Business Impact covers the big challenges facing global management education as the world asks more of its future business leaders.
THE MAGAZINE OF THE BUSINESS GRADUATES ASSOCIATION (BGA) | LEADERS NEVER STOP LEARNING | FEBRUARY–APRIL 2021
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
INSIGHTS FROM INSTITUTIONS IN JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA, MEXICO AND THE UK
PLUS: EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH INTO MBM ADMISSIONS
Join expert speakers from around the world, including leading corporate organisations and Business Schools, from a world-class film studio. The event’s live streamed sessions will inspire collaboration, facilitate debate, and share personal and professional experiences from the worlds of business and business education. Beamed live from our state-of-the-art studios straight to your screen The AMBA & BGA Global Conference 2021 10-12 MAY 2021
Our state-of-the-art virtual conference will offer: Tailored programmes and agendas for each delegate based on your own thought leadership preferences and development requirements. A mixture of plenary and keynote sessions from world-leading speakers, alongside more casual and intimate roundtable breakout sessions, to discuss pressing issues in business education. Innovative networking and collaboration opportunities (including live virtual meetings, business matchmaking, chatrooms, and interactive discussions). Stunning and professional production, facilitated in a high-tech green screen studio and live streamed using high- definition capture technology. We will announce the themes, topics, and speakers over the coming weeks and months but, for now, please save the date and book early to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you during the event.
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Raising standards in Japan and Asia NUCB Business School on promoting the value of the case method and increasing the availability of high-quality cases
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Fuelling global collaboration
Delivering value Sankar Sivarajah, Head of the School of Management at the University of Bradford, on inclusivity and the need to deliver social and economic value
Universidad Anáhuac México Director, Alfredo Nava, on the opportunity to be international without leaving your country
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CONTENTS February–April 2021
30 0 University of Cape Town (UCT) UCT GSB Director, Catherine Duggan, on what the business world can learn from Africa 36 0 Engaging futures Student engagement and the use of edtech – highlights from an AMBA & BGA roundtable 42 Guest column Redefining ‘success’
04 Editor's letter 07 From the CEO 08 New research from AMBA & BGA
12 Universidad Anáhuac México
22 Looking ahead
Director of the School of Economics and Business,
Four deans in four key markets on lessons from 2020 and the outlook for 2021 – key takeaways from 2020's AMBA & BGA Accreditation Forum 26 0 University of Bradford Head of the School of Management, Sankar Sivarajah, on the School's community connections and outlook on widening access to education
Alfredo Nava, on leveraging the ubiquity of online platforms to foster international collaboration 18 NUCB Business School Tim Desmond and Ken Ozawa outline how the School is working to increase the reach and reputation of management education in Japan and beyond
Exclusive to Business Impact : insights into MBM programme admissions, levels of diversity,
and modes of delivery at leading Business Schools around the world
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EDITORIAL
the case method, disseminate more cases, and improve teaching quality among Business Schools in Asia. From the UK, Sankar Sivarajah, Head of the School of Management at the University of Bradford, talks about the importance of using online technology to widen reach, citing the School's desire to ‘provide quality responsible management education that is affordable and accessible by everyone’. Meanwhile, the Director of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) Catherine Duggan, highlights a fresh opportunity for bringing greater diversity of thought to the forefront of management education: ‘I’m looking forward to thinking about the ways that our new comfort with remote working, conferences, and other collaboration might be able to encourage more diversity among authors in the most influential journals and a more globally oriented scholarship.’ In this context, fears that management education might be forced to become narrower in its focus seem misplaced. Instead, the feeling that persists is that Business Schools remain fixed on the global picture and have the chance to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic with bigger networks and better tools for working with those in other countries, for expanding the reach of their expertise, and for offering enriched programme
Content Editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@businessgraduates association.com Art Editor Laura Tallon Insight and Communications Executive Ellen Buchan e.buchan@ businessgraduates association.com Director of Marketing and Communications David Woods-Hale d.woods@businessgraduates association.com
C orporate
The world of management education is getting bigger, not smaller
Business Development Manager Victor Hedenberg v.hedenberg@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Senior Marketing Executive -– BGA Daniel Kirkland d.kirkland@ businessgraduatesassociation.com BGA Membership Manager Rachael Frear r.frear@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Head of Commercial Relations Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Commercial Partnerships Manager Emily Wall e.wall@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Finance and Commercial Director Catherine Walker Director of Accreditation and Director of BGA Services Mark Stoddard Chief Executive Officer Andrew Main Wilson Executive Assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@ businessgraduatesassociation.com General Enquiries info@businessgraduates association.com
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With so many people confined to their homes and immediate locales over the past year, one might think that globalisation had been set in reverse. In-person global experiences and travel offered by Business Schools have certainly been decimated, but this doesn’t
Business Impact leads with interviews that profile four Business Schools representing four different continents. From Mexico City, Alfredo Nava, Director of the School of Economics and Business at Universidad Anáhuac México, talks about taking advantage of newly found enthusiasm worldwide for working with online platforms: ‘There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now to be international without leaving your country, and to get faculty and students to interact with each other,’ he says. From Nagoya, Japan, Tim Desmond and Ken Ozawa talk about NUCB Business School’s plans to promote the use of
mean that the world of management education available to prospective students has got smaller.
