The Transformation of Business Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to explore the ways in which business schools and business school education have been transformed (or not) in South Africa since Apartheid and to posit ideas about the kinds of pedagogical, structural, and ideological changes that could accelerate transformation. The chapter begins with a summary of the current South African context and the associated challenges for business schools. This is followed by an overview of the key features and prevailing philosophical assumptions of business school education during the Apartheid years. The second part of the chapter evaluates the extent to which business school curricula, ideology, content, and pedagogy have been redesigned in the post-Apartheid era in response to political and social transformation. This evaluation includes discussion of the impact of Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) on business education and whether commitment to these principles is sufficient to encompass the scale of educational transformation needed in South Africa. The third part of the chapter considers what changes might look like in practice and suggests key elements of a transformational business education in the South African context.