Special Issue on Business schools or schools for scholars?

Citation

(2006), "Special Issue on Business schools or schools for scholars?", European Business Review, Vol. 18 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2006.05418baa.002

Special Issue on Business schools or schools for scholars?

Special Issue on Business schools or schools for scholars?

Guest Editors Göran Svensson, Halmstad University, Sweden, Greg Wood of Deakin University, Australia

This special issue will include articles that focus on higher educational issues and concerns at business schools worldwide. A tentative point of departure for inspiration is the critical review of US-business schools provided by Bennis and O'Toole (2005).

Among several concerns raised in their article they argue that: business schools are too focused on “scientific” research; are hiring professors with limited real-world experience; and graduating students who are ill equipped to wrangle with complex, unquantifiable issues (Bennis and O'Toole, 2005, p. 96). They call the reality of business – the “stuff of management”. They also contend that when applied to business – where judgments are made with messy and incomplete data – statistical and methodological wizardry can blind rather than illuminate (Bennis and O'Toole, 2005, p. 99). Furthermore, they comment that the problem is not that business schools have embraced scientific rigor but that they have forsaken other forms of knowledge (Bennis and O'Toole, 2005, p. 102).

Topics that may be addressed are: the scientific model versus the professional model from other intellectual angles and cultural settings; the competence and the knowledge of business schools; the contribution of business education to business practice; the purpose of business school; what is taught – how and why – at business schools; the influence from academic journals on business school curriculum; and the tenure and reward structures in academia.

One of the crucial questions raised in this special issue is whether these higher education units in business disciplines are “business schools” or “schools for scholars” – in other words, for whom do they exist? Please note that counter-intuitive, thought-provoking and challenging topics are encouraged by the co-editors.

The deadline for submission of papers for this special issue is December 15, 2006. Submissions should be sent electronically to the editor of this special issue: Göran Svensson, Halmstad University, Sweden, e-mail: goran.svensson@set.hh.se; Greg Wood, Deakin University, Australia,e-mail: greg.wood@deakin.edu.au

The format for submissions to the European Business Review can be found at: www.emeraldinsight.com/ebr.htm. Those with questions about the acceptability of proposed topics are urged to contact the editor as soon as possible.

European Business Review

ISSN: 0955-534X

“Highlighting key business and academic issues of today and for the future.”

Reference

Bennis, W.G and O'Toole, J. (2005), “How business schools lost their way”, Harvard Business Review, pp. 96–104,