2009/10/16 by Howard Thomas, Xiaoying Li · 1 citation
Business, Management and Accounting · #Innovation and Knowledge Management #Management and Marketing Education #Management and Organizational Studies
paper · doi:10.1108/00251740910995639
openalex publication_date 2009/10/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategic profiles and differences across globally leading business schools. Design/methodology/approach This paper used the concepts of strategic group identity and domain consensus to examine the differences across the business schools. Cluster analysis is applied to identify strategic groups among 82 global schools from the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. Findings Ten strategic groups – essentially similar strategic “clusters” – are identified by the clustering analysis. The results demonstrate that the groups do have different resource and reputation profiles. Research limitations/implications Future research can improve the research base by collecting data on financial variables such as endowments, providing metrics by which a school's efficiency can be assessed, or collecting longitudinal data. Furthermore, a form of cognitive strategic mapping could be achieved through survey and interview mechanisms in order to highlight the perspectives of deans and senior managers of business schools. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature in two aspects. First, this research provides a clear mapping of the strategic “bands” across globally branded business schools. The results are highly timely in today's debate about the nature and future of business schools. Second, this research demonstrates that strategic group theory can be applied in the business school context.