Written By:  Evan Shu

Dr. Ethel Brundin, a professor of Business Administration at Jönköping University’s Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) in Jönköping, Sweden, visited the College of Management from March 8-12 as part of a research project partnership. Dr. Brundin is a world renowned expert in strategic leadership and entrepenuership, particularly in the areas of family businesses and the roles of emotions, ownership, and family capital having published numerous papers and articles pertaining the important position emotion has on entrepreneurs and businesses practices. In addition to serving on the JIBS Research Faculty Board and the JIBS Centre for Family Enterprise and Ownership, she is also a visiting professor at the University of Western Cape and a Linneaus Palm coordinator between JIBS and the University of Johannesburg and the University of Western Cape. Furthermore, she is also a seasoned entrepreneur, having started a number of businesses in the United Kingdom prior to getting her PhD.

While in Taiwan, Dr. Brundin served as a guest lecturer to the GMBA students in the course on Organizational Behavior. Her session was composed of two parts. She first gave the students a platform which they debated two different publications: 1) Managers’ emotional displays and employees’ willingness to act entrepreneurially; 2) Beyond Facts and Figures: The Role of Emotions in Boardroom dynamics. The purpose of the debate was not to analyze the papers, but rather the students’ interaction with one another whilst debating. While one group was debating another, remaining students observed the following: 1) Goals; 2) Interaction Patterns amongst members and opponents; 3) Emotions Displayed. The exercised and discussion thereafter allowed the students to pick up on the drastic differences in displays of emotions between the two debates. It is on the topic of emotions where Dr. Brundin transitioned the discussion into a teaching session about the integral role emotion plays in the areas of management and leadership and how it affects an organization’s culture and structure.

Though only in Taiwan for a short period, Dr. Brundin was still a vital part of the education of the GMBA students as they seek to be the leaders in this ever-changing global industry.