ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an overview of the evolution and devolution of executive education in business schools. Beyond the three identified periods of their evolution, a fourth wave in business schools’ development is recognized in parallel with the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Against this background, the authors highlight the challenges facing business leaders today and the need for a skilled workforce aligned with market demands. Small and large organizations are responding to this need across industries with in-house executive education ecosystems. Business schools need to recapture the upskilling/reskilling provider role from in-house corporate programs. In this context, the authors question whether business school leaders can recoup their role as premier business education providers through a market-relevant, sustainable, and digitally driven executive education ecosystem. This chapter further explores business school relevancy in the post-COVID era and highlights the critical role of business schools in advancing Sustainable Development Goals through higher education worldwide.
