Business Impact covers the big challenges facing global management education as the world asks more of its future business leaders.
THE MAGAZINE OF THE BUSINESS GRADUATES ASSOCIATION (BGA)
ISSUE 4 2023 VOLUME 18
LEADERS NEVER STOP LEARNING
Leveraging the differences between students located around the world Getting together
• THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH THE UN’S PRME INITIATIVE • RESEARCH ON MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS’ DIFFERING OUTLOOKS • PREPARING PARTICIPANTS TO SPECIALISE IN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
PLUS
Excellenc Award
Contents ISSUE 4 2023 VOLUME 18
32 LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS Preparing students for roles focused on environmental and social responsibility 36 SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS A pro le of La Trobe Business School in Sydney, Australia 38 GUEST COLUMN Why only a few historical gures are used in leadership lessons 41 WEBSITE ROUND UP Highlights from our online hub 42 FROM THE CEO Re ections on a year of positives
05 EDITOR'S LETTER Keeping pace with changing requirements through continuous improvement 06 BUSINESS BRIEFING The latest research, news and initiatives from BGA members based around the world 10 IN THE PRIME OF LIFE Egade Business School’s wide- ranging involvement with the UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education
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14 THE DIVIDING LINE How the views and aspirations of male and female students di er, according to the latest AMBA & BGA research 22 THE FEEL OF IT Why the discomfort we feel when opening our hearts is blocking emotional intelligence in so many business school cultures 26 A NOVEL APPROACH Berlin School of Business and Innovation provost Kyriakos Kouveliotis details the Global Degree initiative
18 COVER STORY A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
How students based all over the world come together for a week of experiential learning at the University of Quebec in Montreal
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Business Impact ISSUE 4 2023
BGA US capacity- building workshop MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL FLORIDA, US 26 JANUARY 2024
SPONSORED BY:
AMBA & BGA invites you to attend a free workshop tailored towards business schools in North America The workshop will focus on finding and
refining a school’s unique selling point, drawing on the strategies and experiences of other institutions Places are limited. Scan the QR code to register
EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITORIAL
Content editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@amba-bga.com Head of editorial Colette Doyle c.doyle@amba-bga.com
HIGHER LEARNING
Art editor Sam Price
Sub-editor Heather Ford
Processes of programme adaptation and enhancement lie at the heart of this issue’s features
T he Business Graduates on new ways of learning and initiatives aimed at adapting to the changing requirements of business and society. Programmes that can be studied in multiple countries around the world widen access to a business school’s expertise. However, a potential downside is the loss of international experience and exchange Association (BGA) champions continuous improvement in the delivery of management education. So, in this edition of Business Impact , we focus that students acquire when they come together in a single study location. At the School of Management Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal, an intensive week of working in cross-cultural teams aims to solve this problem. In our cover feature ( page 18 ), the school’s EMBA director Kamal Bouzinab guides us through an experiential learning initiative that aims to drive personal growth by leveraging the diversity of its far-flung cohorts. Similarly, the Global Degree initiative put forward by Berlin School of Business and Innovation provost Kyriakos Kouveliotis ( page 26 ) seeks to create an international community that will enhance global perspectives, allow for further understanding of multiculturalism and enable students to
Insight, content & PR manager Ellen Buchan e.buchan@amba-bga.com CORPORATE Membership director Victor Hedenberg v.hedenberg@amba-bga.com BGA membership & account manager Ben Maheson b.maheson@amba-bga.com Senior marketing executive, BGA Shareen Pennington s.pennington@amba-bga.com Commercial relations director Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@amba-bga.com
“AN INITIATIVE THAT AIMS TO DRIVE PERSONAL GROWTH BY LEVERAGING COHORTS’ DIVERSITY” practise skills and creativity in environments outside their home region. For Egade Business School, a central facet of programme enhancement comes from working with the Principles for Responsible Management Education to integrate social and environmental dimensions into its teaching. Professor Christiane Molina Brockmann explains why changing times necessitate action from business schools ( page 10 ). Attributes for institutions to focus on, as well as wide-ranging examples of how to prepare students for careers that specialise in this growing area of prominence, are then outlined by Woxsen University School of Business’ Debdutta Choudhury and Rajat Gera ( page 32 ). Lastly, our exclusive look into the gender dynamics at play in the latest AMBA & BGA research o ers areas in which programmes could be adjusted to foster greater equity in the classroom and the business world.
