Roles of Business Schools for New Generations of Innovative Business Leaders: A collaborative stakeholders as agents of change perspective

In the post economic crisis, the ability of a society to (re)create sustainable social, organisational and business structures is paramount. This need is clearly seen in our global economy where competitive economic realities result in a steady stream of economic activities being outsourced to offshore manufacturing facilities and service centres. The ability to replace this flow with new offerings is largely dependent on a society’s innovative capacity. This research project seeks to understand the roles of business schools in building innovative capacity within young graduates. Interviews and focus groups will be held with UK universities, leading graduate recruiters, entrepreneurs and students to understand the challenge of developing creative capacity from the perspectives of these key stakeholders. It is anticipated that a richer understanding of the context, ‘real world’ requirements and innovative pedagogical approaches will illuminate opportunities narrowing the skill gap as well as identifying the possibility of developing collaborative relationships between these stakeholders. The findings of this study will be pertinent to universities, national and international policy makers, educational institutions and ultimately future generations of students.