Academic and Professional Skills

GEDDADA Naga Sowmya (Student ID: 4050351)

February 5, 2012 Coventry University London Campus

Executive MBA Programs: Curriculum Design

Critically evaluate one of the key arguments from the article by ROGLIO, K., & LIGHT, G. (2009). Executive MBA Programs: The Development of the Reective Executive. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 8(2), 156-173 and support the analysis with evidence.

UNIT 2 SUBMISSION
The main objective of this article by Roglio K and Light G. (2009) is to highlight the importance of reection in the learning process and to discuss the features that are key to designing an Executive MBA program. The authors argue that the conventional executive education based on formal scientic models is no longer relevant in todays organisational structure, which has increased in complexity and is inuenced by various macroenvironmental factors. In this context, they introduced a concept of Reective Executive, who has greater self-awareness and could reect upon and transform their experience to be more productive. They further discussed the themes like principles of learning, the instructor role, instructional strategies, and curriculum design that are key to incorporating reective thinking in the executive education. I wish to evaluate the authors thoughts on the need to review the Curriculum Design while conceptualising an Executive MBA program. The authors asserted the need to review the content addressed in the business education curriculum to develop effective executives who can think beyond the interests of the corporation and the managers. It has been observed that, with formal education separating learning from practice, it is inevitable that the education process will produce people who can talk about practice rather than people who are practitioners (Armstrong, 2005). At the same time, having an experience is simply not sufcient to learn and what matters is the time we spent reecting upon this experience and the feelings, thoughts, and concepts that emerge as a consequence. Reective learning combined with work experience can help executives in reformulating the presumed operating assumptions and use their experience to make informed decisions.
Executive MBA Programs: Curriculum Design

They also insisted that the business school curriculums should restore and strengthen required ethics courses. As stated in the AACSB (2004), it is essential for business in general - and management education students in particular to understand the symbiotic relationship between business and society, especially in terms of the moral dimensions of the power placed in the hands of owners and managers. The challenge to develop ethical and socially responsible executives may be achieved only if substantial efforts and solutions are implemented right from the beginning of the course. Another key topic discussed in the article is inter-disciplinary teamwork and they afrmed that the fundamental design of executive education curricula should be interdisciplinary in nature. An inter-disciplinary team is all about integrating or synthesising perspectives from several disciplines. Based on the ndings from (V, Wilson, A, Pirrie. 2000), some of the points that encourage multidisciplinary teamwork are personal commitment, a common goal, clarity of roles and communication and institutional support. Leading and managing multidisciplinary teams requires increased skills and sensitivity and this is one of the key requirements in succeeding in todays business environments. In conclusion, a business curriculum combined with reective thinking, ethical standards, multi-disciplinary teamwork and a practical approach to the complex challenges business leaders face is what makes the real difference and steers the executive learner in the right direction towards success.

References
K, Roglio, G, Light, (2009) Executive MBA Programs: The Development of the Reective Executive Armstrong, S. 2005. Postgraduate Management Education in the UK: Lessons from or Lessons for the U.S. Model? Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2): 229-234. Bennis, W., & OToole, J. 2005. How business schools lost their way. Harvard Business Review, 83 (5): 96104. AACSB International 2004 Ethics Education in Business Schools, report of the Ethics Education Task Force. V, Wilson, A, Pirrie. 2000. Multidisciplinary Teamworking.

Executive MBA Programs: Curriculum Design