What sorts of public value are Thai public business schools aiming to realise?

Abstract

This study examines the types of public value that Thai public business schools aim to realise. The study draws on publicly available data relating to the mission statements of these schools and follows a recognised research approach for analysing data from mission statements. It also compared these results to those found in Thai private universities, as well as in Australian universities, where a similar study has recently been undertaken. Our results indicate that there are currently four distinct types of public business schools in Thailand based on their public value propositions: Society-oriented Schools, Graduate-producing Schools, Socially-responsible Leadership Schools, and Internationally-oriented Schools. While the first two concentrate on creating value for Thai society and businesses, the latter two concentrate on more holistic outcomes, have less of a Thailand-centric focus, and are more likely to be members of international accreditation bodies. An analysis of the private schools provided broadly similar outcomes, likely because both public and private universities are subjected to the same political and cultural expectations. In an increasingly competitive business education market, some Thai public business schools may shift from simply supplying graduates to Thai businesses to embracing more globally relevant public value propositions, especially if they wish to pursue international accreditation. A greater emphasis on engagement and working with professional bodies will also likely be essential.