TY - CONF
T1 - Success factors of master of science curricula in business administration
AU - Bijker, Monique
AU - Van der Klink, Marcel
AU - Boshuizen, Els
N1 - DS_Description: Bijker, M. M., Van der Klink, M. R., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2010, 25-27 August). Success factors of master of science curricula in business administration. Paper presented at the 5th EARLI-SIG14, Learning and Professional Development, Munich, Germany.
PY - 2010/11/1
Y1 - 2010/11/1
N2 - Departing from the work of Mintzberg (2004), and Pfeffer and Fong (2002) concerning the lack of fit
between business education and labour market requirements, we investigated different business curricula in
an occupational labour market to identify curriculum factors that make a productive contribution to
graduates’ labour market success. A portfolio study, presenting a conventional, problem-based, or
competence-based program, was carried out among twenty large companies in a variety of industries.
Employers ranked authentic tasks as key-factors of business curricula, and associated such tasks with a
configuration of flexible thinking skills, robust content knowledge, and social skills, which were the most
desired competences in the eyes of employers. Other curriculum factors, such as internationalization and
admission criteria, are discussed and related to their implications for business education programs and future
research.
AB - Departing from the work of Mintzberg (2004), and Pfeffer and Fong (2002) concerning the lack of fit
between business education and labour market requirements, we investigated different business curricula in
an occupational labour market to identify curriculum factors that make a productive contribution to
graduates’ labour market success. A portfolio study, presenting a conventional, problem-based, or
competence-based program, was carried out among twenty large companies in a variety of industries.
Employers ranked authentic tasks as key-factors of business curricula, and associated such tasks with a
configuration of flexible thinking skills, robust content knowledge, and social skills, which were the most
desired competences in the eyes of employers. Other curriculum factors, such as internationalization and
admission criteria, are discussed and related to their implications for business education programs and future
research.
KW - business curricula
KW - competences
KW - occupational labour markets
M3 - Paper
ER -