Got the MEMO? Management education is moving on

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present the author's findings from eight conferences, organized over the course of four years by two major management education organizations in the USA, and pertaining to the trend of management education.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers a constructive critical review of the trend of management education, and the need for greater interaction and more hands‐on approaches, against the reality of adhering to requirements of accrediting bodies.

Findings

The trend toward more interaction and a broader variety, as well as greater inclusion of art and other areas in management education is unstoppable. The growing interest in workshop submissions and attendance at major conferences is proof of that. However, it may take a while before all stakeholders will support this reality optimally.

Practical implications

Management educators may get encouraged to explore alternative ways of engaging their students, and seek outlets to share these new findings on a larger scale. The fact that academic publishers also seem to follow the trend of deviating from strong theoretical foci could be considered hopeful.

Social implications

Management educators may get encouraged to explore alternative ways of engaging their students, and seek outlets to share these new findings on a larger scale. The fact that academic publishers also seem to follow the trend of deviating from strong theoretical foci could be considered hopeful.

Originality/value

This article presents comparative data of two major conferences, which are highly popular within the world of management education, but have never been placed alongside one another as such. Furthermore, the article reveals a trend that has thus far only been discussed as an experience‐ based or research‐based one, but was not yet brought within the scope of its implementation on globally attended forums as the ones discussed in this article.

Citation

Marques, J. (2013), "Got the MEMO? Management education is moving on", On the Horizon, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 304-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-10-2011-0027