MBA Fachartikel

Established by multinationals Royal Dutch Shell together with Philips, RSM has retained its extensive connections with the business community. Closely-situated multinational companies and corporate partners including DSM and Philips, play an active role in education at the school, while faculty members consult for companies and conduct applied research via the school’s centre of expertise. RSM’s research institute, ERIM, is frequently ranked amongst the top three research institutes in Europe, and lends an academic backbone to all programmes.

The mission of RSM is to develop leaders in global business, an objective it achieves through a unique dual emphasis on both academic rigour and personal leadership development (PLD). Interactive teaching methods, real-world experience of global business (via study trips, exchanges and associateships, and the student body itself), challenging intellectual debate, and an outward-looking perspective that reflects no one dominant worldview are the defining characteristics of the learning environment at the school.

- Briefly present the interviewee (e.g. name, position in the school)

Kirt Wood, Director Marketing & Admissions, MBA programmes.

Questions about the business school:

1. What makes the difference between your business school and your competitors? What makes your business school unique?
Like some of our competitors in the top tier, RSM is an exceptionally international school. We have over 80 different nationalities in the student body, an international staff and faculty, and a global network that includes 100 partner schools and even more corporations. What makes RSM unique is firstly, how we work with this international student body to enhance leadership development. To start with, diversity is taken a step further at RSM, by creating a student body defined by total diversity: diversity of educational background, industry experience, and religion – all the social dimensions that come into play in any corporate relationship. This diversity is then used as a platform for personal leadership development, because difference challenges and informs. We do this in many ways: team-work, networking development, peer reviews, group consultancy projects, mentoring and coaching. RSM has developed many innovative teaching methods (some of which have been featured in the international media) to enhance personal behavioural transformation in students. A second differentiating aspect of RSM is the learning environment. Students who come to the school on exchange from other schools comment on how interactive our classes – students are expected to actively participate in their own learning – as well as the sense of openness and the lack of any one dominant worldview. RSM’s school values help to preserve the rich diversity of perspective in the classroom.

2. The market of MBA programmes is steadily growing. Does RSM Erasmus University have one MBA programme (e.g. Full time, part time, executive) or are students able to choose from several programmes?
RSM has three top-ranked MBA programmes. The International Full-time MBA Programme is a 15-month programme that has around 45 different nationalities and seeks to transform early business experience and ambition into management knowledge, skills and leadership abilities. Participants have on average 5.8 years professional experience.
The Part-time Executive MBA Programme is a two-year programme that is designed to be as challenging and transformative as the full-time programme, while enabling working professionals to maintain their career momentum – in fact, participants gain in focus and productivity during the programme from the added stimulation and inspiration. They Participants have an average of 7-9 years professional experience. This programme is also international with 29 nationalities, encompasses global study trips – unusual for an EMBA – and offers outstanding international networking opportunities.
RSM’s Global OneMBA Programme is a part-time programme taught in modules over 21-months. It is one of the world’s first truly global programmes. Offered by a consortium of five premier business schools including The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Asia); The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA); EGADE - Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico); Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil); and RSM Erasmus University (Europe), 
the programme is taught on location in five different counties on four continents. It is designed for senior executives with upwards of ten years professional experience and is considered a top-league programme both from a networking and a personal leadership development perspective.

3. The current trend in executive education concerns specific programmes. Does RSM Erasmus University focus on one specific area of expertise or does the school offer MBA programmes in different areas of expertise?
Each of RSM’s MBA programmes has been specifically designed to offer a broad and solid understanding across the full spectrum of issues in international business today – providing insights into all the different functional areas of a business. In addition to these core business courses, participants can decide to follow either an International General Management track or specialise in Finance, Marketing, or Strategy – three areas highly in demand by recruiters today. Within each of these tracks, various themes are incorporated including corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability.

4. The content and specialisation of the programmes are continually changing. How do you assure the actuality of your programmes?
Many aspects of the world of international business are changing rapidly. The curriculum of our MBA specialisations are adapted and modified continuously to reflect these global trends. We also invite renowned scholars and key industry innovators to contribute their unique perspectives and insights. This keeps our course content fresh and relevant and gives the RSM’s MBA Programmes their unique global flavour. 
Core faculty, in association with our research institute ERIM, are also at the leading edge of management research and share the very latest ideas and management thinking with our students.

General questions:

5. The MBA is very important in North America and Great Britain. What is your estimation of the programme’s acceptance in Germany and Europe at large?
To best understand the value of an MBA in any market it is important to understand the extent to which the corporate world values the MBA degree. In the past ten years, there has been a significant shift in the corporate world in Europe towards the hiring of MBA graduates. This is a result, in part, of efforts by top MBA programmes to educate the public and the corporate world alike through the media and through strategic partnerships with local and multinational corporations. However, the single most important vector for change has been the MBA graduates themselves, who have invested in an MBA and launched themselves into the European job market – setting an example and reinforcing to companies the immense value of this degree in terms of performance.

Germany, in general, seems to be more and more open to the MBA degree. German companies now have vested interests in MBA programmes, clearly seeking new management talent. Key, however, seems to be young German-speaking talent themselves who are actively searching the web, speaking to colleagues, and attending targeted MBA events both in and outside of Germany, learning more about the value of an MBA on the international market.

6. Some critics argue that postgraduate education does not necessarily bring the professional success that students expect. Do you agree with this?
I don’t think anything guarantees success, however I can say that 99% of the graduates from our full-time MBA Class of 2006 were in full-time employment within three months of graduation. All had experienced a significant increase in salary: the average salary of RSM's MBA Class of 2006 is US$104,426, just one year after graduation. Beyond figures, almost all our students can attest to the sense of both personal and professional empowerment that their MBA has brought them – a heightened understanding of the world and its opportunities, and a real sense of how they can turn these opportunities into reality.

