Demystifying the beast: accreditation as a force to propel engagement and impact

Marine Condette and Timothy Mescon

Chapter 6 in How to Scale Engagement and Impact in Universities, 2025, pp 56-70 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: As an international actor in the higher education landscape, AACSB has both observed and contributed to the shifting mindsets towards more active engagement of business schools in their community, responding to stakeholders’ needs and expectations within and beyond the classroom, which results in positive societal impact. Insights from our network demonstrated that: (1) business schools face a variety of challenges in their efforts to drive positive societal impact, many of which stem from unique regional contexts, shifting mindsets, integration obstacles, and an imbalance in resources; (2) progress in that area requires systemic shifts and new strategies focused on creating internal buy-in. One of the “myths” of accreditation is that it is a barrier to innovation, a key element driving engagement and impact. This does not have to be the case; on the contrary, accreditation can be a facilitator if used strategically. This chapter will first present how AACSB has responded to societal demands to create and prioritize engagement and impact in business education. It will next show how accreditation can support business schools in taking a stronger position in leading societal impact, through strategic thinking. Concrete examples will be shared to illustrate the key tenets.

Keywords: Societal impact; Business schools; Accreditation; Stakeholder engagement; Innovation; AACSB (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035337422
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