Tomoyoshi Noda, Chair of Board of Trustees and President
Business schools have been predicated on a growth model that was established in the 20th century, underpinned by: a mass production/mass consumption model that assumes a rising economy; a pyramid-shaped organizational structure that supports this production/consumption model; and middle managers and functional specialists that utilize a carrot and stick management style to operate those pyramid-shaped organizations. However as we see throughout the world, the basis of this growth model is being fundamentally challenged.
The single-minded pursuit of economic growth is at odds with the sustainability of our society, as is clearly represented by the efforts such as the United Nations SDGs and the main-streaming of ESG investments. Alongside the development of our economy and society comes a new wave of consumerism which is diversified and individualized. The traditional mass production and mass consumption model no longer fits this consumer pattern, and calls for a specified and targeted production of goods in small quantities.
Our organizations are also changing. The rapid development of social networks and the sharing economy has enhanced horizontal connections between individuals across departments and organizations. This has transformed our society into a network-oriented one, where organizational management is no longer done through command and control, but based on empathy and trust building.
Furthermore, technological innovation such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, IoT, blockchain, and life sciences are not only reshaping our lives, but also transforming the value-creation process, from what used to be a race towards efficiency built upon economies of scale, to pursuing new knowledge and creating new realities by combining creativity and entrepreneurship.
As such, the traditional MBA educational model is quickly becoming obsolete. Shizenkan aspires to propose an alternative business school model that takes on the challenge of nurturing business leaders that are equipped to navigate the next century.