Leadership, strategy, ethics, political economy
Welcome to professors’ picks, offering a weekly curated selection of FT articles by and for business school faculty to connect classrooms to current events and to develop students’ critical thinking. Read all submissions at www.
ft.com/bschoolpicks. Save this link in myFT to receive emails alerting you to each new edition. Search the tags for relevant topics to illustrate teaching points. Comments or contributions? Get in touch at profpicks@ft.com US regulator backtracks on request to delay Amazon Prime trial Tags: Political Economy, Competitive Analysis, Business and Government Summary: A lawyer for the US Federal Trade Commission asked a federal judge to delay the trial challenging Amazon’s Prime service, saying members of the case team had taken the Trump administration’s offer of redundancy. Just a few hours later, the same lawyer cancelled the request. This episode highlights the ongoing uncertainty regarding the Trump administration’s attitude towards antitrust endorsement. On one hand, budget and personnel cuts may signal a change of course from the Biden administration, which championed increased scrutiny of technology business practices. On the other hand, the FTC chair Andrew Ferguson and the newly appointed head of DOJ’s antitrust division Gail Slater have both signalled that they will adopt a tough enforcement stance. Classroom application: This article is an ideal introduction to the political-economic trade-off faced by the Trump administration. Reining in the market power of large technology companies by aggressively challenging the legality of some of their practices would likely result in lower prices and more choices for consumers — outcomes that appear to align with the administration’s policy priorities. However, some of those same companies recently morphed into financial backers of Trump’s political operations and he has often depicted himself as a foe of regulation. Questions: Gian Luca Clementi, Professor, NYU Stern School of Business Dollar slump magnifies stock market pain for foreign investors Tags: Foreign Exchange, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investments Summary: Wall Street’s current slump coupled with a weakening US dollar has limited the ability of foreign investors to offset gains in one asset against losses in another. This situation has undermined strategies by investors based on their bet that Wall Street would continue its positive performance from the last two years. Classroom application: This article provides an opportunity for faculty and students to discuss the relationships among currency movement, foreign trade and foreign investments. It also opens up discussions about the importance of currency reserves by governments. Questions: Joseph LiPuma, Clinical associate professor, Boston University Questrom School of Business Citi cuts top bankers’ bonuses tied to turnaround drive Tags: banks, bonuses, executive compensation, incentives, motivation Summary: The American investment bank Citi cut bonuses for its 250 top employees, which tied their pay to the group’s financial performance and improvements in the risk and control system. The scheme was introduced three years ago and will not continue. Key measures of profitability continue to trail competitors and there are still several operational issues. Both the CEO and CFO received large pay increases for 2024. Classroom application: This article provides an opportunity for faculty and students to analyse the pros, cons, and pitfalls of bonus schemes. Questions: Stefan Legge, lecturer, University of St Gallen Nuclear plant boss Julia Pyke: ‘It’s a tough gig, developing big infrastructure projects in the UK’ Tags: Adaptive leadership, Inclusive leadership, Sustainability, Innovation, Resilience Summary: As co-managing director of Sizewell C, Julia Pyke exemplifies adaptive and inclusive leadership in the nuclear industry by championing transparency, collaboration and innovation. Facing scepticism and opposition, she adapts her approach through strategic communication, stakeholder engagement and community-building initiatives — such as forming a choir — to shift public perceptions. Her leadership balances flexibility with long-term vision, ensuring diverse stakeholders actively contribute to decision-making. Pyke also challenges gender biases, advocating for equal representation in high-stakes industries. This article explores how adaptive and inclusive leadership helps leaders navigate resistance, foster trust and manage bureaucratic complexities in large-scale transformative infrastructure projects. Classroom application: This article provides students and faculty with insights into how adaptive and inclusive leadership strategies build resilience, enhance stakeholder trust, and drive innovation in industries facing political, social, and economic challenges. Key questions: Aikaterini Grimani, Assistant professor, Warwick Business School Audi reviews plans to stop new petrol model launches in 2026 Tags: Managerial Accounting, Cost Analysis, Strategic Decision Making, Pricing Strategy, Capital Budgeting Summary: Audi is reassessing its plan to cease launching new petrol models from next year amid a delayed transition to electric vehicles. This has forced the company to consider significant cost cuts — including a reduction of 7,500 jobs in Germany — and to re-evaluate its product portfolio and pricing strategy. Operating profits are down 38 per cent, and car deliveries are down 12 per cent. Audi now has to deal with short-term financial problems while spending on its future electric model line-up and staying competitive in an increasingly challenging auto market.Classroom application: This article provides a platform to analyse how managerial and cost accounting techniques, such as CVP analysis, budgetary control, and capital budgeting, can guide strategic decisions during a major product transition, assess the implications of workforce reductions and cost pass-through strategies, and evaluate the trade-offs involved in shifting from combustion engine models to electric vehicles.Questions: Yunita Anwar, Assistant professor, Shenandoah University FCA to ease rules restricting mortgage lending Tags: Financial Ethics, Regulation Summary: In response to UK government calls for pro-growth measures, the FCA announced plans to consult on relaxing mortgage affordability stress tests. It chief Rathi says this supports home ownership but acknowledges it benefits mortgage lenders. While easing restrictions aims to boost economic growth, it raises concerns about increased risks of borrower defaults and repossessions, weakening post-2008 crisis protections. Classroom application: The article illustrates the tensions between a government seeking economic growth through deregulation, consumers needing regulatory protections and an industry seeking profit while avoiding harm to consumers. As such, this is a good basis for discussions around theories of responsive regulation; the consequences of deregulation; the ethics of financial regulation; and, perhaps most importantly, conduct risk. Questions: Ian Roberts, Lecturer, Bangor Business School Snow White’ remake drags Walt Disney back into the culture wars Tags: External consistency, Strategic choices Summary: This article examines the controversies surrounding Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White , focusing on casting decisions and narrative updates aimed at modernising the classic tale. The film has sparked heated debates long before its release, over cultural representation and the balance between honouring traditional stories and embracing contemporary values. Classroom application: Strategic inconsistency — the misalignment between a company’s strategic choices and the external environment — is one of the main explanatory variables for performance failure. Disney’s approach to reimagining Snow White offers an interesting case study on external consistency of strategy. This case is particularly relevant as Disney operates in a polarised media environment in which cultural signalling and brand legacy are seemingly requested by consumers, yet under constant public scrutiny. At the same time, rising consumer fatigue with perceived politicisation and an ‘anti-woke’ movement in entertainment presents an external threat to strategies aimed at progressive brand reinvention. Instructors can use this case to illustrate the criticality of external consistency in strategic planning. Students could analyse Disney’s decision-making process, assessing how well the company’s choices align with external cultural shifts and audience expectations. Questions: Luka Gebel, Assistant professor, Global Business School for Health, University College, London Got feedback on professors’ picks or willing to contribute? Get in touch at bschool@ft.com or add your selected articles and questions in the comments below.
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