FROM THE CEO
The quest for KNOWLEDGE
Andrew Main Wilson shines a light on some compelling research projects currently being undertaken by business schools, from metaverse platforms to gender bias and flexible working
usiness schools can sometimes be viewed through a negative lens, seen as elitist institutions, out of step with a more caring society, and their contribution can be woefully overlooked. As Vince Mitchell, professor of marketing at University of Sydney Business School, put it so eloquently in our January issue: “Business schools can be at a disadvantage when it comes to metrics for measuring research impact, as much of that potential impact is enabled through tacit knowledge.” He went on to explain that measures of codified, auditable and recordable knowledge tend to ‘under-privilege’ the other kinds of impact that occur in management education, given that business decision-making is heavily context dependent. In that vein, I would like to take a minute to champion just some of the compelling and important research taking place at those institutions around the world that offer the MBA programme. In this issue’s Business Briefing section, we take a look at a whole array of remarkable developments. The commercial benefits of
the metaverse is an idea that has provoked considerable debate and Miami Herbert Business School has opted to dip its toe in the digital waters. The school has partnered with a metaverse platform designed to enable corporations, professionals and education organisations to create their own virtual worlds. By doing so, it has carved out a slice of real estate in the metaverse with the goal of evolving the way it communicates and engages with current and prospective students. Gender bias is another huge topic and part of the important discussion around DE&I policies in the workplace, which makes the research conducted recently by London Business School all the more interesting. Researchers there have revealed that women get ‘nicer’ feedback than men and that giving different feedback based on gender creates problems for all. The stereotype that women are ‘warmer’ appears to be driving this kindness bias, as the 1,500+ MBA students, employees and managers involved in the study rated kind feedback as more of a priority for women than for men. The researchers conclude that kindness and candour are both necessary components of
effective feedback and suggest that managers should make a conscious effort to provide appraisals that are accurate and kind, regardless of the gender of the recipient. Meanwhile, a report from researchers at the University of Birmingham Business School and the University of York shows that as businesses adapt to new working practices, managers are more likely to support a move to flexible working in the future, including part-time working and job sharing, as a way to increase productivity. The report found that, prior to the pandemic, more than 43 per cent of managers believed long hours were needed for employees to advance in their organisation. Now, however, that figure has dropped by almost three percentage points. Furthermore, almost 60 per cent of those surveyed agree that working from home increases productivity, with a further 63 per cent agreeing that it increases motivation. With such worthwhile projects on the go, it’s clear to see that business schools not only have a vital role to play in society, but are often at the forefront of setting the agenda.
42 | Ambition | MARCH 2023
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