Roger Martin
Encyclopedia
Roger Martin is Dean of the Rotman School of Management
at the University of Toronto
and an author of several business books. Martin has originated several important business concepts in use today, including integrative thinking
. He has been recognized by several business publications as one of the field's most important thinkers.
, the global management consulting
firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. He spent 13 years at Monitor, becoming a director, founding their Canadian office and their educational arm, Monitor University. He served as the co-head of the firm for two years.
Martin was appointed dean of the Rotman School of Management in September 1998 and has served the school in that capacity ever since. He started his third term as dean in May 2011 and will continue in the role until June 2014.
Martin currently serves on several boards, including Thomson Reuters Corporation
, Research In Motion
, the Skoll Foundation
and Tennis Canada
.
's Innovation and Design Channel, the Washington Post’s On Leadership blog and the Financial Times
’ Judgement Call column.
He has focused much of his recent work and research on integrative thinking, business design and most recently corporate responsibility and more broadly the role of the corporation in our society. He has written four books, The Resonsibility Virus, The Opposable Mind
, The Design of Business
, and Fixing the Game and has co-authored two other books with Mihnea Moldoveanu, The Future of the MBA and Diaminds.
Integrative Thinking
is the ability to balance two opposing models, and instead of choosing one at the expense of the other, generating a creative solution that contains elements of the individual models, but is superior to each. Martin aruges that business leaders that master this mode of thinking have a unique ability to innovate and solve problems facing their company.
Design Thinking
balances analytical thinking and intuitive thinking, enabling an organization to both exploit existing knowledge and create new knowledge. A design-thinking organization is capable of effectively advancing knowledge from mystery to heuristic
to algorithm
. The design-thinking organization is capable of achieving lasting and regenerating competitive advantage.
Both modes of thinking have become more prevalent in the business community in recent years with companies including Procter & Gamble
, Four Seasons, and Research in Motion
incorporating both design and integrative thinking into their business strategies.
Martin's most recent work has centered around corporate responsibility and the company's role within our economic structure. He has argued for an overhaul in how we evaluate the success of companies, adovacting a shift in focus from the stock market
. He proposes several suggestions including an alteration in the current executive compensation
models, and a renewed strategic focus aimed at benefiting customers and the community.
Rotman School of Management
The Joseph L. Rotman School of Management commonly known as Rotman School of Management is the University of Toronto's business school, located in St. George Street in Downtown Toronto. The school, named after Joseph L...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and an author of several business books. Martin has originated several important business concepts in use today, including integrative thinking
Integrative thinking
Integrative Thinking is a field in Applied Mind Science which was originated by [Graham Douglas] in 1986.-Definition:Integrative thinking is a discipline and methodology for solving complex or wicked problems...
. He has been recognized by several business publications as one of the field's most important thinkers.
Career
Martin began his career at Monitor GroupMonitor Group
Monitor Group is a global management consulting firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States and with 27 offices in 26 major cities around the world. It provides strategy consultation services to the senior management of organizations and governments...
, the global management consulting
Management consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. He spent 13 years at Monitor, becoming a director, founding their Canadian office and their educational arm, Monitor University. He served as the co-head of the firm for two years.
Martin was appointed dean of the Rotman School of Management in September 1998 and has served the school in that capacity ever since. He started his third term as dean in May 2011 and will continue in the role until June 2014.
Martin currently serves on several boards, including Thomson Reuters Corporation
Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...
, Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
, the Skoll Foundation
Skoll Foundation
The Skoll Foundation is a social entrepreneurship foundation based in Silicon Valley, California, with a mission to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems...
and Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada is the national governing body of tennis within Canada. It works together with the provincial associations to organize tournaments and rules. Tennis Canada also host one ATP Masters Series tournament and one WTA Tier I tournament . The event locations rotate between Montreal and...
.
Writing and Business Experience
Martin is a regular columnist for BusinessweekBusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
's Innovation and Design Channel, the Washington Post’s On Leadership blog and the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
’ Judgement Call column.
He has focused much of his recent work and research on integrative thinking, business design and most recently corporate responsibility and more broadly the role of the corporation in our society. He has written four books, The Resonsibility Virus, The Opposable Mind
The Opposable Mind
The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking is a book published in December 2007 by Roger Martin, Dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management...
, The Design of Business
The Design of Business
The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage is a book published in November 2009 by Roger Martin, a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management...
, and Fixing the Game and has co-authored two other books with Mihnea Moldoveanu, The Future of the MBA and Diaminds.
Business Ideas
Martin’s two largest intellectual contributions to the business community have come from his work in integrative thinking and design thinking, both theories that he has helped to originate and develop.Integrative Thinking
Integrative thinking
Integrative Thinking is a field in Applied Mind Science which was originated by [Graham Douglas] in 1986.-Definition:Integrative thinking is a discipline and methodology for solving complex or wicked problems...
is the ability to balance two opposing models, and instead of choosing one at the expense of the other, generating a creative solution that contains elements of the individual models, but is superior to each. Martin aruges that business leaders that master this mode of thinking have a unique ability to innovate and solve problems facing their company.
Design Thinking
Design thinking
Design Thinking refers to the methods and processes for investigating ill-defined problems, acquiring information, analyzing knowledge, and positing solutions in the design and planning fields...
balances analytical thinking and intuitive thinking, enabling an organization to both exploit existing knowledge and create new knowledge. A design-thinking organization is capable of effectively advancing knowledge from mystery to heuristic
Heuristic
Heuristic refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical...
to algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
. The design-thinking organization is capable of achieving lasting and regenerating competitive advantage.
Both modes of thinking have become more prevalent in the business community in recent years with companies including Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, Four Seasons, and Research in Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
incorporating both design and integrative thinking into their business strategies.
Martin's most recent work has centered around corporate responsibility and the company's role within our economic structure. He has argued for an overhaul in how we evaluate the success of companies, adovacting a shift in focus from the stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
. He proposes several suggestions including an alteration in the current executive compensation
Executive compensation
Executive pay is financial compensation received by an officer of a firm, often as a mixture of salary, bonuses, shares of and/or call options on the company stock, etc. Over the past three decades, executive pay has risen dramatically beyond the rising levels of an average worker's wage...
models, and a renewed strategic focus aimed at benefiting customers and the community.