According to a recent study, business schools are the most popular type of solution provider for executive education.  From open-enrollment, non-degree programs to customized management education programs, 27 percent of companies are using business schools to develop and deliver their leadership programs.   Supported by their academic, research based perspectives and high-caliber professors, business schools have the edge on the executive education market.

Yet, according to more than 200 HR professionals, business schools still fall short in designing comprehensive open-enrollment learning solutions.  Based on this study’s findings, the top two areas that business schools miss the mark for open-enrollment include:

1. Integrating experiential/action learning into a solution – Open enrollment programs are designed to meet the general needs of a targeted audience. Experiential or action learning is based on specific business needs.  Schools have a difficult time balancing academics while allowing participants to work on business-related projects. Instead, many schools rely on research and case studies that may or may not be relevant to all participants.
2. Providing reinforcement and performance support following a program – Business schools are known for their faculty’s deep levels of expertise and knowledge.  For a long time, there was no expectation of anything more than the classroom “experience.”  Today, however, companies are much more sophisticated and recognize the fact that adults only retain a limited amount of information without application or reinforcement. 

Hope is not lost, however.  Two schools that are breaking the "academic mold" include Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business and Duke Corporate Education. 

Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business created an open-enrollment program referred to as the “Global Leadership Executive Summer Forum.”  This four-week program, which is focused on general management and leadership capabilities, incorporates individual and team coaching and is heavily project-based.  The design of the program allows participants to learn new approaches and share experiences from a wide variety of industries; however, unlike most open enrollment programs, they are able to synthesize this learning and immediately apply it to real-life projects.

Duke Corporate Education has been very thoughtful of performance support over the last year.  Three approaches they are using include

• embedding learning into participants’ work routines; 
• using RSS feeds and podcasts to remind students of key messages; and,
• pushing technology that includes a three-minute update of information pertinent to a participant’s business.

For examples of other innovative business school programs, see my blog “Business Schools Are Breaking Stereotypes and Moving Into the 21st Century.”

We will be publishing the results of this study in an in-depth report on business school executive education in the March timeframe.