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We use two sequential randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to study the impact of the first two editions of a 12-day intensive training program that cost about 12,000 euros (approx. $14,878) per participant to encourage youth to become leaders in social entrepreneurship. The first edition of the program showed no robust treatment effects. The program was adjusted to reduce leadership training and increase “hard skills” entrepreneurship training. The second edition of the program had treatment effects on entrepreneurial activities and the creation of a new venture during the program, as well as subsequent start-up activity. In both RCTs, participants who had made more entrepreneurial progress before the start of the program made more progress afterward, irre-spective of treatment. Those with the highest pretreatment expectations made the least progress, irrespective of treatment. Training people to learn entrepreneurship seems to be difficult and costly, but repeated field experiments will increase our knowledge of the impact of entrepreneurship training.

This article focuses on changes in leadership’s discourse about the “triple bottom line” in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from its founding days through to its acquisition by and integration into Unilever. For this study, we analyzed CEO claims about “who we are” from their letters in annual reports (what we label projected identity). A sample of employees (both long-service and relative newcomers) were interviewed about their perceptions of Ben & Jerry’s over the 30 years covered. Findings reveal that successive CEOs stressed different “logics” about the business and what would make it successful over the years with the founders emphasizing a strong linkage between the economic, product, and social components of the company’s triple bottom line and their next three successors decoupling these components and pushing, each in different ways, for stronger financial returns. As a result, organization members were “whipsawed” between their CEOs’ different logics and identity claims. The CEO letters exhibit a progression over time from a more normative to utilitarian tone familiar in the organizational identity literature. The messaging shifts, however, when a fifth CEO takes charge and reintegrates the firm’s triple bottom line. Thus, the firm’s projected identity evolved in a U pattern starting with an integrated triple bottom line logic, shifting to a more linear logic where the economic mission dominates, and then reintegration where multiple bottom lines are embraced once again. Here, we explore both the strategic (external) and personal (internal) challenges informing the different CEOs’ messages over years, the whipsaw effect on staff, and the longer term evolution of projected identity in the company and reemergence of its integrated triple bottom line. This study contributes to the corporate social responsibility and organization identity literatures by documenting how CEOs (and their company) must struggle with maintaining an integrated triple bottom line in the context of commercial challenges and major changes involved in mergers and acquisitions. It also speaks to the practical matters of keeping normative traditions alive amid competing pressures for change.

French Abstract: Cet article decrit une methode d'Action Learning pour enseigner l'intelligence situationnelle. Elle vise a aider les managers a trouver des reponses appropriees aux situations complexes de management qu'ils rencontrent. Apres avoir revu les differentes ecoles de pensee concernant le leadership et les meilleurs pratiques de management, nous definissons l'intelligence situationnelle comme l'intelligence des situations, de soi et des autres, et la capacite a reconcilier autant que possible les interets des differents acteurs impliques dans la situation. Nous utilisons les contradictions sous jacentes au management de conquete et au management de finesse comme cadre de reference. La methode "Fidelio", evolution de l'approche "Solfi" utilisee a HEC depuis 1999, utilise les theories du leadership et met l'accent sur des concepts recents ou recemment renouveles comme l'intelligence emotionnelle, la theorie des roles, les contradictions et les paradoxes, l'incertitude et l'ambiguite dans le management, etc. Les ressources pedagogiques consistent en un questionnaire, des ateliers, des entretiens individuels, et des rapports post-ateliers. Elles contribuent au developpement personnel, a la decouverte des concepts du management et a l'animation des equipes. Les participants experimentent differentes facon de se representer leurs situations et par consequent font evoluer leurs comportements de leadership. Ils prennent conscience que le leadership est contextuel et qu'il est necessaire d'utiliser des references theoriques. Ils travaillent aussi leur capacite a manager les contradictions.English Abstract: This article describes an Action Learning resource teaching situational intelligence. It aims to help managers find appropriate responses to complex management situations that they encounter. After reviewing different schools of thought concerning leadership and best management practice, we define situational intelligence as the intelligence of situations, others and oneself, and the ability to reconcile as well as possible the interests of the different actors involved in a situation. We use the contradictions underlying conquest management and finesse management as a reference framework. The "FIDELIO" method, an extension of the "SOLFI" approach used at HEC since 1999, uses leadership theories and stresses recent or newly revived concepts such as emotional intelligence, role theory, contradictions and paradoxes, uncertainty and ambiguity in management, etc. The teaching resource consists of a questionnaire, workshops, individual interviews and post-workshop reports. It contributes to personal development, to the discovery of management concepts and the communication of skills to staff. Participants experiment with different ways to represent their situations and consequently their leadership behaviors evolve. They become aware that leadership is contextual and that it is necessary to used conceptual references. They also work on their own ability to manage contradictions.