Case Studies Archive – Business Graduates Association

The next logical step was BGA accreditation

December 2021

‘JSBE has a long history in promoting sustainability. Therefore, BGA accreditation was a logical next step in work. Learning from the accreditation results, JSBE continues to promote responsible management and positive impact.’

Hanna-Leena Pesonen, Dean, Professor in Corporate Environmental Management, Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

The Business School challenge

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics (JSBE) has been a pioneer in sustainability education among Business Schools. Sustainable business has grown into a leading focus area of JSBE’s mission and is strongly connected with research and education.

JSBE, wanting to strengthen the School’s commitment to sustainability in teaching and research, was drawn to BGA accreditation because of its focus on responsible management and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By the time of the BGA peer review visit, JSBE was preparing for a strategic review process to identify areas further to improve the School’s sustainability work. In addition, JSBE realised its educational offering needed to strengthen its connections to the UN SDGs and required international guidance on how.

Solutions from BGA

The panel commended the early establishment of the CEM Master’s programme in 1995. The Business School has carved an enviable position building a flagship programme for JSBE and the University, encapsulating many of the School’s and University’s values and aspirations related to sustainability and responsible management.

Though impressed by the CEM programme and its interdisciplinary approach, the panel recommended that JSBE be bolder with the programme and advised the school to leverage the market opportunity to increase the programme’s scope and capacity. The recommendations included designing a part-time route for adult learners, opening the programme to two separate intakes instead of just one, and moderately increasing the class size. The panel suggested that JSBE leverage the increased capacity to establish itself as a thought-leader in the field of responsible management and sustainability in its mission and strategic objectives.

The impact

Results of the BGA accreditation have been of great help in identifying areas where to improve against the UN SDGs and general sustainability issues.

Following the accreditation, the School revised its strategic plan for 2021-24. Revised mission ‘JSBE – Supporting Competitive, Digital, and Sustainable Transformation in Business and Economy’ highlights JSBE’s continuing commitment to be a force for good in the society supporting transformation.

The School also added descriptions of sustainability content to all relevant School courses when renewing the curricula of all degree programmes for 2020-23. Currently, over 30% of JSBE’s courses at all levels, from Bachelor’s to Master’s, Doctoral and Executive MBA studies, include sustainability content.

Lastly, the Schools plans to follow the panel’s advice to strengthen the sustainability content of studies further by deepening collaboration with partners who possess knowledge in areas outside of the Business School’s expertise; this will be used to strengthen JSBE’s quality of research in the field of business and sustainability.

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Improving strategic alignment, enhancing leverage, and fulfilling the needs of a broader range of stakeholders

Improving strategic alignment, enhancing leverage, and fulfilling the needs of a broader range of stakeholders

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

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November 2021
‘Aligning the Faculty of Business with a vision to become agile, global, and oriented to serve businesses in the Greater Bay Area has been an emerging process and rewarding challenge’
José Alves
Dean of the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau, China

The Business School challenges

The Faculty of Business, City University of Macau in China summarised its challenges into three primary areas; stakeholders, sustainability, and curriculum.
Firstly, shifting the mindset of stakeholders has been the Business School’s most significant challenge on its path to internationalisation and accreditation. The School wanted to develop closer partnerships with enterprises in Macau and the Greater Bay area; specifically looking at building not just on links with local organisations (such as the various chambers of commerce and the Macau Forum) but also taking advantage of the School’s impressive and under-used network of alumni in the region, and across China.
Secondly, sustainability, the Business School’s strategic goals placed more emphasis on instrumental and technical aspects. Measuring the impact of the School’s contributions to sustainability was an area that its leadership team wanted to be further enhanced and strengthened.
In regards to curriculum, the Business School’s programmes were revised in 2013 to address the change in economy and business in Macau and China; this changed even more after the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the Business School felt that the curriculum needed to evolve, and new faculty members were required. The pandemic gave the School experience in remote teaching. However, it highlighted the need to add more online content to the School’s existing courses and develop massive open online courses (MOOCs) and self-study modules to supplement classroom and in-person teaching.

Solutions from BGA

Business Graduates Association (BGA) recommended to The Faculty of Business, City University of Macau in China, define its priorities more effectively and develop a more accurate process to track its progress and impact in pre-defined areas of measurement.
BGA pointed out the need to enhance support for students, careers, and alumni relations. It also recommended that the School focus on selected international partnerships; advance the impact of its research; revive junior staff development; and differentiate itself more in terms of its educational offerings. Additionally, the BGA team aided the School to understand the need to prioritise sustainability and soft skills, and was encouraged to attend the BGA conferences for networking opportunities.
Accordingly, the School recognised and welcomed these recommendations as it provided added guidance to continue the path to transformation and growth.