If anything, it’s getting bigger – such are the opportunities presented by online technology and leveraged by institutions across the world. To showcase the prevailing
experiences as a result. Tim Banerjee Dhoul,
Content Editor, Business Impact
mindset of management education, this edition of
Copyright 2021 by The Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, BGA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of BGA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. BGA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
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I n a world in which change is now demanded by almost every segment of society, it’s worth remembering how influential business can be, because business funds everything. In the last five years, the global business community has started to realise this and to take on its responsibility for making the world a better place through better business practice. This topic was the subject of a recent interview I gave in Foreign Policy magazine, and it’s one of such importance that I would like to use my next two columns to explore some of the critical ideas around this subject. Globally, I think the collective conscience of business leaders has now embraced the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And there is a huge role to play for the global Business School community in championing the SDGs and preparing future leaders who are both commercially astute and ethically responsible. Today’s management programmes are far broader in scope than those of the twentieth century, paying greater attention to sustainability and soft skills development, for example, alongside the more traditional commercial and technical aspects of management. This evolution helps maintain the global popularity of business and management degrees and allows the subject area to prove resilient during economic highs and lows, such as the 2008 financial crisis and the ongoing problems associated with the Coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 has presented new obstacles to economies, governments, businesses, and providers of business education worldwide. However, there has again been evidence that the weaker the global economy, the higher the market demand for high-quality business education. Business executives realise that, in a tough job market, you need to be better educated than your rivals. They want to ensure that they’re going to emerge strongly. In addition, it’s been revitalising to see how leading Business Schools transformed quickly from 100% on- campus teaching to hybrid teaching, or even 100% online teaching. One of the few benefits arising from the pandemic is the acceleration of digital education transformation. Of course, the big question now is what will happen when Covid-19 is finally finished? In my view, much of the digital transformation to blended or 100% online learning will be permanent. However, nostalgia for face-to-face human interaction and genuine belief among many deans and students that face-to-face learning is superior and more desirable than online learning will mean that campuses will still experience a strong return to classroom learning. Every organisation needs to consider where they are going to position their products and programmes on the scale between pure face-to-face learning and fully online learning. At AMBA & BGA, we are ensuring that all our accreditation assessments, services and conferences will be able to fit comfortably anywhere along that scale.
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Reflections on business education, post-Covid-19 Andrew Main Wilson offers his thoughts on the role of business education in society and how it might adapt to a post-Covid-19 future
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SHEDDING LIGHT ON MBM ADMISSIONS AND DELIVERY WORLDWIDE
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Exclusive AMBA & BGA research throws light on the performance of MBM programmes on offer at leading Business Schools across the world. Ellen Buchan delves into the details
BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
A total of 46 Schools – all of which are accredited by BGA’s sister organisation, the Association of MBAs (AMBA) – submitted MBM data for both 2018 and 2019, and it is the data from those Schools on which the following research is based.
MBMs in 2019, worldwide. Applications in India, meanwhile, grew 10% per programme and 5% per School between 2018 and 2019. Elsewhere, Business Schools in the UK also reported a substantial increase, with applications up by 22% per programme and 34% per School between 2018 and 2019. Schools in the UK accounted for 3% of overall volume of MBM programme applications reported in 2019. Between 2018 and 2019, there were also rises in the number of students enrolling globally, by 5% per programme and 10% per School. MBMs in the UK reported the world’s largest increase in enrolments, with a 10% increase per programme and a 21% increase in enrolments per School.
