The Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration hosted a public lecture by Professor Tamer Cavusgil from Georgia State University on 10 December 2024. The lecture, titled “Missteps in Executive Behavior: Why Do Business Executives Repeat Mistakes?”, attracted a diverse audience eager to understand why business leaders often repeat avoidable mistakes.
During the lecture, Professor Cavusgil identified several common pitfalls that business executives often encounter, and offered strategies to avoid them. He highlighted the phenomenon of “equifinality”, where executives repeat actions expecting different results, and addressed various cognitive biases that contribute to these mistakes. To avoid these mistakes, companies and organisations should improve organisational culture, and align long-term goals and vision with stakeholders. These strategies can help organisations foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment, and ensure sustainable growth and success.
Professor Tamer Cavusgil is Regents' Professor, Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair, and Executive Director of the Center for International Business Education and Research at Georgia State University in the United States. He has been mentoring students, executives, and educators in international business for the past four decades. He authored more than several dozen books and 200+ refereed journal articles. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, HKMU conferred the degree of Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa upon Professor Cavusgil in December 2024. This honor adds to his already distinguished accolades, including honorary doctorates from The University of Hasselt and the University of Southern Denmark.
Public Lecture on “Missteps in Executive Behavior: Why Do Business Executives Repeat Mistakes?”
Date:
10 December 2024 (Tuesday)
Time:
5:00pm
Venue:
Lu Sin Lecture Theatre (D0309), Jockey Club Campus, HKMU
Speaker:
Professor Tamer Cavusgil, Georgia State University
In today’s global business landscape, insights and best practices around management are celebrated, well-publicized, and held sacred. Management education is more accessible than ever, and companies confidently operate using their gold-standard business protocols. Yet, while managers ardently champion the idea of ‘learning organizations’, a stark reality confronts us: frequent misjudgments in executive decisions persist. These aren’t mere paradoxes; they often translate to financial setbacks, putting a company’s hard-earned reputation and bottom line at risk.
So, why do some business leaders still make the same mistakes? Why do we see some organizations continue to make errors in judgment that many would feel are avoidable?
In his upcoming talk, Prof. Tamer Cavusgil will address the prevalent mistakes executives make in the contemporary business environment. He will discuss the root causes of these missteps, ranging from fundamental human psychology to the challenges inherent in today's interconnected business world, where accountability to a myriad of stakeholders is considered a must. To cap off his talk, he’ll present actionable strategies executives can take to navigate away from these recurrent pitfalls.
About Professor Tamer Cavusgil
Prof. Cavusgil currently serves as Regents' Professor, Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair, and Executive Director, Center for International Business Education and Research, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia USA.
He has been mentoring students, executives, and educators in international business for the past four decades. He authored more than several dozen books and 200+ refereed journal articles. He mentored over 40 doctoral students at Michigan State and Georgia State universities who have become accomplished educators around the world.
Prof. Cavusgil holds an honorary doctorate from The University of Hasselt and the University of Southern Denmark, in addition to being named as an Honorary Professor by Atilim University in Ankara, Turkey. He is the current Dean of the Academy of International Business Fellows. This December, HKMU will confer the degree of Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa upon Professor Cavusgil.
Registration is open until 6 December 2024.
