Moving beyond the rhetoric of responsible management education

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Cornuel ◽  
Ulrich Hommel
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Starting Point

Purpose – Business schools appear to be slow adopters of responsible management education (RME), though the rhetoric of RME is visible throughout the sector. The purpose of this paper and the accompanying ones in this Special Issue is to address this apparent gap between substance and image by analysing the barriers to RME adoption and potential ways of overcoming them. The contributions offer insights from a range of different perspectives that will help encourage an informed debate on how to make RME more of a reality in management education. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses the problem within the dominant institutional logic of the business school sector, which is shaped by entrepreneurialism, operational for-profit orientation and externally validated reputation creation. It sets the stage for the other contributions to this Special Issue, which use alternative approaches to analyse the limited progress of RME adoption. Findings – This paper identifies five potential barriers to RME adoption: students, as “customers”, do not sufficiently value the “R” in RME; the switch from full-time to part-time and online provision precludes the use of pedagogical methods particularly suited for RME; the fragmentation of intellectual production in business schools makes it difficult to implement an institution-wide RME-based learning model; the standardization of educational provision combined with a focus on ranking-related performance indicators moves business schools away from addressing RME-specific learning needs; and entrepreneurialism and business school rankings link RME directly and indirectly to financial impact, which is difficult to determine. In the authors’ view the way forward requires a review of the intellectual underpinning of modern management in combination with the adjustment of organizational routines and more explicit forms of faculty development. Originality/value – The existing literature focuses on the differentiating features of RME and how they can help to overcome deficiencies in management education as practiced today. This paper and others in this Special Issue adopt the reverse perspective and analyse the reasons for institutional inertia as a starting point for identifying ways of encouraging more widespread adoption.

Responsible management education for a sustainable world

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Dyllick
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The World ◽  
Diverse Area

Purpose – The reforms in business schools based on the Ford and Carnegie Foundation reports (Pierson, 1959; Gordon and Howell, 1959) have been very successful in embedding management in a research-based body of knowledge, thereby elevating the academic status of business administration. These reforms, however, did nothing toward making management more socially trustworthy or management education more responsible. In the light of the pressing economic, social and environmental crises the world is facing, the feeling is spreading that not only business and economics but business schools also need to change fundamentally, if they want to be a provider of solutions to these crises and thereby keep and regain their legitimacy. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the fundamental challenges facing the role of business schools and their contributions in the areas of education, research, managing faculty, and role of the business school. It presents suggestions what responsible management education for a sustainable world could and should look like. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on the existing literature on the needed changes in business schools and has been written as part of a large international project, the 50+20 initiative (www.50plus20.org), which was developed by a broad coalition of organizations with the World Business School Council for Sustainable Business (WBSCSB), the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) and the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at its core and 16 business schools and organizations from all around the world as supporters (Muff et al., 2013). Findings – Business schools need to transform themselves fundamentally, if they want to be a provider of solutions to the crises of responsibility and sustainability and thereby keep and regain their legitimacy. Originality/value – The paper pulls together insights from a diverse area of literature and develops practical conclusions.

COVID-19 and responsible management education (RME) among others: why should public business schools feel threatened?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Mousa
Keyword(s):  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
The Future ◽  
Multiple Case

PurposeThrough a multiple case study design, this article elaborates the chances of initiating and/or implementing responsible management education (RME) in Egyptian public business schools after the identification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In other words, this paper identifies the effect of COVID-19 on internalizing RME in the previously mentioned context.Design/methodology/approachThrough addressing four business schools in Egypt, this article explores the future of public business schools that did not previously implement responsible management education (RME) principles, after the identification of COVID-19. In other words, this paper identifies the main threats facing public business schools in Egypt post the spread of COVID-19.FindingsAlthough the previous study done by Mousa et al. (2019a) showed that academics in public business schools in Egypt were not ready to implement responsible management education, and furthermore, that they thought that addressing socio-cultural aspects is the mission of professors in sociology and humanities, the results of this study show that the spread of COVID-19 has positively changed the situation. The interviewed academics assert that socio-cultural challenges shape the minds of business students, academics and trainers, and these accordingly, have to be tackled. Furthermore, the author explores some socio-political, academic and labour market threats facing business schools in Egypt today. Managing those threats may ensure the continuity of the addressed business schools and their counterparts.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by filling a gap in the literature on responsible management education and leadership in the higher education sector, in which empirical studies on the future of business schools, particularly those that did not implement responsible management education earlier, after the identification and spread of COVID-19 have been limited until now.

