Harvard Dean Search: 'Vision' a Must

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Internet Campaign

The HBS Class of 2009, meanwhile, has taken to the Internet to demonstrate support for Professor Nitin Nohria via a specially created Web site.Nohria, who has been on the faculty at HBS since 1984, is part of the team at HBS working with the World Economic Forum and the Aspen Institute on the much-discussed MBA Oath in the hopes of transforming management into a profession on par with law and medicine. He is co-chair of the Leadership Initiative at HBS and has previously served as senior associate dean of faculty development. On the "Nohria for Dean" Web site, the Class of 2009 focuses on Nohria's strengths, including his questioning of common assumptions, his reasoned authority, and his strong leadership skills. "Professor Nitin Nohria is the leader we need at the helm of our great institution to guide us down the tough and vital path to rediscover ourselves, and to realign and redefine purposeful leadership," the Web site reads. Nohria declined to comment.

The dean search has generated a lot of interest among alumni, student leaders, and faculty, who—while unwilling to go on the record—spoke privately about their favorites. One name that's surfaced as a possible candidate is that of Srikant Datar, senior associate dean and professor of accounting, whose name was also mentioned as a front-runner for the position in 2006. Datar has taught at HBS since 1996 and is thought of as a visionary in the world of management education. His most recent book, Rethinking the MBA: Business Education at a Crossroads, looks at how business schools must change with the changing business world, demanding things like increased creative and critical thinking, an increased awareness of global perspectives, and a greater focus on leadership skills. Datar did not return messages seeking comment.

The one thing that all constituencies at HBS agree on is that the position is unlikely to be filled by an outsider. That means the new dean could be a grad, but will most likely be plucked from the school's existing faculty, as has been the case with every dean in the school's history. "We just celebrated our centennial in 2008, so it's almost like we put a cap on that and now we're really looking for someone who can start steering things for the next 100 years," says Kelly, the HBS Alumni Board president. "It's an interesting time for someone new to come in."

Gloeckler is a staff editor for BusinessWeek in New York.

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