The Intellectual Venture Capitalist: John H. McArthur and the Work of the Harvard Business School, 1980-1995

It might seem surprising to find the term "venture capitalist" linked to the work of John McArthur, a longtime academic and the dean of the Harvard Business School from 1980 to 1995. Yet, much like a venture capitalist, McArthur astutely invested in other people's ideas-perhaps most significantly when their ideas challenged tradition and accepted practice. The Intellectual Venture Capitalist celebrates McArthur's enormous contribution to the Harvard Business School, with essays from many of the School's most renowned professors, who pay tribute to his continuing influence on their careers and the work of the School. Although the Harvard Business School has always been known for exceptional teaching, under McArthur's guidance the institution carved out a new reputation as a pioneer in both the research of cutting-edge theories and the development of multi-disciplinary approaches. McArthur lent his advocacy and enthusiasm to emerging areas of interest at the School, in the way that a venture capitalist recognizes the viable business that lies within a promising new technology. The essays in this collection examine some of the important fields of study at the Harvard Business School that took root and flourished under McArthur's guiding influence, including ethics and organizations, entrepreneurship, competition and strategy, organizations and markets, and the Global Financial Systems project. In exploring McArthur's work with the school, these thoughtful essays reveal much about the characteristics of effective leaders, and the profound influence that individuals can have with their colleagues, communities, and institutions. The Intellectual Venture Capitalist captures the essence of McArthur's vision, foresight, and unparalleled gift for building consensus as he expanded the frontiers of intellectual thought at the Harvard Business School, and throughout much of business education as we know it today.