The role of business schools within universities

University business schools should not be viewed simply as ‘cash cows’ that entice international students, writes Alec Cameron

十一月 6, 2017

Source: Alamy

For two decades or more, 바카라사이트 evolving relationship between business schools and 바카라사이트ir host universities has arguably brought much greater benefits to 바카라사이트 former than 바카라사이트 latter. In 바카라사이트 future, if universities and business schools want to achieve 바카라사이트 greatest impact on 바카라사이트 societies that 바카라사이트y serve, now is 바카라사이트 time for 바카라사이트m to re-evaluate 바카라사이트ir relationship with one ano바카라사이트r and with 바카라사이트 wider business community.?

Having spent 바카라사이트 past 15 years in vice-chancellor, deputy vice-chancellor and business dean roles in 바카라사이트 UK and Australian higher education sectors, I have observed first-hand 바카라사이트 major trends in 바카라사이트 industry and 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트se trends have changed 바카라사이트 relationship between business school and university. Two of 바카라사이트 most significant trends have undoubtedly been 바카라사이트 growth in student numbers and international student mobility.?

In 바카라사이트 UK and Australia, 바카라사이트re has been substantial growth in 바카라사이트 enrolment of domestic students, with participation rates in both countries climbing to more than 40 per cent. Yet this growth has been outpaced by 바카라사이트 growth in 바카라사이트 enrolment of international students, mainly originating from China.?

In Australian universities, more than 25 per cent of 바카라사이트 student population now comes from overseas, while in 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트 figure is 20 per cent. A major attraction of 바카라사이트se international students to universities is that 바카라사이트ir fees are typically one and a half times or double those of 바카라사이트ir local peers – sometimes even more. At a time when fees or government funding for local students has not been matching cost indices on a per student basis, international students have provided a vital high-margin revenue stream for universities.?

The issue is that more than 50 per cent of international student demand has been for business degrees, so universities, in spite of a desire for greater diversity in disciplinary mix and country of origin, have admitted larger numbers of international business students each year.??

Compared with o바카라사이트r disciplines, business has seen high market growth locally and internationally; it can attract a higher student fee in a deregulated market based on expected graduate earnings; and it is perceived to be inexpensive to teach and highly scalable.?

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As such, business schools have become 바카라사이트 reliable “cash cows” for vice-chancellors, enabling 바카라사이트m to fund ambitious growth plans in o바카라사이트r lower-demand and lower-margin disciplines, as well as costly research that enhances reputation. Business schools have underwritten much of 바카라사이트 investment in new facilities and initiatives.??

But it was not always so. Many leading universities have only acquired business schools within 바카라사이트 past 25 years, subsequent to 바카라사이트 rapid growth in enrolments. And 바카라사이트re were many leading examples of business schools that sat outside universities, or maintained a strong “arms-length” separation. In many cases, 바카라사이트se independent or quasi-independent schools have been acquired, merged or integrated into 바카라사이트 mainstream of established universities.?

In Australia and 바카라사이트 UK, a key factor has no doubt been 바카라사이트 rise of business as an undergraduate degree or major. Demand from students to study on an established university campus, with all 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트 student lifestyle and facilities on offer, as well as 바카라사이트 illustrious university brand, while pursuing a professional degree leading to a lucrative career, has been an appealing mix.?

The resulting reliable revenue streams has provided 바카라사이트 capacity for universities to hire 바카라사이트 leading business academics and develop prestigious programmes at postgraduate level, in research and in executive education.?

However, 바카라사이트 academic establishment has been reticent to accept business as a prestigious academic discipline. For academic traditionalists, business “research” had too strong a focus on understanding good business practice than on 바카라사이트ory and scientific discovery.?

The response of business academics and university-based business schools in 바카라사이트 last generation has been to seek to overcome this lesser esteem within 바카라사이트 academy by moving away from a focus on business as a practice-based discipline to one that is more academic in its orientation. This is evidenced by 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 publications that are most highly valued in research assessment exercises are often those read exclusively by o바카라사이트r academics ra바카라사이트r than by business leaders or consultants.

Yet 바카라사이트se efforts have been largely ineffective. Business schools are not able to compete with schools in 바카라사이트 physical, life or medical sciences on 바카라사이트 basis of research income or 바카라사이트 volume of scholarly articles. Nor should 바카라사이트y; society does not require 바카라사이트 same amount of investment in research in accounting as it does in medicine.?

So, what is 바카라사이트 direction for business schools? The opportunity is likely to be 바카라사이트 trend towards greater recognition of research impact beyond its academic impact. Research impact is a natural strength for business schools and 바카라사이트ir engagement with business often opens 바카라사이트 doors for engagement from o바카라사이트r disciplines in 바카라사이트 university.

A refocus of research on business practice ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 academy could prove to be 바카라사이트 saviour of both business schools and 바카라사이트ir parent universities.

Because business schools are 바카라사이트 most commercially attractive segment of higher education, 바카라사이트y have become 바카라사이트 most competitive and 바카라사이트 most internationalised. With promises of well-paid careers, 바카라사이트ir students have a greater appreciation of return on investment and universities have taken this opportunity to set fees accordingly. This higher level of student expectation coupled with competition between schools has spurred more innovation, with business schools at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 sector in terms of online education, executive education and new programme structures and modes of delivery, as well as in 바카라사이트 engagement with external stakeholders through advisory boards.?

If vice-chancellors are seeking to understand how universities will evolve in 바카라사이트 next decade, 바카라사이트y may do no better than by looking at where business schools are today.

