Reimagining the learning ethos: leading to learn and learning to lead in Indian management education
Anuska Mishra, Syamala Devi Challa, Lalatendu Kesari JenaPurpose
The study aims to develop an integrated, evidence-based framework to enhance the quality and effectiveness of management education in Indian higher education institutions (HEIs). Grounded in sensemaking and organisational learning theory, the study conceptualises Indian HEIs as interpretive learning systems in which collective reflection transforms shared cognition into institutional adaptation.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed-method design utilised the Delphi technique to identify critical factors influencing HEI performance. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) prioritised these factors among 150 stakeholders, while Thematic Analysis of 20 qualitative interviews offered insights into the behavioural and cultural dynamics shaping institutional priorities.
Findings
Key drivers of management education quality include pedagogical innovation, faculty expertise, and digital infrastructure, with governance and financial sustainability as enabling factors. Variations among stakeholders reveal the importance of academic, managerial, and policy perspectives. Sustained improvement necessitates behavioural transformation, participative leadership, and organisational learning in higher education institutions.
Practical implications
The study extends the organisational behaviour (OB) scholarship by framing HEIs as learning organisations where collective cognition, stakeholder collaboration, and decision rationality underpin institutional sustainability. The research offers a replicable decision-support model that integrates qualitative depth with quantitative precision, enabling HEIs to align pedagogy, governance, and strategic planning for long-term adaptability and performance.
Originality/value
This paper applies sensemaking and organisational learning theory to higher education management by introducing a Delphi–AHP–Thematic triangulation that operationalises stakeholder-centred, sustainable decision-making in HEIs.