EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP OF MBAs Available to Purchase

Aims to review the attitudes of corporate sponsors within the United Kingdom to MBA provision and to identify areas of concern which providers might wish to consider with a view to making improvements. The project involved a review of recent literature published on management development generally and the MBA specifically. This was followed by a questionnaire survey of large organizations who were either known to sponsor MBA studies for employees or who it was assumed would have considered the MBA as a possible means of management development. The project revealed the following strengths and concerns about MBA provision and direction as perceived by actual and potential corporate purchaser. The MBA has widespread support as a means of developing managers to the benefit of the organization. Sponsors are particularly keen to support the MBA for managers with some experience as a means of providing them with challenge and to develop a broad, enquiring perspective. They are not keen to support full‐time study nor the recruitment of MBA graduates who have moved straight into an MBA programme from a first degree. Sponsors do not see the qualification as a panacea for management development, i.e. it does not provide all that is required to achieve very senior positions within organizations. However, if managers can achieve an MBA alongside receiving training, it is on this basis that corporate sponsorship of MBA programmes is likely to continue.