Learning outside one's discipline--World Business Forum reflections by an economist

by Dr. Thomas Scheiding, Assistant Professor of Economics, Elizabethtown College

The 2010 World Business Forum at Radio City

As an economist, I was intrigued first and foremost by the economists speaking at the World Business Forum (WBF): Joe Stiglitz and Steve Levitt. While their insights on the performance of the economy and the value of the discipline of economics in a time of heightened uncertainty were valuable, I can't help but remind myself of comments by the likes of Jim Collins and Carlos Brito. 

Collins' remarks made me think repeatedly of what it takes to achieve greatness and what can be done to identify a time within an organization when the institution is on a downward trajectory.  I can certainly think of many companies where good things were being achieved and quite suddenly a downfall began. Collins reminded us that the seeds of a fall from greatness are planted long before the downfall begins and that it is important not to be lulled into complacency.  

Carlos Brito, CEO on Anheuser-Busch InBev, implicitly puts into practice principles that make a company great.  It was amazing to hear him speak of how he took Anheuser-Busch and its culture and both learned from that company and took the time to teach what the culture was of InBev during the merger of the two companies.  Teaching employees about a company's principles and ensuring that those principles are put into practice is one way that Anheuser-Busch InBev has been working to grow and not lose its greatness.  

Upon leaving the WBF, what I unexpectedly found is that I took more away from the non-economists than the economists.

Dr. Scheiding was one of five faculty members and students attending the 2010 World Business Forum, representing Elizabethtown College and the S. Dale High Center for Family Business.