April 20, 2004

A Lecture with Staying Power

GW School of Business Robert P. Maxon Lecturer Jerry Porras Discusses Enduring Companies

Jerry Porras, Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior and Change (Emeritus) at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and co-author of “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies,” with James C. Collins, presented “Characteristics of Enduring Great Companies: A US/European Comparison” as the 2004 Maxon Lecturer on April 13.

Porras’ book is based on an exhaustive six-year research project aimed at discovering the approaches and behaviors behind 18 of the most visionary US companies over the past two centuries, examining them from their beginnings to the present day. It features new terms that rapidly are infiltrating the business lexicon, such as BHAGs — Big Harry Audacious Goals. The term refers to organization-wide, make-or-break goals that businesses direct all of their resources toward.

The Robert P. Maxon Lecture was established through Dorothy Maxon’s generous endowment gift to the School of Business in honor of her husband, Robert P. Maxon (BA ’48).

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