Assurance of learning under accreditation pressures: institutional struggles and lessons from AACSB

Purpose This study aims to examine the implementation of Assurance of Learning (AoL) practices at a Japanese business school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), with the purpose of identifying key challenges, institutional tensions and contextual constraints that undermine the intended outcomes of AoL, and of addressing these issues from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative exploratory case study design with an interpretivist approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with 16 faculty members engaged in AoL activities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Inconsistent assessment practices, disruptions from generative Artificial Intelligence, limited course coverage, ambiguous score interpretation, resistance to rubrics and structural tensions undermine the implementation of AoL. These challenges reveal a disconnect between the intended purpose of AoL and its practical execution, raising concerns about its validity, sustainability and educational equity. Originality/value This study advances AoL scholarship by offering a faculty-centered, practice-based critique situated in Japan, extending institutional theory by showing how global accreditation logics are reinterpreted. Theoretically, it introduces the concept of reflective stability, which reframes continuity as a legitimate form of continuous improvement and applies an equity lens to debates on AoL implementation. Practically, it provides guidance for accrediting bodies and regulators (e.g. the Ministry of Education) on recalibrating accreditation frameworks to better balance accountability with contextual responsiveness, equity, and institutional capacity.