Look Who it Was Random video

How bad practice prevails: Freek Vermeulen at TEDxLouvainLaNeuve

2,446 views · Published 23 January 2014 · 14:32 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2014 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Humans have an amazing ability to organize, but managers' actions -- strategies, management practices and investment decisions -- often have different consequences than they realise, or ever will. This sometimes allows bad practices to spread and bad habits to persist, for decades or longer.

Freek Vermeulen studies managers and their organizations like a zoologist studies mountain gorillas or a criminologist studies criminals. He has never been one, he does not want to be one, but he thinks he has started to understand them.
At present, Freek is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School. His latest book is called "Business Exposed: The naked truth about what really goes on in the world of business". The Financial Times wrote that Freek is "a rising star and his pithy observations are both accessible and authoritative". He is also the first ever winner of London Business School's Excellence in Teaching Award.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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