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Dean Harker on Joseph Wharton's
Vision for Business Schools
Is business just about making money? Is business school
just about credentialing managers by imprinting them with
a set of practical skills?
Not according to Dean Patrick Harker—or Joseph
Wharton. Harker reveals that Wharton's vision for business
schools is surprisingly fresh and relevant through an essay
published in the March newsletter of the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
As business school education celebrates its 125th birthday
with the anniversary of the Wharton School's founding,
Harker continues the discussion on the role of business
schools. While the business of business education is competitive
in nature, he calls for "a rededication to historic
ideals" among the leaders of business schools. He writes,
"We share a common mission as business educators: to apply
the intellectual resources of our faculties to continued
research and teaching, conducted with a deep engagement
with business practice, and to instill in our students the
values of trust and stewardship, of respect and service in the
conduct of business."
In Joseph Wharton's original vision, business was a
service profession. To Harker, it still is. "I believe the biggest
challenge we face is the danger of forgetting the true
purpose of business," he writes. "It is not just about making
money. It is about making people's lives better and unleashing
human potential. It is about creating opportunity for
every member of our global society to enjoy security and
freedom."
Published by the international accrediting body for business
schools, AACSB newsletter is sent to senior administrators
at more than 1,000 business schools in 70 countries.
To read the full text, please visit
www.aacsb.edu/publications/enewsline/Vol-5/Issue-3/dc-Harker.asp.
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