scholarly journals Rethinking the role of business school in creating corporate managers

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-148
Author(s):  
Khurram Parvez Raja ◽  
Muhammad Anowar Zahid
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crises ◽  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Business Organization ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Corporate Managers ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
New Type ◽  
American Society

Distinguished from the traditional forms of business, namely proprietorship and partnership, a corporation emerged as a new type of business organization in the middle of the nineteenth century in American society, which accepted it only on the understanding that the corporate managers should be professionally well trained and socially beneficial (Khurana, 2010). In order to prepare these new professionals, the business schools came into being in America and elsewhere (Khurana, 2010). However, corporate scandals and financial crises of the late 20th and early 21st centuries posed a valid question about the originally expected role of corporate managers and, in turn, their educators, the business schools. This paper is an attempt to review the post-scandal notion of a corporation and the role of the managers propounded by Canals (2009) and others like Wilson (2004), Mesure (2008), and Koch (2010). It is a qualitative research that finds inadequacies with the existing scholarships and so re-conceptualizes corporation from a holistic perspective. Within that framework, it proposes that the business schools adopt a number of measures to prepare the corporate managers who would efficiently serve the interests of the shareholders and, at the same time, of other stakeholders equally including the society as a whole.

The Philosophy and Rhetoric of Auditor Independence Concepts

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Ann Reiter ◽  
Paul F. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Auditor Independence ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Moral Foundation ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
Economic Man ◽  
Accounting Scandals ◽  
Relational Concepts ◽  
American Society

Abstract:This paper analyzes the rhetoric surrounding the profession’s presentations of auditor independence. We trace the evolution of the character of the auditor from Professional Man in the early years of the twentieth century to the more public and abstract figures of Judicial Man and Economic Man. The changing character of the auditor in the profession’s narratives of legitimation reflects changes in the role of auditing, in the economic environment, and in the values of American society. Economic man is a self-interested and shallow character who offered the auditing profession little protection against involvement in corporate scandals. In the wake of recent accounting scandals, the profession is calling for a return to the character of Professional Man to restore trust in audits and the financial markets.We also analyze the philosophical bases of the metaphors surrounding auditor independence. These metaphors, particularly the metaphor of independence as separation, create problems in conceptualizing independence concepts. How can you discuss appropriate relationships when your basic concept is one of separation, or no relationship? On the other hand, relational concepts of independence are also flawed if they are not based on a firm moral foundation. We suggest how the profession can act to rebuild its moral foundation through recognition of collective responsibility.

scholarly journals Restating the case: How revisiting the development of the case method can help us think differently about the future of the business school

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Bridgman ◽  
Stephen Cummings ◽  
C McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Case Method ◽  
Harvard Business School ◽  
Linear Evolution ◽  
Management Learning ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
History Of

© Academy of Management Learning & Education. Although supportive of calls for business schools to learn the lessons of history to address contemporary challenges about their legitimacy and impact, we argue that our ability to learn is limited by the histories we have created. Through contrasting the contested development of the case method of teaching at Harvard Business School and the conventional history of its rise, we argue that this history, which promotes a smooth linear evolution, works against reconceptualizing the role of the business school. To illustrate this, we develop a "counterhistory" of the case method-one that reveals a contested and circuitous path of development-and discuss how recognizing this would encourage us to think differently. This counterhistory provides ameans of stimulating debate and innovative thinking about how business schools can address their legitimacy challenges, and, in doing so, have a more positive impact on society.

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.

Concluding discussion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewan Ferlie ◽  
Sue Dopson ◽  
Chris Bennett ◽  
Michael D. Fischer ◽  
Jean Ledger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Local Health Care ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Based Medicine

The concluding chapter further develops the overall themes explored throughout the book. We critique the evidence-based management movement empirically by suggesting its absence in a sector which should have been fertile territory for it (given the strong evidence-based medicine inheritance). We highlight instead the importance of the macro context of public services reforming (with political and ideological components) in shaping which preferred management knowledges become influential in local health care organizations. We also complement this macro-level perspective with an awareness of the role of micro-level knowledge leadership. We then bring in some academic literature on business schools (‘the Business School Business’) and consider how business schools might properly operate in this domain given their importance as management knowledge producers. Finally, we reflect on the implications of what might have changed since we completed our research, including the populist rise of an anti-expert backlash.

