MaastrichtMBA | MBA | Dr. Boris Blumberg

Dr. Boris Blumberg

Dr. Boris Blumberg, Strategic Management Teacher, works as senior lecturer at the department Organisation and Strategy and is also your and the school’s MBA captain. Boris holds a PhD in organisation sociology from Utrecht University and an MSc in business from Mannheim University in Germany. He has been visiting scholar at the Booth Business School of the University of Chicago and the Haas Business School at the University of California at Berkeley. His research focuses on social networks and entrepreneurship. Moreover he is interested in methodological questions. His research has been published in Organisation Studies, Small Business Economics and Journal of Entrepreneurship & Regional Development and he serves on the editorial boards of Organisation Research Methods and Journal of Small Business.

What is your connection with Maastricht?

I studied business administration at Mannheim University in Germany. Afterwards I moved not just to a different country, but also into a different academic field, namely sociology. I obtained my Ph.D. in sociology at Utrecht University. Having enjoyed working in both worlds I somehow liked business studies more but preferred to stay in the Netherlands. Thus in 1997 I joined Maastricht University. It might be a bit uncommon to remain at one university for such a long time, but in Maastricht it is far less uncommon. Probably for the same reasons I stayed for more than a quarter of a century. I really like Maastricht University and the school for its people and how we work with each other.

What motivated you to become a professor?

First, I like universities as spaces where people discuss openly, respectfully with each other to generate new insights and to create new ideas. Second I am a person that works best with a high degree of autonomy something universities offer. Third the older I get, the more I appreciate to be surrounded by younger people challenging me and my thoughts rooted in the generation I grew up in.

What is your role within the MaastrichtMBA programme?

My most immediate contribution to the programme is in the tole as a teacher for strategy and organisation and I also supervise BCPs. Next to this hat, as the head of UMIO I try to create an atmosphere in which the MBA staff and students feel sufficiently safe to trust each other and appreciated for the capabilities and experiences they bring to the table.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your lectures in the programme?

I teach strategy and also entrepreneurship & innovation. Both are rather broad fields and that fits well with my eclectic nature. In strategy a quite broad view is essential while entrepreneurship & innovation are important engines of change, progress and growth. Thus the message I hope to get across is that managing organisations requires taking a broader look, balancing multiple perspectives and the courage to adjust and start new initiatives.

How do you think the world will look in the next few years regarding your teaching focus area?

First of all the good thing is that we live in a rather predictable world. Think back to 2019 or even 2014 and compare it with today – how much change was unexpected? But I have plans for the next five years. I want to think and talk more about impact, what impact do organisations want to have and how can they ensure that they achieve the desired impact. This is a complex discussion as it requires to understand what is the desired impact of an organisation and also how do we measure it? In the end planning for the future is also about creating it.

What lessons have you learned during the last couple of years?

I have always assumed the people act out of good intent – we all want the best not just for us but also for people around us. But in the last couple of years I have seen that the bigger the challenges get the more our intentions align and the more we co-operate through understanding others.

What are you particularly proud of professionally?

Years ago I started a typical academic career consisting of teaching, research and writing research report and academic articles. In the last years a third component became more and more important: leading and managing a team. Of course I was well prepared at least theoretically. Somehow – at least that is what I also hear from other – I am not too bad in walking my talk.

Would you like to share something personal with the readers?

When I was a student I went quite regularly to the theatre, the opera and musicals but at some point I did this very rarely. So my new year’s resolution for 2023 was to visit at least ten plays in 2023. So I saw classic plays (Maria Stuart, Wilhelm Tell, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Magic Flute, The new life), plays based on modern novels (Little man, what now?, Rebecca, Franziska) and contemporary plays (Judas, Johann Holtrop) in Düsseldorf, Bochum, London and Vienna. 2024 I have already watched 9 performances. Thus one could say that I have a new hobby.

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Dr. Boris Blumberg

What is your connection with Maastricht?

What motivated you to become a professor?

What is your role within the MaastrichtMBA programme?

Can you tell us a little bit more about your lectures in the programme?

How do you think the world will look in the next few years regarding your teaching focus area?

What lessons have you learned during the last couple of years?

What are you particularly proud of professionally?

Would you like to share something personal with the readers?

Dr. Boris Blumberg

Senior Lecturer

Strategic Management

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