Chair's Exchange

A bachelor’s degree in just about any subject area provides a critical perspective that will always be useful in the world of work. However, without a basic understanding of the language of business—the perspective of the senior manager, the strategist, the entrepreneur—new hires in the corporate world may find it difficult to thrive.

Historically, MBA programmes have helped specialists such as scientists, engineers, artists, and government officials gain this business perspective. However, one of the design principles underpinning an MBA program is that students are able to share their experiences of organisational life, of management…of business. Hence the typical three years of experience requirement for entry to an MBA program.

However, an increasing number of students wish to pursue a master’s degree in business immediately following the completion of their bachelor’s degree. Business schools around the globe have responded to this demand simply by reducing the experience requirements, and in some cases removing them altogether. Nonetheless, without a significant redesign of the MBA programme this approach is clearly problematic. Experienced students feel short-changed and inexperienced students are out of their depth.

There are methods for managing master’s degree programmes that create better environments for students with various levels of work experience. A few items include requiring a good degree from a non-business discipline; seeking out bright, able, and hard-working new graduates; and establishing a maximum for work experience.

For example, at Warwick Business School, our MSc in Management programme requires students’ experience of management and business to be no more than 18 months, ideally no more than a year’s worth. A candidate applying for the programme with more than 18 months experience would typically be asked to consider waiting and applying for the Warwick MBA. In controlling recruiting in this way, we can carefully target the educational experience to the needs of the audience.

Providing variations in programme delivery can also help balance student learning styles and experience levels, such as blended learning. What does blended learning mean? In the context of the MSc in Management programme at Warwick, blended learning refers to a mix of content delivered via electronic media and content delivered via more traditional learning techniques. Typically, the proportions in the blend are around 50/50.

Although developing effective online learning content can be challenging, distance learning techniques are robust and reliable. With the advent of collaborative Web technologies, e-learning systems, and synchronous online learning environments, institutions can offer almost the equivalent of face-to-face contact time with students. In fact, our students are telling us that they often value the synchronous online learning environment more than physical presence in the classroom. Certainly they tell us that this learning environment is more convenient. Here are some examples of the advantages of distance learning for students:

• Joe can’t make it to his wbsLive session as normal because he is driving to a business meeting 200 miles from home. As it happens, he’s dialed in on his mobile, and has the lecture playing through his car stereo. It’s a good thing Joe’s stationary in traffic—this lecture is really good. Joe checks the mirror—best not let the traffic police see him turn the textbook pages. Ah, that’s Helen, the lecturer has just given her “the mic” and she’s asking a question about supply chain uncertainty—brainy swot!
• It’s August and Helen is on holiday with friends in Lanzarotte. She’s out in the sticks, but the resort has Wi-Fi and broadband. Sad git that she is, she’s brought her notebook and USB headset. She has dialed-in to the WIMBA session, and sitting on the lounger, mojito in one hand and one-finger typing, she raises her virtual hand to ask a question. Nick, the operations management lecturer gives Helen the floor. “Nick, if one tries to take risk and uncertainty out of the supply chain, where is it best to start? Upstream, downstream, in the middle?”
• Ahmed is dialed-in from home. He’s sat at the kitchen table with his laptop, and his housemates are watching cricket on television. It’s Saturday morning, and he’s playing football for his office team at 2.00 p.m., but the lecture and syndicate work should be over by 12:30. Ahmed notices that his syndicate group-mates Helen, Joe, Simon, and Karen are logged in. This is good because Ahmed wants to begin preparing their group marketing presentation. He reckons he can persuade the guys to stay on for 15 minutes after the operations lecture. Ah, good question from Helen there. Ahmed raises a virtual hand. Waving to shush his housemates, he activates his mic; ”Nick, following on from Helen, if you are working to fix upstream supply problems, does the cumulative principle apply here, in networks? The way it does in single operations?”

The point: synchronous online learning is convenient and enables continuity and community in learning. It often does wonders for motivation and in turn reduces dropout rates. Our target students are busy young people. They need to learn the language of business, but they have lives. Making a programme that fits in with their lives and prepares them for a bright future in “corporateland” is critical!

Of course, every now and then students working remotely need to come into the delivering institution for some face-to-face time, including traditional lectures and seminars. In our part of the world, these gatherings are similar to the traditional “summer school.” And, we all remember what summer school was like. You sit with lots of your classmates for 4/5 days of intensive “chalk and talk.” The class sizes—for lectures anyway—are very large. Because your colleagues can’t hear the junior lecturer struggling at the front they talk to each other, to clarify. This makes students distracted, frustrated, and they wonder why they even bothered.

It is important to develop effective face-to-face encounters for the students. Be organized, don’t overload classes, and don’t solely rely on junior lecturers. Create gatherings that are just as interactive as the online settings. Consider guest speakers from businesses, projects with real companies, and establishing student groups with diverse levels of work experience. Blending the learning variants while teaching the nuances of business will prepare your students for success in “corporateland.”