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Indigenization of Management Education in China Liangliang Li and Peter van Baalen RSM Erasmus University, PO Box 1738, Rotterdam 3062 PA, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]

The rapid growth of MBA education in China in recent years is accompanied with an increasing criticism, pointing at the adoption and implementation of Western models without taking care of the indigenous needs. Although the way and the extent to which Chinese business schools should adapt to indigenous needs have been discussed frequently, there exists hardly any empirical research yet into this phenomenon. This research is to explore the process of indigenization in MBA education at different Chinese business schools. Three dimensions (course content, legitimization and pedagogy) are chosen to investigate the indigenization process at three Chinese business schools. We conclude that the MBA programs at the schools have been indigenized to different degrees with respect to the three dimensions. Higher Education Policy (2007) 20, 169–193. doi:10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300151 Keywords: management education; MBA education; indigenization; China

Introduction With the rapid economic development of China and its increasing prominent position in the global economy, there is a fast growing demand for highly qualified professional managers. This demand has spurred the growth of management education over the last decade (Wang, 1999). Although quick economic growth, increased foreign investment and favorable government policy have facilitated the development of management education in China (Alon and Lu, 2005), it is still relatively immature compared to Western developed countries (Deng and Wang, 1992). Management education in China is facing harsh criticisms for extensive adoption of Western models in terms of the use of textbooks, cases and teaching methods while largely ignoring the receptivity of Chinese students and the applicability of the knowledge taught in real Chinese context (Liu, 2006). Meanwhile, management education in China in general is shifting from knowledge acquisition towards competency development in response to the increasing demand of enterprises for competent managers with practical knowledge and skills (Wang, 1999). But there is no evidence so far to indicate that Chinese business schools have successfully developed its model of management education to cultivate competent managers for both Chinese

Liangliang Li and Peter van Baalen Indigenization of Management Education in China

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indigenous companies and multi-national corporations (MNCs) in China (Liu, 2006). The inapplicability of management knowledge taught by Chinese business schools and the growing demand for Chinese managers suggest the need to re-evaluate the existing forms of management education and to develop appropriate models of indigenized Chinese management education. According to Lin (2005), indigenization of management education in China is not a new concept and all business schools more or less have made some efforts in indigenized development. Quite a fe