ABSTRACT

Purpose, responsibility and quality will not arrive neatly-packaged on the doorstep of the business school. Business schools need networks and partners, critical friends and experts in different fields. Rather than thinking about the business school in either/or terms, we need to open up to fresh ways of thinking about, contributing to and organising this crucial institution. A serious focus on quality obliges business schools to consider how they define excellence in their activities. Currently, important developments are taking place concerning responsible research in a business and management context. The Community for Responsible Research in Business and Management has presented seven principles in support of its Vision 2030: service to society; valuing both basic and applied contributions; valuing plurality and multidisciplinarity; sound methodology; stakeholder involvement; impact on stakeholders; broad dissemination.