What Business is the Business School In?

Management

Further details

In the 1960s Peter Drucker asked the apparently simple question ‘what business are you in?’ as a way of getting managers to think about the desired outcomes of their business. By asking this question in the context of the Business School, our attention is focused on similar issues. Richard begins by reflecting on the Research Assessment Exercise and asking: what have UK Business Schools learnt from this process? The discussion then moves to a number of current performance management issues such as the measurement of impact and considers how they might affect Business Schools. Finally, it turns to longer term issues such as the demographic time-bomb and the threat posed by an increasingly narrow definition of the role of the Business School academic.

Richard Thorpe is Professor of Management Development and Head of the Management Division at Leeds University Business School. His interests include: performance, entrepreneurship, knowledge and leadership.  He has a strong commitment to process methodologies, collaborative working, the development of doctoral students and the development of capacity within the sector. He currently chairs the capacity building steering group for Management and Business, has served on the ESRC Training and Development Board (2003-2007) and has been a past Chair (2005) and President (2007) of the British Academy of Management. He has published a number of books (with others) on research methods including: Management Research (Sage) and the Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research.