Business School Deans Research Articles

"Perfect Storm" on the Horizon for Women Business School Deans?

While business schools have been in the spotlight for many years, due, in part, to a wide range of perceived shortcomings, little attention has been paid to the scarcity of women deans. Reporting o...

Reflections on assessing academic quality in marketing, and the UK REF

PurposeThe purpose of this editorial is to comment on the paper by Saunders and Wong in this issue. In doing so, the paper reflects on the notion of academic quality within marketing research, along with the systems in place to evaluate and reward it.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes a reflective, discursive approach.FindingsThe author finds that, while Saunders and Wong make a number of pertinent observations, and come up with interesting solutions, the notion of academic quality espoused in their paper is based on a logically flawed set of arguments.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is primarily a personal view, and thus does not rely on any empirical research.Practical implicationsThere are key implications for many parties involved in the creation and assessment of marketing knowledge. In particular, scholars would be well advised to consider notions of quality in relation to their own work, rather than rely unquestioningly on existing definitions. Policy makers and research managers (e.g. business school deans) also need to consider what quality in academic research really is, and how to appropriately direct and reward it.Originality/valueThe paper provides another perspective on the well‐established debate regarding quality, and thus it is hoped will stimulate further thinking.

Key issues in marketing education: the marketing educators' view

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the views of UK marketing educators about critical issues in teaching and learning of university‐level marketing education, and to compare these views with the views of other stakeholder groups.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was administered to members of the UK Academy of Marketing; 51 completed, usable questionnaires were returned.FindingsRespondents believe that teaching international students, plagiarism and providing feedback to students are the three top‐priority issues in teaching and learning. Perhaps surprisingly, e‐learning and the use of virtual learning environments are considered to be relatively low‐priority issues.Research limitations/implicationsThe low‐response rate is a limitation of the study. The study detected some interesting similarities and differences of opinion between marketing academics and deans of business schools, between pre‐ and post‐1992 universities, and between professors/readers and those in lecturing positions. Notably, the lack of agreement between marketing educators and deans over the importance of relating research to teaching (educators allocate this greater importance) and e‐learning (deans allocate this greater importance) suggests areas for careful consideration in the development of teaching and learning policies.Originality/valueThe paper is unique in examining the views of university‐level marketing educators about teaching and learning issues. University marketing educators are an important stakeholder in the marketing education process.

Customer And Market Orientation Within AACSB Member Business Schools: Comparative Views From Three Levels Of Administrators

This paper is part of a stream of research dealing with customer and market orientation within higher education, specifically within business schools holding membership in AACSB-International. A market orientation strategy leading to a customer and market-oriented organizational culture is based upon the acceptance and adoption of the marketing concept. The market-oriented organization recognizes the importance of coordinating the activities of all departments, functions, and individuals in the organization to satisfy customers by delivering superior value. The market-oriented organization continually monitors customer information, competitor information, and marketplace information to design and provide superior value to its customers. Theory and empirical research suggest that higher levels of customer and market orientation result in a greater ability of the organization to reach its objectives, in other words, higher levels of organizational performance. This paper extends the current research on the use of the market orientation strategy by reporting and analyzing customer and market orientation levels (scores) toward two customer groups within AACSB member business schools. The two customer groups studied were students and employers of students. Data input from three separate administrative levels having responsibilities associated with the business school were collected and analyzed. The administrators participating in the study were academic vice-presidents, business school deans and marketing department chairs. A critical underlying question in the research is whether students and employers of students are viewed as customers by higher education administrators. Comparisons of the various reported scores are made against a benchmark established in the marketing literature and then are compared by administrative group against one another. The university academic vice-presidents, business school deans, and marketing department chairs were surveyed by way of a national mail survey. All administrators were from colleges or universities holding membership in AACSB-International. 102 Vice-Presidents, 141 Business School Deans, and 94 Marketing Department Chairs responded. The paper presents details of the research process, findings, statistical inferences, and discusses the implications of the research for schools of business and academic marketing departments.

Chinese business schools and the future of management in the post‐crisis era

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the responsibilities and opportunities that arise for management education out of the 2008/2009 economic and financial crisis, with a focus on the emerging leadership role of Asian business schools, notably in China.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by identifying three fundamental challenges for management education. It then discusses two conceptual issues relating to, first, the contents and systems to be included in curriculum reform and learning, and second, the drivers of change in management education. The paper draws upon conceptual papers advanced by leading business school deans, and identifies conditions which provide Asian business schools with a unique, transformational role.FindingsThe depth, breadth and seriousness of current economic and social problems in emerging economics suggest that the necessary reform and transformation of management education is most likely going to be led by business school deans and management education faculty located in and working with business leaders in emerging markets. China business schools are likely to emerge as thought leaders in the reform process in part due to the quality of scholars, especially “returnees”, now locating there.Practical implicationsThought leadership from Asian/Chinese business schools will change the current academic model, based on one‐way knowledge transfer, to a two‐way learning model. This transformation from industrialized to emerging economies will have far‐reaching consequences for curriculum design, faculty exchanges and international cooperation between business schools.Social implicationsThe shift toward Asia‐ or China‐originated thought leadership is evidence of a wider international social trend.Originality/valueThe paper challenges existing views of management education which are still led by Europe and North America, thus offering a new perspective on the drivers of change in management education.

