Drivers of success in executive education programs

Abstract

Many firms send their executives for executive education programs conducted by universities and business schools with the aim of educating the executives to enhance their performance and drive change within the firm. There has been little empirical research on how executives experience these programs and what contributes to their satisfaction with the program. This paper describes a survey of business executives enrolled in a part-time course at a business school. The survey data was analyzed using factor analysis and multiple regression. The results indicate that factors like opportunities for interaction during the course; focus on application rather than theory; faculty's efforts in building rapport; use of visual media and use of detailed educational cases were important drivers of executives' satisfaction with the program. The findings from this study are likely to be useful in program design and marketing for executive education programs.