling pre-owned clothes.

The Workshop also offers a networking occasion to bridge up community partners with business sectors for potential project collaborations. Established in July 2022, the CSDS aims to conduct research and organise knowledge transfer activities related to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. It focuses on how institutions, policies and practices affect the achievement of the selected SDGs in global and local contexts. Poverty, inequality and mobility is one of the key areas the CSDS focus on, along with climate policy, clean energy and environmental protection.

Dr. Wanyi ZHENG Assistant Professor Department of Management, Marketing &

Systems

Upcoming EVENTS

Date Speaker Topic

Centre for Business Analytics and the Digital Economy

6 Sep 2023

9:00-10:30

Zoom

Joint with CEIBS, NTU, and NUS

8 Sep 2023 9:00-10:30

Zoom

Joint with NTU, NYU-Shanghai, Sinica, and SMU

Prof. Luis MARTÍNEZ University of Chicago

Bourbon Reforms and State Capacity in the Spanish Empire

Prof. Gregory PHELAN, Williams College Fragility of Safe Asset Markets

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The Research Espresso, a bimonthly e-publication covering everything you need to know about the latest research developments at the HKBU School of Business, focuses on four key areas: Research Insights (the main research topic of the month), Research Excellence (recognition of faculty members’ research achievements), News (research-related updates), and Seminars (sharing research skills and knowledge).

The idea is to provide business practitioners with the most recent research findings from the School‘s faculty. We want to build links between research and practice and to ensure that the School's research has business and societal impact.

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