‘Applications per Business School were up by 5% between 2018 and 2019 across all responding MBM programmes’
major driver behind students’ enrolment on master’s in
business management (MBM) programmes is the desire to develop a better understanding of technology and its impact on management practices. This was a standout finding of AMBA & BGA's study of application and enrolment data for MBM programmes around the world last year, as reported in Business Impact in February 2020. The significant demand for MBMs in India was another result highlighted in this research. A year on, and for the second iteration of this research, Business Impact was able to analyse data from Business Schools in relation to their MBM application and enrolment data from the calendar years of both 2018 and 2019. This offered a fresh opportunity to identify trends in the sector on a like-for-like basis.
Blended learning on the rise There was no significant change in the mode of delivery for MBM programmes between 2018 and 2019. Globally, the majority (83%) of AMBA-accredited Schools’ MBM programmes were taught in the classroom in 2019. Almost all of the remaining programmes were taught using a blended approach (16%) while
Continuing demand in India Applications per Business School were up by 5% between 2018 and 2019 across all responding MBM programmes. There was no change in the volume of applications per programme received in the same timeframe. The sheer scale of demand for MBMs in India continues, as applications received by programmes in the south Asian country represented 88% of all applications to
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KEY FINDINGS
Our main feature focuses on the experiences of 46 Schools that provided MBM programme data for both 2018 and 2019 and the corresponding year-on-year comparisons this allows. Yet, a total of 58 Business Schools supplied data pertaining to programmes on offer in the calendar year 2019, offering a wider snapshot of the MBM market in 2019. Highlights from this wider sample are outlined below: • MBM programme delivery worldwide : traditional classroom (84%); blended learning (15%); fully online (1%). • India’s demand : 89% of all MBM applications globally were received by Business Schools in India. On average, each School in India received 146,776 applications and 60,045 applications per programme. • Enrolments : 61% of worldwide enrolments were for Schools based in Europe (excluding the UK). This represents, on
average, 744 students enrolled per School and 273 enrolled per programme in Europe. Elsewhere, 17% of global enrolments were for Business Schools in India and 14% were for Schools in the UK. Globally, there were 463 enrolments per School and 161 per programme, on average. • Gender : 36% of applications to AMBA-accredited Schools’ MBM programmes worldwide came from women and 47% of those enrolled were women. When India – with its huge volume of applications relative to the rest of the world – is excluded from the analysis, women make up 51% of applicants and 50% of those enrolled. • International candidates : globally, only 4% of applications were from international students, however this rises to 36% when India is excluded from analysis. The proportion of international enrolments globally was 34%, increasing to 41% when India is excluded from analysis.
BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
Proportion of applications and enrolments from women in 2019 (percentage point change from 2018 in brackets)
Africa China (including Hong Kong, China) Europe (excluding UK) Applications from female candidates Female student enrolment
55% (8)
59% (1)
64% (-3)
62% (-5)
49% (0)
48% (-1)
35% (1)
India North America and Caribbean Oceania
33% (3)
63% (-6)
53% (-3)
50% (-19)
64% (4)
56% (1) 56% (2)
UK
37% (1)
Global
47% (0)
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1% of programmes were delivered fully online in 2019. This represents a three-percentage point increase in the use of blended learning,
however, shows that Business Schools in India and Europe were the only Schools to enrol a
between different countries and regions. Business Schools in India received 100% of applications from domestic students – pushing up the overall average. Even so, Schools based in China (including Hong Kong, China), Europe, and North America and the Caribbean, all received more than 80% of their MBM applications from domestic candidates. However, at Business Schools based in the UK and Oceania, the reverse was true, with 97% of applications to MBM programmes in each region coming from international applicants. The global picture on MBM enrolment is quite different, with international students representing a third of all enrolments in 2019, up from 30% in 2018. As such, the conversion rate for international students was far higher in some regions than for domestic students. In Europe
‘16% of programmes were taught using a blended approach’
minority of women on their MBM courses in 2019. In Europe, 48% of those enrolling
at the expense of classroom delivery from 2018. In North America and the Caribbean, 92% of programmes included in the study were delivered using a blended approach in 2019. Among MBMs in Europe, the equivalent figure was 24%. This represents a four-percentage point increase in the use of blended learning in both these regions from 2018. Globally, the proportion of women among those applying to MBM programmes in 2019 was 37% – an increase of one percentage point on 2018. The global enrolment rate was far more gender-balanced – 47% of those enrolling globally in 2019 were female, although this same figure was also applicable in 2018. Looking regionally, Gender diversity in MBM programmes
identified as female, while the proportion
among Schools in India was 33% – significantly lower, but an increase of three percentage points on the country’s equivalent figure for 2018. International and domestic applications and enrolments More than nine out of 10 (95%) of applications to MBM programmes
‘47% of those enrolling globally in 2019 were female; the same as in 2018’
