Greenfielding Business Schools
As we all know, something is wrong with management education. Despite intense criticism by scholars, practitioners, and even students, demand has not abated. In fact, demand has actually been soaring – particularly in developing countries. People are hungry for management education and would rather get what they can than nothing. Yet they realize that something is missing and something is no longer relevant in what is being offered.
If we had the opportunity to build from scratch or Greenfield a management training institute, how would we get started?
I would suggest we begin by bringing what we have learned from Peter Drucker to this challenge. Drucker was all about asking the right questions. For this task, I believe the right questions are:
- When we look out the window, what are the new realities?
- What is a customer-centric theory of management education that fits with these realities and delivers value - both conevtional and novel- to the customer?
- How can the culture of the enterprise and "the way things are done" support this theory and encourage smart actions on the part of tomorrow’s managers?
- How can effective management best be practiced within this culture by members of this enterprise to deliver on the targeted theory of the management education?
- What are the results that can be expected and what will be the mechanisms to correct and adjust the theory, culture, and practices as results deviate - Exceeding or falling short - from expectations?
- How can we assure sustainability?
From my various discussions with leaders around these questions, it is clear that: (1) the Greenfield management school would be quite different than anything we know today; (2) Additional thinking is required to get it right.
Today’s conversation will contribute to pushing that thinking forward.
For more information regarding this event please click here.
1st Global Peter Drucker Forum Vienna 2009. November 19-20, Vienna, Austria