Why Business Schools Need to Start Thinking Small

Legend has it that notorious American hold-up man Willie Sutton, who netted an estimated $2 million between the late 1920s and his final arrest in 1952, was once asked why he robbed banks. His reply: "Because that's where the money is."

It's perfectly understandable that such ice-cold logic should also dictate the ambitions of most business school students. The majority dream of working in blue-chip companies that will reward them as handsomely as possible. They can hardly be faulted for aiming high.

The truth, though, is that for many the dream will remain precisely that. Some of the very best and most dynamic students will start their own businesses, while others will work in small or medium-sized companies. Their futures will lie not in the sprawling world of the multinational but in the comparatively cozy confines of the local economy. Read more...