(excluding the UK), for example, international candidates represented
included in the study came from domestic students in 2019 – the vast majority. However, this global percentage hides significant variations
16% of applications, but 28% of those who enrolled. In North America and Caribbean, 10% of
BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
Proportion of applications and enrolments from international candidates in 2019 (percentage point change from 2018 in brackets)
Africa China (including Hong Kong, China) Europe (excluding UK) Applications from international candidates International student enrolment
32% (0) 33% (-5)
19% (-2) 18% (5)
16% (-1)
28% (4)
0% (0) 0% (0)
India North America and Caribbean Oceania
10% (0)
19% (1)
97% (10)
93% (2)
97% (0)
UK
91% (-2)
5% (1)
Global
33% (3)
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applications came from international applicants, but 19% of students enrolling were defined as international. Conclusion The news is positive for providers of MBMs from within the AMBA network. Although there was no growth in applications per programme, there was a notable rise of 5% in enrolments per programme. In addition, applications and enrolments to a Business School’s full portfolio of eligible degrees were up by 5% and 10%, respectively – a sign perhaps of the increasing number of study options on offer to prospective students and the extent to which these resonated with their intended audience, ahead of the turbulence of the year 2020. ‘International students represented a third of all enrolments in 2019, up from 30% in 2018’
METHODOLOGY
The recently released AMBA & BGA Application and Enrolment Report 2020 outlines the current status of the MBA market. As part of the data compiled for the report, 58 AMBA-accredited Business Schools also provided data on their portfolio of master’s in business management programmes (commonly known as MBMs or MiMs). These generalist, postgraduate, and predominantly pre-experience, degrees are most often designed to provide a thorough grounding in the theoretical fundamentals of management, accompanied by substantial practical input. As such, it typically provides a foundation for individuals starting a career in management and has been identified as a particular area of interest for members of the Business Graduates Association (BGA), which aims to ensure graduates of all levels of business education commence their careers with a firm understanding and appreciation of the principles of responsible
management, positive impact and lifelong learning. Of the 58 Schools that provided data on their master’s programmes in 2019, 46 had also supplied data for 2018 in the previous year, allowing for a year-on-year comparison between the same Schools. This analysis covered 140 programmes in 2019, rising from 133 programmes in 2018. This like-for-like analysis is the most accurate measurement of changes in the network from year to year, as it compares an identical set of Schools and cannot be skewed by changes in the profile or participation of individual Business Schools. MBM programmes in this like-for-like analysis were delivered at Business Schools based in the following locations: Europe (excluding the UK) (37%); the UK (28%); India (17%); China (including Hong Kong, China) (7%); North America and the Caribbean (4%); Oceania (4%); and Africa (2%). No data was collected from Schools in Asia (excluding India and China) and the Middle East.
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FUELLING GLOBAL COLLABORATION WITH ONLINE TECHNOLOGY
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Far from turning inwards during Covid-19, the School of Economics and Business at Universidad Anáhuac México has been using the rapid adoption of online platforms to pursue new forms of international collaboration. Director, Alfredo Nava , talks to Tim Banerjee Dhoul about his institution’s outlook and future direction
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I t depends how long it lasts for, doesn’t it? If [the effects of Covid-19] last another 12 months, then we will really change our habits of consumption and it will impact many different things… A person that is sitting in Mexico might think: “Why would I go somewhere else [to study] when I’m just going to be confined to a smaller apartment with worse weather, far from my family.” But then you can’t forget that online education has no geography – it goes both ways. If this lasts a long time then the consumption of education is going to change. The decisions that students take and the way they think are going to be a whole different ball game, and we will have to figure out if they want to stay local and stay on campus with a renowned brand, or if they want to go for online education with an international, worldwide university.’ From his home in Mexico City, Alfredo Nava Govela, Director of the School of Economics and Business at Universidad Anáhuac México, is reflecting on the pandemic situation (this interview took place towards the end of 2020) and speculating how questions of student intentions and mobility might play out in the near future. ‘The longer Covid-19 lasts, the more there is going to be structural change,’ he surmises. Already, Nava has observed a number of trends to the impact of Covid-19 from his vantage point at the helm of a Business School that forms one of 18 schools within the wider university. ‘It’s funny because some students are saying: “Well, I don’t have to commute,”’ before offering an example from the perspective of a part-time student that combines work and study, as most students of postgraduate business education in Mexico do: ‘Here in Mexico City, a commute will be at least 45 minutes to one hour. So, if I’m in my house and I have to go to work, that’s 45 minutes. For those who then go to university, that’s another 45 minutes. Then, from the university back to my house, that’s another 45 minutes. It works out to be at least two hours of travel, so if a person does “home office” and then “home School”, or “home MBA”, then they're going to have two more hours deposited into their life per day, and that makes some sense.’ Facilitating collaboration As well as the obvious disadvantages, the realities of the pandemic have brought further advantages. For one, the increasing ease and comfort with which faculty, and indeed, society as a whole, have taken to online platforms has allowed the School of Economics and Business at Anáhuac to pursue new forms of domestic and international collaboration that can benefit its students directly. ‘Since faculty around the world are willing to log into a streaming platform and teach, we’re looking to bring in international professors to co-teach with our
