MANAGEMENT SKILLS DESIRED BY BUSINESS SCHOOL DEANS AND EMPLOYERS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

The objective of this research was to determine the skills business leaders find most critical in MBA programs to adequately prepare leaders and professionals for organizational success. A second goal was to explore the relationship between the perceptions of business and industry leaders and business school leaders on the rankings of skills deemed most important to prepare students for success in their business careers. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Tanyel’s et al., 1999 study. A survey instrument was administered to 67 respondents from prospective employers of MBA graduates and 15 respondents among business school deans and directors located in the state of Michigan. The two samples consisted of a matched pair design and rank order means for skill rating by the prospective employers and the matched mean rating from the deans/ directors. The major findings found significant differences in the mean rating of the importance of soft skills vs. hard skills among the prospective employers of MBA graduates. Additionally that there is a significant difference in the mean rating of the importance of soft skills vs. hard skills for MBA graduates among the deans and directors at business schools with MBAs. This research offers business school leaders empirical evidence for curriculum redesign for prioritizing skills and designing coursework to incorporate top ranked skills viewed as most important by business and industry leaders.