Purpose – Business schools are facing unprecedented challenges, ranging from financial sustainability in some quarters to waning demand for the MBA to the potentially disruptive impact of massive open online courses. Given these challenges, how might the future of management education unfold?...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper examines some of the controversies facing business schools in their future evolution and pays particular attention to their competitive positioning as centres of management research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines and builds on current...

Purpose – This paper aims to review the evolution of management education primarily over the last 50 years and seeks to identify the challenges and lessons learned in management education and to assess the potential for change. To gain insight into these issues the authors draw on the...

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify the key environmental forces and competitive drivers influencing the strategic management of a business school, and to give guidance about strategic choices as the business school evolves in the new knowledge economy. Design/methodology/approach –...

Purpose – The paper aims to present a framework for a systems perspective for business schools to formulate strategy, assess performance and adapt to change resulting from performance, environmental and learning feedbacks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on the balanced...

Purpose – In recent years, the role and value of management research is being increasingly challenged because of the perceived imbalance between its rigour and relevance. The purpose of this paper is to review the progress of management research in the UK and focuses particularly on the need...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that recent changes in the wider contexts of universities and business schools signal a shift in their business model instead of a mere turn in their business cycle. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the position of those that...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of the media rankings of business schools from the perspective of students, business schools and the media. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the rankings given to various schools by various publications. Findings –...

Purpose – This paper sets out to examine the affect of rankings on business schools from the perspective of a business school director. Design/methodology/approach – The paper critiques the methodologies of ranking systems, their statistical validity, the factors used, and the weightings...

Purpose – The paper seeks to describe the rationale behind the Financial Times business school rankings and some of the problems inherent in developing and publishing them. Design/methodology/approach – The rationale behind the Financial Times business school rankings is discussed, as are...