Management education and increased managerial effectiveness: The case of business managers in Iran Available to Purchase

This paper addresses the effectiveness of the processes involved in business administration proprammes for managers in Iran. It aims to understand the foundation of appropriate business administration for managers and to explore their views and perceptions in relation to the skills and knowledge required of them.The methodology employed consists of survey questionnaire and fieldwork involving semi‐structured interviews as the main sources of qualitative and quantitative data. The respondents were current participants in business administration programs at the Payame Noor University. The study tested the validity and relevance of the “integrated model” of managerial skills in order to identify the required categories of skills and knowledge, namely task, people, and self‐related skills. The results showed that a combination of these skills enables the managers to work more effectively. However, there seems to be a gap between what is offered and what managers actually need. Also it was discovered that in Iran business managers tend to place more emphasis on the importance of the task and self‐development categories of knowledge and skills rather than the people‐related ones. These results have numerous implications for the business schools and other universities who deal with managers in Iran.