The role of business schools in society

Purpose In the future, the legitimacy of business schools will no longer be in question, nor will their vocation to participate in training the élite (especially of companies) alongside institutes which, in various countries, train top Civil Servants. But this context, which dominant positions always provoke, should not encourage complacency. On the contrary, it should invite reflection on the weaknesses of the institutions in question. Aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Some major new trends in management education are questioned (the use of new information technologies, an initiation to management starting at a much earlier stage of the education track, a different way to grasp the use of case studies). Findings This paper is an analysis of the functions of business schools and management faculties in universities. It leads one to observe that they appear above all as places busy “reproducing” or “miming” reality. Where science faculties describe, management teaching establishments imitate. Originality/value This paper is dedicated not only to stressing the pedagogic dangers that new trends in management education imply, but also to explaining what major change it could induce.