The complex demands on management and accounting education mirror the demands on organizations and managers. Challenges come from strong and growing global economic forces, conflicting values, changing technology in products and processes, and demographic diversity among employees and customers. In this environment, management education must prepare students to contribute to their organizations and the larger society and to grow personally and professionally throughout their careers. The objective of management education accreditation is to assist programs in meeting these challenges.
Accreditation focuses on the quality of educational activities.
Standards set demanding but realistic thresholds, challenge schools to pursue continuous improvement, and provide guidance for improvement in educational programs. That diversity is a positive characteristic to be fostered, not a disadvantage to be reduced or minimized. Therefore, one of accreditation's guiding principles is the tolerance, and even encouragement, of diverse paths to achieving high quality in management education. Thus, the accreditation process endorses and supports diversity in management education. Interaction among students and faculty accomplishes this purpose most directly.