Our findings support previous research showing that older students derive greater benefit from MBA studies (Simpson et al., 2005). Mid-career students perceive the development of integrative skills as an important dimension of MBA education. This appears to support the contention that MBA education should place greater emphasis on integrative learning (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2004). By doing so, programs will become more attractive to mid-career students. Certain functional skills were still valued by segments of this sample, suggesting a better balance between the functional and integrative areas of the curriculum is needed.
What skills do students expect to acquire?
For the sample in the current research, skill acquisition expectations were interpreted to represent the skill acquisition needs of students with substantial workplace experience. While some functional skills such as accounting, financial, and marketing were more important for men, the importance of integrated skills for more experienced respondents was particularly evident for those who had taken on general management and people management responsibilities.
Our findings support previous research showing that older students derive greater benefit from MBA studies (Simpson et al., 2005). Mid-career students perceive the development of integrative skills as an important dimension of MBA education. This appears to support the contention that MBA education should place greater emphasis on integrative learning (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2004). By doing so, programs will become more attractive to mid-career students. Certain functional skills were still valued by segments of this sample, suggesting a better balance between the functional and integrative areas of the curriculum is needed.
Our findings support previous research showing that older students derive greater benefit from MBA studies (Simpson et al., 2005). Mid-career students perceive the development of integrative skills as an important dimension of MBA education. This appears to support the contention that MBA education should place greater emphasis on integrative learning (Gosling & Mintzberg, 2004). By doing so, programs will become more attractive to mid-career students. Certain functional skills were still valued by segments of this sample, suggesting a better balance between the functional and integrative areas of the curriculum is needed.