Head of marketing and communications Leonora Clement l.clement@amba-bga.com Finance and commercial director Catherine Walke r
Director of accreditation and director of BGA services Mark Stoddard
Chief executive o cer Andrew Main Wilson
Executive assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@amba-bga.com GENERAL ENQUIRIES info@businessgraduatesassociation.com
Tim Banerjee Dhoul Editor , Business Impact
Copyright 2023 by The Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association . All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, BGA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of BGA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. BGA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
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Business Impact ISSUE 4 2023
BRIEFING Business Impact ’s latest selection of research and initiatives from BGA members across the world features insights into carbon dioxide emissions, healthcare delivery and case studies with local relevance. Compiled by Tim Banerjee Dhoul and Ellen Buchan THE LATEST NEWS FROM ACROSS BGA’S NETWORK Business
ADDRESSING THE PLIGHT OF THE STUDENT CAREGIVER
In France, 16 per cent of students between the ages of 18 and 25 can be classified as young adult caregivers, according to a study published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education . Typically, they hail from lower-income families and are more likely to be female, the study shows. They report poorer mental health than non-caregivers and are more likely to cite current and previous academic difficulties. However, discovering students in this predicament is not always easy, as student caregivers do not tend to identify as such. The issue came to attention at GEM as part of its regular monitoring of students in difficulty, as Semavoine detailed: “We do not limit ourselves to the first subject they raise with us; a follow- up allows us to discover other obstacles
to peaceful schooling. This is how we realised that some students were playing a very heavy caregiving role.” The school subsequently held a roundtable to raise awareness, which in turn led to the launch of an initiative by the Communal Centre for Social Action (CCAS) of Grenoble. “Until this, we were not aware of the number of students affected,” conceded CCAS Grenoble’s Anne Royer, adding that it now offers a monthly service for student caregivers. At GEM, awareness raising continued in October in conjunction with France’s National Caregiver Day, as it seeks to address the issue of reaching affected students. “Even if they recognise themselves as caregivers, they fear being stigmatised. It is difficult to communicate with them,” concluded Semavoine. TBD
SCHOOL Grenoble Ecole de Management COUNTRY France
tudent caregivers are often overlooked and require greater help from institutions, according
S
to Virginie Semavoine, diversity and study financing project manager at Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM). “Your [academic] success is in danger when it comes after care, cleaning, administrative and emotional support or the management of siblings,” Semavoine explained.
6 Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2023
NEWS & INSIGHT
or below the 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels that scientists see as a tipping point,” said KBS executive education sustainability lead Marc Lepere. To address this issue, the study’s authors say new regulations are needed that require companies to disclose their CO2e emission calculation methodologies and datasets. They also recommend mandatory external audits. “Increasingly large sums of capital are being deployed either in line with environmental, social and governance criteria or with the explicit aim of mitigating climate change,” added professor of finance at KBS David Aikman. “Investment managers need assurance that the data they are basing their decisions on is as robust and transparent as it can be. At the moment, it clearly isn’t.” The study is the first KBS Research Impact Paper , a new report series aimed at widening the reach of the school’s research. It was put together by a team of six at the school, including Lepere and Aikman. EB “The suggestion implicit here is that organisations can effectively ‘game’ their CO2e results by using the dataset that gives them the most suitable results”
COMPANIES MAY BE PREVARICATING ON REPORTED EMISSIONS, STUDY SUGGESTS
Approved under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the three datasets analysed in the study are those provided by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and Exiobase. Reporting using the database from Defra instead of the US EPA led to an average increase in emissions of 5.4 per cent. The suggestion implicit here is that organisations can effectively ‘game’ their CO2e results by using the dataset that gives them the most suitable results. “This matters because if business can’t, or won’t, calculate CO2e emissions accurately, we can’t plot a proper path to keeping the global temperature at
SCHOOL King’s Business School, King’s College London COUNTRY UK
he level of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions reported by organisations can
T
vary by as much as 5.4 per cent, on average, depending on which of three approved datasets they are using, according to new research from King’s Business School (KBS). These variations have the potential to impact share prices by 1.9 per cent.
