TEACHING and research in university business schools may become irrelevant, warns former Harvard Business Review editor Nan Stone.
TEACHING and research in university business schools may become irrelevant, warns former Harvard Business Review editor Nan Stone.
Dr Stone told the inaugural National Business Education and Research Conference that business schools were not talking to their main customers – business.
As a result, those customers were going to look elsewhere for advice.
“Consultants seem to be the ones putting up the fresh and new ideas,” Dr Stone said.
“I would like to see academia
reinvent itself. The only way to get reinvigorated is to look at the world outside and interact with it.
“In academia we put a value on knowledge. In business they are
concerned about how knowledge can be applied.
Murdoch Business School’s Centre for Enterprise Development and Entrepreneurship director Graham Herps said few Australian business academics had networks in industry that allowed them access to leading edge research.
“That is, unless they’re consultants in their own right,” Mr Herps said.
“In the US top academics are
contractually obliged to do some consulting. That’s not the case over here.
“At the undergraduate level there is a place for business schools but we’re now starting to test their relevance in the graduate world.
“At the graduate level we’re dealing with mature-aged students who know what they want from a course.”
However, University of WA Graduate School of Management professor Steve McShane said most academics were constantly interacting with business people.
“Most of what is sold to academic journals today is often done in partnership with companies,” he said.
Professor McShane said he was yet to see some lasting research done by consultants.
“Even though there are exceptions, most of the questions from
consultants are quick and dirty,” Professor McShane said.
Curtin Business School’s Institute for Research into International Competitiveness director and NBER conference chair Peter Kenyon said Dr Stone was also throwing out a
challenge to business.
“It is a two way street. Business must tell academia what it needs,” Professor Kenyon said.
Mr Herps said WA had the chance to become the Boston of Asia.
“But we won’t become that unless we have top people teaching at graduate level,” he said.
Dr Stone told the inaugural National Business Education and Research Conference that business schools were not talking to their main customers – business.
As a result, those customers were going to look elsewhere for advice.
“Consultants seem to be the ones putting up the fresh and new ideas,” Dr Stone said.
“I would like to see academia
reinvent itself. The only way to get reinvigorated is to look at the world outside and interact with it.
“In academia we put a value on knowledge. In business they are
concerned about how knowledge can be applied.
Murdoch Business School’s Centre for Enterprise Development and Entrepreneurship director Graham Herps said few Australian business academics had networks in industry that allowed them access to leading edge research.
“That is, unless they’re consultants in their own right,” Mr Herps said.
“In the US top academics are
contractually obliged to do some consulting. That’s not the case over here.
“At the undergraduate level there is a place for business schools but we’re now starting to test their relevance in the graduate world.
“At the graduate level we’re dealing with mature-aged students who know what they want from a course.”
However, University of WA Graduate School of Management professor Steve McShane said most academics were constantly interacting with business people.
“Most of what is sold to academic journals today is often done in partnership with companies,” he said.
Professor McShane said he was yet to see some lasting research done by consultants.
“Even though there are exceptions, most of the questions from
consultants are quick and dirty,” Professor McShane said.
Curtin Business School’s Institute for Research into International Competitiveness director and NBER conference chair Peter Kenyon said Dr Stone was also throwing out a
challenge to business.
“It is a two way street. Business must tell academia what it needs,” Professor Kenyon said.
Mr Herps said WA had the chance to become the Boston of Asia.
“But we won’t become that unless we have top people teaching at graduate level,” he said.