Focus on Faculty Development

Panelists explored the difficulties surrounding recruiting and retaining quality faculty. They discussed the dearth of faculty with PhDs, particularly in Africa, and the resulting use of practitioners and visiting faculty.  The panel looked at ongoing faculty development initiatives and successful partnerships with business schools around the world in building stronger faculty.  Peter Bamkole of Lagos Business School shared his institution’s experience, while Hakan Bohman discussed the successful PhD program run in partnership between Umea in Sweden and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.  Participants heard from Jonathan Cook of the Association of African Business Schools about the Teaching the Practice of Management program which aims to develop current faculty in participant-centered pedagogy.

Best Practices in Management Education Breakout Sessions:

Responsible Management Education

Three facilitators led the discussion on what is needed to develop a generation of responsible managers and leaders and how the purpose of business should be re-defined. Derick de Jongh, Director, Center for Responsible Leadership, University of Pretoria, Ralph Cato, CEO Scout Solutions and Trustee of the Transformational Business Network, and Oliver Williams, Director, Center for Ethics in Business, University of Notre Dame, shared their experience in responsible leadership and guided the conversation around reshaping business school curricula. 

Participants heard about shining examples of corporate responsibility, namely GlaxoSmithKline, Timberland, and Green & Black’s.  Through discussions on the Transformational Business Network, the session looked at the evolution of corporate goals, which put social success next to profit objectives.  In the area of curriculum, many voiced the opinion that a revision of curricula was needed.  Some suggestions were to involve students in the process to ensure relevance and to focus on softer skills, which are necessary, but often lacking in graduates. The session wrapped up by discussing the need to judge the success of the business school product not just by rankings and the starting salary of graduates, but by the kind of work their students are pursuing, the leaders their graduates become, and the sustainable, ethical change their alumni create.

Publishing Practices

Facilitators from Emerald Publishing gave an overview of their organization with a particular focus on their engagement with the African continent.  They discussed their regional programs including new journal launches that focus on China, India and Africa as well as their support for authors and researchers.  Emerald is working to demystify the publication process in Africa by offering guides for researchers and authors on their website and by conducting free author workshops in various countries. Emerald is also supporting and funding research through research awards and they are working on improving their online resources.

Participants shared that for many researchers in developing countries, there is a lack of personal confidence in their work and development.  Researchers must recognize the value of region-focused studies for international publication.  Often the lack of access to internationally accredited journals is a hindrance and new and locally accredited journals need support from international publishing houses to improve both quality control and visibility so that local researchers have more direct lines to publication.  Participants suggested that international publishing houses should use existing regional networks, such as the Association of African Business Schools (AABS), to extend their presence and reputation in Africa.

Participants also raised the issue of the difficulty of publishing multi-disciplinary articles for lack of relevant journals.  For example, health management articles are difficult to publish since neither health nor management journals find such articles relevant to their focus.  Emerald Publishing is currently working on a health management journal with a focus on economic development.

On the case writing side of publishing, African case studies only make up about 2% of current cases.  There is no real incentive for academics to publish, although case teaching is more and more prominent in business school pedagogy, and a good case is expensive to write (about $15,000).  Cases are also expensive to buy, despite subsidies for African universities.  EFMD did a study on what makes a case sell.  The results showed that the bestselling cases had the best teaching notes and most exciting topics.  Cases studies in video format are more and more popular since they take less time to impart information and capture students' attention immediately. 

Program Portfolios

Global Crisis and the Response of Business Schools

The first panel of the second day was one of the most anticipated discussions of the meeting.  Many participants were keen to hear what role business schools felt they played in the crisis, the impact the crisis has had on business schools, and what changes would need to be made as a result of the current situation.  Four distinguished panelists spoke including John Mullins, Associate Professor at London Business School, James W. Dean Jr., Dean of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Mthuli Ncube, President of South African Business Schools Association and Director of Wits Business School, and Christophe Terrasse, Associate Director of Knowledge and Surveys, EFMD. The panel was moderated by Mills Soko, Senior Lecturer, UCT Graduate School of Business.

A recent study completed by EFMD indicated that the majority of business schools have not been affected by the crisis. Certain programs have done better than others; MBA enrollment has increased as the unemployed head back to school, and executive education has decreased as corporations have tightened their training budgets. However, there has not been a backlash against business education as some feared and business schools are not widely viewed as a major cause of the crisis.  Looking back at the roots of the crisis - including high levels of available capital to fuel consumption, securitization of home equity loans, high risk taking, and poor financial literacy - it is clear that business schools need to ask themselves some serious questions and make some serious decisions before moving forward with business as usual. 

