Business Schools, Accrediting Agencies and Gender: Washing or Spinning?

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the role that business school accreditation agencies play in influencing attitudes to gender, exploring the documentation of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); Association of MBAs (AMBA) and European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) to develop an understanding of their stake in promoting greater gender equality or inadvertently encouraging gender washing. These agencies are powerful stakeholders who, arguably, set the recognized global standards. We focus on the organizational rhetoric espoused by them and have found that they are using practices we have defined as genderspinning: presenting a favorable impression to stakeholders; and moving in endless circles.

Citation

Howe-Walsh, L., Pagan, V. and Kirk, S. (2024), "Business Schools, Accrediting Agencies and Gender: Washing or Spinning?", Gardiner, R.A., Fox-Kirk, W., Elliott, C.J. and Stead, V. (Ed.) Genderwashing in Leadership (Transformative Women Leaders), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 49-63. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-988-820241005