The Legitimacy Paradox of Business Schools: Losing by Gaining?

Abstract

In recent years, many scholars have argued that business schools have jeopardized their legitimacy and identity. However, business schools have also been praised as a success story of higher education. To understand the legitimacy-related contradictions faced by business schools, we examine the historical development of the business school as an academic and professional institution. Specifically, we argue that certain transitions in the ethos and practices of business schools that were aimed at strengthening their legitimacy have subsequently produced challenges and threats to that legitimacy. We then discuss three sequential but interrelated periods, namely, the scientification, politicization, and corporatization of business schools, which have created legitimacy paradoxes and challenges for their management. We conclude by discussing how the legitimacy paradoxes contribute to our understanding regarding the challenges of managing business schools.