Co-creating a Leadership Development Programme for Nuclear Engineers: University-Industry Partnership to boost Institutional Relevance

Critics have questioned the relevance and impact of University Business
Schools' contributions to society for some time. Factors such as an excessive focus on academic rigour, and limited emphasis on producing useful and actionable research findings contributed to this 'relevance problem' of the business schools. It has been argued that a closer engagement with industry to inform business school's teaching and research priorities might address this problem, and that this engagement will also help Business Schools create leaders who are better equipped for the challenges of the real world. Since most business schools offer executive leadership development programmes (LDPs) as 'finished products' for industry, we investigated whether co-creating LDPs with industry stakeholders could lead to: (a) more effective programmes for participants, (b) enhanced relevance of business schools' teaching to industry needs, and (c) potentially transformative learning experiences for both participants and faculty. This evaluation case study reveals that co-creating LDPs with industry stakeholders can significantly enhance the effectiveness of leadership development programmes, bridge the gap between academia and industry, and foster transformative learning experiences.