PLAY | EDUCATION
IS EXECUTIVE EDUCATION DELIVERING ?
Mariana Amatullo , Vice Provost and Academic Dean for Continuing and Professional Education at The New School , which offers Parsons Executive Education courses , says the executive education space is much more crowded and diverse with the number of providers soaring , from university programs to an array of consultancies and in-house corporate academies offering courses .
At the same time , she says there has been growing discontent with the effectiveness and return of executive education . At a typically high-ticket price , does it deliver the value that individuals and companies seek ?, she asks .
“ That said , the underlying assumption we have operated under – that executive education training can
improve managerial decision-making by creating and transmitting knowledge , which in turn has a positive impact on organizational performance – remains a constant that is in place .”
Moreover , given the techno-social and cultural workforce disruptions the world is currently experiencing , there seems to be a renewed sense of urgency . “ We need to create the affordances and outlets for individuals to upskill and reskill ,” says Mariana .
“ I believe there is a broader recognition that organizations that have the readiness to adapt to new ways of thinking , to diverse perspectives and who have folks that show leadership courage and master smart execution will be those that hold unique levers of future success .”
“ Wharton has long realised that its MBA Program for Executives ( EMBA ) had a geographic limit on who could attend ,” says Peggy . “ But when the world went online during the pandemic and we felt comfortable that teaching in this format was as impactful as in-person , we realised we could now offer our EMBA Program to the world whilst maintaining the quality of the experience .” Peggy says that executive students expect more options today , something borne out of necessity as they are experiencing these changes at work and in other parts of their lives .
“ While networking has historically been an in-person activity , this is no longer the case , and as long as our students understand
112 November 2022