The Future of Management Education

How should Management Education Change? Which Direction should it take?

In a nutshell, the education of management should take a more global and ethical approach. Let me explain. First, in today’s universities, the student body is very international. At the same time, in the business world, companies are going abroad and building international supply chains while trading agreements are formed and international political relationships are fostered between various countries. Teachers should discuss these events in class and take advantage of the diversity in the class room to listen to the various points of views and foster cross-cultural communication and understanding.

Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that today’s students reflect on ethical issues and dilemmas that are present in companies and the business world in general. Opening up debates and discussions in an early stage of management education will better prepare the students for the dilemmas that they will be confronted to once on the job market. Given them the tools and the skills to deal with such issues is an essential part of management education.


My Ideal Undergraduate Management Course…

An ideal undergraduate management course would include networking between the students and the teacher, business case analysis and discussions, guest speakers from various companies, and discussions of what is going on in the news in management and companies, locally, nationally and internationally. Drawing parallels with course theory and the ‘real world’ would increase students’ understanding of the course material they are being taught. Furthermore, I believe that students would benefit from less course manuals and more from articles from management journals relating to the topics being covered. Group projects and presentations would be encouraged, more than mid-terms and final exams. In the end, professors would serve as the initiator and moderator of class discussions. They would teach students the tools to develop independent learning and the skills to apply what is learned to their future jobs.