Evaluating the leadership development components of an MBA programme

Business schools need to provide graduates with the training to enable them to ask the\nright questions and make observations from different perspectives and at different\nlevels. Even though MBA programmes typically focus on developing general\nmanagement skills, critics still argue that MBA graduates do not have the skills\nrequired to effectively manage people. The research aimed to address the gaps in the\nresearch and provide some recommendations from a South African context by looking\nat the impact of the MBA on leadership development and personal change.\nA descriptive research approach was followed to obtain the views of students on the\nimpact of the MBA on personal change and leadership development. A selfadministered\nquestionnaire supported the quantitative design. The population of the\nstudy included all GIBS MBA students that completed their studies within the last five\nyears, or that are in the process of completing their studies.\nThis research has shown that the despairing picture of the future of leadership\ndevelopment, as part of the MBA, which is reflected by a lot of popular literature, is not\nentirely justified. Overall, the results from this study indicated that the MBA has a\npositive impact on the personal change and leadership development of an individual.\nThe leadership theme might need to be more explicit throughout the MBA. This could\neither take the form of the extension of the LEAD module across the two years as a full\nleadership module, supplemented by individual; and/or group coaching, a compulsory\nelective on leadership, and/or more leaders from industry speaking on leadership.\nThe research highlighted the importance of working in teams, practical application of\nlearning and reflection as critical components for leadership development and personal\nchange during an MBA.\nAs far as this research could determine, there are no major differences between\ndifferent genders, race groups or management level as far as their perception of the\nleadership development and personal change of the MBA is concerned. It would seem\nthat the context in which these different groups might have a bigger impact on how\nthey operate.