Overcoming Particularism: Universalistic Management Education and the Rise of Uncertainty

This chapter explores how management education responds to rising global uncertainty by emphasizing universalistic approaches over narrow particularism. It begins by showing how crises, though disruptive, create opportunities for renewal and explains how business schools shift from technical training to fostering autonomy, ethical reasoning, and adaptability. The chapter analyses how institutions integrate general and business culture, address technological and social shifts, and adopt experiential methods to prepare students for complex environments. It also examines how evolving student expectations—such as demands for sustainability, inclusion, and social impact—drive programme innovation, while raising concerns about the erosion of shared educational foundations. Finally, the chapter warns that increasing specialization and fragmentation may reduce student versatility and organizational cohesion, advocating for a renewed commitment to core curricula and universal values as a foundation for management of education.