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Alumni and students only: Less is more; conversations about managing in and for the future

Dates
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - 18:00 to 21:00
Location
Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5ED
Less is more; conversations about managing for and in the future

Join us for an exclusive event focused on managing in and for the future. Dr Richard Longman (The Open University Business School) and Alison Sturgess Durden (Director at Mayden) will lead an evening around the transformative idea that “less is more.”

Together, we will talk about what our companies do and how they do it. Learn from one company that decided that “less is more” when it comes to organising and operates entirely without managers – discover if this helps share responsibility for success and sustainability across the workforce.

Also, gain insights from the disruptive ideas at the heart of the degrowth movement – discover how the sustainability shift might be made from thinking about economic throughput (rather than output).

This event offers practical knowledge, collaborative opportunities, and idea exchanges for implementing change. Engage in meaningful conversations about the power of “less is more” with like-minded professionals passionate about a successful and sustainable future.

Programme

18:00 - 18:30 Welcome, registration and refreshments

18:30 – 19:45 Less is more - presentation and activity

19:45 – 20:45 Networking

20:45 Finish

Register here

Please note this event is for Business School alumni and students only.

Dr Richard Longman

Dr Richard Longman

My work begins with ideas about alternative organising—specifically, alternative ways of organising (e.g., B Corps, Teal Organisations) and our learning from organising alternative things (e.g., hope, truth, ignorance).

I joined The Open University in 2023 and, through my research, teaching, and engagement, I try to show how destructive organisational practices should be replaced by more sustainable alternatives.

I am currently writing about employment relations for a great new module on the MSc HRM programme. And my research extends into diverse settings, taking an alternative perspective on ethics in the Anthropocene, how prison labour fuels an obsession with money, and unpicking gender equality in opera.

I enjoy collaborations built around socio-economic justice, advancing more democratic organisations and societies. Connect with me.

Alison Sturgess Durden

Alison Sturgess Durden

Alison held a number of operational and strategic management positions in acute and community healthcare sectors before working with one of the UK’s leading healthcare consultancy firms. There she worked on service transformation programmes with a range of NHS clients.

She joined Mayden, a digital healthcare business, in 2011, becoming a director in 2016 where she is responsible for business development and developing the business organisationally as it grows.

Alison has a Masters degree in strategic management from the University of Bristol and co-authored and edited Mayden's book 'Made Without Managers', chronicling the company's journey into being an organisation that is managing without managers.