A number of studies have recently questioned the value and meaning of MBA programs and, more generally, how effectively Business Schools provide management education and shape future business leaders. These studies address a wide array of issues, from the nature and quantity of learning actually taking place in such programs, to their impact on salaries and careers; from the scientific foundation and quality of the knowledge these courses teach, to the kind of skills and competencies students develop; from the capacity of MBA programs to evolve and innovate as economy and society change, to the ethical issues involved in teaching management. While these studies share a critical view about the current status of MBA education and the conviction that it should be reformed, there is less convergence about how to do it. Among the diverse, possible ways to innovate MBA programs, the adoption of competency based methodologies has been indicated as particularly promising. This chapter develops the application of competency-based methodologies to MBA education. Designing and delivering effective MBA education is to be grounded not only in the piecemeal adaptation of the curricula and teaching methodologies of the MBA programs, but also in applying competency-based techniques throughout all the phases of the educational process, here broadly conceived, beyond the traditional boundaries, to include post-MBA career analysis. The innovative character of this competency-based approach to MBA education hinges on two focal elements: a) the integration of all the stages of the educational process, from the assessment of the educational needs, to the identification of educational objectives to the design and delivery of the MBA program, to the evaluation of learning, to the monitoring of graduates’ performances and careers on the labor market; b) the adoption of a multiple constituency approach, which actively engage educational institutions, students/graduates and the companies that hire and employ them in the continuous fine tuning of the educational process.
Tracking careers to improve competency-based management education: a longitudinal study of Italian MBAs
CAMUFFO, ARNALDO;
2006
Abstract
A number of studies have recently questioned the value and meaning of MBA programs and, more generally, how effectively Business Schools provide management education and shape future business leaders. These studies address a wide array of issues, from the nature and quantity of learning actually taking place in such programs, to their impact on salaries and careers; from the scientific foundation and quality of the knowledge these courses teach, to the kind of skills and competencies students develop; from the capacity of MBA programs to evolve and innovate as economy and society change, to the ethical issues involved in teaching management. While these studies share a critical view about the current status of MBA education and the conviction that it should be reformed, there is less convergence about how to do it. Among the diverse, possible ways to innovate MBA programs, the adoption of competency based methodologies has been indicated as particularly promising. This chapter develops the application of competency-based methodologies to MBA education. Designing and delivering effective MBA education is to be grounded not only in the piecemeal adaptation of the curricula and teaching methodologies of the MBA programs, but also in applying competency-based techniques throughout all the phases of the educational process, here broadly conceived, beyond the traditional boundaries, to include post-MBA career analysis. The innovative character of this competency-based approach to MBA education hinges on two focal elements: a) the integration of all the stages of the educational process, from the assessment of the educational needs, to the identification of educational objectives to the design and delivery of the MBA program, to the evaluation of learning, to the monitoring of graduates’ performances and careers on the labor market; b) the adoption of a multiple constituency approach, which actively engage educational institutions, students/graduates and the companies that hire and employ them in the continuous fine tuning of the educational process.
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