7. Many prospective students make their decision about whether or not to participate in an MBA programme depending on future career opportunities. What career developments can students expect after participating in an MBA programme at RSM Erasmus University?
See figures above. Our participants can expect to have far greater choice in terms of possible careers. Access to more options is perhaps the most pronounced benefit. The curriculum is designed in such a way that by the end of the programme, even for those who chose a specialised track, participants are in a position where they can choose to go into a general management position, become a consultant, or start their own business. Many of our graduates are successful entrepreneurs in many different industries.
Approximately 1/3 of the class of 2006 entered roles in consulting, 25% took positions in sales and marketing, and 22% took financial positions.
The benefits of the MBA far stretch beyond immediate employment prospects. Participants can expect to be taken more seriously in the long-term by senior management as high-potential employees – an MBA indicates ambition, dedication, and an understanding of how a company operates in a global context across all aspects of the business, from finance to strategy. RSM graduates can expect to be equipped with an expansive and global network of contacts, vastly increasing their career options for the rest of their professional lives.

Specific questions about the programme:

8. How many MBA programmes are on offer at RSM Erasmus University?

Three. Please see answer to question 2.

9. Which MBA programme has the highest enrolment number at your school?

The International Full-time MBA programme. We deliberately limit the class size to 120 participants to preserve the community-feel of the programme, as well as the focus on individual development. This is followed closely by our Executive MBA which last year had 118 participants.

10. The success of an MBA programme depends upon various factors. What are the reasons for the positive development of this programme?
There are numerous reasons for the success of RSM’s MBA programmes (ranked 12 in Europe by the FT). RSM is not a new player in the MBA programme market, and experience helps. We have almost unparalleled networks both with other top schools, and within the corporate community. The school is part of Erasmus University, which is also a prestigious and outstanding academic institute and gives us access to the vast wealth of resources that this university offers, including a top-three Europe research institute (the Erasmus Research Institute of Management ERIM) and its expansive cohort of top faculty. RSM has always had a very business and market-oriented nature to it – being founded by the management community – and as such has always been quick to anticipate trends and respond to them. For instance, RSM’s MBA programmes have been international for many years, and are still considered one of the most international in Europe. Lastly, the MBA programmes have very much a community feel to them, with relatively small classes and a lot of attention given to the individual, their personal development and their career goals. This is not something that every MBA programme offers.
 
11. The more that an executive education programme is specific to the needs of a certain target group, the greater its success. Which groups are you aiming to target with your programme?
In the Executive MBA we are not targeting a certain group as such. We have a very large clientele base that incorporates a large portion of the expat community working for multinational companies, as well as successful Dutch companies and managers. Our EMBA participants are seeking generally to increase their exposure to international business practices and to develop themselves both personally and professionally as managers and leaders. So in fact our target group is quite large, and what we boast is flexibility in our programme. A strong core and then flexibility so that each individual can best tailor the EMBA to their own specific needs. We’re not targeting one group from one target. At the executive level we don’t get into recruitment. Most are corporately sponsored.    

This is an interesting question because the guiding principle behind our recruitment efforts is to bring together a completely heterogeneous and diverse group of candidates. We are therefore not targeting one particular group from one country with one mindset, but individuals from all walks of life who are sensitive to the benefits we offer at RSM – that of immersion in total diversity. We find that individuals from particularly homogenous regions such as the Americas are particularly responsive to this draw card because they are looking for exposure to diversity in preparation for working for an international company.

12. The market for executive education offers a wide range of programmes with a similar structure. What are the advantages of your programme in comparison with those offered by your competitors?
The number one attribute in demand by recruiters of the world’s largest companies in prospective employees is people skills – the ability to deal effectively with other people in a global context.
Successful executives understand how their own frames of reference have developed and how these impact their decision-making processes. Because of this understanding, they are better able to appreciate why different people behave in particular ways, and work with this difference to bring about results.
At RSM we encourage people to confront their beliefs and assumptions. Openly engaging with others on a global level raises fundamental questions and brings with it a certain amount of personal discomfort. While this makes group processes more difficult, it generates a richer learning environment and promotes greater conceptual and creative thinking ability. This significantly enhances decision-making abilities and, most importantly, implementation skills.

The discussion about whether an MBA programme should be attended full time or part time is ongoing. Does RSM Erasmus University offer full or part time programmes? What’s your opinion about e-learning and distance learning courses?
See answer above. We believe that both the full-time and part-time programmes deliver comparable career benefits. The decision as to whether you choose a full-time or part-time programme depends on your career stage and whether you can afford to take a year out of work. For those who can, the full-time programme is an amazing investment. For those who have a family to support or are not looking to change jobs immediately, the executive programme is an equally good option. The cornerstones of our approach at RSM are that immersion in a diverse environment and our related teaching methods are the most effective way for acquiring leadership skills. While e-learning may provide theoretical content, the lack of this human aspect means a fundamental part of learning is lost.

13. MBA programmes that have been around for a long time have a higher amount of publicity and a greater number of alumni. When did your MBA programme start and how many students have graduated since then?
Our MBA programme was launched in 1985. 3278 alumni have since graduated.

14. How many of your students attending postgraduate programmes are German?
We have eight Germans in this year’s full-time programme, one in last year’s EMBA, and two in last year’s OneMBA. We are seeing more German applications in the pipeline for all programmes. 

15. Finally: What advice can you give future students?
Before you make your decision as to which MBA programme to choose, visit your short-list of schools at their campuses and meet with their staff, faculty, and current students, in person. This is the only way to get a real feel for a programme. Therefore -come and visit us in Rotterdam!