Convergence and Divergence Dynamics in<scp>B</scp>ritish and<scp>F</scp>rench Business Schools: How Will the Pressure for Accreditation Influence these Dynamics?

Abstract

This paper focuses on convergence and divergence dynamics among leading B ritish and F rench business schools and explores how the pressure for accreditation influences these dynamics. We illustrate that despite historical differences in approaches to management education in B ritain and F rance, these approaches have converged partly based on the influence of the A merican model of management education but more recently through the pursuit of accreditation, in particular from the A ssociation to A dvance C ollegiate S chools of B usiness and the E uropean Q uality I mprovement S tandard. We explore these dynamics through the application of the resource‐based view of the firm and institutional theory and suggest that, whilst achieving accreditation is a necessary precursor for international competition, it is no longer a form of competitive advantage. The pursuit of accreditation has fostered a form of competitive mimicry reducing national distinctiveness. The resource‐based view of the firm suggests that the top schools need a more heterogeneous approach that is not easily replicable if they are to outperform the competitors. Consequently, the convergence of management education in B ritain and F rance will become a new impetus for divergence. We assert that future growth and competitive advantage might be better achieved through the reassertion of national, regional and local cultural characteristics.