Decolonising Business Schools

Afriyie, Charles ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0632-0809 and Copland, Samuel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7469-8320 (2025) Decolonising Business Schools. In: Innovations in Decolonising the Curriculum. Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 73-85. ISBN 9781836089148

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Abstract

The authors have collaborated for an extended period at a Business School based in the United Kingdom (UK). They led an institution-wide project to support various schools across their university in decolonising their curricula, including their own Business School. This presented a unique opportunity to expand their scholarly discussion on the mechanisms available to Business Schools in the decolonisation process. These deliberations culminated in the development of the Knowledge Generation Wheel for Decolonisation (the framework), a framework specifically tailored to Business Schools. This chapter synthesises the key insights from their discussions and the framework, adopting a conversational tone to explore the opportunities and challenges inherent in decolonising Business Schools. It is important to note that this work is not intended as formal academic research; as such, it may not adhere to the conventional referencing standards expected in certain academic writing contexts. We believe it would be reductive to theorise the extent to which Business Schools have or have not embraced decolonisation. Instead, we explore what decolonisation might entail for educators within higher education institutions that deliver business-related programmes. We contend that Business Schools and their educators are at varying stages of responding to the imperative to decolonise. We also argue that to achieve and/or sustain epistemic justice, Business Schools must engage in an ongoing process of critically re-evaluating and reconstituting their systems and mechanisms for engaging with, creating, and legitimising power, knowledge, and ways of being. Central to this argument is the belief that decolonising the curriculum necessitates tangible evidence of decoloniality in action. In this line of thinking, we align with the perspective that decolonising should not be conflated with the pursuit of inclusivity objectives within diversity initiatives in most Business Schools. This distinction is critical, as it highlights the limitations of diversity initiatives that operate within existing structures without challenging the underlying colonial frameworks that perpetuate inequities. Decolonising, by contrast, demands a more profound reimagining of knowledge systems, power dynamics, and institutional practices to address and redress the enduring legacies of colonialism.

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Samuel Copland
Date Deposited:	24 Apr 2026 10:50
Last Modified:	01 May 2026 08:00
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15936

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