The impact

Working with BGA has helped the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau to enhance its work with stakeholders. The School is currently developing strategic partnerships with universities in Zhuhai, China, to share resources and organise joint projects.
At the 2019 AMBA & BGA Global Conference in Istanbul, the School initiated conversations with several other BGA member Schools. As a result, in 2020, the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Shanghai University and started an exchange programme for professors in 2021.
Additionally, the Business School is currently developing a start-up competition for students from universities in China and Portuguese-speaking countries to promote internationalisation and engage strategic partners. The School reached out to AMBA/BGA member Schools in China to join.

Further results

Moreover, students are encouraged to apply for semester exchanges that the Faculty of Business has negotiated with Shenzhen University, Shanghai University, East China Normal University, the University of Granada in Spain, and Tunku Abdul Rahman University in Malaysia. The undergraduate students of the international business cohort programme were particularly well represented among successful candidates at the exchange programme.
To improve capabilities, the School redesigned and increased resources for its junior staff development programme and defined a new strategy for the research centre, that focuses on priority research areas around growing industries within the Greater Bay Area.
In summary, working with BGA has been a critical development for the Faculty of Business, City University of Macau, to improve strategic alignment, enhance leverage, and fulfil the needs of a broader range of stakeholders.

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Achieving positive financial results during critical times of the pandemic

Achieving positive financial results during critical times of the pandemic

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

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October 2021
‘We became the first Russian Business School to get BGA institutional accreditation. Many recommendations given to us in 2019 before the pandemic turned out to be quite relevant in the new conditions, when the number of strategic challenges that we had to face had increased dramatically.’
Yaroslav Pavlov, Rector of IMISP

The Business School challenges

The International Management Institute of St Petersburg (IMISP) considered the following Business School challenges as the key ones:
Firstly, to focus on how to improve the visibility and communication of the School’s unique selling points, making those visible in the strategy and its communication to differentiate the School in the business education market.
Additionally, IMISP was looking to develop a more active international strategy and put a rigorous approach to reviewing potential international partnerships, and increasing expertise in online teaching, designing courses and compiling programmes in online learning and blended learning modes.
During critical times of the pandemic, the Business School was striving to achieve more positive impact through the institution, students, alumni and faculty on the region’s community, society and economic values, and involving the School’s external stakeholders (alumni and corporate clients) permanently in various activities to strengthen its strategic position.

Solutions from BGA

After the peer review visit, BGA consultants concluded a report and offered several valuable recommendations regarding the challenges.
Addressing the first challenge for IMISP, the solution provided by BGA was to rely less on traditional marketing methods of ‘word-of-mouth’ or referral. Instead, was recommended to concentrate on targeting more personalised promotion and emphasising the Business School’s unique selling points highlight the School’s flexibility, focusing on SMEs, pastoral care, smaller class sizes, and its intimate relationship with students and alumni.
As the Business School has international aspirations, it was recommended not to neglect the latest international academic inputs and developments (particularly on emerging markets) and should strategically decide what would be suitable in the local context; this also concluded to carefully review existing plans and partnerships that needed to take place.
Integration of online learning for the School solutions was advised by analysing best practices of teaching online and developing a set of own courses and programmes fitting for online and blended learning delivery; the School should carefully increase the exposure of students to online formats without compromising the on-campus experience in both the EMBA and the executive education programmes.
The final recommendation, IMISP should create a coherent inventory of qualitative measurable impact of the institution; sustainability does not have to be ‘volunteering activities free of charge’ but should be the result of the institution’s core (and profit-making) activities.
The School should aim to harness the pool of alumni and representatives of corporate clients as guest speakers and advisors in return for building corporate relations, revenue generation, and funding sources. Therefore, it would be essential to consider how the School can formalise an active, structured alumni management system.

The impact

IMISP believes that the positive financial results of the School in the previous financial year are, to a significant extent, due to BGA impact on the Business School activities and performance. Some of the recommendations provided by BGA were previously implemented during the pandemic or are still in process.
The School recruited a team of young and dynamic marketing and salespeople who introduced new approaches in commercial activities based on modern technologies and personalised communications with potential clients.
IMISP launched several short executive programmes for online delivery and increased online components in traditional programmes, making them closer to a blended format. In the previous academic year, it also launched Alumni Business Club as a community of active and loyal School graduates, meeting regularly for various activities at IMISP and delivering masterclasses to current students.

In the process, the School is currently developing a system of metrics to measure the institution’s positive impact based on the BGA Continuous Impact Model (CIM), and has reconsidered the list of international partners and is currently designing a few joint programmes with new partners in Asia and Europe.

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Strengthening the School of Management’s contribution to society through the development of a sustainability mindset

Strengthening the School of Management’s contribution to society through the development of a sustainability mindset

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

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September 2021
‘The main challenge of the School of Management at EAFIT University was communicating many of the ongoing activities and new initiatives in connection to the SDGs to more effectively share their impact with a broader range of stakeholders.’
Ricardo Uribe, Dean of the School of Management, EAFIT University

The Business School challenge

A key challenge for the School of Management at EAFIT University is contributing to society’s sustainable development, building on the reciprocal relationship with the community and a deep commitment to nurturing integrity, critical and strategic thinking, high-quality and impactful research, and social outreach.
This challenge implies working for human progress in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions at the local, national, and global levels.

