How Can the Balint Approach Contribute to Contemporary Management Education?

Abstract

We introduce the “Balint group” approach to medical training, and suggest how the Balint philosophy and techniques might be implemented in business schools, beginning with professional development of business school faculty.  After a brief review of relevant literature, we focus on three constructs—namely role integrity, empathy, and communication—which are considered benefits of Balint training, and relevant to the business-school environment.  We then present three illustrative cases, each at a different level of management education: the first being a professor dealing with a problematic undergraduate student, the second concerning the case method in an MBA class, and the third reflecting a doctoral adviser’s interactions with a star student.  True to the Balint philosophy, each case is presented in a non-judgmental way, with the aim being for the “professors” to see their responsibilities in a new light and to improve their effectiveness in their various roles.  Finally, we address directions for future work to develop further benefits from the Balint approach in management education