Does Benchmarking Hinder Mission Diversity of AACSB-Accredited Schools : Evidence from the U.S. And Europe?

Since 1991, business schools in the US and Europe that are affiliated with AACSB have been urged to employ a mission-driven philosophy and approach into their programs. An annual Business School Questionnaire (BSQ) is conducted and shared among members to provide characteristics related to their school and its program, including what priorities are emphasized with regards to both their mission's general (teaching, research, and service) and scholarly (discipline-based, contribution-topractice, or pedagogy) orientations. The BSQ results are encouraged to be used for benchmarking. This study conducted an analysis of the self-categorizations to determine the extent of diversity among school mission orientation. The results indicate more conformity than diversity. The authors attribute the lack of variance to the established practice of benchmarking