Paradigm Shift in Management Education: Need for a Cross Functional Perspective

Scholars, in the field of management education, have questioned the efficacy of current focus of business education in creating effective managers. Gulf between theory and practice, undue emphasis on conceptual knowledge, and lamentable attention to knowledge assimilation are cited as the prominent reasons for significantly low level of managerial effectiveness. In this regard, this chapter analyses the current paradigms of management education in its attempt to make a case for the need for a paradigm shift in education. Review of prior research clearly articulates the need for a cross functional approach to management education to bridge the gap between theory and its application. Further, this chapter discusses the dimensions of the process-orientation paradigm that it articulates. Potential contributions of process orientation paradigm and challenges before the cross-functional perspective of management education are also presented.