Invisible Legitimacy at Global Scale vs. Visible Legitimacy at Local Context: A Paradox of Business Schools in Armed Conflict and Crisis Environments

Development of young people could be an important focus for the implementation of humanitarian assistance policies. Business Schools (BS) seem to be inactive in developing strategies within educational programs in context of armed conflict and crisis. It seems that BS’ priority keep being centered on developing legitimacy by 1) meeting goals dictated by international accreditation agencies, which do not necessarily reflect the current changing context, 2 ) developing students’ skills aiming profit productivity, profitability, among others aspects. In management education literature little is found on BS’ responses to consequences of armed conflict, for example in Europe –asylum seekers or in Africa and Latin America ex-combats of armed groups. In the current global context, we would like to explore and analyze the impact of armed conflict and crisis on BS’ emerging strategy to responses to such contexts. Lessons could be drawn from the role of educational system in Colombia, in the context of organized crime and violence, as a result of narcoterrorism and other armed conflicts. In recent years the Colombian Government has focused in educations. An example is a scholarship program to victims of forced displacement, ex-combat of war and people without the resources to access a high education programs. In practices private institutions of higher education (in Colombia) are being “forced” to accept and integrate a “new” profile of students. We present a case that suggests tensions derived from conflicting institutional logics to maintain national legitimacy and an aspiration to gain international recognition at a BS in an armed conflict context. It could be argued that these BS’ initiatives have helped them to build legitimacy in Colombia. But, it could be also argued that BS’ strategies in Colombia tend to be invisible to 1) international accreditation standards and 2) profitability rhetoric.