INSEAD Knowledge Podcast

Companies looking to succeed in emerging markets must listen to local needs and tailor their proposition accordingly.That’s the message from Affiliate Professor of Strategy Lite Nartey and digital financial services expert Bruno Akpaka in this INSEAD Knowledge podcast, which examines how mobile payments system Mobile Money was successfully introduced in Ghana.Akpaka, who oversaw the launch of Mobile Money in 2009 as mobile telecom firm MTN’s general manager for Western Central Africa, explains how the company took the time to speak to all stakeholders involved. Alongside banks and regulators, the MTN sent representatives out to speak directly with market traders and their customers, many of whom had never previously had access to financial services.This led MTN to eschew the traditional banking route in favour of a distribution model that brought the service to unbanked consumers through a network of agents. This allowed the company to customise their proposition and develop a product that met the needs of local consumers, offering them convenience, security and simplicity.What started out as a project with financial inclusion goals, has since evolved into a comprehensive financial system. By the end of 2024, Mobile Money had more than 17.2 million users in Ghana – approximately half the total population.While such a tailored approach might seem obvious, Professor Nartey highlights how many global firms still try to apply strategies from developed markets without fully understanding local contexts. As the Mobile Money case shows, each market has its own challenges – and requires its own tailored solution.

What’s common across the Boeing 737 MAX debacle, the 1MDB financial scandal and America’s opioid crisis? They are all illustrations of how business leaders, in pursuit of performance, neglected and undermined progress – specifically fairness, well-being and sustainability.With each such scandal, trust in business frays. While one may blame specific firms and leaders, too much is amiss in modern business to solely blame the actors, says INSEAD Professor of Strategy and Management Subi Rangan in this podcast. Business theory and business education also warrant careful scrutiny and correction.

Can dreaming really help solve waking problems? And could a specific form of dream analysis help an organisation better achieve shared goals and objectives? In this INSEAD Knowledge podcast, Susan Long, Emeritus Professor at the National Institute of Organization Dynamics Australia and Michael Jarrett, Professor of Management at INSEAD offer their perspective on the value of social dreaming for firms.The roots of social dreaming can be traced back to World War II, and German journalist, Charlotte Beradt's documentation of dreams during the Nazi era. Inspired by her findings, British psychoanalyst Gordon Lawrence developed the concept of social dreaming as a structured method for exploring the unconscious dynamics operating within contemporary social groups.This method moves beyond the traditional view of dreams as purely personal experiences. While individual dreams often address personal wishes and daily events, social dreaming suggests that groups of people, interconnected within a social system, also collectively dream about issues, desires and problems relevant to the group as a whole.The conversation goes on to explore the practicalities of running a social dreaming session – from the importance of the Matrix to the role of the host in leading the group through the dream reflection dialogue.Citing real life examples, Long and Jarrett explain how they have both used social dreaming to work with firms to identify and address the unconscious concerns and emotions that influence behaviour and decision-making. In this way, social dreaming can offer deeper insights into shared concerns. This allows for improved communication, collaboration and a more comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics at play within groups.Further reading:The Third Reich of Dreams: The Nightmares of a Nation, Charlotte Beradt.Introduction to Social Dreaming: Transforming Thinking, W. Gordon Lawrence.Social Dreaming: Philosophy, Research, Theory and Practice, Susan Long and Julian Manley (eds.).

Christoph Senn is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at INSEAD, while Mehak Gandhi heads Research and Training at Value Creator. Together, they explore the shift from traditional product selling to a customer-centric relationship model in their new book, Triple Fit Strategy. They discuss the importance of alignment in planning and execution to foster deeper partnerships. The conversation covers the power of collaboration, lessons from Maersk, and the challenges organizations face when adopting this innovative approach to enhance customer engagement and drive growth.

In a dynamic business environment, leaders often need to implement new strategic initiatives – from new business models to new technologies or workflows. But change is never easy. The success of new initiatives depends on whether leaders win the support of actors within the organisation.In other words, it is a matter of influence. In this podcast with Vibha Gaba, the Berghmans Lhoist Chaired Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership at INSEAD, discusses the forces at play when leaders try to drive change. To build support for their strategic initiatives, leaders must understand how support and resistance spread within the organisation's networks.

Despite millions retiring annually, the topic remains taboo for many employers and employees. Every year, millions leave the workforce, yet discussions about this common rite of passage are often avoided.This INSEAD Knowledge podcast features Graham Ward, Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Isabel Lebbe, Partner in the Investment Management practice of Arendt & Medernach, discussing the often-neglected issue of retirement.Drawing on years of research in this field, the pair highlight the significant impact that retirement can have on both individuals and the organisations they leave behind. They point out that retirement should not merely be seen an event but is, in fact, a complex process that requires careful consideration and planning from both sides. Ward and Lebbe argue that with an ageing population, changing demographics also mean firms need to stop viewing retirement as an end. Instead, they must view it as a valuable opportunity to maintain relationships and leverage the experience of retiring employees to ensure a positive experience for all involved. Read more: https://knowledge.insead.edu/career/talk-about-making-good-exit

Michael Y. Lee, an Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, delves into the intricacies of dismantling hierarchies in modern organizations. He discusses the shift towards decentralized team structures and the challenges that accompany this transition, particularly in knowledge-based sectors. Lee highlights psychological barriers to self-management and the importance of flexibility in role assignments. He also emphasizes the ongoing journey of organizational change, advocating for adaptability to prevent a return to traditional hierarchies.

Manfred Kets de Vries, a leading authority on leadership and organizational change, shares insightful perspectives on the power of storytelling. He discusses how compelling narratives can drive transformation, not just for others but for leaders themselves. The conversation touches on the importance of empathy and authenticity in leadership, the psychological impact of storytelling on employee engagement, and strategies for enhancing self-awareness in leaders. Kets de Vries emphasizes that effective storytelling is crucial for fostering deeper relationships and creating a safe organizational culture.

Horacio Falcão, Roderick Swaab, and Eric Luis Uhlmann, co-founders of INSEAD’s Negotiation and Conflict Management Collaborative, explore the growing importance of negotiation in an increasingly polarized world. They discuss how effective negotiation can transform conflicts into collaborative opportunities and highlight the need for sustainable strategies that expand a negotiation's value. Their insights extend to empowering marginalized groups and utilizing negotiation training to address global issues like poverty and inequality, fostering a more humane society one dialogue at a time.

Today’s uncertain and disrupted world has had a major impact on how firms do business. It has led to a gradual strategic shift from the era of “bigger is better” and a narrow fixation on increased sales growth to a more nuanced, broader vision of corporate value growth.In this podcast, Jean-Claude Larreche, an Emeritus Professor of Marketing and the Alfred H. Heineken Chaired Professor of Marketing, Emeritus, builds on the themes of his new book Value Capture Selling to explore this transformation further, examining the reasons behind the shift and what it specifically means for the role of salespeople within firms.