Self-introduction: Fahri Karakas

I am Fahri Karakas. I have finished Ph.D. at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, specializing in Organizational Behavior.

I worked as an Organizational Development specialist, trainer, and consultant in various organizations before he joined McGill Doctoral Program. I have taught Organizational Behavior and Global Leadership courses at McGill University, Canada and Bogazici University, Turkey. I have received McGill University Teaching Excellence Award. My recent articles were published in journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Management Education, Organization Development Journal, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, and Journal of Business Strategy.

My research interests include positive management education, benevolent leadership, values and spirituality in the workplace, social innovation and complexity, positive change in human systems, positive organizational scholarship, and appreciative inquiry. I am an active member of Academy of Management, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Academy of International Business, Organizational Behaviour Teaching Society, and University of Michigan’s Positive Organizational Scholarship network.

As a researcher, my vision is the following:

"We need new innovative, creative, interdisciplinary and holistic paradigms of thinking, research and teaching based on positive values, spirituality, social responsibility and service for our common good as well as for global peace, prosperity and wellbeing in the 21st century."

My mission:

"I want to make a positive difference in human systems, organizations, communities and the world based on spirituality, values and social responsibility through my research, teaching and service."

I have a deep passion for teaching. Teaching has always been my biggest passion in life. I want to transform management education. My passion is to become one of the best management instructors in the world by offering world-class innovative courses and building lifetime relationships with my students. I am dedicated to creating "Positive Management Education"; marked by a) an inspirational, collaborative, and flexible learning environment, b) project-based learning and applied skill development, c) open innovation and boundless creativity, d) a focus on students’ strenghts, passions, and dreams.

I love all my students (who decide to stay and endure the challenges of my classes:)

I believe the teacher-student relationship is not a contractual one limited to the class. It is a lifetime relationship. I will always try to be supportive, available, helpful, encouraging, and nurturing. I give utmost importance to practicing my values in the teaching profession: compassion, innovativeness, friendship, modesty, conscientiousness, hope, creativity, sincerity, and enthusiasm.

Years before, I dreamed about teaching, about my future students, about you. I always said to myself:

"One day...
I will design such a course that all students will love the experience.I will design such a course that I will discover the pearl in each student.I will design such a course that it will have a positive impact in the lives of my students.I will design such a course that we will all learn from one another."

And I hope that day finally arrived now! I have very high expectations from each of you.
Here is the opportunity for us bring out our best strenghts, talents, abilities, passions, team work, and creativity that we have inside. We have some of the best creative global minds here! I feel this class will be a great experience and a previledge for all of us. I believe we will have a transformational enriching learning experience. Thanks for staying in the course and welcome again!

I love you all! -- Fahri Karakas