The business case and barriers for responsible management education in business schools

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Doherty ◽  
John Meehan ◽  
Adam Richards
Keyword(s):  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Depth Study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain a greater depth of understanding of both the pressures and barriers for embedding responsible management education (RME) within business and management schools. Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilises a longitudinal case study design of six business/management schools. Findings – This research identifies a set of institutional pressures and barriers for RME in the business schools selected. First, the pressures appear to come from a number of external business school sources and the barriers from a series of organisational resource and individual factors. Research limitations/implications – RME cannot be seen as just a bolt on. The orientation needs to change to view RME as requiring a shift in culture/purpose/identity. Due to the barriers this will require systemic organisational change at all levels and an organisational change process to bring about implementation. Practical implications – The results clearly show these market pressures are no passing fad. Failure to respond in a systemic way will mean business schools will run into serious problems with legitimacy. Originality/value – This paper fulfils a need for an in depth study of a number of business schools to identify the barriers to RME. This is now a critical issue for schools and this research has provided a number of practical recommendations which will help business schools overcome the identified barriers.

Business school accreditation in the changing global marketplace

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Zhao ◽  
Carlos Ferran
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
International Schools ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Market Expansion ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Accredited Schools

Purpose This paper aims to examine current trends in business accreditation by describing and comparing the major international business accreditation agencies (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, European Quality Improvement System, Association of MBAs, Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs and International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education), and analyze their recent market expansion strategies (development and penetration using Ansoff model) as they compete for the schools seeking initial or continuing accreditation. Design/methodology/approach This is a comparative study of the business accreditation agencies and their competitive strategies, using publically available data such as lists of accredited schools published by the agencies as main data collection method. Findings Business accreditation agencies have utilized the market penetration and market development strategies to expand their market share in recent years. The key growth areas are international schools, regional teaching-oriented institutions, two-year institutions and for-profit institutions. Research limitations/implications This study is based on publically available data published by accreditation agencies. More in-depth analysis with survey method could be utilized in future study to identify more specific strategies and their impact on business schools seeking accreditation. Practical implications Accreditation is no longer a luxury but a requirement for business schools, but they have to make an informed decision on which agency to pursue to assure an appropriate fit. Social implications The public needs to understand the value and the requirements of accreditation. Multiple agencies provide different options to fit the missions of the different types of schools. Originality/value This study is valuable to business school stakeholders for understanding accreditation, the need for accreditation and the options they have available.

scholarly journals COVID-19: accelerator or demolisher of the RME agenda?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Falkenstein ◽  
Ulrich Hommel ◽  
Annie Snelson-Powell
Keyword(s):  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Business School ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The One

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enrich the discussion at the intersection of responsible management education (RME) and the pandemic with new views that explore together the inhibitors of and drivers for a strengthening of RME in the emerging context. On the one hand, the pandemic crisis fosters the social role business schools play by supporting the enhancement of the RME rationale as an idealist foundational pillar of responsible business schools. On the other hand, it invites negative pragmatic responses in the light of financial and competitive disturbances that seem to enlarge the opportunity cost of moving RME forward. Design/methodology/approach The essay puts forward arguments that help dissect the inherent contradictions and synergies between idealistic and pragmatic business school strategies, as they are impacted by the dynamics of COVID-19. The analysis serves to frame a discourse over the extent to which the pandemic crisis is acting as an accelerator of the RME agenda or instead brings the risk of demolishing what has been achieved so far. Findings The authors form an opinion of the emerging factors that promote and inhibit RME in business schools as they grapple with the challenges of the pandemic whilst recognizing the inherent contradictions faced in their strategic choices and resourcing. Originality/value In light of the growing emphasis on RME in the literature, this study challenges the degree to which the agenda has already become firmly rooted as a core organizational and educational theme in business schools. By doing so, it delivers an assessment of RME progress as a relevant strategic lever for business schools, whilst nonetheless being at risk of back-sliding.

