Professional Development Workshop on Management Educational Pedagogies –Observations, Reflections and Ways Forward

The field of management has struggled with fundamental questions in regards to the subject’s
nature and purpose – to whom and for what means are educational agendas ultimately directed;
these question have become of central importance to policy makers, practitioners and academics
alike in the context of the dynamic nature of the business world. Concerns have been expressed
about University Business schools engaging more critically with the lived experiences of practicing
managers through alternative pedagogical approaches and methods, seeking to account for and
highlighting the social, political and moral aspect of management practice. In the UK where funding
in higher education has become increasingly dependent on student fees there are renewed
pressures to educate students for management practice as opposed to educate them about
management and what it does. This latter point will be the main focus of this workshop and one
which demands the inclusion of critique. Government and EU policies are calling on Business Schools
to develop and enhance management skill sets, in order to meet these challenges management
education programs must be more proactive in providing innovative educational practices that helps
and facilitates new technologies, life experiences, and experiential learning. The workshop would
seek to explore the role of critical reflexive methods (reflection, action learning, network learning,
hetertopian spaces etc) in management pedagogical approaches based on both context (curriculum
design) and process (delivery methods).