The Post Downturn MBA: An Agenda for Change

The Post Downturn MBA: An Agenda for Change, produced in partnership with Durham Business School, is a research report designed to assess the state of the current MBA market and to act as a catalyst for debate on how the MBA should develop in order to better train the business leaders of tomorrow.

Business schools were widely criticised for contributing to the current economic crisis by producing MBAs that are focused on creating shareholder value and high risk strategies instead of sustainable practices and stakeholder responsibility.

The Post Downturn MBA: An Agenda for Change set the stage for debate on the future of the MBA.

The report found that Business ethics and sustainability has become increasing important in today’s MBA. Mirroring the shift for greater transparency and accountability in business today, eight out of 10 alumni agreed that ethics have become important in the MBA curriculum, whilst three-quarters said that corporate governance is now important. In turn, 80% of business schools agreed that corporate social responsibility should underpin the actions of organisations.

Business schools acknowledge that both risk management and strategic risk are two of the top three topics where there is the widest disconnect between what they offer in the current curriculum and what they ought to be offering in the post-downturn world.
 

 

The Research & Consultancy Centre (R&CC) has been established by the Association to develop its position as the independent and international authority on postgraduate management education.

The Centre produces important and relevant research for the continual development of
postgraduate management education worldwide, in order to promote the value of these
programmes, and to provide an essential new service for all the Association’s stakeholders.

For further information on the work of the Research and Consultancy Centre, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Accreditation Projects Manager, +44 (0)20 7246 2697.