Post-pandemic responsible management education: an invitation for a conceptual and practice renewal and for a narrative change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovasoa Ramboarisata
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Moral Imagination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Studies ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Employer Responsibility

Purpose This essay makes the point that the corona crisis should motivate business schools and scholars to reflect on their interpretation of responsible management education (RME). It suggests both a conceptual and a practice renewal of RME, by respectively highlighting the relevance of the constructs organizational climate (OC) and professorial roles (PR) and calling for an enactment of business schools’ employer responsibility. It also argues that beyond mere techno-pedagogical and strategic developments, business schools’ post-pandemic challenges should encompass a narrative change. Design/methodology/approach Review of recent studies on the neo-liberalization of business schools and the implications of the latter on management educators and management education. Findings The corona crisis carries the risk of putting center stage and amplifying the entrepreneurial narrative in business schools. Such a narrative is deeply rooted in neoliberal assumptions. However, the corona crisis is also an opportunity to renew RME and to favour critical studies, encourage moral imagination and embark collectively on systemic activism. Originality/value Like other recent work, this paper reflects on what RME should mean and how business schools should set and fulfill their RME agenda in the aftermath of the corona crisis. To complement those former work, this paper proposes that the constructs of OC and PR be invited into the conceptualization of RME and insists that business schools acknowledge their employer responsibility.

Predict employee attrition by using predictive analytics

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramakrishnan Raman ◽  
Sandeep Bhattacharya ◽  
Dhanya Pramod
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Business School ◽  
Predictive Analytics ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Email Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teaching Faculty

PurposeResearch questions that this paper attempts to answer are – do the features in general email communication have any significance to a teaching faculty member leaving the business school? Do the sentiments expressed in email communication have any significance to a teaching faculty member leaving the business school? Do the stages mentioned in the transtheoretical model have any relevance to the email behaviour of an individual when he or she goes through the decision process leading to the decision to quit? The purpose of this paper is to study email patterns and use predictive analytics to correlate with the real-world situation of leaving the business school.Design/methodology/approachThe email repository (2010–2017) of 126 teaching faculty members who were associated with a business school as full-time faculty members is the data set that was used for the research. Of the 126 teaching faculty members, 42 had left the business school during this time frame. Correlation analysis, word count analysis and sentiment analysis were executed using “R” programming, and sentiment “R” package was used to understand the sentiment and its association in leaving the business school. From the email repository, a rich feature set of data was extracted for correlation analysis to discover the features which had strong correlation with the faculty member leaving the business school. The research also used data-logging tools to extract aggregated statistics for word frequency counts and sentiment features.FindingsThose faculty members who decide to leave are involved more in external communication and less in internal communications. Also, those who decide to leave initiate fewer email conversations and opt to forward emails to colleagues. Correlation analysis shows that negative sentiment goes down, as faculty members leave the organisation and this is in contrary to the existing review of literature. The research also shows that the triggering point or the intention to leave is positively correlated to the downward swing of the emotional valence (positive sentiment). A number of email features have shown change in patterns which are correlated to a faculty member quitting the business school.Research limitations/implicationsFaculty members of only one business school have been considered and this is primary due to cost, privacy and complexities involved in procuring and handling the data. Also, the reasons for exhibiting the sentiments and their root cause have not been studied. Also the designation, roles and responsibilities of faculty members have not been taken into consideration.Practical implicationsBusiness schools all over India always have a challenge to recruit good faculty members who can take up research activities, teach and also shoulder administrative responsibilities. Retaining faculty members and keeping attrition levels low will help business schools to maintain the standards of excellence that they aspire. This research is immensely useful for business school, which can use email analytics in predicting the intention of the faculty members leaving their business school.Originality/valueAlthough past studies have studied attrition, this study uses predictive analytics and maps it to the intention to quit. This study helps business schools to predict the chance of faculty members leaving the business school which is of immense value, as appropriate measures can be taken to retain and restrict attrition.