During the discussion, there was a general agreement that the current situation is an excellent opportunity to restructure business education as we know it. Business schools can teach hubris or they can teach integrity; they can choose to talk about shareholders or they can choose stakeholders.  Business schools have the opportunity to mainstream ethics and good governance throughout their programs while teaching sustainability and environmental impact, risk management, and new models for compensation and incentive structures.   Business schools need to teach their students strong leadership and critical thinking skills in order to manage the complexity of the global economy.  Additionally, business schools might consider, as some have already done, adopting a set of values to which each student subscribes, giving students an ethical framework in which to undertake their studies, and later their careers.  Although each business school will deal with the crisis in its own way, it was clear based on this panel discussion that there is a great opportunity for change and a lot of serious debate on the way forward for business education.

Sector Workshop Breakout Sessions:

Health Management

During the health management workshop, participants discussed the important role of business and management skills in improving health delivery.  Two recent studies were presented as background for the discussion. The first study was presented by GBSN and showed findings relating to the management and leadership skills gap in the health sector.  The second presentation was delivered by Gregory Cline on behalf of Intel and focused on automation in the clinic setting.

The survey completed by GBSN was carried out in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal and surveyed 800 health workers and stakeholders.  The survey showed that better management practices could have a significant positive impact on health outcomes.  Conversely, without such practices, there is no guarantee that increasing health care resources will lead to better results.  There is growing awareness, not only among private providers, of the need for improved management.  The survey identified key areas in which business schools can play a strong role in improving leadership and management for health, and outlined a number of recommendations for the content and delivery to ensure relevance and accessibility.

Intel presented the findings of study that identified those work processes in public clinics which would benefit most from automation.  The survey included 46 units in 3 hospitals and used a set of weighted criteria.   It found that automation would have huge benefits, including reduced waiting, reduced human error, and reduced duplication.  The top three areas that would benefit most from automation were the pharmacy, medical records, and inpatient separations.

Discussion following to the two survey presentations surrounded issues of task shifting and the need to either train nurses and doctors in basic management skills or shift those tasks to a new set of health management professionals.  Given the large shortage of skilled clinical professionals, it was discussed that many of the administrative tasks that nurses and doctors perform can and should be performed by an administrator or clinic manager.  However, it was mentioned that even clinical health workers benefit from exposure to management and leadership training and that a hybrid approach to developing a management profession in health should be pursued.

Entrepreneurship

Attendees of this session gained a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurship can act as a lever for economic growth and development. Drawing on key findings from the recently published World Economic Forum Global Education Initiative Report - ‘Educating the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs', speakers shared their experiences, knowledge and insights at both a macro and micro level and from a broad range of European, North American and African contexts.  Participants heard from Dennis Hanno, Dean of Babson College in the US, on making entrepreneurship the focal point of Babson education.  James Wanjohi of the Branson School of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg shared their innovative and successful model for entrepreneurship training while discussing some of the challenges they face.  Success factors and key challenges to developing and implementing entrepreneurship education programs within a formal and informal educational setting were explored while best practices and lessons learned where exchanged among participants and facilitators alike.

The entrepreneurship panel highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship education using hands-on experiences from schools in South Africa and the U.S. Some of the topics covered included the need to integrate entrepreneurship into the curriculum, both vertically (across levels) and horizontally (across disciplines), and the necessity for blending traditional teaching methods with opportunities for interaction, action learning and experimentation. Some of the cultural differences and barriers to entrepreneurship in Africa, Europe and the U.S. were discussed as well as the fact that local entrepreneurial ecosystems need to be strengthened. Several speakers highlighted the critical need for training-of-trainer programs particularly since the type of teaching necessary for entrepreneurship varies from traditional methods.

Agribusiness

Jeffrey Fine opened the session asking the participants whether there is a role for business schools in the agribusiness sector, and if so, how could business schools effectively engage?  This led to a very engaged discussion around issues including the possible skills business schools could bring to the table and the potential key entry points into the sector, challenges and bottle-necks that business schools might face were also discussed.  Possible areas of collaboration included research, fundraising, curriculum development, modular training, case studies, entrepreneurship courses and exchange programs.  Another area for collaboration could be training policy makers, as well as further engaging policy groups and farmers. 

Business schools need to think carefully about the level of degree that would be most appropriate to enter the sector. Students who typically enroll in agribusiness programs are those that can’t afford higher education and are typically paid by the public sector.  One also can’t expect a small-scale farmer to obtain an MBA.  Farmers need to be moved from subsistence living by assisting them to become more productive and add value to their product.  It may not be useful to train entrepreneurs at the MBA or undergraduate degree level, but at the minimal level where people need knowledge and skills. For example, USIU developed their entrepreneur center where students only need to be literate to be able to participate in the programs.  Additionally, business schools may have less of an impact on the farmer level, versus the business enterprises serving the agriculture sector or the central policy level.

