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Mrs. Johanna Zugmann ("Die Presse" Careers) and panelists

The VIST Panel 2010

After the economic crisis, blame assignments are manifold and annoying. The VIST Panel 2010, which was organized in cooperation with WdF, was devoted to the subject “the impact of future education to managers”. The panel was held at the Technical University of Vienna.

 

 

 

The main question: Is ethic teachable?

After the welcome speech from Siegfried Neubauer, Franz Barachini explained in his position statement, that there is light and shadow in management education. The panel moderated by Johanna Zugmann put away the thesis between “genuine education” and “evil application”. “We are not in the crisis we are the crisis” was the main statement by Helmut Schüller, University pastor and “fair-trade” chairman. The world-wide exported doctrines of US Business Schools are incompatible with the medium sized European economy said Erich Hödl: “From the perspective of history the US education always was tailored to developments of the financial market”, argued the vice president of the European Academy of Science.

 

Theory from the middle ages

While Helmut Detter wondered himself about the failure of controlling mechanisms for the economy, Franz Hörmann criticized the financial theories as middle aged. Paul Jankowitsch said that there are multiple reasons why a system fails. Economy is always a sub-system of our society and as such it is a mirror of accepted values and beliefs. Therefore the role of parents is crucial and it is too late to start thinking about ethics at higher age.

 

 

Therapy from practice

IBM CEO Leo Steiner said that company success is driven by customers. They decide if a product or service is accepted. He gave hints how to improve – internally it is possible to change values and beliefs. This subject dominated the second part of the evening. It is important to reconsider economy as a recipe for house hold management. Mr. Schüller argued that more sanity is needed and that reorganization based on principles of business administration is welcome – but it would be important to ask if oneself would act similar in his or her own private household. 

The most radical proposal was presented by Franz Hörmann who supported the idea to invent a new currency type – “information money”. With this currency in mind the complete society could be measured. Reward and punishment could then be easier applied.

 

The discussion was carried forward at the buffet which was accompanied by a magician. The panel was very well received by the audience and will be repeated on 8. March 2011. 

 

The VIST team