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SCHOOL The School of Management Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal IMPACT CROSSROADS PROJECT RECEIVES CAD$2 MILLION
COUNTRY Canada
he School of Management Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal
HOW TO BOOST HEALTHCARE EFFICIENCY WITHOUT COMPROMISING ENGAGEMENT
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(ESG‑Uqam) has had a donation of CAD$2 million in support of its Impact Entrepreneurship Crossroads. The Crossroads, or Carrefour , initiative, seeks to contribute towards a more inclusive society in Quebec through the medium of entrepreneurship, with a special focus on under-represented groups. Komlan Sedzro, dean of ESG-Uqam, explained: “The Carrefour is of central importance for our school because it contributes to the influence of research activities in entrepreneurship and makes it possible to connect research, the know-how of companies and graduates for the benefit of innovation and entrepreneurship with positive impact.” The $2 million donation, from Canadian packaging firm Cascades, is scheduled to be disbursed over the next 10 years. “This exceptional support is invaluable and will allow our university to continue to stand out by innovating, training and supporting the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The Impact Entrepreneurship Crossroads is one of the flagship projects of Uqam’s major 100 million ideas campaign,” said president of the Uqam Foundation’s board of directors, Philippe Rainville. EB
treatment over a three-year period at Aravind Eye Hospital in India and each required four appointments scheduled four months apart. “Our analysis sheds light on the benefits of service models that enable customers to be more helpful in serving one another, leading to more efficacious service encounters,” said Sönmez, who conducted the study with Harvard Business School’s Ryan Buell and London Business School’s Kamalini Ramdas, alongside researchers at Aravind Eye Hospital. Notably, providers spent over 600 per cent more time with each patient using the SMA design, albeit alongside others. This may explain the greater non-verbal engagement among SMA patients on measures such as attentiveness, positivity and end-of-appointment happiness. “During our trial, our physician partners observed that patients in SMAs were motivated to ask particular questions by hearing the queries and comments of others,” Sönmez added. TBD
SCHOOL ESMT Berlin COUNTRY Germany
C ould shared medical appointments (SMAs) offer patients and healthcare providers greater value in certain circumstances? Research carried out by ESMT Berlin assistant professor Nazlı Sönmez has found advantages in the setting of eyecare delivery. Contrary to assumptions that the loss of privacy and individual attention in SMAs would negatively impact on patient engagement, the study found the opposite to be true. In the study’s sample of 1,000 patients, those who experienced SMAs asked 33 per cent more questions and made nine per cent more non‑question comments than those at one-on-one appointments. Patients were undergoing glaucoma
8 Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2023
NEWS & INSIGHT
CASE STUDIES NEED TO DEMONSTRATE LOCAL RELEVANCE
SCHOOL Suliman S Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut
COUNTRY Lebanon
cting associate dean of executive education and EMBA director at the Suliman S Olayan
A
School of Business Patrick Fitzgerald has spoken of the importance of producing case studies tailored to the business challenges and realities of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. “Education should not solely rely on conceptually pertinent case studies; it should also incorporate cases that are contextually relevant,” Fitzgerald said. Current case study production in the region has reflected rising interest in start-ups, both across MENA and the wider world, according to the acting associate dean. However, he believes greater coverage is required. “While many cases in the region primarily focus on start- ups and newcomers, there is a growing interest among executives to gain insights from well-established businesses which encounter unique challenges.” The Olayan School of Business says that its Case Hub aims to build a community of case method enthusiasts and provide a space for case development written by the region, for the region. It also acts as a training centre for executive education providers seeking to integrate case writing and teaching into their programmes. TBD
NEW TECH EMBA THE PRODUCT OF PARTNERSHIP NETWORK IN ITALY
Federico Visentin. “An advisory board of around 20 representatives contributed to validating the contents of the project and will discuss any additions to be made.” Course content currently covers data analytics, artificial intelligence, innovation and the space economy in addition to more conventional business master’s subjects, such as finance and project management. “This project is truly ambitious because it combines the technological dimension, the core business of our university, with the managerial one,” said Politecnico di Torino rector Guido Saracco. “Technologies today not only rapidly change the world of work and people’s lives, but they can and must also be a reference for the choices that the managers of the future will be called on to make.” The new EMBA is a product of an alliance initiative launched by Cuoa in 2019. The Cuoa University Network Business School currently fosters collaboration between Cuoa and 17 different institutions spread across Italy. EB
SCHOOL Cuoa Business School COUNTRY Italy
new executive MBA (EMBA) focused on business and technology
A
has been launched by Cuoa Business School, in partnership with Politecnico di Torino. Teaching for the two-year programme is being delivered across two weekends a month and will encompass more than 500 hours of classroom time. Much of the course takes place at Politecnico di Torino’s Master’s and Continuing Education School, with certain activities held at Cuoa’s campus in Altavilla Vicentina. “The collaboration between Cuoa and Politecnico di Torino is a virtuous example of collaboration between university and business school, but it also involves businesses,” explained Cuoa Business School president
SHARE YOUR NEWS AND RESEARCH UPDATES by emailing Business Impact editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul at t.dhoul@amba-bga.com
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Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2023
In the prime of life Egade Business School has been a member of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) for more than a decade. Research professor Christiane Molina Brockmann elaborates on how its current, wide-ranging involvement with the United Nations (UN) initiative feeds into the school’s new purpose and commitment to advancing a more sustainable and inclusive economy