GBSN’s perspective on business education and globalization

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 866-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Pfeffermann
Keyword(s):  
Business Education ◽  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Global Development ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Globalized World ◽  
Developed World ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the role that business schools and other providers of management education play in a globalized world, and suggests ways in which that role could be enhanced. In this paper, “Business school” and “Management school” are used interchangeably. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reflects the author’s and GBSN’s experience. Findings – The paper shows how business schools can be strengthened so as to increase their impact on economic and social development, with a focus on the developing world. Originality/value – The role of business education in global development/value for government policy-makers, development funding institutions and business school leaders. Interrelated dimensions of the relationship between business education and globalization are examined: global shifts in demand for talent; responses by leading business schools in the developed world; the challenges of local relevance; the growth of business education in the emerging markets; and the contribution of business education to global development.

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.

scholarly journals Restating the case: How revisiting the development of the case method can help us think differently about the future of the business school

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Bridgman ◽  
Stephen Cummings ◽  
C McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Case Method ◽  
Harvard Business School ◽  
Linear Evolution ◽  
Management Learning ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
History Of

© Academy of Management Learning & Education. Although supportive of calls for business schools to learn the lessons of history to address contemporary challenges about their legitimacy and impact, we argue that our ability to learn is limited by the histories we have created. Through contrasting the contested development of the case method of teaching at Harvard Business School and the conventional history of its rise, we argue that this history, which promotes a smooth linear evolution, works against reconceptualizing the role of the business school. To illustrate this, we develop a "counterhistory" of the case method-one that reveals a contested and circuitous path of development-and discuss how recognizing this would encourage us to think differently. This counterhistory provides ameans of stimulating debate and innovative thinking about how business schools can address their legitimacy challenges, and, in doing so, have a more positive impact on society.

scholarly journals LSS, a problem solving skill for graduates and SMEs

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Shokri ◽  
Farhad Nabhani
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Business School ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of a systematic Lean Six Sigma (LSS) education through the curriculum of business schools to respond to the existing gap between the graduate’s expectation of employability and skill requirements by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – A UK business school has been used as a case study to conduct extensive module and programme review followed by a semi-structured interview with potentially suitable core and programme-specific module tutors and comparative analysis. Findings – The result revealed a high potential of the existing modules in the business schools equivalent to the private sector training providers to increase the level of LSS problem-solving knowledge and skill for all graduates and improve their employability and productivity for the SMEs. Originality/value – The result of this study highlights the role of LSS to reduce the knowledge and skill gap between the business schools as the source of the explicit knowledge, graduates as the knowledge and skill bearer and SMEs as the knowledge and skill users.

scholarly journals Neglected on the front line

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 916-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceridwyn Bessant ◽  
Sharon Mavin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Business School ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
First Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Internet Surveys ◽  
Line Manager

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the first-line manager-academic (FLMA) role against a guiding hypothesis that “The first-line manager-academic role is not clearly defined or understood; there is great variety of practice and of recognition of the role across the business school sector”. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive, deductive approach through three linked (internet) surveys of deans of UK business schools, FLMAs in UK business schools and UK university human resource directors. Findings – The FLMA role in UK business schools is important to organizational effectiveness, personal development and career progression yet is poorly defined and supported, inconsistently enacted and perceived. FLMAs struggle to balance academic and management demands, with line management a particular issue and HR support and development systems are inadequate. Differences between chartered “old” and statutory “new” UK universities provide an additional layer of complexity. Research limitations/implications – FLMA roles need to be better defined and FLMAs better supported to ensure that FLMAs are effective in role contributing to organizational performance and personal development. Practical implications – The paper throws light on a neglected aspect of management in UK business schools that has potential value for university HR directors, university managers and business school deans. Originality/value – First empirical study into the role of the first-line manager academic in UK business schools.

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