Consensus and Conflict in Stakeholder Perceptions of Management Education: Views of Management Educators, Employers and Students/Graduates about MBA Programmes in Three Australian Universities

Abstract

The research focuses on the relationship between 75 educators, employers and students/graduates who are associated with the MBA degrees offered by three of the best known business schools in Australia. The aim is to understand the attitudes and viewpoints and, in turn, the behaviours and practices of these three interacting stakeholder groups. Respondent perceptions regarding the purposes, objectives, practices and outcomes of the MBA degree were obtained through in depth interviews. The data collected demonstrated that the disaffection is real, a state which is manifested in the mismatch of assumptions, values, needs and expectations of the three target groups. The evidence indicates that while stakeholders highlight many positive aspects of MBA experiences, there is a strong view that in many respects the degree is an inadequate management education programme for today's business organisations. The gap between what management education promotes and the type of management education needed by industry is significant. There is little evidence that co-operative interaction among the three stakeholder groups, or that managerial and organisational effectiveness have been achieved by this type of education.