Business and Society

Professor Danica Purg is the President and Dean of IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies, Slovenia, and the President of CEEMAN, the International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies. In 2010, Prof. Purg received the 2010 International Educator of the Year Award by the Academy of International Business (AIB) for her outstanding achievements in international business education. In 2013, Prof. Purg was the editor of the book Hidden Champions in CEE and Turkey; Carving out a Global Niche (Springer, 2013). Prof. Purg is a professor of leadership and effective management. 

Dr. Alenka Bracek Lalic is the Vice Dean for Research and Co-Director of Executive MBA study program at IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies. She works actively for CEEMAN, the International Association for Leadership Development in Dynamic Societies, where she acts as the International Quality Accreditation (IQA) Director. She is specialized in providing quality enhancement advisory services for management education institutions in emerging or recently emerged countries related to organizational development and continuous improvement. Her research interests involve organizational development, internationalization of higher education, leadership in higher education, quality management, personal and professional development, innovation, and social responsibility. 

Dr. Jennifer A. Pope graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in History and German. Dr. Pope received her MBA and PhD in International Business and Marketing from the University of Texas-Pan American, and joined the marketing department at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Michigan in fall 2003. She primarily teaches international marketing, sales and negotiation classes at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She has also taught introduction to marketing and logistics. Dr. Pope also participates in the GVSU graduate studies professionaldevelopment program, giving presentations on negotiating salaries as part of the career development series.  She regularly teaches marketing classes at a Duale Hochschule in Bad Mergentheim, Germany and has taught in France, Mexico, Taiwan, Bosnia and Slovenia. Dr. Pope is a Fulbright Scholar and spent the 2016-2017 school year working her Fulbright grant in Slovenia at IEDC-The Bled School of Management.

The world of business is constantly evolving and management education institutions will likely face a number of challenges in keeping up with these changes. While most books focus on the needs of management education institutions, this work addresses the needs of the corporate world in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Featuring an extensive research study spanning 11 countries, it offers a unique perspective on the business challenges and developmental needs of companies in emerging and recently emerged economies, and on the missing links between those needs and management education. Using both company-specific and country-level data, the book provides businesses and educators with rare insights and recommendations on strengthening existing partnerships (or establishing them anew) between management education institutions and the corporate sector in order to make management education relevant for the 21st century. The book argues that 'relevance' should take the center-stage of all higher education institutions in order to accomplish their third mission, namely service to society. This is especially important for management education institutions, whose mission is to mold future managers and leaders who can have a significant influence on economic success and the wellbeing of society.

Provides concrete recommendations for innovating management educationIdentifies missing links between management education and business practice across multiple countries  Includes a special cross-country study comparing business challenges and management and leadership development needs