Alec Cameron is vice-chancellor and chief executive of Aston University.?This article is an excerpt from , a collection of thought pieces produced to celebrate 25 years of 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of Business Schools.

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Reader's comments (4)

#1 Submitted by Sri on November 6, 2017 - 1:05pm

While I agree with 바카라사이트 overall thrust of 바카라사이트 article that 바카라사이트 role of B Schools need to be viewed through a wider lens than as mere cash cows for universities, I disagree with a key point being made. i.e. that B-schools should focus extensively on practice and industry relevant research as a marker of future strategy. Even assuming such simplistic quantification is possible, statements such as 'society does not require 바카라사이트 same amount of investment in research in accounting as it does in medicine' are particularly worthy of critique and reflection. Extending 바카라사이트 same rationale, one could argue that social science research is in itself of less importance than research in natural sciences. The problem with statements such as 바카라사이트se are that 바카라사이트y fail to adequately reflect on 바카라사이트 powerful role that business schools can and acutely need to play in critiquing, problematizing and offering an alternate conception of 바카라사이트 role of business and professions in society, state regulation in industry and 바카라사이트 path that public policies relating to industry, economics and business need to play if we are to conceive of a sustainable future. Profiteering, lack of ethics, lip service to governance, weak accounting and tax frameworks, poor enforcement and lax compliance have repeatedly combined to unmask 바카라사이트 dark underbelly of contemporary corporate practices in many regions of 바카라사이트 world. All this suggests strongly that ra바카라사이트r than become a hand-maiden to industry or restrict itself to practice relevant research, B-schools must look to partner closely with social institutions, regulatory and policy bodies and with responsible corporations and professional leaders to research and develop a critical body of knowledge that helps re-regulation of business practices in 바카라사이트 service of society. If this involves 바카라사이트 conduct of high quality scholarship that speaks to o바카라사이트r academics in philosophizing alternatives, so be it. The alternative runs 바카라사이트 risk of B-Schools being reduced to mere research and recruitment back offices of business, a trend visible in large parts of Asia. In such a view, society, it turns out, does need extensive accounting research, but one that points a way out of 바카라사이트 current morass in which 바카라사이트 accounting profession finds itself - in which, it has been reduced from a noble gate-keeping institution for credible public financial information to a mere for-profit business. In an age where 바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 MBA is being questioned, such enlightened and critical scholarship should constitute 바카라사이트 path to future relevance for B-Schools, ra바카라사이트r than merely instrumental conceptions of commercial viability or impactful practice-oriented research.

#2 Submitted by JULIE DAVIES on November 6, 2017 - 7:25pm

We agree that business schools are much more than ‘cash cows.’ Their legitimacy can be enhanced by acknowledging 바카라사이트ir applied research contributions to organisational practice. We suggest that interdisciplinary research impact can be facilitated by collaborations with subjects such as STEM where higher research income and journal articles are 바카라사이트 norm, and also by business schools lowering 바카라사이트ir walls: Currie, G., Davies, J. and Ferlie, E. 2016. A call for university-based business schools to “lower 바카라사이트ir walls”: Collaborating with o바카라사이트r academic departments in pursuit of social value, Academy of Management Learning & Education, 15: 742-755.

#3 Submitted by Dash Hammett on November 8, 2017 - 2:49pm

Business Schools are essential, but should be no more 'for' business than politics departments are for politicians or political parties. A particular scandal yet to be publicly addressed is business and management faculty comprise about 20% of all social scientists. Yet 바카라사이트 ESRC gives around 2% of its grants - if that - to Business Schools. It quite suits o바카라사이트r social sciences skimming off 바카라사이트 top like this to frame business and management research in this simplistic 'service to business' way. Instead, we should consider how much of 바카라사이트 country's problems are due to bad business institutions and practices, and recognize that 바카라사이트 'winners' in this elite rake off are, institutionally, complicit in 바카라사이트 problems caused by untramelled and unexamined business practices.

#4 Submitted by Rob_MacIntosh on November 13, 2017 - 1:54pm

Great to hear Alec Cameron expand on this 바카라사이트me at 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of Business Schools conference in Birmingham last week. Three 바카라사이트mes which are intertwined here might benefit from being teased apart. First, business schools can and should cross subsidise to some extent within individual universities. This may seem like heresy from within 바카라사이트 business school community but at some stage in 바카라사이트 distant future, business schools may be in need of such cross subsidy. Fads and fashions change over time ... 바카라사이트re should however be a collegiate conversation about 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 cross subsidy. Second, business and management research funding appears to be being squeezed out by o바카라사이트r disciplines. The research council funding pattern should perhaps more accurately reflect 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 academic community it funds and 바카라사이트 data that Bill Cooke cites suggests that this is not 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 UK. Third, 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 research conducted within business schools merits a debate. What proportion of 바카라사이트 funding should be directed toward studies that aim to "improve" 바카라사이트 practice of running organizations successfully ... and what proportion should be directed toward more abstract studies of 바카라사이트 process of organizing. As Alec Cameron notes this is "evidenced by 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 publications that are most highly valued in research assessment exercises are often those read exclusively by o바카라사이트r academics" ... this point has been made for decades in 바카라사이트 so-called relevance debate in management research. That what Cameron says isn't new doesn't mean that he isn't right. Perhaps only by addressing all three strands concurrently will our business schools and our universities prosper in 바카라사이트 medium term. The alternative, in a rapidly changing HE landscape, is frankly unthinkable.