An integrated framework of UN and AACSB principles for responsible management education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uma G. Gupta ◽  
Sam Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Societal Impact ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrated Framework ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Key Terms

Purpose Given the increasing relevance of Responsible Management Education (RME) to social and human welfare around the world, this paper aims to present an integrated framework that captures the essence of the principles of RME as defined by the United Nations (UN) and further set forth and embedded in the core principles of the accrediting body of business schools, namely, the American Association of Colleges and Schools of Business (AACSB). Such a framework serves as a rigorous platform for business schools and key stakeholders to integrate and implement core RME principles to deliver long-term sustainable benefits to the communities in which they operate Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper. The authors first define key terms of RME used in the UN and AACSB guidelines to provide a universal language for business schools to communicate with their stakeholders and to monitor RME initiatives. Next, the authors identify and map RME Principles and Standards common to both organizations that business schools can apply and integrate into their educational practices to create societal impact. Finally, they categorize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN into four core purposes and articulate the benefits of clear and consistent messaging that aligns with the vision and mission of the institution Findings The integrated framework presented here makes a unique contribution to business schools that are in the early stages of RME implementation in the following ways: It simplifies the complexity and challenges of integrating the complex RME principles outlined by the UN and the spirit of the RME principles embedded in the accreditation guidelines of AACSB; the four unique themes that emerged from our research provide business schools with a clear pathway to assess their RME progress; and the framework addresses how RME can deliver exceptional value to various stakeholders of business schools. Research limitations/implications There are many opportunities for future researchers to expand on our work particularly, in the areas of RME-driven curriculum development and experiential learning, embedding ethics within high-impact RME practices and developing rigorous metrics to define and measure societal impact. Future researchers may also wish to expand and refine the definitions of key terms and explore the role of societal interaction as an indicator of meaningful institutional engagement with the business community. Practical implications Business educators can use this framework that maps AACBS core RME themes to the RME guidelines of the UN to assess, establish and enhance their strategies to implement and improve RME-driven business education. Originality/value This integrated framework makes a unique contribution to business schools by simplifying the complexity and challenges of implementing RME principles outlined by the UN and that of AACSB. By integrating the principles outlined by both the accrediting body of business schools with the ideals of the U.N in a simple and elegant framework, business schools can embrace and embark on implementing one or more of the four core RME themes identified in this paper. Implementation of these principles within a core RME theme has the potential to create a strong and unique global leadership position for a business school and its graduates.

Transition to a hybrid teaching model as a step forward toward responsible management education?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Pucciarelli ◽  
Andreas Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Hybrid Teaching

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how the COVID-19 health crisis could help business schools move towards more responsible management education (RME). Business schools have been extensively blamed in previous crises for not educating their students in a responsible way. The COVID-19 pandemic could be the pivotal opportunity for business schools to regain legitimacy and a wake-up call to accelerate their journey towards RME. The authors aim to outline an illustration of the transition to a hybrid teaching model and how such educational reconfiguration might lead to more sustainable and RME, also beyond COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach is proposed to analyse and decrypt the challenges and opportunities of a hybrid approach, its implications for the transformation of business schools and RME. This study also includes a state-of-the-art literature review, a specific investigation of the case of ESCP, the European cross-border multi-campus business school, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders impacted by the crisis. Findings The health crisis demonstrated the unprecedented capability of higher education to embrace rapid and profound change. Furthermore, the pandemic served as a wake-up call in that it may even have caused the progress of business schools, previously somewhat reluctant, towards more socially responsible and sustainable thinking. Thus, the schools have used the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to regain legitimacy and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Practical implications The paper pulls together a multitude of suggestions for higher education in general and business schools in particular. Originality/value Combining two of higher education’s main challenges, namely, digitalisation and sustainability and applying the principles for responsible management education framework to map and analyse the pandemic’s implications, this paper provides a new, compelling and inspiring resource for business schools on their path to a more responsible management approach and education.

scholarly journals We Are the Champions

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikodemus Solitander ◽  
Martin Fougère ◽  
André Sobczak ◽  
Heidi Herlin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Business School ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Gradual Transformation

As the number of institutions adopting the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative grows, there is an overhanging risk that many of them will merely add “responsibility” as a topic to the existing curriculum. The authors contend that a serious reading of PRME should instead entail thinking in terms of a gradual transformation of management education. Such a serious reading poses a number of organizational learning (and unlearning) challenges. By relying on their own experiences at two PRME signatory business schools in France and Finland, they describe how faculty champions may face these challenges in implementing PRME, and specifically how they may overcome strategic, structural, and cultural barriers. The authors particularly emphasize political challenges at every level and the role of champions inducing reflexivity in overcoming some of the barriers. They argue that although faculty champions are not the most powerful actors within the business school, they are still well positioned to inspire and instill the needed transformation of management education. They conclude that faculty champions need to creatively “make do” within the constraints imposed by their organizational context.

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