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T The turbulent business context that leaders have navigated in the past couple of years is unlikely to be any more settled in the years ahead. Challenges such as supply chain disruptions, sustained inflation and high interest rates are now overshadowed by geopolitical tensions and social unrest, as well as the effects of climate change, among other issues. The increasingly complex social and environmental problems faced across the world are a case in point and ensure that the relevance of responsible management education is not disputed. Simply put, leaders from all sectors must be equipped with a mindset and skillset that ensures value not only in financial terms, but also in social and environmental dimensions to guarantee the long-term feasibility of their organisations. This is where institutions of higher education come in, as they have the power to develop the competencies these leaders need. Upping the ante on PRME Egade Business School’s engagement with responsible management education can be traced back to its foundation in 1995, but its efforts on this front have been reinforced since becoming a member of PRME in 2008, just after the UN initiative was launched. PRME responds to the need to develop leaders who will guide organisations in the pursuit of sustainability in its economic, social and environmental dimensions. Its six principles guide higher education institutions to embed a socially responsible and sustainable perspective in all their main activities – from values,
RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
purpose, teaching methods and research to outreach efforts and even their operations. With just seven years remaining to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the actions of PRME and its signatories must now come at a faster pace. We hope that Egade’s recent experience with PRME can serve to inspire other institutions and people that may want to join our community and efforts. Purpose and prioritisation In the context of a post-pandemic environment and the arrival of a new dean, Egade had the chance to revise its strategic intent to better serve stakeholders’ needs. The culmination of this was the school’s new purpose – to rethink the future of business to impact sustainable development in Latin America. During this process, the school also consulted with members of its community to identify priority SDGs for the school to work towards. The result was the selection of SDG8 (decent work and economic growth) SDG9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG10 (reduced inequalities). Attaining these goals requires the participation of multiple actors, so the school has also embraced SDG17 (partnerships for the goals) as an additional priority SDG. Defining priority SDGs does not mean that we work on these goals alone. Instead, they provide recognition of the areas in which we believe the school can have the most positive impact. In Mexico, unemployment rates have decreased but around 37 per cent of the working population still does not have enough income to satisfy their basic needs. As such, SDG8 is a particularly relevant way for Egade to have a positive impact. Alongside the school’s new vision, it was clear that there were paradigms and ways of working that needed to be rethought. Faculty development To develop new competencies in our students, and to work on both the affective and cognitive components of learning, we had to start with ourselves and put the behaviours we want to promote into practice. To advance our teaching principles, Egade reached out to three PRME working groups, each of which has proven to be an effective means of connecting with a network of experts and acquiring up-to-date knowledge of critical sustainability topics. Working group on sustainability mindset : With the help of this group’s leader, professor Isabel Rimanoczy, our professors received customised online training
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on what makes people more inclined to adopt sustainability practices. In so doing, it introduced them to the 12 principles of the sustainability mindset. Not only did this course provide a space to share best practices and prepare our faculty to implement new classroom activities and experiential exercises, but it also gave them the opportunity to re ect on the degree to which they themselves experience the principles. We plan to take our work further in this area with the Sustainability Mindset Indicator – a tool produced by this group that can generate an individual’s sustainability mindset pro le. Working group on climate change and environment : Here, we were able to co-design a Spanish-language version of the PRME’s Carbon Literacy Training, with instructors Evelyne Gross and Fabrice Galia. The course was taken by professors from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s undergraduate school of business, as well as Egade, as part of a pilot ‘train the trainer’ initiative. It was also linked to an assessment and certi cation from the Carbon Literacy Project. Working group on sustainable nance : This group enabled valuable exchanges of knowledge and experiences among both professors and students that Egade’s commitment to PRME led us to expand our o ering of specialised courses on subjects relating to sustainability. While the school’s MBA has always o ered a mandatory capstone course on ethics, social responsibility and sustainability, we introduced three new sustainability courses on conscious marketing, business strategies for sustainability and the circular economy as part of a redesign in 2020. We then added two more, of which one is on the future of capitalism, o ered through our links to Shizenkan University in Japan and Iese Business School in Spain. The second is taught by the FEMSA-distinguished university professor of conscious enterprise at Egade, Raj Sisodia. Our sustainability teaching also extends to executive education, with programmes equipping business leaders to help their organisations tackle sustainability challenges. For instance, we developed a climate governance course in partnership with Chapter Zero Mexico. Its focus is on SDG13 (climate action), a goal that has seen little progress according to this year’s global stocktake report from the UN Global Compact and Accenture – an urgent subject for Mexico, considering current issues a ecting the country, have expertise or interest in this area. Expansion of programmes
Christiane Molina Brockmann is a research professor in the Strategy and Leadership Department at Egade Business School, part of the Tecnológico de Monterrey. She currently teaches strategic management and corporate sustainability to MBA students. Molina’s research has been published in Business & Society and Advances in International Management
“PRME promotes student engagement in sustainability-related activities such as the PRME Global Student initiative”