professors maybe just in one subject or class,’ says Nava, referencing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects with faculty that share research links in particular. ‘We’re also bringing businesspeople to the classroom. Before this, it was hard to bring a CEO of a firm to talk to a cohort of 20 students on the MBA – it was hard for them just to commute for an hour but now we’re taking advantage of this.’ Other initiatives seek to replicate parts of the programme experience that students might have feared losing when classes were shifted online: ‘We’re doing seminars where we’re bringing in businesspeople and experts from the World Bank, the OECD, or the UN, for example,’ Nava says in reference to the Anáhuac MBA. ‘They are still Zoom experiences, but it is trying to do something extra that you would do if you were on campus. ‘I [also] want to have students getting in touch with students around the world,’ Nava continues, outlining the idea of collaborative assignments that could be coordinated by professors that teach the same class in different countries and at different institutions. Once everybody goes back to the classroom, it’s going to be tough [to do this]. There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now to be international without leaving your country, and to get faculty and students to interact with each other.’
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‘If this lasts a long time then the consumption of education is going to change’
‘Every undergraduate student, no matter
their subject area, must take a course in social responsibility’
The road ahead Not all discoveries have been positive, however. ‘If you asked me what professors and students are thinking, I think they would say that Zoom is stressful. Teaching a class where you can’t see the reactions of students, or where only one person can talk at a time is tough. When you have a group discussion, then it’s actually a lot of stress.’ On balance, Nava believes – like many in the industry – that the path ahead will be blended: ‘We might not go all the way back to campus because the students are really enjoying not commuting. They’re saying: “Well, if I had the choice, I would go to some classes, and others I can take by Zoom and have the experience of being on campus when I have to be on campus.’ Prior to becoming Director of the Economics and Business School at Anáhuac México in 2018, Nava was Director of Anáhuac Online, so distance learning models – and the differences between them – are an area in which he is steeped in experience: ‘On-campus education is only being switched to another platform to have the same experience. It’s not the model that we use online. People need to understand that it is a different model and it is not like you are receiving an online education. The business model involved from the side of the university is totally different. It’s not like we’re saying: “OK, we’re switching to classes online and just forget your professor because you’re just not going to have those office hours.” Professors still have those office hours in Zoom; they’re just not able to see the students in person… The traditional online model is big cohorts of students and very low contact with the professor. For professors, having the same contact hours for students [online] is actually more stressful for them and they are putting in more time. Some of them have to really adjust to be on Zoom with their students and for their classes. You have to prepare your course in a different way. What on-campus education is doing is trying to become a
hybrid… So, I think we are evolving into a new model. Now the question is, if this goes further and this takes more time, then it’s going to be the new normal and will become typical.’ Evidence of this transition can already be gleaned from the School’s plans to launch a blended executive MBA – a significant departure for a School that has previously been against taking any of its programme offerings online. It seems the experience of seeing how the use of technology works in practice has convinced them otherwise. ‘We, the faculty and as a Business School, which previously said, “no, we don’t want to go online,” are now saying, “this is not that bad”. Social responsibility Something that is not a new direction for the School of Economics and Business at Anáhuac México is the inclusion of aspects of sustainability in course curricula. ‘Even though it’s a hot topic right now, for us it has been a topic for many years. Ethics has always been a course in the MBA for as long as I can remember – social responsibility as well,’ explains Nava. ‘It wasn’t that professionalised as a subject, but we’ve been asking those questions for many years – what’s the purpose of a firm and what should it do; is it only for maximising profits or is it really to enhance society and have a shared value?’ As an example of the increasing international interest in this area, the Anáhuac Director talks about the emergence of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in finance and how the subject has grown to become the focal point of the 2020 edition of the annual report, OECD Business and Finance Outlook that was released at the end of September. ‘The name of the game now is ESG – you get the sense that big firms not only need to solve their business problems through corporate governance, but also try to attend to what society and the business world is asking for from them – it’s a big question.’
