How might responsible management education (RME) be used to develop responsible leadership skills among students in business schools? Evidence from non-Western business schools

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to find an answer to the questions: To what extent is the implementation of responsible management education (RME) perceived to be adequate for developing responsible leadership skills among business school students? How should it be used effectively to guarantee such an outcome?Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 management educators working at three public business schools. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data.FindingsThe findings show that the implementation of RME alone is not adequate to ensure the development of responsible leadership skills among students in business schools. However, management educators do perceive it as a considerable step towards that outcome if accompanied with internship and training opportunities to exercise and observe how social roles and activities are practiced in business, not-for-profit and civil society organisations.Originality/valueThis study is a pioneering attempt to address the relationship between RME and developing responsible leadership skills among students in non-Western business schools.