such as water shortages brought on by drought and hurricane damage. In addition, we have developed a diploma consisting of three di erent courses together with digital learning platform Emeritus. Topics covered include the foundations of sustainability, circular economy and sustainable nance. Initiating research Being a part of the PRME Champions group has provided fertile ground for collaborative cross-country studies. During the 2019-20 cycle that was extended until 2022, researchers from La Trobe (Australia), Universidad Externado (Colombia), Isae (Brazil) and Egade co-designed a project addressing the issue of unemployment during the rst months of Covid-19 and are now in the nal stages of publishing the report. As part of PRME’s Latin America and the Caribbean chapter, Egade has also established strong connections with like-minded institutions in the region. This has given rise to research projects including a study of current business practices against bribery. Members of the regional chapter also participate in a study of student and faculty perceptions of sustainability at higher education institutions. Another current research initiative, entitled Digni ed Living Standard, is aligned with SDG8. The project is multidisciplinary and brings researchers from Egade together with those from Tecnológico
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RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
Global Compact’s local network has enabled our school and faculty to collaborate in working groups around the SDGs since 2021. This has included groups on the circular economy, sustainable investment and quality education, as outlined below: Circular economy: Our faculty has helped develop a white paper promoting the transition to a circular economy. More speci cally, it aims to o er companies in the private sector an overview of the circular economy’s principles, implementation challenges and best practices. Sustainable investment: Professors collaborated with consulting rms, companies and stock exchanges, as well as other higher education representatives, on the development of a guide to sustainable investment in Mexico that was subsequently launched during events held at both Egade and Ipade Business School. Quality education: This group’s focus has been to carry out a diagnosis of how company members of the Global Compact are performing with regards to competencies’ development, literacy and training. Advancing sustainability Overall, our involvement with the Global Compact and PRME has allowed Egade to collaborate widely with the private sector, while reminding us of the value in partnering with other academic institutions. It has also demonstrated the need to produce knowledge that has practical applications in terms of the resolution of issues that concern today’s business leaders. In more than a decade of PRME membership, we have learned that the more people who participate in the relevant initiatives, the easier it is to ensure that sustainability permeates every corner of our business school. This is why we created a committee, with representatives from each academic department and the support of our leadership team, to propose plans and initiatives for each of PRME’s six principles and oversee their deployment. In addition, Egade’s new Social Impact Strategy is designed to add to the e orts of PRME. We are aware of the challenges and have learned so much since rst joining PRME. As a result, we know that our school’s e orts should be directed towards the most impactful initiatives that advance sustainability for the future of humanity and the ourishing of the planet.
de Monterrey’s undergraduate business, social sciences and education and medicine schools. The team is following the Minimum Income Standard methodology developed at the University of Loughborough to identify the needs of a Mexican household’s members and calculate the budget necessary to live a digni ed life. As part of this initiative, professors are also working with companies that have adjusted their wages to help employees have a better quality of life, as well as with organisations that promote living wages in Mexico. Providing a living wage is one the paths recommended in the aforementioned global stocktake report. Innovation and engagement Egade’s status as a PRME champion has also extended to educational innovation – most recently demonstrated by our participation in a project that is focused on integrating ve characteristics of playful and holistic learning into programmes’ instructional design. For this, faculty development and educational innovation teams at Egade have been looking at ways of merging innovations with current e orts, so that faculty members are not overloaded with training requirements. For instance, our faculty has received guidance on the development of simulations, escape rooms and the use of augmented reality, all of which aim to enhance students’ participation in a joyful learning environment. Alongside its work in relation to higher education institutions’ operations, PRME also promotes student engagement in sustainability-related activities, such as the PRME Global Student initiative. Locally, Egade has developed various student initiatives in this area. Egade Action Week, for example, launched this year and features conferences, workshops and exhibitions from sustainable enterprises over ve days. In its rst edition, Action Week also included an impact challenge, where students were invited to present novel solutions targeting the SDGs, as well as the beginning of a programme aimed at NGOs. Action Week launched at just one of the school’s three campuses in Mexico, with a view to expanding its scope in the near future based on the experience and lessons learned from its rst edition. Besides the opportunities Egade has enjoyed as a PRME member, our connection with the UN
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Exploring how male and female students’ programme expectations, experiences and aspirations differ, based on an exclusive examination of new AMBA & BGA research. By Tim Banerjee Dhoul , with additional data analysis provided by Ellen Buchan
A n analysis of how motivations and programme experiences differ between male and female students has much to reveal, based on the results of the AMBA & BGA Student Survey 2023: Aspirations & Programme Experiences . Not only do female students have differing ambitions going into their programme of study, but their level of interest in critical programme aspects, such as career development opportunities and course subjects, also varies significantly from those of their male classmates. The findings of this deep dive offer potential avenues of exploration for any business school looking to tweak their offerings to maximise what female students take from their studies and reviewing how their programmes are presented to potential applicants. Produced independently of the AMBA & BGA Student Survey 2023 , it draws from the report’s survey of 544 students representing 94 different countries who are enrolled with institutions in the AMBA and BGA networks around the world. Among this number, 88 per cent are master’s-level students, with the remaining 12 per cent split equally between undergraduate and PhD students. The gender distribution of these participants is 63 per cent male and 36 per cent female – a split that is very typical of MBA-level programmes – with one per cent preferring not to disclose their gender.