The Economist as Dean: An Investigation of the Academic Training of Business School Deans

This paper finds that the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited business school deans in the United States are trained as economists at a disproportionately high rate. This paper searches for the reasons behind this seemingly contrarian finding. The research finds no evidence that economist deans differ significantly in background or personal characteristics from the non-economist deans. Demand- and supply-side theories to explain this finding are presented along with interviews with a sample of the business school deans.

What do business school deans do? Insights from a UK study

PurposeDuring the last 40 years, the growth and impact of UK business schools have been significant. Relatively few studies have reviewed how business school deans emerge and grow. This paper aims to explore the experiences and psychometric profiles of UK business school leaders to understand their tenures, problems, dilemmas and succession issues.Design/methodology/approachThe study comprised 16 semi‐structured interviews with business school deans and Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) questionnaires completed by deans and aspiring deans (associate deans and heads of department). The study uses the executive life cycle and concepts of social capital as theoretical frameworks to understand the dean's role.FindingsThe study revealed a pattern of individuals working in their first deanship at their third business school. Their career trajectories highlighted the usefulness of consultancy skills similar to those of a partner in a professional service firm. The importance of the dean's role in terms of business school fit, creating a differentiation strategy and team building were emphasised. The psychometric preferences of the deans in the sample indicated Jungian extroversion, tough mindedness, seeing patterns and making connections, strategic thinking and a tendency to bring issues to closure. Recommendations are made for the development of a more heterogeneous, transnational cadre of business school deans and improved dialogue with heads of universities to understand the positive contribution of business school leaders as changing business models are needed in turbulent times.Originality/valueThere are few explanations of the roles and functioning of business school deans in practice. The insights gained are valuable for business school deans and are, more broadly, of interest to heads of universities and executive search firms. The paper is theoretically and practically relevant to building leadership capabilities in knowledge intensive organisations and professional service firms.

Measuring the Reputation of Top US Business Schools: A MIMIC Modeling Approach

This article examines predictors of the reputation of top US business schools as perceived by three different stakeholders: business school deans, MBA candidates, and recruiters of MBA graduates. Reputation is modeled and later estimated via a Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes model using LISREL methodology. The outcomes of the study show that the reputation of a business school is a unidimensional construct, implying homogeneity in the perceptions of the stakeholders analyzed, and fundamentally hinges on two antecedents: quality of students and position in the business school media rankings.

Academic entrepreneurship and business schools

In this paper, we employ resource-based and institutional theories to examine the current role of business schools in academic entrepreneurship. In particular, we seek to identify and understand the challenges to business schools contributing to the transfer of knowledge to enable academic entrepreneurship. Employing a case-based method, we present evidence from 42 interviews with technology transfer officers (TTOs), business school deans, business school entrepreneurship faculty and scientists in eight UK universities. Our empirical analysis is focused on analyzing the challenges arising from the links between business schools and three other principal stakeholders of academic entrepreneurship (i.e., the university management, TTOs and academics in science departments). The findings suggest that in addition to concerns about the nature of their human capital, the ability of business schools to fill knowledge gaps in the development of academic entrepreneurship is constrained by the institutional structures of universities which influence: the strategies of the university and the business school; links between business schools, TTOs and scientists; and process issues relating to differences in language and codes, goal differences, incentives and rewards, expertise differences and the content of interactions. We conclude that if business schools are to play a more prominent role in academic entrepreneurship there is a need to develop internal university processes and policies that promote rather than hinder internal knowledge flows between business schools, TTOs and science departments.

The Hiring and Compensation Practices of Business School Deans

This study uses a mixed methods approach to examine how business school deans alter the appointment status and salary structure of their faculty. In addition to analyzing interviews with deans, we examined faculty-level data for more than 200 business colleges between the 1997–1998 and 2005–2006 academic years. We find that business deans are substantially restructuring their full-time faculty toward a model of increased use of non-tenure track instructors. Deans are also changing their compensation practices so that salaries are less differentiated across academic rank and more differentiated among professors within the same rank.

Managing The Accreditation Goal For A Multi-Campus Business School

This qualitative study examines the complex issue of a multi-campus business school charged with the goal of accreditation. A review of the literature is followed with survey insights from 22 business school Deans with multi-campus experience, analyzed using constant comparative analysis to seek solution for three central issues (1) to increase the proportion of full-time faculty; (2) encourage scholarship; and (3) foster multi-campus relations. The key findings suggest the central roles of leadership to motivate all constituents, funding, articulation of expectations, and degree for branch autonomy.

Endowed chairs in entrepreneurship: deans’ preferences versus chair holders’ expericences

Business school deans’ feelings about the importance of various teaching research and service activities in the roles played by holders of endowed chairs in Entrepreneurship were contrasted with the views of chair holders themselves, based on their experiences. Differences were highlighted and discussed. Results suggest that the chair holder role is negotiated between multiple constituencies, with deans’ influence being strong but limited. Implications for individuals aspiring to hold chairs are discussed.

