“I Can Change the Approval Culture to an Effectiveness Culture”

Abstract

it was an astounding scene, unprecedented in the history of the World Bank. Just nine months into his tenure as president, James Wolfensohn was delivering a passionate tongue-lashing to the institution’s top management. Internal surveys, he declared, showed that nearly 40 percent of staff had little confidence in their supervisors. He berated the managers, “They may not trust me, but they don’t trust you. … ”¹