The constriction of identity: the impact of accreditation on academics in an English business school

ABSTRACT

The re-professionalisation of those who work in education is a common theme explored in the literature. This paper reports on research undertaken at an English Business School that was concerned with how academics responded to external accreditation and the introduction of five categories that demarcated them according to their academic achievements, professional experience and standing within the sector. In reporting on this way of re-professionalising academics, this research makes a contribution to the discourse on working in Higher Education, and how academics view this process. The research adopted an approach based on interviewing and analysed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings suggest that although academics often question the imposition of an artificial identity, they adopt a pragmatic position of compliance.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic identity
• business school
• AACSB accreditation
• identity work
• interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David William Stoten

David William Stoten, Senior Lecturer, Newcastle Business School, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK. After teaching in Sixth Form Colleges in Surrey, Cleveland and Hampshire, David entered Higher Education. BA (Hons) [Newcastle]; MA [Durham]; PGCEA [Surrey]; MA [Open]; PGDES [Oxford]; MBA [Leicester]; EdD [Brunel]; PhD [Reading], FHEA.

Sandra Julie Kirkham

Sandra Julie Kirkham, Associate Dean, School of Digital, Technologies and Arts, Staffordshire University, Associate Professor Staffordshire University (Systems and Higher Education), Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Previously Head of School, Digital Media Technology at Birmingham City University. Senior Fellow of the HEA. BA (Hons) [Leeds]; MSc [Lancaster]; MBA [London]; PhD [Aston] SFHEA.