Why business school? Differences between men and women appear at the very inception of the decision to go to business school. While making more money is an important factor for both sexes, men are noticeably more likely to be looking at the short-term pay off. A total of 12 per cent of men cite this as a reason for enrolling, as opposed to eight per cent of women. Conversely, a higher proportion of women look at the long-term financial return on investment (44 per cent vs 38 per cent). Women are also much more likely to want to build their confidence by taking a business degree – 45 per cent of female respondents cite this as a primary motivation, compared to just 30 per cent of male respondents. Women show greater interest in boosting their international mobility, too – 52 per cent of female students say this is a reason behind their decision to enrol, but the same is true for only 38 per cent of male students. Where we see far greater gender equality is in the more general motivation of learning more skills and acquiring greater business knowledge – 67 per cent of men and 66 per cent of women cite this reason. Similarly, learning how to run a more profitable business is an underlying motivation for 24 per cent
of both male and female respondents. Greater interest in initial salary rise among men
The question of salary also provokes differing views among male and female students at the point of
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AMBA & BGA RESEARCH
the programme’s quality of teaching (a factor for 38 per cent of men vs 34 per cent of women) into their decision-making process. However, the top factor in programme selection is the same for male and female students. The programme’s accreditation status influenced the decision to enrol in their current programme for 50 per cent of men and 53 per cent of women. Common ground can also be found in relation to the programme’s performance in rankings (a selection factor for 37 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women) and the quality of fellow classmates (a factor for 10 per cent of men and 11 per cent of women). Application nuances Among respondents, male students say they applied to an average of two business school programmes – just a fraction higher than the average of 1.9 applications submitted by female students. However, closer analysis reveals a little nuance in these averages. Notably, female students are more likely to have applied to a single programme than their male classmates. In total, 54 per cent of women say they applied to just one programme, compared to 48 per cent of men. In addition, a higher proportion of men than women applied to two programmes (24 per cent of men vs 20 per cent of women). Those who
selecting their specific programme of study. On average, male students are more interested in the salary they are likely to achieve post-graduation than their female counterparts. When asked to select all answers that applied to their circumstances from a list of 13 possible motivations, 15 per cent of men selected ‘the salary I am likely to attain after graduating from that programme’ compared to eight per cent of women. Male students are also more likely to be guided by the way programmes are delivered, for example, how they might blend online and in-person formats. A third (33 per cent) of men selected this motivation, compared to 24 per cent of women. Overall, male students tended to select more reasons in response to this question and show a greater propensity for encompassing their impression of a business school’s quality of research (a factor for 37 per cent of men vs 32 per cent of women) and
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Which core aspects of your business programme interest you the most? Female Male
Female
Male
56%
Networking opportunities
59%
51%
Learning from other students
46%
39%
Entrepreneurship
29%
52%
International opportunities and outlook
59%
48%
Learning from industry experts
53%
49%
Career development opportunities
59%
43%
Improving soft skills
51%
61%
Developing business skills
62%
34%
Learning about the wider world of business and society
43%
48%
Learning finance skills Developing people management skills
56%
43%
41%
27%
Learning about emerging technologies
34%
0
30%
60%
90%
submitted three business school applications also represented a larger proportion among men (14 per cent) than women (seven per cent). Among both men and women, four per cent of students say they submitted four applications. In this light, it is possible that the averages are skewed slightly by a few members of the smaller sample of women applying to ve or more programmes. Female students more drawn to soft skills development Respondents were asked which core aspects of their business programme are of most interest to them. The results show that female students are much more interested than their male counterparts in personal development aspects of business school programmes, such as being able to improve and develop their soft skills and people management skills, as well as to bene t from any career development opportunities on o er. Improving soft skills is a key interest for 51 per cent of female students, compared to 43 per cent of male students. Developing people management skills is a key interest for 56 per cent of female students and 48 per cent of male students. Meanwhile, 59 per cent
of women place great interest in their programme’s career development opportunities, compared to 49 per cent of their male counterparts. Women are also more interested than men in broadening their outlook and taking advantage of international opportunities (cited by 59 per cent of women vs 52 per cent of men); learning about emerging technologies (cited by 34 per cent of women vs 27 per cent of men) and learning about global challenges, such as those related to climate change and poverty (cited by 43 per cent of women vs 34 per cent of men). What interests male students more? The peer-to- peer learning process traditionally emphasised by many postgraduate management programmes – this programme aspect is a key interest for 51 per cent of male students, compared to 46 per cent of female students. Men are also more interested than women in their programme’s inclusion of entrepreneurship, a more recent programme emphasis in reaction to the trend towards start-up careers and the perceived value of possessing an entrepreneurial mindset regardless of career path. This is a key interest for 39 per cent of male students, compared to 29 per cent of female students.
