An interview with Wickham Skinner, Emeritus Professor at Harvard Business School

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this series of papers is to offer key insights from eminent professors or practitioners within the field of Operations Management. This is the second of a series of interviews with “Operations Masters” and future contributions will include a range of inputs from manufacturing and services, private and public sectors. This series aims to provide an important contribution to the understanding of the strategic importance of operations management in a range of settings.

Design/methodology/approach

An interview with Professor Wickham, Emeritus Professor at Harvard Business School, a leading international figure in the field of operations management, whose contribution to operations manufacturing/strategy has been cited as seminal. The interview was conducted by Professor Steve Brown, Editor‐in‐Chief of International Journal of Operations & Production Management.

Findings

Wickham Skinner explains how he developed his reasoning behind his Harvard Business Review articles and books. He also describes how courses were developed at Harvard Business School to reflect the changing nature of business. He examines some of the challenges facing academics and practitioners alike in highly competitive, global business environments.

Originality/value

Professor Wickham Skinner is a leading international figure in the field of manufacturing and operations strategy. In this interview he offers key insights into how he first developed the notion of operations as a corporate concern. The message is highly relevant to academics and practitioners today.

Citation

Brown, S. (2013), "An interview with Wickham Skinner, Emeritus Professor at Harvard Business School", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 104-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571311288066