2021 should be about reset and restart: N. Venkat Venkatraman In an exclusive interaction with us, N. Venkat Venkatraman, the David J. McGrath Jr. Professor of Management at Boston University Questrom School of Business, shares how companies must now ensure that the fundamental building blocks are in place to respond quickly and effectively to the inevitable uncertainties By Mastufa Ahmed
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although some sectors will find it slower than others. Some find that COVID-19 has been a tailwind—e.g., at-home delivery, online education, and media streaming. Others have felt the headwind of Covid— commercial real estate, conventions, live-sports, gyms, and sports clubs, hospitality, airlines, and so on. Most companies feel that the new normal will not be the old normal as individuals and companies readjust to areas where they feel safe and healthy.
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rofessor Venkat Venkatraman is the David J. McGrath jr. Professor of Management at Boston University Questrom School of Business. He has previously taught at MIT Sloan School and London Business School. He is the author of The Digital Matrix: New Rules for Business Transformation Through Technology, LifeTree Media (2017). He is one of the most-cited research-
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ers in strategy and digital business and has won prizes for his research. He has consulted and/or lectured all over the world. Here are the excerpts of the interview.
How do you see the current business scenario and organizations’ bounce-back strategies? In March 2021, there’s a sense of optimism that the economies will recover
Will the year 2021 see organizations trying to uncover new sources of value and shape a sustainable postCOVID-19 world? What are the keys to reinventing organizations for a sustainable future? I think 2021 should be about reset and restart first and foremost. Ensure that the business model is robust and stable to withstand minor shifts due to variants or geopolitical shocks about travel and supply chains. Companies must now ensure that the funda-
