The Effects of Management Education on Careers and Compensation : A Competency-Based Study of an Italian MBA Program

This study explores how the amount and the nature of learning accrued during an MBA – measured in terms of competency development – impact on career advancement and compensation. Applying nonparametric statistical analysis on data from behavioral event interviews and survey questionnaires to a sample of 44 Italian MBA graduates, this study investigates: a) the type and extent of competency development during the MBA program; b) the relationship between this competency development and post-MBA career and compensation. Our findings support the hypothesis that the degree of competency development during the MBA program enhances career advancement, and that some competencies like planning, result orientation, networking, organizational awareness, system thinking and use of technology do so particularly, which is consistent with literature on career competencies. No relationship is found, instead, between competency development during the MBA and compensation. Most of the outstanding research supports the hypothesis the MBA enhances career advancement, but the evidence about how the skills and competencies associated with an MBA study impact on career outcomes is polarized and remains somewhat sketchy. Several scholars have examined the career outcomes for MBA graduates, but no specific study has addressed the issue of assessing if and to what extent the competencies developed during the MBA program impact on career outcomes. This study investigates this issue and tries to explore the relationship between competencies development and career advancement