Participants discussed that there needs to be more research in agribusiness—MBA students need to know about agribusiness and farmers need more management skills.  Integrating policy makers, skilled managers and farmers at a policy round table would be highly beneficial, and bring a new appreciation of the various viewpoints to all sitting at the table.  Business schools are the engines of change management, and there is great opportunity to be involved in the agribusiness sector.

Partnership Workshop Breakout Sessions:

Business School – Business School partnerships

This session focused on the reasons business schools come together to form partnerships. The goal was to showcase existing successful partnerships in order to demonstrate models of best practice that enable these schools to collaborate effectively to the benefit of both institutions.  The discussion covered the objectives, tools, benefits, requirements and challenges of successful partnerships between business schools engaged in capacity building.  Participants agreed on the importance of producing detailed evaluations of these success stories to better share models of best practice in partnerships with other interested schools.

These partnerships shared similar objectives of faculty development and supporting self-sustaining business schools.  They accomplished these goals using various tools and trainings comprising of joint degree programs, peer-to-peer faculty cooperation, faculty development seminars and workshops, professor exchanges, case study training, and doctoral research training.  All schools enthusiastically shared the benefits of their partnerships including gaining skills in emerging markets, supporting faculty interests, combating brain drain, retaining faculty, multiplying new capacities across other schools, improving access to doctoral training supervisors, producing local relevant case studies, testing new management training, forging global alliances and learning by “cross-fertilization” of schools. 

These benefits were won by hard work and adherence to several prerequisites such as good communication, common ground, convergence of missions, shared commitment, and sustainability.  Most importantly, these schools stressed the importance of the win-win nature of their relationships and their effective cooperation, despite distance and cultural differences.  These partnerships are solidified by a strong display of trust from each side supported by both institutional commitment and individual champions. 

Several challenges were overcome to maintain these partnerships, namely managing time efficiently and working through frustrations, such as delayed decisions.  As one participant said, “Frustration is the process, adaptation is the learning.”  Some cited a risk of over-reliance on visiting faculty and stressed the need to develop local faculty.  Overall, the main challenges were more general in nature than specific to business school partnerships.  Participants agreed that a running checklist of effective partnerships and what made them work (and what didn’t) would be valuable for both existing and future partnerships.

Development Partners – Business School partnerships

During this session, participants heard from the International Finance Corporation, IBM, and Enterprise Development Services about their successful partnership in serving small and medium enterprises through locally relevant, online tools.  In addition to the specific partnership between the organizations, the panelists spoke about partnerships in general and the need for clear communications and compromise. Session participants were even offered an “ABCs” of partnerships:

The session ended with a discussion on sustainability and the need to ensure that every partnership agenda is mutually beneficial and has a clearly defined path to sustainability.

Private Sector – Business School partnerships

Charles Mayaka, USIU, opened the session with two examples of how their Center for Entrepreneurship is partnering with the private sector on various projects. Through an informal partnership with Finabank, the bank supports financial and business training and in return the school trains the banks SME clients.  Through the Kenya Rural Program, USIU is providing SME training support.  These private sector partnerships require trust and consistency with the business leaders to be successful.  The institution must also prove to the private sector that they can reduce the cost of doing business.

Mike Harrington, UCT, described their work for the Ackerman Academy, a free education in entrepreneurship and business skills provided to the impoverished.  The academy, supported by the Ackerman Foundation, has had a substantial amount of success: 65% of graduates found full-time employment upon graduation and 19% of graduates went on to further education.  A critical component in working with the private sector is that companies must know that the institution can deliver the product.

Nick Binedell described how GIBS has successfully partnered and worked with over 80 private sector businesses in their community.  Through their executive education programs offered GIBS has also become a financially independent institution.  They have found success by offering courses and executive education classes at GIBS that are designed to meet the needs of general management and senior executives by addressing their challenges.  They have found that it is important to hire academics that have experience in what they are teaching because businesses do not want to invest in theory.   He stressed that GIBS has never asked the private sector for money, but rather they ask what the institution can do for business and how they can support their strategy.

Stakeholder Panel: Business Schools as Development Partners

Panelists represented a wide range of stakeholders and discussed the challenges and opportunities for partnering with business schools to achieve a wide range of development goals. Representatives from the International Finance Corporation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aga Khan Development Network, and Transformation Business Network talked about the ways schools can effectively build capacity in emerging markets to produce qualified managers.  Discussions centered around varying viewpoints on the role of business schools in different sectors, such as health and agriculture, and a number of panelists spoke on issues of partnerships that reaffirmed and summarized what had been discussed in the partnership workshops.  It was clear from the panel discussion that there is still an unsettled debate on how best to fit business school into the development picture, some advocating for business schools to engage in high-level, policy debate while others advocated action-oriented, on the ground training for business managers and entrepreneurs of all size in all sectors. While this debate was not settled, it illustrated the wide range of possible business school activities, and suggested that the nature of business school partnerships and activities should be determined based on context and need, not on a predefined notion of the right way to engage.