Interview with Sandra A. Waddock on Intellectual shamans: Management academics making a difference, by Sandra A. Waddock

Abstract

In traditional cultures, the shaman is the healer, the connector, and the spiritual leader or sensemaker. Today in the management academy, some individuals use their intellectual gifts to perform a similar role - mediating between various disciplines, ideas and theories, as well as making sense of ideas, insights, and research for others. This book, based on the work and lives of 28 very well-known management academics, describes what it means - and what it takes - to be an intellectual shaman. It provides insight into the career paths and the sometimes maverick behavior that has allowed these individuals to achieve success. Based on extensive interviews, Intellectual Shamans provides both a road map to junior scholars and a critique of the current system of academic career progression.