Importance of professional ethics and corporate social responsibility within business studies curriculum within context global economy

Businesses today have to juggle between the need to survive due to increased competition and the pressure to become socially and environmentally responsible business entity. Consistent with the intensification of discussion about the importance of embracing CSR among businesses, the issues now has expanded to the concern over the future of CSR. In view of this, the future of CSR will depend on how the future generations perceive the importance of embracing CSR in business operations. The purpose of the current study is to research the business students’ perception of importance of ethics and corporate social responsibility courses within their curriculum. The quantitative research design is applied in the study – the target group survey using 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, nonprobability purposive sampling (n=131). The research question posed in the current article is the following: Does business students’ attitude towards CSR and ethics depend upon taking these courses as part of BBA and MBA curriculum? The result of the study – the mapping of students perceptions and attitudes towards ethical aspects taught at the university. The practical implications of the current study are of improvement of BBA and MBA curriculum to meet the needs of the 21st century in the globalized business environment.

A pilot study of MBA programmes in South Africa

In recent years, Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes and their curricula have been subjected to substantial scrutiny. However, the majority of studies have been confined to business schools in Western countries. By comparison, much less research is available on MBA programmes in developing countries, particularly those in Africa. In an effort to address this gap, this article examines MBA programmes in South Africa by first situating them within the global MBA curriculum debate. It then notes the need to move away from a generalist MBA programme to a specialized MBA in line with emerging global trends. Finally, it suggests a multidisciplinary approach to the redesign of the MBA curriculum.

Behavioural economics and social economics: opportunities for an expanded curriculum

Purpose The global financial crisis (GFC) has undermined the legitimacy of orthodox neo-classical economic assumptions, which nevertheless continue to frame the philosophical assumptions of teaching in business schools. The purpose of this paper is to make a case in favour of an expansion of the business school curriculum to incorporate behavioural economics. The paper will also contend that behavioural economics can be connected to social economics, as they are both heterodox in this study and analyse economic phenomenon outside of a neo-classical framework. The aim is to contribute to arguments for an expanded curriculum, beyond the framing assumptions of neo-classical rationalism. This paper will also support its case by reviewing behavioural economics to make the case that this literature can be connected to social economics. This assertion is based on shared connections, including the importance of Kantianism in behavioural economics and in social economics. These connections will be discussed as a common point of reference points, or ties that can serve to broker links between these two economic paradigms. Practical implications (if applicable) the GFC presents an opportunity to re-shape the business school curriculum to acknowledge the centrality of socio-economics and behavioural economics, and consequently to offer an alternative to the dominant ontological assumptions – taken from the economic understanding of rationality – that have previously underpinned business school pedagogy. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents an inter-disciplinary teaching case, which incorporates socio-economic and behavioural economics perspectives. The teaching case concerned a socio-economic understanding of corruption and white-collar crime. It was also inter-disciplinary to include inputs from business history and criminology. The teaching case developed an appreciation among students that corruption, white-collar crime and entrepreneurship can be analysed within a social economics and behavioural economics lens. Findings The teaching case example discussed an alternative socio-economic and behavioural economics understanding to core areas of the MBA curriculum with the potential to be included in other academic disciplines. This enabled students to apply a behavioural economic approach to white-collar crime. The findings derived from this case study are that behavioural economics has the potential to enhance the teaching of socio-economics. Originality/value The originality of this paper is to apply behavioural economics to a socio-economic teaching case, in core subject areas of the MBA curriculum.

Design and Program Elements of a Clinical Leadership Program

Healthcare delivery in the United States is an ever-evolving field that is changing across multiple economic and cultural levels. Healthcare delivery systems are being affected not just by emerging technological capabilities but by ongoing changes in the structure and role of health systems themselves, as well as in the diversity of the communities they service. The older model of physician-provider is likewise evolving, and today's clinician requires the skill set necessary to navigate this new healthcare delivery environment. This chapter describes the development and implementation of a clinical leadership MBA curriculum designed to provide physician-leaders with a strategic perspective on healthcare decision making that encompasses a broad range of structural, technological, financial, cultural, and ethical considerations.

Gender, feminization and the MBA: a review of the contribution of Ruth Simpson

Purpose Ruth Simpson is a leading scholar in management education. This paper aims to provide a succinct summary of her voluminous work on management education, with a particular focus on her work on the relevance and benefit of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree, which is generally considered the flagship of business and management education. Design/methodology/approach The approach taken is a review that introduces the central themes underpinning the work of Ruth Simpson on the MBA. Findings The paper elevates the understanding of the skills development and related outcomes from the MBA. Research limitations/implications The works reviewed have implications on how to align the MBA curriculum to meet contemporary business requirements in a fast-changing world. Originality/value This paper highlights the key findings of Ruth Simpson’s research on the MBA and her scholarly contribution in this area. The paper also generates insights that are anticipated to stimulate management educators to further extend the field and carry it forward in the coming years.

Interpersonal Skills in MBA Admissions: How Are They Conceptualized and Assessed?

Employers and students concur that soft skills or interpersonal skills are critical to managerial success, yet we know little about how MBA program admissions professionals conceptualize and assess these skills in the context of global management education. Such practices have key implications for interpersonal skills curriculum and training in MBA programs around the globe. A survey of 182 MBA admissions professionals from 24 countries revealed surprising agreement in how interpersonal skills were conceptualized, and suggest interpersonal skills and soft skills are not synonymous. Results also indicated that only 30% of U.S. and international MBA programs use specific criteria to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills, with the remainder using nonspecific criteria or no assessment method. We discuss the need for more rigorous assessment of interpersonal skills in MBA admissions, closer coordination between admissions officers and curriculum developers, and tighter alignment between interpersonal skills assessment and MBA curriculum and learning outcomes.