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THE AACSB INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECENTLY APPROVED REPORTS FROM TWO OF ITS KEY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TASK FORCES. to achieve peace. In addition to establishing historical and scholarly underpinnings for the peace con- cept, the report described peace- related activities in which business schools are already involved. Specific recommendations includ- ed encouraging scholarship that examines the link between business and peace and the role of business schools in those areas; collaborat- ing with other organizations that promote peace; leveraging AACSB's educational channels and other resources to unite those with an interest in peace through commerce; and encouraging business schools to incorporate peace into the cur- riculum by providing platforms to exchange ideas and best practices. professor in the same college. The dean can minimize frustration of the faculty by distributing salary surveys compiled by accrediting bodies for each discipline. These surveys show faculty where they stand in respect to their peers within their discipline— not within their new department. n Keeping up with standards for multiple accrediting bodies. Accredita- tion standards can touch on faculty qualifications, curricula, workloads, staffing, technology, management practices, assessment, and intellec- tual activity. Deans frequently must reconcile department practices to address the norms established by vari- ous accrediting bodies—par-ticularly when degree programs cut across multiple academic departments. n Determining resource allocation. An engineering department might require costly instrumentation, while a food management depart- ment might need a commercial Joseph A. Alutto of The Ohio State University has agreed to chair the board's new Impact of Research Task Force. This group will consider how AACSB and other organizations can enhance the value and visibility of academic research. The task force will consider the overall value propo- sition for academic research, study existing channels for disseminating research, and increase the involve- ment of stakeholders in identifying relevant targets for research. Alutto notes that the task force Both reports will be published and distributed to members, the media, and others during the sum- mer. They will also be published on the AACSB Web site. kitchen. Many deans use historical precedent to allocate resources or rely on requests from the depart- ments to fulfill special needs. n Creating a cohesive faculty. This is a particular challenge when the diverse departments are located in multiple buildings and follow dif- ferent departmental procedures. Acting almost as the parent in a blended family, the dean must find ways to make all faculty and depart- ments feel equally appreciated. Being dean of a professional col- lege is not a job someone who is new to deaning, the authors say. Those who are successful in such posts tend to be those who thrive in unpredictable situations. But the challenge can be rewarding: Because of its diversity, the deanship at a pro- fessional college might be the perfect job for the individual interested in advancing to the position of provost or vice president of academic affairs. will also consider how vastly dif- ferent types of research—from pub- lication in top-tier journals to books and monographs—can contribute to the impact of research. "All of these venues for expressing the product of scholarship are valuable and help create a sense of the importance of thought leadership in schools," he says. "The impact of these different forms of inquiry should be effec- tively assessed both for accreditation purposes and to reflect the inherent value of scholarly inquiry to our external audiences." Ongoing information on these initiatives can be found on the asso- ciation's Web site at www.aacsb.edu. A Different Way of Doing Business As traditional methods of management are coming under increasing scrutiny, some business schools are beginning to reassess management education. At HEC in Paris, a new "Alterna- tive Management" major is allowing students to question classic manage- ment theories as they give greater attention to social, ethical, and envi- ronmental concerns. Alternative management addresses more than just corporate BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2006 9 ANGELO CAVALLI/GETTY IMAGES