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‘There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now to be international without leaving your country’
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Social responsibility is, in fact, a big topic for the wider Anáhuac México. Every undergraduate student, no matter their subject area, must take a course in social responsibility from the university’s dedicated School of Social Responsibility. This requirement forms part of the university’s desire to provide a rounded education for all undergraduates and also sees the Business School teach a compulsory entrepreneurship class to every student at the university. ‘Even if you’re studying medicine, you have to take an entrepreneurial course,’ advises Nava, pointing out that there are also compulsory humanities courses in areas like philosophy and the history of culture. ‘The educational model that we use is that it’s not only the subject you are taking that you have to understand. At Anáhuac, knowing some business, having social responsibility and some humanities is very important.’ The links between Anáhuac México’s Business School and its School of Social Responsibility go both ways. A centre that helps medium and large firms in Mexico with the ESG concerns of reporting and best practice in social responsibility now sits within the School of Social Responsibility but began life at the Business School, following a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank. Conversely, an MBA course on social responsibility derives from a faculty member attached to the School of Social Responsibility. The topic of social responsibility at the Business School, meanwhile, also extends to students going out into the city to help communities – optional at postgraduate level but compulsory at
undergraduate level. ‘You can imagine that, here in Mexico City, there are rich parts but, as in all of Latin America, there are also big differences in income, there is inequality, and there’s a lot to be done. One [aspect] is trying to figure out how markets and firms can help that.’ Diversity of experience, and culture In talking about differences between areas of Mexico City, the conversation moves to economic growth in the country, for here there are differences too. ‘When you analyse Mexico economically you will have different states and different cities that grow at different paces, as with any other country. But in parts of Mexico City, it is growing really fast.’ By extension, the culture of doing business in Mexico City can vary by area, and even industry. ‘There are sectors and places where people are very happy, they’re on time, they speak Spanish, but also English fluently, and where you will find international corporations with headquarters, or with offices here in Mexico, with people that have studied their undergraduate programme here and maybe went to the US or Europe to study their graduate programmes, and you will get a feeling of a culture that is really global. That is part of Mexico City, but there are still cultural differences in Mexico – trust is very important and I guess because there is a lot of corruption and the rule of law is not that strong as in other places, then you really need to have trust in your partners, your family, your employees and with whom you’re conducting business. So, then you have
to develop trust and that confidence is hard to build. It is strange if you can strike a deal with a Mexican firm where you don’t have to go and visit the country, or they visit you, and you have lunch with them. That trust is very important; it’s not the Anglo-Saxon model where trust is already built because you know that who you’re talking to is going to be honourable 99% of the time. Here, you need to build trust and figure out who you are doing business with.’ Cultural nuances within Mexico become chasms when you look at Latin America as a whole, and it must be frustrating that people from outside the region still look to group it as one. ‘Globally, we are looked at as only one region, but we have many differences. When I go to Central America or to South America, you see the cultural differences. Even though we speak Spanish, even though we have part of the same history, we’re actually quite different. It’s like trying to put Asia in the same box. Thailand is a totally different thing to Japan… Brazil is a totally different thing to us. But then, we have problems to tackle and some of the problems are the same – big social differences or income differences,
poverty, sustainability. Those are problems that need to be tackled in Latin America... So, one of our international approaches is to collaborate with [other countries in] Latin America through research,’ Nava says outlining how regional research networks can allow professors to work towards solutions to common problems, ‘even though we are culturally different’. Within Latin America, faculty interactions are the focus for collaboration because students tend to have their eyes set outside the region. ‘Student exchange is pretty hard,’ Nava explains. ‘When a Latin American student wants to go abroad, the first thing they say is, “well, I want to go to Europe, or I want to go to the US”. It’s not like they’re saying, “well, I want to go to Panama”’. Fortunately, Anáhuac México already offers its students terms (semesters) abroad to these areas. ‘There’s always been a strong link between Mexico and Spain, between Mexico and the US, and to some other parts of Europe. Those lines are already made. We’re trying to see what is not already there and make ties in Asia. We’re trying to make those links to get students to go to Asia and get Asian students to come to Latin America, and to Mexico.
