From schools of business to schools of ideology? A systems-theoretical perspective on popular claims to organisational reprogramming

Purpose Business schools are increasingly expected to align their missions, curricula and research agendas with broader societal concerns such as sustainability, social responsibility and ethical governance. Yet debates on such repurposing often conflate organisational purpose with external performance expectations or broader societal function. This paper develops a systems-theoretical framework for analysing such claims. Design/methodology/approach The article is conceptual and theory-building in orientation. It draws on Luhmannian systems theory and a focused synthesis of scholarship on organisational purpose, organisational multifunctionality and the changing role of business schools. It distinguishes purpose, performance and function and maps four dominant purpose perspectives onto monofunctional, multi-referential, polyphonic and multifunctional organisational forms. Findings Business school repurposing is best understood not as direct functional transformation, but as a possible reconfiguration of organisational self-descriptions and decision premises under changing environmental expectations. Purpose claims may remain subordinate additions, generate recurrent trade-offs or become stabilised in more integrative multifunctional self-descriptions. Originality/value The paper clarifies the conceptual status of organisational purpose within a systems-theoretical framework and offers a differentiated typology for analysing repurposing under conditions of functional differentiation. For business school research and practice, it provides a vocabulary for examining how institutions respond to expanding evaluative demands while maintaining organisational continuity and coherence.