Peter

							Strategies for Survival



      Peter Calladine
    Association of MBAs
           Trends at Business Schools

 Greater competition in terms of numbers of schools
 Improved standards at many schools creating greater competition
  among the better schools
 Students are better informed about: i) options ii) quality issues
 Move towards diversification in delivery of programmes
 Blended learning to accommodate students’ complex working
  conditions
 Internationalisation: a) accreditation, b) faculty c) links d)
  programmes
 Use of electronic resources: a) websites b) marketing c) delivery
        Responses to Market Conditions

•   More effective marketing/PR via electronic means
•   Customer Care
•   Improved links to industry
•   Diversification of academic product range
•   Improved programmes
•   Internationalisation
       More effective marketing/PR via
              electronic means

• Website: Design and functionality
• Search engine optimisation
• Banner advertisements
• E-marketing
• Pod/video casts - example
  http://podcast.ft.com/download/20/12/936.mp3
• Promotional CDs, flashcards, text-messaging
• Blogs
                         Customer care

•   More efficient customer care
•   Recruit ‘customer focussed’ admissions/marketing staff
•   Quicker turn-round in processing enquiries
•   On-going customer care
•   Soft-ware to guarantee regular contact with prospective students
•   Alumni organisation – to promote school; interviews; induction; mentors
                 Improved links to industry

•
    Links are practical: a) input into programmes, b) sponsorship of
    students, c) fundraising, d) improved awareness, e) credibility, f)
    corporate organisations are ‘buyers’ of academic products

•   Advisory boards
•   Corporate relations director/manager
•   Careers office
•   Alumni
•   Research
•   Consultancy
    Diversification of academic product range
.
      Many schools have faced falling numbers of MBA students
Response
• Introduction of additional programmes to ensure financial stability
• Most successful is the MBM – in content very similar to the MBA but
designed for students with zero or little work experience
• Specialist masters degrees
• New undergraduate programmes
• Executive Education
• NB: the MBA remains the ‘flagship programme’ even if it is a ‘loss
leader’
                   Merger of institutions

   Merges either by necessity (low student numbers) or choice
• TIAS/NIMBAS (The Netherlands)
• Nijenrode Business School/InHolland (The Netherlands)
• Theseus/EDHEC (France)
• University of Paisley/Bell College (Scotland)
• Manchester Business School/UMIST (United Kingdom)
• London Guildhall/North London University (United Kingdom)
• Under consideration: Queen Margaret/Napier universities (UK)
University of Tampere/Tampere University of Technology
(Finland); Victoria/La Trobe universities (Australia) etc
                Improved programmes
• Programme review – annual/five yearly
• Programme (re)design
• Improved curriculum
• On-going update of courses and materials
• Student friendly delivery modes: part-time; distance learning; weekend;
  modular
• Blended learning
                      Internationalisation


• Deans of leading schools often international (Cranfield
  (RSA); Insead (USA); IMD (Norwegian); Bocconi
  (Argentina); Smurfit, Dublin (USA)
• Joint programmes with foreign schools
• Faculty
• Faculty/student exchanges
• Programme/course content
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www.mbaworld.com/accreditation
www.mbaworld.com