Enn Listra, Professor Emeritus and researcher, former Dean of TalTech School of Business and Governance, has agreed to share his experience as a Business School Impact System (BSIS) assessment expert, speaking about his career, the BSIS tool as a means to legitimise the business schools and the territorial context of eastern European countries.

With decades of leadership in academia, Enn Listra has been instrumental in advancing business education through strategic innovation and accreditation. His insights shed light on the transformative potential of BSIS, particularly in addressing challenges faced by business schools in emerging markets.

Can you please introduce yourself and share your background in the realm of business education?

During my career, I have created a chair, developed finance, business, and MBA programs with EFMD and AMBA accreditations, led the merger into the school of a private university, and acted as a dean of the school for several periods. My current interests range from strategy and higher education competitiveness to country competitiveness with applications in politics – BSIS in practice.

Could you tell us about your school’s decision to undertake the BSIS assessment?

Our BSIS process started with a meeting at the EFMD Annual Conference, concurrently with the beginning of a strategy development period in the school. We already used the EQUIS framework for our strategic and quality development, and BSIS seemed a very natural step towards internally formalising the direction of the school’s development. Also, it was seen as excellent training for our team’s cooperation.

How has your school and/or institution benefited from engaging with the BSIS framework and assessment?

Three features of the BSIS framework seem particularly important for the continuous improvement of business schools. First, explicit determination of impact zone that goes hand-in-hand with impact dimensions. Second, it is inseparable from strategy. Third, through the core of strategy and by the very idea, it is connected to the stakeholders and makes explicit who and how they are impacted.

As a school, we have achieved significant progress. The first article from our school appeared on the Web of Science in 1995! Today, the TalTech School of Business and Governance is impactful, the only comprehensive and the largest business school in Estonia, with approximately 30 thousand graduates from over fifty different countries and significant research output.

Looking back on your journey as a BSIS expert, what are the key lessons or takeaways that you would like to highlight to other institutions considering participating in the BSIS process?

There are at least two key takeaways for institutions considering participating in the BSIS process. The first is powerful synergy when the BSIS process is undertaken concurrently with major accreditations. The second is connected with the ever-lasting problem of the legitimacy of business education, which is particularly important in Eastern European countries.

The fallacy of newness applies to business schools in new EU countries. Many schools started from zero with contemporary business research and still need to convince stakeholders that the field of business education is both research-based and relevant. Another problem with legitimacy derives from the history of the transformation when the value offered by almost any private undertaking exceeded that of the old state-owned enterprises. The impression emerged that no academic training was needed to run the enterprise. The still-living impression needs to be corrected explicitly.

The outcome of the BSIS process helps if applied consistently. The results of BSIS may considerably improve the legitimacy of business schools.

About BSIS

The Business School Impact System (BSIS) is the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools, covering more than 130 indicators across seven dimensions of impact. It provides a tailor-made data collection system for monitoring, assessing, and developing the impact of business schools.

The BSIS process involves the definition of the impact zone and institutional scope, data collection, impact assessment, and the report with recommendations for future development. Demonstrating the school’s impact on internal and external stakeholders, the system serves as a communication and negotiation tool externally and fosters an impact culture within the school. Schools that undergo BSIS are awarded the BSIS label for a three-year period.

• There are currently over 90 schools in more than 25 countries that have received the BSIS label.
• To learn more about the impact assessment system, please visit the BSIS website or contact Julie Comte or Eva Praibisova.

What is it like for schools to undergo the BSIS process? Discover the compelling journey of Blanka Cimcioch, International Accreditations Coordinator at Poznań University of Economics and Business, as she shares her insights on navigating the BSIS process, highlighting the challenges, seizing the opportunities, and reaping the rewarding results it has yielded. Read more.

Discover more about BSIS, EFMD and FNEGE.

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives about BSIS, visit the conversation here.