> The IACBE’s Approach to Quality Assurance in Business Education
The IACBE’s Quality Assurance Process and Educational Outcomes
In its accreditation reviews, the IACBE evaluates academic quality in terms of the mission-related educational outcomes of an academic business unit. In other words, the IACBE’s process of quality assurance focuses on the results or outcomes of an academic business unit's various educational processes instead of prescriptive standards pertaining to academic resources. In addition, given that the quality of an academic business unit’s performance depends on its efforts at continuous improvement to meet future challenges, the IACBE’s accreditation process fosters continuous quality enhancement and promotes improvement in the overall performance of an academic business unit.
A Deming-Porter-QMS Framework for Quality Assurance and Advancement
Since the overall performance of an academic business unit depends on the extent to which the unit effectively manages its entire range of activities and operations, the IACBE’s accreditation process applies a quality management systems (QMS) approach to evaluating and advancing academic quality in business and management education. The QMS approach to organizational success evolved out of principles that were first developed by W. Edwards Deming, the father of modern quality management, and is mainly concerned with continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization.
Furthermore, the outcomes resulting from an academic business unit’s educational processes pertain not only to the extent of student learning but also to the degree of an academic business unit’s ‘operational effectiveness’ – a concept developed by Michael E. Porter that deals with the functional performance of an organization and that complements strategy in contributing to the overall success of the organization. Consequently, the IACBE’s accreditation process (1) examines the overall performance of an academic business unit in terms of both student learning outcomes and operational outcomes and (2) requires the integration of the results of outcomes assessment with the strategic planning processes of the academic business unit and its parent institution.
The IACBE’s combined Deming-Porter-QMS accreditation framework provides a distinctive ‘strategic continuous improvement system’ for quality management and enhancement.
Learn more about the IACBE’s Deming-Porter-QMS approach to quality assurance and advancement through specialized accreditation:
- Defining Academic Quality
Before we can talk about measuring, evaluating, and advancing academic quality in business and management education, we first have to define what we mean by ‘academic quality.’ More
- IACBE Accreditation and Quality Management
The IACBE’s process of accreditation takes a Quality Management Systems approach to quality assurance and advancement. More
- Continuous Quality Improvement and the Deming Cycle
The IACBE’s process of quality assurance and advancement emphasizes continuous improvement based on the Deming ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ Cycle. More
- Michael Porter and Operational Effectiveness
The IACBE’s quality assurance process also involves an evaluation of an academic business unit’s ‘operational effectiveness’ – a concept developed by Michael Porter. More
- Quality Assurance and Outcomes Assessment
The demonstration of academic quality is accomplished through a comprehensive program of outcomes assessment. More