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AMBA & BGA RESEARCH
and 48 per cent of women), meanwhile, are of relatively equal appeal to both men and women. Nurturing STEM career aspirations for women Initiatives aiming to entice more women into STEM careers abound. Yet, the results of AMBA & BGA’s research show that there is also more to be done among business schools to encourage female students to consider careers in these industries and, crucially, convince them that they can thrive once there. Right now, male students are much more interested in pursuing careers in technology, IT and engineering than their female classmates. The tech sector, for example, is of interest to 28 per cent of male students, but only 18 per cent of female students. IT careers interest 25 per cent of men but only 16 per cent of women and, while 21 per cent of men are considering careers in engineering post-graduation, just ve per cent of women feel it is an option for them. The gures for careers in nance and consulting make for more positive reading, in view of the number of initiatives that seek to address the continuing paucity of female leaders in these industries. Consulting and the nancial services are targets for 42 and 27 per cent of female students, respectively, and for 41 and 25 per cent of male students. In addition, female students are more interested in pursuing careers in marketing, pharmaceuticals, PR, healthcare, the third sector and food and beverages, while male students nd careers in energy and
Where we nd common ground between the genders is in the programme basics of business skills’ development (a key interest for 62 per cent of women and 61 per cent of men), networking (a key interest for 59 per cent of women and 56 per cent of men and the acquisition of all-important nance skills (a key interest for 41 per cent of women and 43 per cent of men). Data analytics a harder sell among female students Female students’ greater interest in using business education to enhance their soft skills and broaden their outlook is also re ected in their favoured subjects. When asked which course topics are of most interest within their programmes, female students are more likely than their male counterparts to choose those where the focus is on guiding and interacting with others. For example, people and organisations is a favoured topic for 41 per cent of women, compared to 31 per cent of men, while change management appeals strongly to 42 per cent of women, compared to 37 per cent of men. Male students, on the other hand, show greater interest in many of the more technical, hard skill course topics taught within management education. This includes data analytics (selected by 40 per cent of men vs 29 per cent of women) statistics (25 per cent of men vs 14 per cent of women) and nance (49 per cent of men vs 41 per cent of women). The areas of general management (cited by 53 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women) and global leadership (cited by 46 per cent of men
automotives more attractive. Narrowing the gap We know that when business schools design
programmes that are mindful of the female applicant and student experience, they are often rewarded with an uptick in female enrolment. This article outlines di erences in how male and female students currently experience programmes and what they hope to gain during their studies. A greater appreciation and understanding of these distinctions can only help business schools to further the cause of achieving gender equity in their classrooms. As such, we hope that this tailored report from the AMBA & BGA Student Survey 2023 is informative and useful. For more information on AMBA & BGA’s research projects, visit the BGA website at www.businessgraduatesassociation.com/ about-us/research/ or contact the team at research@amba-bga.com.