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‘Even though we have part of the same history, we’re actually quite different. It’s like
trying to put Asia in the same box’
BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
INCREASING THE REACH AND REPUTATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN ASIA
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Tim Desmond and Ken Ozawa tell Tim Banerjee Dhoul how NUCB Business School is working to improve teaching quality among Business Schools in Asia by promoting the value of the case method and increasing the availability of high-quality cases in the region
BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
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BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
ith campuses in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo – Japan’s three largest metropolitan areas –
Often, one will find that the core executive members in Japanese companies are typically graduates of a handful of prestigious Business Schools, based either in Japan or overseas. In this respect, Japanese universities have been slow, compared to the west, to establish Business Schools. As a result, NUCB’s use of the case method and accreditation are rather unique for higher education in Japan. What do you think makes your portfolio of programmes stand out from others that are available in the country headquarters of your School and the surrounding region? Recently, two universities in the region terminated their MBA programmes due to declining enrolments. While competition with NUCB is one possible cause, it is important to underscore that the School is a standalone institution with a singular focus on management education. NUCB was the first Business School [in Japan] to offer a part-time, weekend MBA programme – Japanese companies expect workers to fully commit themselves to the office on weekdays. More importantly, the School is adept at recognising and adding unique programmes that are essential to the various business sectors, such as in healthcare and taxation, as well as a Global MBA taught in English. In line with the School's focus on practical knowledge, great use is made of NUCB Business School's expansive stock of real-world business case studies. All courses employ the case method using the most recent business cases available as learning materials. Which single new programme, course, or initiative are you most excited about and why? In May 2019, NUCB Business School reached an agreement with the Institute for International Studies and Training (IIST), a Japanese non-profit foundation, to acquire its case distribution unit, known as Case Center Japan (CCJ). The distribution unit was on the verge of bankruptcy. As CCJ was the only means for researchers and Business Schools in Japan to purchase case studies, its closure would have had a tremendous impact on management education and business research in Japan. NUCB Business School agreed to take over the full business operations of the CCJ case distribution, translation, and training unit. Under new management, CCJ will now be able to expand its reach to distribute cases nationwide. Moreover, it will promote case method workshops and has recently signed an agreement with Harvard Business School Publishing to hold seminars in Japan to introduce the unique benefits of case method’s participant-centred learning. CCJ has renewed agreements with the leading case producers and collections to translate, develop, and distribute cases throughout Japan. In all, more than 16,500 cases from Harvard Business School Publishing, IMD, INSEAD, Ivey Business School, and Darden School of Business and others are now being distributed. Can you provide an example of how your School is using online learning to meet the needs of its students? Although online learning in Japan has never been fully embraced or valued, NUCB Business School began using it two years ago, when the government commissioned the School to create a pilot programme aimed at the empowerment of women. The live-online programme was a tremendous success and led the School to develop other online programmes. For example, online learning has been used in our
NUCB Business School (NUCB) is well positioned to take a lead in the country’s provision of management education. A strong proponent of the case
method, the Nagoya-headquartered School is now also Japan’s principal provider of quality case studies from around the world, having recently stepped in to save the Case Center Japan from administration. In this exclusive interview with Business Impact , Tim Desmond, Senior Advisor and Project Manager, and Ken Ozawa, Accreditation and Institutional Research Manager, discuss NUCB’s plans to use this acquisition to help raise standards of teaching and learning materials, both in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Why is management education important in your country? What is the value it brings to the community you serve? Traditionally, companies in Japan have prided themselves on offering lifetime employment, training those in management through inhouse programmes – having an MBA was frowned on by Japanese companies. However as the wave of globalisation took hold, Japan found itself in a precarious position due to a shortage of talented workers and an ever-declining birth rate. By 2025, for example, it is estimated that more than 2.4 million companies in Japan will have leaders that are, on average, over 70 years old. Since many of these companies will be unable to find adequate successors, it is expected that most will either suspend or cease operations entirely. Although we live in a time when companies are producing more and more new products and services in response to consumer demands, Japan – despite its advanced technological capabilities – unfortunately lags behind much of the world in its capacity to start new businesses or embrace the entrepreneurial movement. NUCB Business School recognises the dilemmas and challenges facing Japan. The School has been one of the main institutions to support the Japan Society for Business Succession (JSBS) to conduct and publish joint research and education, which will contribute to rectifying the family business succession situation in Japan. The School has also partnered with the Aichi Prefectural Association of Credit Unions, which comprises 15 regional banks, to organise special courses and workshops that work to strengthen the foundations of small companies and pass on techniques for the long- term growth of companies. How healthy is the current market for business education in Japan and the surrounding region? While Japan may have a somewhat rigid and inflexible corporate culture, our analysis reveals a relatively bright future for Business School graduates. We base this analysis on the following trends: • The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has promoted the need to develop professionals with advanced specialised skills for working the global economy. • The shift from domestic to overseas operations and the participation of non-Japanese staff in management has been increasing. • A strong command of new management concepts and skills has become requisite for many managers.
