Leadership and management issues critical to New Zealand’s business future
October 31, 2013
A University of Canterbury (UC) business expert says issues relating to leadership and management are critical to New
Zealand’s business future.
Director of UC’s executive development programmes, Tony Mortensen, says information that has been coming out around New
Zealand’s productivity has sparked his interest.
``We are in a good space at the moment, but some of that space is being driven predominantly from the $40 billion that
is going to float back into Canterbury. That is going to help New Zealand’s prosperity. We have got some positive net
immigration issues in Auckland that are certainly helping too.
``But we have to think about New Zealand’s economy has a whole and how we can develop. A problem I see is that we are
currently facing a long stemmed issue of being one of the hardest working countries in the OECD but we are becoming less
productive. We have to ask the question what are we doing wrong or not doing as well as we could be doing/’’
Mortensen will give a public lecture on campus next week (November 6). See a preview video interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBNnzmCDSf4=youtu.be.
He says the future of New Zealand business and productivity goes back to leadership.
``It’s a critical component at the top of organisations. Leaders provide strategic leadership vision and inspiration. We
have some great leaders in our society at that strategic level.
``Then we have the bureaucratic, planning, implementing and controlling level and we are actually really good at that
which is important in managing cost. But where we are lacking is in that middle space, or that level of management that
has to implement the vision while still being constrained by controls that are put in place.
``We have an opportunity in New Zealand’s business environment to look at how we develop that space. If we squash too
hard on the compliance and control we end up stifling innovation and companies become unproductive and we lose
efficiencies.
``The last decade has seen an exponential increase in the number of courses offered in the area of organisational
leadership, with almost every major business school worldwide now offering specialised training in this area.
``Do organisations truly understand the key difference between leadership and management? Do they understand what is
needed in their organisation to achieve efficiency, profitability and sustainable growth?
``If we employ skilled people to undertake the different tasks in an organisation do we really need to manage those
people or are we better off allowing them to do what we employed them to do. The flip side of this is that if we do not
manage these people effectively then the organisation runs the risk of becoming less efficient and effective at
providing society with the desired outcomes.’’
For details about the lecture, see: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/event/9056629623.
ENDS