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of di erence world A
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
An annual summer school o ered to executive MBA (EMBA) students studying at multiple locations around the world allows participants to come together and transform their di erences into assets that drive personal growth. Director of EMBA programmes at the School of Management Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal (ESG-Uqam) Kamal Bouzinab o ers an in-depth guide to an intensive week of experiential learning, cross-continental dialogue and networking
waiting list that is prioritised by country in order to facilitate replacements and maintain its goal of o ering a richness and diversity of experience. Taking all these factors into account during the selection process underpins the summer school’s commitment to fostering a dynamic, inclusive community of business leaders. Live business case design Placing strategic intelligence and scenario planning at its core, the summer school’s curriculum is meticulously crafted to serve as a bridge between academic theory and the practical realities of global business, with an added focus on the real-world impact. Preparations for each edition begin four to ve months before the course starts in August. An initial list of potential corporate partners – large Canadian companies – is established and preliminary proposals are sent to prospects through our networks. Following several meetings and discussions with senior executives from the responding companies, a second round of discussions is arranged with those who wish to delve deeper into the experience. During this second round of meetings, the course professor and the EMBA director talk with the company’s top executives to identify and discuss strategic issues or challenges that they would like to tackle in the summer school, the nature of what would be required and the data necessary to develop a real business case. Once a business case mandate has been agreed on, the professor receives the necessary content and begins to prepare the case. Through numerous iterations and discussions with the company’s executives, the nal version is produced and then shared with our student participants, ensuring that the curriculum not only teaches but also actively engages students in the kind of impactful business and strategic decision-making that shapes industries. Industry collaborations are central to the EMBA programme’s educational ethos and we have partnered with large Canadian companies across di erent markets and industries since the summer school’s launch in 2016. These partnerships have included airline Air Canada, simulation and training giant CAE and the pharmaceutical rm Sandoz Canada. These collaborations are the cornerstone of the summer school, bringing complex business
I n 2016, ESG-Uqam launched its EMBA International Summer Global reach and selection With a 44-year history, ESG-Uqam’s EMBA is renowned for its commitment to shaping global leaders. In the early 1990s, the programme underwent signi cant international expansion designed to help the school cultivate a diverse range of executive School with the intention of forging a global platform to facilitate leadership exchange and practical engagement with the business world. Since then, the summer school has become a vessel for transformative educational experiences. talent. With a presence that now stretches across four continents – encompassing China, Vietnam, Poland, Romania, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon, Gabon and the Ivory Coast – the programme has prepared a global melting pot of leaders for the complexities of international commerce. The EMBA International Summer School enriches the programme with various cultural perspectives and ideas. It is an elective course that invites applications from students enrolled in any of the programme’s diverse global locations. The course is capped at 35 participants to maintain a conducive learning environment and seeks to provide an equitable distribution of participants from di erent countries, while ensuring diversity in gender, professional background and nationality. The elective is popular and, as such, there is a
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challenges into the learning environment and deepening students’ insight into the strategic manoeuvres of top-tier companies. An intensive week The summer school’s intensive week is where theory meets practice amid a fusion of cultural and professional diversity. The cohort of 30 to 35 students is divided into smaller teams, again based on maintaining a diversity of professional background, gender and nationality in each. The journey begins with a welcome breakfast and tour of the Uqam campus, before an introductory session delves into the course topics. Day one ends with students formulating strategic questions for corporate executives to clarify their understanding of the business case at hand. Networking is a key component of the week, with a lunch and a cocktail reception organised to facilitate meaningful connections among participants, faculty, Montreal peers, school authorities and programme partners. On the second day, the students visit the company’s facilities, accompanied by the professor and the EMBA administrative team. A guided tour paves the way for interactions and discussions with senior executives involved in the project, followed by another opportunity for networking over lunch. The afternoon is dedicated to a theoretical session held at the company, where students delve deeper into the speci c challenges and central issues their teams will address. As the week progresses, a typical day starts at 8am and stretches late into the night, with students oscillating between learning theoretical frameworks and applying them to the practical case study at hand. This rigorous schedule culminates on Saturday with a plenary session, where each team presents their analysis and recommendations to a panel of corporate executives. This is followed by a Q&A session, sparking discussions that often extend beyond the con nes of the classroom. The week then concludes with a nal networking lunch, providing one last chance for students to consolidate the relationships they’ve built and re ect on their intensive learning experience. Leveraging difference ESG-Uqam’s EMBA summer school o ers evidence of the power of diversity, with students from around the globe coming together to sharpen their skills in the crucible of real business problems. This setting
is not only about learning to navigate the nuances of international business, but also thriving within them. The course’s structure enables participants to immerse themselves in an international and multicultural context, which is instrumental in honing their interpersonal skills. By working closely with individuals from di erent cultural backgrounds, students learn the importance of communication, adaptability and cultural sensitivity – skills that are increasingly valuable in today’s globalised business environment. As mentioned, the emphasis on diversity extends to that of professional experiences and perspectives. This enriches the problem-solving process further, as each participant brings unique insights and strategies to the table. As they work through the week’s challenges, students not only develop a stronger analytical acumen but also re ne their ability to collaborate and lead within a diverse team. In addition, the course challenges participants to operate in unstructured contexts, mirroring the reality of the business world where not all variables are controllable. This approach teaches resilience and exibility, as students learn to manage ambiguity and make decisive, informed decisions under pressure.
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