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BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
preparation course for first-year MBA students to help familiarise them with case method learning, and a class format in which active participation is crucial, before their programme starts. Ironically, the training and expertise in online teaching was extremely fortuitous since NUCB Business School was the first and only Japanese university to move all of its courses to an online format in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced higher education in Japan to postpone terms and close campuses. The School made headlines across Japan when it announced that it would proceed with its spring 2020 term as scheduled – online. What does NUCB Business School gain from partnerships, such as the Innovation Programme offered in collaboration with Aichi Prefecture and INSEAD? NUCB Business School was honoured to collaborate with INSEAD and aims to learn more effective ways to realise ‘company renaissance’ which is the main focus of its Center for Entrepreneurs. ‘Company renaissance’ is a term for companies to develop products, services, and markets by using new methods that are different from their main businesses in the process of adapting to (or anticipating) changes in its business environment. The inclusion of Aichi prefecture was also crucial in this partnership due to the fact that the prefecture is a manufacturing centre for aerospace, ceramics, motor vehicles, and so on. Thus, this partnership will create more opportunities to impact and support regional businesses, especially SMEs, which are indispensable to the success of large manufacturing companies that have been facing business succession issues. How is the School working to boost the employment prospects of its graduates? (E.g. through the use of internship schemes or industry initiatives) In line with the characteristics of the domestic market, management education provided is not specifically focused on helping students change their employer due to the unfortunate fact that Business School management education has still not yet been widely recognised in Japan’s business community. Thus, a large proportion of students do not change their occupation after graduation and continue to work in the same company, though often at a higher level. It’s anticipated that this trend will continue until Japan’s business community becomes more aware of, and receptive to, the value that Business School graduate degree holders can bring to their organisations. For those that do endeavour to change their careers, there are various support services they can receive from the Career Placement Center. The Center offers students support in the form of workshops and presentations on career planning and development, interview preparation, and effective CV writing. What does ‘responsible management’ mean to your School and how is this concept introduced to, and instilled into, your students? Since its establishment, the School has followed a traditional business philosophy which has existed in Japan for over four centuries. This is called ‘ Sanpou Yoshi ’, meaning, ‘all three sides are good’. The ‘three sides’ allude to the idea that every business transaction has to be to
Tim Desmond Tim Desmond serves as the Senior Advisor to the Chancellor of NUCB
Business School. After earning his master’s at the University of Illinois, he joined the NUCB admissions team. Tim has since coordinated the School’s AACSB and AMBA accreditations, the acquisition of Case Center Japan, entry into the Global Business School
Network (GBSN) and other initiatives.
Ken Ozawa Ken Ozawa is Accreditation and Institutional Research Manager at NUCB Business School, where he oversees international accreditation projects. Ken holds a degree in marketing from Marriott School of Management [now, Marriott School of Business) at Brigham Young University (BYU) and has worked in the US
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and Singapore.
the satisfaction of the seller, the buyer and to wider society – if a business is to have long-term prospects. In line with this philosophy, therefore, we recognise that it is important for the School to commit to act in all it does with ethical integrity, social responsibility and environmental sustainability in order to better develop future business leaders. What plans does your School have for the next three years and what developments would you like to see in the business education sector as a whole? Two major initiatives have been planned for the next three years. First, the School is going to expand the activities of the Case Center Japan. The CCJ is in the process of increasing the number of Asian business cases which are hyper-relevant and which have real-time scenarios, and is promoting these cases to other Business Schools. The Center is also planning to organise more Joint Case Workshops with Harvard Business School Publishing in order to improve the teaching quality among Business Schools in Asia. The second initiative is to start the development of a DBA programme. A study group, set up in 2019, will identify the best ways of organising the programme in upcoming years. With regards to the future development of business education, we would like to see more effective ways to develop ethical leaders, to train on the competencies that will define the next century, and to teach how to make a difference in the world, even in the pandemic situation.
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