Practical Wisdom vs Functional Stupidity: Toward an Inspired Business School

In the wake of financial crises and corporate scandals, the role of business schools in society have come under close scrutiny. Led astray by neoliberal reforms, they have become entangled in bureaucratic accreditation exercises and competitive ranking spirals that have resulted in the phenomenon of functional stupidity characterized by a lack of thoughtful, substantive reasoning. In order to foster inspired learning in business schools, a shift in worldview from organization-centric toward a more human-centric perspective is necessary. This will place a greater emphasis on a humanistic paradigm than on the prevailing economistic one, and affirm that the pursuit of human dignity and well-being are the ultimate goals of business activity.