Solutions from BGA

BGA suggested the School of Management at EAFIT University to implement the BGA’s Continuous Impact Model (CIM) and develop specific sustainability indicators. Precisely, to communicate its contributions more clearly to the following UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): quality education; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; partnerships for the goals.

The impact

The School enhanced its communications by developing the six dimensions of the continuous impact model and incorporating specific sustainability indicators linked to the School’s strategy, activities, and initiatives.
For example, the School of Management started sharing the number and content of academic research that contributes to the sustainable development of society; the number and types of study trips and special missions carried out by students to contribute to the sustainable development of the community; and the integration of the SDGs in activities with local and international organisations. Overall, these indicators have improved the School’s accountability capabilities, facilitating communication with faculty, students, alumni, and the broader community.
Achieving the BGA accreditation has allowed the School of Management at EAFIT University to strengthen an organisational culture that contributes to society by developing a sustainability mindset in students and alumni.

The School has been developing new programmes, research projects, teaching resources, and experiences that aim to create in students and alumni a lifelong commitment towards sustainability; this enables companies, NGOs, and public organisations to find in the School the motivation and support that can trigger their own contributions to the SDGs.

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Striving to make management education more inclusive and accessible to all

Striving to make management education more inclusive and accessible to all

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

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August 2021

‘Our School’s purpose is to widen access to quality management education that empowers people to make a difference to the community.’

Sankar Sivarajah
Head of the School of Management at the University of Bradford

The Business School challenge

One of the key challenges for the School of Management at the University of Bradford is to respond to the changing needs of learners and the business world and continuing to create a meaningful impact that makes a difference to their students and wider community.
At the School, the commitment to ensuring all students achieve their potential and go on to achieve success, irrespective of their background is fundamental.
Thus, there is a focus and need to allow more people to access the opportunities offered by the School; scaling business and community engagement initiatives; providing more diverse, work-ready talent for both small businesses and large organisations, bridging the skills gap and enabling businesses in the region and globally to access School resources and thereby supporting their development.
The subsequent challenge is getting students to be equally committed to the mission and staying engaged with various programmes that have been developed to empower them, including participating in the existing skills development programme such as Career Booster workshops to enhance employability, seizing study abroad opportunities or taking on a job placement for a richer learning experience, and challenging themselves through business and community engagement activities to enhance transferable skills and confidence as well as to start building professional networks.

Solutions from BGA

Diversity of the staff, alumni, faculty members and advisory board members is one of the School’s biggest strengths that needs further leveraging to the School’s advantage in overcoming the challenges.

One of the solutions recommended from BGA for the School is to reflect on the existing initiatives alluding to the attainment of its goals and overcoming the challenges, that they are equally available for all and suit the demographic background of these students. A big pool of alumni and a great connection with local, regional, and central businesses, corporations, as well as private and public institutions are another strong suit that needs to be capitalised.
The BGA’s Continuous Improvement Metrics (CIM) is a powerful tool that enables effective monitoring of progress in this aspect, hence having the potential to become one of the key instruments for the School.

The impact

The BGA accreditation has influenced the School’s offering in many ways, including inspiring direction of travel as a School that is committed in making an impact on their students and the wider community it serves. Internally, the process has improved organisational buy-in and governance, especially with the use of CIM to track and monitor progress across different dimensions and the key priority areas.

Externally, it has helped to enhance the quality of programmes as well as other initiatives offered, which has enriched the students’ learning experience and values that the School delivered. It also acknowledged that the support provided to the accredited School students and alumni (i.e., consultancy services and materials) for their professional and personal development are overwhelmingly positive, especially in helping them to secure employment as well as to grow their career.
BGA has also broadened opportunities for members of the School to disseminate their research, enabling a far-reaching audience through webinars and magazine articles, putting the School in a much desirable spotlight.

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Discover BGA accreditation

The next logical step was BGA accreditation

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

Discover more case studies

Share your case study

Improving strategic alignment, enhancing leverage, and fulfilling the needs of a broader range of stakeholders

The Business School challenges

Solutions from BGA

The impact

Further results

Discover more case studies

Share your case study

Achieving positive financial results during critical times of the pandemic

The Business School challenges

Solutions from BGA

The impact

Discover more case studies

Share your case study

Strengthening the School of Management’s contribution to society through the development of a sustainability mindset

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

Discover more case studies

Share your case study

Striving to make management education more inclusive and accessible to all

The Business School challenge

Solutions from BGA

The impact

Discover more case studies

Share your case study

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