Introducing a New Way to Network from GBSN…

Working Groups!

Make Connections. Exchange Ideas. Collaborate on New Initiatives.

GBSN Working Groups bring together GBSN members and partners who share an interest in particular areas of management education or capacity building. These member-led groups provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and collaboration on new initiatives.

Working Group activities are participant-driven and supported by GBSN staff and resources. Each group will have a dedicated online space on GBSN’s member portal to share ideas, resources, calendars and more, and will have the opportunity to meet in person during the Annual GBSN Member’s Meeting. In addition, Working Groups have access to GBSN’s web-conferencing tools and conference call service.

Working Group activities may include:

Tele/web-conferences
Guest speakers
Webinars
Online discussion on GBSN’s member portal
Guest Blogging on the GBSN Blog
Hosting a session at GBSN’s Annual Conference
Producing Reports/Articles/Research

Current GBSN Working Groups

GBSN Members Log in to GBSNConnect Web Portal to access groups online

Collaborative Research

Explores interest in collaborative research among GBSN members and develops first-stage suggestions for how join research could be conducted.

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During the sessions and informal meetings at the GBSN Conference in Mexico City in June 2011, it was frequently underlined that business school activities in developing countries would benefit if these undertakings were more strongly related to the environments and settings of specific countries or regions. The process of developing teaching cases and other types of teaching materials, based on regional premises, has come a long way but can, of course, be further developed. At the conference we also discussed the possibilities of finding working models that help the GBSN member schools to engage in research related activities, with a focus on developing countries and emerging markets.

One argument for such a “mission” was that established theories in business and economics are mainly based on data and studies from the northern part of the globe, and that these theories are not always compatible with the business environment in the south. The research community is also currently showing increasing interest in topics related to developing countries. For example, the Strategic Management Journal (and the Strategic Research Foundation) has recently mobilized resources to support research in fields of specific concern. One of the themes is “Strategic management research and poverty alleviation”, and the Journal of Business Venturing is currently asking for submissions to a special issue on the theme “Entrepreneurship and Desperate Poverty”.

At the Mexico conference a working group was established and asked to explore the interest in collaborative research among the GBSN members, and also to develop some first stage suggestions for how joint research could be exploited.

Public Administration

The aim of the GBSN working group, led by SDA Bocconi School of Management, is to bring together faculties from B-schools and managers from public, private and not for profit sectors to discuss strategies, methodologies, tools and experiences to build a public management capacity to tackle development and entrepreneurship in developing countries.

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An effective and efficient public administration is crucial to create social and economic development and shared value for citizens and enterprises. Particularly for emerging and developing countries, a skilled and motivated public management shall be able not only to design good policy but also to implement them, thus creating the suitable conditions to reach sustainable development goals. Empowering public managers with implementation skills could play a key role to shape an ecosystem where enterprises can flourish and expand. In that framework, schools of management can play a leading role, by developing a dedicated faculty and research on the topics of public management for local development and entrepreneurship (often referred as business - government relations).

Interested in joining a Working Group? Click on the link to a current Working Group or contact GBSN Membership Officer Lisa Leander at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Interested in starting a new Working Group? We’re always interested in new ideas; contact Lisa Leander at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information on how to start a new Working Group.

Chairing A Working Group

GBSN Working Groups are driven by member interest and are led by member faculty or staff. Each Working Group will have an identified chairperson who will take the lead in organizing Working Group activities, be the point of contact for interested individuals, and facilitate Working Group discussions via teleconference, web-conference or other media. GBSN staff will work with each chairperson to set up a workspace for the group online, provide technical support for webinars or conference calls, identify relevant materials, and connect with interested faculty and partners. Additionally, GBSN staff can work with the chairperson to coordinate meetings online or in person.

Selection of Working Group Chairs and the duration of their terms are determined by each Working Group with support from GBSN.