Could you please post the following call for papers
Thank you
Stream 1
Rethinking Business Schools and their Role in Economic and Social Development
The 14th Asia-Pacific Researchers in Organization Studies Conference
Nov 29-Dec 1 2011
School of Management, Massey University
Auckland, New Zealand[1]
Stream conveners
Anabella Davila[2]
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
E-mail:
anabella.davila@itesm.mx
Maribel Blasco
Copenhagen Business School
E-mail:
mb.ikl@cbs.dk
Laura Zapata-Cantu
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
E-mail:
laura.zapata@itesm.mx
Jacobo Ramirez
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
E-mail:
jrn@itesm.mx
Recent advances in management education research have highlighted the
need to rethink the purpose of business schools and their role in
economic and social development (Gomez-Samper, 2009; Khurana, 2007).
Immersed in conflicting societal demands and with their reputations
damaged by economic scandals, we observe nowadays that business
schools are playing a different role than their initial one of
certifying management as a profession. Diverse stakeholders are
demanding that business schools work together with various economic
and social actors, not only to improve the business environment but
also to support social development through generating management
scientific knowledge. For example, in some countries governmental and
private agencies are granting economic funds to business schools for
creating business incubators, accelerators or technological parks as
part of their facilities (e.g. Mexico and Spain).
In other countries, business schools receive economic funds from
private donors or state agencies to develop an entrepreneurial,
international or sustainable focus in their curricula (e.g. México,
Colombia, India, Brazil or Russia). We also find business schools
with governing boards that promote a strong orientation to humanities,
fine arts or political sciences in all dimensions of their mission,
educational strategies and academic programs (e.g. Denmark). Adding
to those demands, we include the constant pressure that business
schools experience for obtaining international accreditation and for
competing in international rankings (Adler and Harzing, 2009).
We hypothesize that business schools’ changing role could be a
backlash response to the ‘Americanization’ of management education.
That is, business schools are being more reactive to their particular
contextual needs than just replicating ‘American’ management models.
The historical analysis of business schools in Europe and Latin
America shows the great influence of American management sciences and
academy on higher education institutions (Gomez-Samper, 2009; Starkey
and Tiratsoo, 2007; Usdiken, 2004). However, when we study business
schools as organizations we identify a different trend. Business
schools around the world are highly motivated to become both economic
and social institutions. Therefore, the research question changes
from focusing on teaching and research, to research and development
concepts and strategies.
Our aim is to question and modify the negative tone that has
characterized the critical analysis of business schools towards a more
optimistic view for understanding the impact of management education
on economic and social development. In particular, we are concerned
in developing a body of knowledge that surrounds the development of
business schools in emerging economies when comparing them with those
of Europe or other regions. Take for example the case of Latin
American business schools. We already know the great influence of
societal actors such as the Ford Foundation in developing business
schools in the region. We are also aware of the great opportunities
that the United States of America (US) offers to professionalize
academic professors via scholarships and research funds. However, we
know little of the influence of European business schools in Latin
America. We acknowledge that European accreditation agencies (e.g.
EQUIS[3]), academic associations (e.g. LAEMOS[4]), and diverse
institutions of higher education are entering the region offering to
partnership with local business schools. How is this trend manifested
in other societies?
This APROS 14 Stream invites papers that focus on the changing roles
of business schools and their future roles. We suggest the following
potential research themes (but are not limited to):
The role of business schools in economic and social development.
Business schools as organizations.
The institutionalization of business schools in diverse societies.
Comparative or cross-cultural studies of business schools as
organizations. Historical analysis of business schools in emerging
economies. Management models derived from business schools in emerging
economies. The Europeanization of business schools in emerging
economies. The Americanization of business schools in emerging
economies.
Keywords: Business schools; management education; economic and social
development.
Submission: Abstracts should be about 1000 words in length (including
references), set in A4 page layout, single spaced and in 12 point
font. They should be sent by email to
anabella.davila@itesm.mx by
April 1, 2011. Full papers for inclusion in the Conference
Proceedings are due by October 30, 2011.
References
Adler, N., and Harzing, A. (2009). When knowledge wins: Transcending
the sense and nonsense of academic rankings. Academy of Management
Learning & Education, 8(1), 72-95.
Gomez-Samper, H. (2009). Business Schools in Latin America: Global
Players at Last? (pp. 170-179). In A. Davila, and M.M. Elvira,
(Eds.). Best Human Resource Management Practices in Latin America.
Oxford, UK: Routledge.
Khurana, R. (2007). From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social
Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled
Promise of Management as a Profession. Princeton: Princeton
University Press.
Starkey, K., and Tiratsoo, N. (2007). The Business School and the
Bottom Line. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Usdiken, B. (2004). Americanization of European management education
in historical and comparative perspective: A symposium. Journal of
Management Inquiry, 13(2), 87-89.
Biographical notes:
Dr. Anabella Davila (Ph. D. The Pennsylvania State University, USA) is
the Research and Ph. D. Program Director and Professor of
Organizational Theory at EGADE Business School, Tecnologico de
Monterrey (Mexico). She has published several edited books, two
special issues and research papers in refereed journals on Latin
American management. She holds the Research Chair in Culture, Human
Resources and Society. Her main research interests include: culture
and management practices in Latin American organizations, social
networks, and structure and power in organizations. Her work examines
the cultural and social logic that govern Latin American business
organizations. Since 1999 she has been a member of the Mexico's
National Researchers System, Tier II.
Dr. Maribel Blasco (Ph. D. Roskilde University, Denmark) is Associate
Professor of Spanish American Studies at the Department of
Intercultural Communication and Management, Copenhagen Business School
(CBS). Her main research interests include: Latin American development
with a focus on: education, learning and youth; poverty; family
relations; business; and intercultural communication.
Dr. Laura Zapata-Cantu (Doctor of Business Administration, Universidad
Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain) is professor of Management at
Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico). Dr. Zapata-Cantu holds the research
Chair in European Studies. Among her research interests are:
knowledge management in small and medium enterprises, intellectual
capital and organizational learning. Since 2006, she has been a member
of Mexico’s National Researchers System, Tier I.
Dr. Jacobo Ramirez (Doctor of Business Administration, University of
Newcastle upon Tyne, England in collaboration with Grenoble School of
Management, France) is professor of Human Resource Management at the
Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico). Currently, Dr. Ramirez is external
lector at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Denmark, where he is
attached to the graduate program on cross-cultural management. His
current research focuses on cross-cultural studies of the formulation
and impact of human resource strategy in workplaces. He is a member of
Mexico’s National Researchers System, Tier I.
________________________________
[1] The conference will be held on the AUT University’s Central City Campus.
[2] Lead Convener.
[3] EQUIS - European Quality Improvement System. EQUIS is an
international business school accreditation system.
[4] Latin American and European Meeting on Organization Studies