Developmental outcomes of an executive MBA programme

Abstract

Demonstrates that EMBA graduates experience broadended perspectives. They “think more broadly”, “understand more comprehensively” and report the “life changing” outcomes expected by their sponsoring organizations. Focuses on the development of managers from specialist perspectives to a more integrated generalist perspective. Personal development and career development literatures provided the theoretical basis for this study. Data were collected using a triangulation design. Methods included survey, invited essays, and interviews. Evidence of change appeared in the surveys, 85 per cent of the comments indicating changes on the personal dimension. Essays indicated that graduates experienced increased confidence, cognitive flexibility, and broadened perspectives. Interviews indicated: greater self‐determination, more flexible approaches to roles, greater value of self and time, more process oriented, increased understanding of self and others, the meaning of success was competence, competence was valued over political gamesmanship, and disappointment with how employers used their talents after graduation.

Citation

Hilgert, A.D. (1995), "Developmental outcomes of an executive MBA programme", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 14 No. 10, pp. 64-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719510100843