The quest for societal roi in the midst of the perfect storm: Can SCM set the standard for twenty-first century business education?

Abstract

The Academy's dual role is to discover and disseminate knowledge. For most of our tenure, we have focused on research's role in fulfilling this societal mandate. We continue that discussion here by calling for more "actionable" research - something that the supply chain discipline is particularly well positioned to do. We now extend the discussion to pedagogy. As the two epigraphs denote, society is looking for a return on its investment - even a reinvention of the university. Increased costs, poor student achievement, and disruptive technology create an environment perfect for disruption. Yet, if we do our job well, current and foreseeable technologies cannot provide the same kind of transformative education that can be cultivated through community-engaged experiential learning. The good news: The supply chain discipline is perfectly positioned to set the standard for twenty-first century business education.