Quality through accreditation

Abstract

Purpose The paper concerns the three main accreditation standards for business schools: EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. The purpose of this paper is to analyse these standards for accreditation from a quality management standpoint. Design/methodology/approach The study is a conceptual review and analysis of the three standards mentioned above from the perspective of quality management. The constant comparative method from the grounded theory approach has been used to generate categories from the two major quality award models, which are then compared with the criteria of the accreditation models. Findings The findings show the conceptual quality implications of the three main accreditations. The accreditation models are in line with the tenets of quality management but have a greater focus on production and to a somewhat lesser extent on the people. Research limitations/implications One limitation is that the study is only conceptual. Furthermore, the study is limited to the models of quality management and accreditation that have been analysed. Although these are the most common, there are others that could have been included. The research implication mainly lies in an increased conceptual understanding for the quality implications of business school accreditation. Practical implications The results of the study will be useful for managers of business schools undergoing or contemplating entering into an accreditation process. Originality/value The number of business schools undergoing accreditation is increasing rapidly. Thus, increased knowledge of the conceptual implications of such processes should be valuable.

The perceived benefits of accreditation on students’ performance: The case of private business schools

“…Although a plethora of research has been published on the value added and impact of accreditation on educational and business institutions ( see, e.g. Balotsky et al, 2016; Hedrick et al, 2010; Ke et al, 2016; Lagrosen, 2017; Miles et al, 2015; Nigsch and Schenker-Wicki, 2013; Trifts, 2012; Urgel, 2007), little has been published focusing on the value of accreditation on academic performance from the student’s perspective. A small amount of published research on medical students taking postgraduation exams shows that those who graduated from accredited schools generally do better than those who graduated from non-accredited schools (Burris, 2008; Zanten, 2012).…”

An Exploratory Study Of The Determinants Of Tuition For Online MBA Programs

“…The online MBA degree is growing in its credibility and public acceptance, and earning an MBA using distance methods is becoming more acceptable by key stakeholders such as employers, prospective students, university administrators and accreditation agencies (Eaton, 2006;Lagrosen, 2017). Akin to the growth of public acceptance of the online MBA degree, a growing number of online MBA programs offerings is also driving up the cost of education.…”

“…Accreditation is an oversight process in higher education, and especially important in business education (Eaton 2006;Lagrosen, 2017). The attainment of accreditation signals to various stakeholders, that a program has been independently reviewed by external reviewers and meets specific standards of quality.…”

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“…Academic experience is also an overall level of satisfaction that encompasses other aspects of a university, such as services and facilities, advising support, administrative practices, and the staff and social environment Nyugen, 1997, Sohail andShaik, 2004;DeShields et al 2005). In the case of business students, other factors related to the acquisition of specific skills, employability, internship opportunities and the corporate connections of the business school are taken into account when such students assess the business school to which they belong (Browne et al 1998;Debnath 2005;Mai, 2005;Lagrosen, 2017).…”

“…Urgel (2007) stated that business schools, with their continuously increasing numbers, need to follow quality standards if the excellence of these institutions is to continue advancing in service quality assurance systems. Lagrosen (2017) added that service quality assurance for business schools needs to be developed under the values of quality management: namely, customer orientation, leadership commitment, participation by all, process orientation, continuous improvement, and management by fact.…”