The longitudinal effects of the mission-driven focus on the credibility of the AACSB

Purpose – The main contribution of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) appears to be the credibility they add to a school that has achieved accreditation and the branding they provide to an accredited school that helps the market differentiate between high quality programs and those that have not achieved that status. The authors ask a simple question in this paper – if the AACSB were a business school, would it receive accreditation? Design/methodology/approach – The paper tests the assumptions by examining all accredited US programs to determine whether the quality of the schools accredited prior to the change to the mission-driven approach was equal to the quality of the schools accredited after the change. Findings – The paper empirically demonstrate that since the move to a mission-driven focus in the early 1990s, the AACSB has not achieved its own mission and may have damaged its credibility in the process. Research limitations/implications – This failure raises the question of whether the organization actually provides the necessary information for third parties to differentiate between high quality business programs and those that do not meet the same standards. This puts into question the value of the AACSB brand. Practical implications – The AACSB has the ability and responsibility to do better in its role as the main accreditation body for business schools. Originality/value – It is the hope that the insight provided in this paper will initiate a serious discussion about the role of the AACSB in the determination of quality in business schools and how this role can be enhanced.