Does IT Matter in Business Education? Interviews with Business School Deans

are business schools thinking about developing leaders for the emerging digital economy? To answer this question, we interviewed 45 business school deans about whether knowledge about IT in business should be a part of core MBA education, and if so, how this knowledge should be delivered. A majority of deans recognize the importance of IT in business and the need for its presence in a forward looking core business curriculum that is training managers for an increasingly global and information rich future. There are three themes around which such a presence is described by them: understanding how the transformative and wealth generating potential of IT changes business and society, understanding how to make successful IT investment decisions, and facilitating innovation and creativity in the use of increasingly available data for decision making. However, a significant fraction of these deans struggle with the delivery of IT content in their core curriculum, and there is a clear divergence between the extent to which business school leadership considers IT in business important, and its realized presence in core MBA education. We identify the main reasons that contribute towards this divergence and how some schools are addressing it. Based on our findings, we outline the business importance and intellectual foundations for a natural question around which core education about IT in business can be structured, which asks How does IT transform business and society?

Foreign Language Requirements For Business Students: An Update

Most undergraduate students who study business in the United States are not required to learn a foreign language at their college or university. The overwhelming majority of Business School deans at both AACSB and non-member schools believe in the usefulness of foreign language study. Furthermore, the AACSB has mandated that global and cultural diversity become part of the business curriculum. However, over the past seven years, these survey results find that business schools have not increased the requirements for foreign language courses at all.

Globalization, Interconnectedness, and Wal-Mart the Bully - The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First CenturyL. Friedman Thomas New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005; 488 pages, $27.30 hardcover, ISBN 0-374-29288-4

Assume that I am starting a business in Madison, Wisconsin, producing desks for professors,” I tell my students at the beginning of a lecture about Marxism. “I ask the Business School dean how much he paid for his current inventory of worn-out desks. The actual price was $500. How much does he tell me?”“Four hundred fifty dollars!” a student shouts from the back of the room.

Ethical values and leadership: a study of business school deans in Canada

Ethical leadership in any organisation is expected to come from the top. With business leaders taking a real stand on ethics, it is imperative that business schools instil strong values into their students. Deans of business schools must exhibit these ethical values to provide an example for faculty, students and staff to emulate. This study is an investigation of the ethical values of deans and associate deans in ten business schools in Canada. The results portray the ethical inclination of business school leaders even with substantial monetary gains to be made. The moral climate as a result is discussed to provide further insight into the implications of the ethical values of these deans. Results indicate that although deans in Canadian business schools generally frown upon unethical behaviour, there are some fuzzy instances that still lead to questionable decisions and inconsistencies across the group.

Characteristics of Distance Education Programs at Accredited Business Schools

Business school deans at institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business were surveyed on distance education programs offered at their respective schools. This study examined sixteen characteristics of the distance education programs: the number of offerings, the question of not offering distance education, future plans, degree level of programs, number of years offered, number of graduates, length of programs, public or private institutions, grant funding, faculty qualifications and student-faculty ratio, method of delivery, use of a librarian, geographic areas served, tuition rates, financial aid, and the successful aspects. The results of this study may be used to make decisions in planning new distance education programs and the enhancement of existing programs.

Comparing Market Orientation Culture of Businesses and Schools of Business: An Extension and Refinement

This study extends previous work concerning the market orientation culture within specialty businesses and schools of business. Specifically, member schools of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International are separated into public and private universities. Data were collected via a mailed survey to business schools holding membership. 106 public school deans and 35 private school deans responded, for a 23% response rate. Input from the deans was sought on their perceptions of the market orientation culture within the schools. Respondents' perceptions, rated on a 7-point scale, measured four dimensions of market orientation: customer orientation, competitor orientation, organizational coordination, and overall market orientation. Data for specialty businesses were drawn from a previous study. Comparison testing between the public and private business schools' deans and business managers was conducted. Analysis indicated perceived market orientation was significantly higher for deans of private business schools than public business schools. Compared with business managers, private school deans were statistically different on only one of the four dimensions, whereas public business school deans' scores were significantly different from those of business managers on all four. Compared with each other, business school deans were statistically different on three dimensions, with private school deans reporting greater market orientation.

Business School Rankings and Business School Deans: A Study of Nonprofit Governance

We examine the relation between business school dean turnover and MBA program rankings from 1990–2002. We find little evidence that dean departures are related to changes in a school's overall rank in the US News & World Report rankings. However, dean turnover increases following drops in the Business Week rankings and deterioration in the student placement score as measured by US News & World Report. These results are significant in both a statistical and economic sense. Our findings suggest that schools react either directly to the rankings or to information that is reflected in the rankings.

University strategic marketing activities and business school performance

This article reports the application of marketing planning in an unusual context. It reports the results of a national survey of business school deans in the USA, and examines the possible effects on university business school performance of the use or non‐use of selected marketing planning activities and of selected faculty awards (proxy indicators of the level of importance that business schools might place on certain areas of faculty effort). The relationships that these activities and awards have with one another are measured. Best practices are identified. The number of respondents who employ the various marketing practices is reported, conclusions drawn, limitations identified, and suggestions made for future research.