The Contribution of Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) to Business Leaders in Hong Kong

Abstract

In the last decades, the value of Executive MBA (EMBA) program has been a controversial issue hotly discussed by both researchers and practitioners. Nevertheless, the tuition of EMBA programs is getting higher and higher and has reached more than $150,000 USD for completing the whole EMBA program. More importantly, it has attracted many influential leaders from different areas to attend the program. So, what exactly are the contributions of the EMBA programs to these leaders?

This research aims to provide insights in understanding the contribution of Executive MBA program to the business leaders in Hong Kong. In particular, it is intended to understand why and how the EMBA programs create impact to the participants.

To achieve the mentioned objectives, this research has used in-depth interview as the research approach to collect data. Thematic analysis has been used to analyze the scripts of the in-depth interviews. First, I have analyzed each individual case to gain insights on what the interviewees consider as valuable. Then, I have conducted a cross-case analysis to identify the common values, and factors facilitating and blocking the EMBA participants to gain those values.

Based on the results of the analysis, I have identified the 12 values that are considered to be impactful to the EMBA learners. These values can be further classified into two types, namely, the source of preparing for the future and the source of transformation. Then, I further discuss how the interviewees have gained the mentioned values. On the other hand, the factors that blocked learners to gain the mentioned values are also discussed.

Based on the research results, recommendations are made to design the curriculum, deliver the program and recruit the right students. Academically, it is expected the results in this research can contribute to shed further insights on transformative learning in the Asian learning culture. Practically, it will serve as guidelines to develop EMBA and other taught post graduate programs.

Date of Award	25 Jun 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Bristol
Supervisor	Lisa Lucas (Supervisor)