Convergence and divergence dynamics in British and French business schools: how will the pressure for accreditation influence these dynamics?

This paper focuses on convergence and divergence dynamics among leading British and French business schools and explores how the pressure for accreditation influences these dynamics. We illustrate that despite historical differences in approaches to management education in Britain and France, these approaches have converged partly based on the influence of the American model of management education but more recently through the pursuit of accreditation, in particular AASCB and EQUIS. 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 Britain and France 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

Connecting worlds: the translation of international auditing standards into post-Soviet audit practice

This paper analyses the use and circulation of nternational auditing standards within a large post-Soviet Russian audit firm, as it faces up to the challenges of international harmonisation. It describes this process as one of ‘connecting worlds’ and translation. In a detailed field study based investigation, it traces various attempts to articulate and link Soviet and post-Soviet worlds, old and new imagined audit worlds. The paper underscores the fragile and precarious nature of international standardisation projects. It shows how ideals of audit universalism and international comparability become enmeshed in, and challenged by, global divisions of audit labour, problems and practices of power and exclusion, and struggles for intra-professional distinction, which in turn undermine as well as promote the connecting of worlds through standards

Saudi universities rapid escalation in academic ranking systems: implications and challenges

High scientific output has made two Saudi universities perform well in academic ranking systems. The improvement in university ranking is generally observed in other indicators such as the innovation index, the abundance of cutting-edge research, and the number and success of patents and startups. In this paper, the impact of research output of highly cited researchers at two Saudi public universities is investigated from different standpoints and compared with international examples. Many citation databases, ranking systems and international indicators have been used in this paper to thoroughly discuss the research and development landscape in Saudi Arabia. Saudi public universities have the greatest number of highly cited researchers who mostly have another international affiliation. The Saudi academic patent number has increased dramatically since 2014, with minimum improvement in the country’s innovation and startups performance. Many of the Saudi highly cited papers are scattered in the literature with neither a specific targeted field nor follow-up studies. The role of the Saudi universities in industrial collaboration, technology advancement and economic prosperity is less than expected considering the Saudi position on the international stage. Entrepreneurship, innovation and research commercialisation ought to be supported by more private and public initiatives. Transparency, critical thinking, and accountability are needed the most in Saudi academic institutes. Recommendations are given for improving the research culture and following the best practice

THE EFFORTS ON SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT FKMP ON QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKING TOP 300 BY SUBJECT

oai:ojs.umb-intl-journal.com:article/2This article review each vital elements and aspects that contribute to sustain recent achievement of Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (FKMP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia by the QS world university ranking by subject in 2015. Some of recent and important issues are discussed and reviewed. The suggestions for improvements are also raised out for further reference

THE EFFORTS ON SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT FKMP ON QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKING TOP 300 BY SUBJECT

This article review each vital elements and aspects that contribute to sustain recent achievement of Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (FKMP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia by the QS world university ranking by subject in 2015. Some of recent and important issues are discussed and reviewed. The suggestions for improvements are also raised out for further reference