Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Have we lost our taste for business learning?

by Personnel Today 22 Aug 2000
by Personnel Today 22 Aug 2000

I saw a staggering statistic the other day. The Association of MBA’s reported that 76 per cent of full-time MBA places at UK business schools are filled by foreign students. This fact was reinforced by the impression I received in July from the academic congregation platforms at the business school graduation ceremonies at both Middlesex and Northumbria universities.

It appears the majority of the student population below MBA, at graduate level in business schools also come from overseas. This is good for our business schools in terms of income, and good for the economy in terms of export earnings, but it left the question – have we in the UK lost the appetite for formal business education?

This contrast in attitudes was reinforced in my mind by working in Cyprus. Managers there are expected to have at least a first-class degree with a high proportion having MBAs, MScs and PhDs. Whether the academic credentials are a prerequisite for management is open to debate, but the perspective in other countries, in developing economies, is almost universally that a business degree is a necessary step on the career ladder.

However, the equation in the UK is a marginal one between steep fees, loss of earnings and the potential earning power of an MBA from a top provider.

The broader question is, does the dearth of UK students mean the concept of lifelong learning for managers has not taken root? Or have we got over our obsession for qualifications as being the only route to development?

The origins of these differences for the UK are complex. Firstly, we have never had a tradition of qualification-led management skills, secondly, employers now rarely sponsor full-time management studies, and thirdly, the growth of the “self-employed mindset” encourages employers and employees to believe that development is the employee’s responsibility.

Solutions abound for this apparent void in management education, but few seem to gain critical mass or appear to give the aspirational quality and recognition that the formal full-time MBA gives to the ambitious student from abroad.

The answer has got to be a workable partnership where learning is work-based, links with continuous development, uses coaching and mentoring, is of mutual benefit for employers, employees and their peers and has accreditation for those that want it.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Most importantly, the means of delivery and participation must mesh in with today’s intensive demands on individuals and organisations using the greater variety of learning styles we now have available. This way we can achieve the goal of individuals being in control of self-learning, help the universal education of managers and maybe export a new product – the curriculum for effective management via work-based learning and partnership.

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Prison exerts its freedom of choice
next post
Safety reps key to HSC-TUC drive

You may also like

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders receive 400% pay rise

4 Jul 2025

FCA to extend misconduct rules beyond banks

2 Jul 2025

‘Decisive action’ needed to boost workers’ pensions

2 Jul 2025

Business leaders’ drop in confidence impacts headcount

2 Jul 2025

Why we need to rethink soft skills in...

1 Jul 2025

Five misconceptions about hiring refugees

20 Jun 2025

Forward features list 2025 – submitting content to...

23 Nov 2024

Features list 2021 – submitting content to Personnel...

1 Sep 2020

Large firms have no plans to bring all...

26 Aug 2020

A typical work-from-home lunch: crisps

24 Aug 2020

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+