Robert Tomasko Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer Environment, Development & Health
- Degrees
- Ed, M., Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, B.S., Case Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University
- Favorite Spot on Campus
- Anywhere with a good view of the new SIS building.
- Bio
- Robert Tomasko is the faculty advisor for the Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation for Global Impact and holds a Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer appointment at American University, where he teaches courses in social innovation, leadership, organizational effectiveness, corporate social responsibility, and alternatives to traditional capitalism. Author of four management books, his latest, Bigger Isn’t Always Better, provides insights from economics and psychology about sustainable growth initiatives. He has spoken about the ideas in these books to audiences in six continents. Prior to joining the American University faculty, he was a practice leader and partner in two major international management consulting firms. His clients have included Coca-Cola, Exxon, Ford, Infosys, Marriott, Mitsubishi, Telstra, Yamaha, chemical manufacturers in France and Japan, oil companies in Peru and Thailand, two export-driven German mittelstand businesses, and four of the “Baby Bell" regional telephone companies. His public sector clients include the Auditor General of Canada, US Federal Aviation Administration, US Navy, and UNICEF. For seven years he evaluated the performance of the American companies who were signatories of the Sullivan Principles on how well they violated the apartheid laws of South Africa. Earlier in his career he held one of the first corporate social responsibility jobs in a major US corporation. He has been a director of two corporations and served on the boards of several nonprofits.
- See Also
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Teaching
Fall 2024
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SIS-739 Priv Sect Engag w/Soc Issues
Spring 2025
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SIS-619 Special Studies in Int'l Pol: Innovation for Social Impact
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Selected Publications
- Bigger Isn’t Always Better (Amacom: American Management Association, 2006)
- “The End of Growth” in Business: The Ultimate Resource (Basic Books, 2006)
- Go for Growth (John Wiley & Sons, 1996)
- “Den Unternehmen den Prozess machen – von der Hierarchie zum Zweck” in Management der Lernprozesse Im Unternehmen (Gabler Verlag, 1995)
- Rethinking the Corporation (Amacom, 1993)
- “Map of the Strategic Staff Officer” in The Next Generation Company (Diamond, 1991, in Japanese)
- “Lehren von innovativen Unternehmen in den USA, in Japan und in Europa” in Management der Geschaefte von Morgen (Gabler Verlag, 1986)
- Downsizing: Reshaping the Corporation for the Future (Amacom, 1986)