Professor Stephen Young

Tribute to late Professor Stephen Young, Head of Department of Marketing, 1992-1996

Over the course of its half century of existence, the Department of Marketing has served as academic home to several distinguished, internationally renowned scholars. At the topmost tier of these giants was Professor Stephen Young, Emeritus Professor of International Business and the Department’s third Head. Steve sadly passed away on 16 August, 2021, four days short of his 77th birthday.

Professor Stephen Young had a remarkably impactful career at Strathclyde. Appointed Senior Lecturer in 1980, he co-founded the renowned Strathclyde International Business Unit (SIBU) with late Professor Neil Hood, rose to a Chair in 1987, and served as HOD from 1992 to 1996. His influence was much wider as signified, for example, by his leadership of the Academy of International Business UK & Ireland Chapter from 1991 to 1996. These career milestones, however, tell only part of the story of Steve’s outstanding service and humanity.

Professor Young was a first class researcher whose work significantly advanced our understanding of the role of multinational enterprises, subsidiaries and smaller international firms in economic development. His consulting and expert advice to the UNCTAD, World Bank, OECD, ILO, the UK Government, Scottish Enterprise and several other national governments immeasurably influenced public policy across a range of areas.

Steve was also an exceptional and much-loved teacher with a genuine commitment to top quality student experience and superb record of developing successful innovative Master’s programmes. These insightfully designed programmes, exemplified by the flagship MSc International Marketing offering, have produced thousands of graduates over the years and are continuing to thrive.

Professor Young was also a great human being. Long before equality, diversity and inclusion became buzzwords, Steve was walking the talk. For example, he gave a significant chunk of his early twenties working for the Government of Tanzania as part of an international service scheme. Having interacted with Steve during much of the last 25 years, I can confirm that the passion for a better world which drove the young man to East Africa in the late sixties still burned brightly to the end of his working life.

For Stephen Young, it was always about bringing people together and supporting them to optimise their potentials. He was particularly in his element when nurturing talent and passing on all he knew to students, doctoral researchers and colleagues. The long list of successful colleagues around the world supervised or mentored by Steve, the many touching tributes, online and offline, from generations of students and colleagues, and the raft of accolades honouring his service, including the International Business community’s first John Dunning Prize for Lifetime Achievement, all powerfully testify to Professor Young’s great stewardship and enduring legacy.

Thank you Steve for everything, thanks for being a great role model and may your memory remain a blessing.

Professor Kevin Ibeh
One of Steve’s PhD students
Professor of Marketing and International Business and Pro Vice-Chancellor (International)
Birkbeck, University of London.
16 September, 2021

Professor Michael Baker

Tribute to late Professor Michael Baker, Head of Department of Marketing, 1971-1988

I first ‘met’ Michael as an undergraduate student of Languages and Marketing forty years ago. As Head of the Department of Marketing, which he had founded a decade earlier, he was what would now be called a ‘module leader’, lecturing to a group of about 90 students, a course on Marketing Strategy, using Harvard-style case studies to bring the subject alive. Even back then, what struck me was his encouraging and enthusiastic approach – and above all, his respect for his students set him apart. Little did I know, or imagine, that years later, I would once again become his student, nurtured and encouraged by Michael, who pushed and cajoled and, yes, sometime demanded, the best one had to offer. He was, simply, the best ‘boss’ I ever worked for – mentoring, empowering, transparent, fair, and ambitious for students and colleagues alike.

Any appreciative reflection of Michael must acknowledge his contribution to theory and practice in marketing – the author of over 50, subject-defining and authoritative books, over 150 academic journal articles, establishment of several influential journals, publisher, social business entrepreneur, creator of university spin outs. And his numerous leadership positions in and especially beyond academia, including Chair, then President of the Marketing Education Group, Dean, then Deputy Principal of Strathclyde University, National Chair, then Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Management and Founder and Dean of the Academic Senate are just some of the roles he held whilst continuing to research, teach, and run businesses. But a long description of those considerable achievements is not my aim here. There are numerous biographies, including the one in the Festschrift, edited by Susan Shaw and Neil Hood in 1996, at the time of his ‘first’ retirement (actually he never retired!), which was also the year of the 25th Anniversary of the Department he founded at Strathclyde. There is also his auto-biographical paper in the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing (Vol5, 2, pp 223-230) which sets out with customary and distinctive clarity, his advocacy of multiple strands of an ‘academic’ career – one which celebrates teaching as well as research and which interacts with industry, commerce and society. My aim is to recall and honour the humanity, kindness and joy of my teacher, my mentor, eventually my colleague and friend.

The first time I caught an inkling of his infectious zest for life was in 1986, at the ‘Marketing Education Conference’ at Plymouth Polytechnic. Along with two other of Michael’s research assistants, Margaret Potts and Caroline Black, we were rehearsing our paper, to be given the next day, a first for us three, so we were understandably nervous. Michael to the rescue…gins and tonic all round! Yet he listened to our repeated renditions of the presentation (at that time a whole hour!) and suggested tweaks to the ‘overheads’ – yes, pre power-point - trying his best to convince us we were good to go. Next day we went. It was fine, allowing us to celebrate later that evening in the kitchen of the halls where we were staying, whilst MJB (as we referred to him) lead the chorus of a hearty performance of ‘Ilkley Moor’. The kitchens were compact but managed to contain what seemed like dozens of ebullient academics, reliving for one evening only, their student days.

This pattern of camaraderie and support continued for me and countless colleagues. We were ‘encouraged’ (you didn’t argue) to go to conferences – and not just in marketing – innovation, design, strategy, small business – all were within the target for Michael’s research and for those who worked with him. Nothing was considered out of our reach – his encouragement was unfailing, energising, aspirational. At Christmas, he came into the office full of “ho ho hos” and a box of small gifts, freed us for the afternoon and off we trouped for lunch before heading home. His feedback on drafts of work – papers, reports, books was forensic but positive. He brought opportunity to the department for young academics to get involved with businesses. For example, through the (then) Scottish Development Agency and Government backed ‘Scottish Marketing Projects’ – a not for profit company which he set up to advise small companies and entrepreneurs improve their marketing – he enabled the use and impact of academic research with Scottish SMEs. He sealed big deals on executive education with international and local companies alike – then introduced the ‘early career academic’ to the executive cohorts, where, under his tutelage, we did our best to deliver value and co-create insight with classes of middle and top management. Out of our comfort zone for sure, but what a learning experience! Many of us at Strathclyde in those days benefitted from his inclination to internationalisation of education. All the rage now, true, but back in the late 80s, he pioneered relationships with organisations around the globe to deliver ‘transnational education’, which introduced many colleagues to the challenges of delivering classes in Singapore, Hong Kong, KL. His frequent forays to ANZMEC, then ANZMAC meant more trans-continental opportunity for visiting positions from which our knowledge could be expanded. And he always added value – he would not go if he could not.

There is so much more that could be said and will be in other places – at the Academy or in the Journal of Marketing Management, which he founded. But sometimes, simplest is best. Thank you Michael, for everything you did for me and countless others. Doubt we’ll see ‘your likes again’ and you are sorely missed.

Professor Susan Hart
Executive Dean of the Business School
Durham University.
April 2022