Management education, technology and ethics: Making the most of it all
How can business management education address the ethical implications of technology and data-driven decision-making?
Technology has significant ethical challenges related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and job replacement. Business education must address these challenges by embedding ethical concerns within curricula. There should be healthy and positive discussions on critical issues such as corporate social responsibility, data privacy, regulatory frameworks, degree of automation, and division of labour between humans and machines.
What are the implications of remote work and virtual teams for business management education and practice?
Virtual teams and remote work are a reality of the business world today. Value chains are spread across the globe and teams have to connect and coordinate across states, countries and continents to work collectively, effectively and efficiently.
The gig economy is also on the rise, making it necessary for students to learn how to operate in an ecosystem where remote work, travel and virtual teams would be a reality.
Business management education has to nurture skills like digital competence, global perspective, adaptability and teamwork.
B-schools should equip students with competencies to manage distributed teams, including communication, collaboration, and leadership in virtual environments.
How can business management educators foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital era?
Today, India has the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world, with over 111 unicorns created by ambitious entrepreneurs. With the demographic dividend and positive projections for the economy, I see a huge potential for further growth in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
B-Schools are already focusing on nurturing critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, research, innovation and risk-taking. Additionally, the aspirants have to be trained in integrating emerging technologies to develop smart solutions.
Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and Cloud Computing are opening several new avenues of innovation. With right guidance, training and competence, students can create cutting-edge solutions to some of the most intractable problems of the day.
