4 Ways in Which an Executive MBA Benefits Employers

4 Ways in Which an Executive MBA Benefits Employers

The executive MBA (EMBA) is flexible by its very nature, with its part-time format designed to accommodate the busy working lives of the experienced professionals top business schools aim to attract. However, the need to juggle study, work and family can be a daunting prospect for any candidate weighing up whether they should do an EMBA.  

The next four sections outline the benefits an executive MBA can bring to a candidate’s current place of work; a list of pros that can also offer valuable ammunition to those looking to bid for employer sponsorship.

What top business schools teach on Friday can be implemented on Monday

The world’s top business schools offering the executive MBA format (see QS’s rankings here) teach the essentials of business management, alongside the latest concepts and industry trends. What is learned during an evening or over a weekend can, in many cases, be applied immediately at work.

You might be studying balance sheets to appraise business performance, for example, or you may be evaluating the principles of marketing. Much of what is learned in class, hard skills especially, will have direct transferability. Deborah Peracchi, a graduate of MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business says, "An EMBA effectively teaches you the grammar and syntax of business administration – the theory helping the practice."

Soft skills, such as self-awareness, cross-cultural competency and critical thinking are also worked on in both theory and practice – the latter through interactions with peers and faculty in class, or with external stakeholders when working on projects that partner with industry practitioners. Most executive MBA programs also provide personalized leadership training and coaching, allowing participants to learn about and hone their own managerial style, which they can then trial at work as well as throughout the course. 

How an EMBA can fast-track internal career advancement

Applying what's learned at business school to the workplace can improve not only a company's business and strategic operations, but also its balance sheet. Alejandro Parilli, an EMBA graduate from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management, says that his studies helped him become a more effective decision maker and strategist. As a result of what he learned during the executive MBA program, he was able to motivate and work to the needs of his team more effectively and implement better cost-saving measures.

Channeling new skills and ideas into company projects and initiatives also sends a positive signal to the senior management of a student’s existing company. In observing progress in an individual as well as how peers and the company also benefit, bosses are significantly more likely to lean towards endorsing EMBA students and graduates for internal promotions.

The degree is also an opportunity to meet tens of fellow executive MBA peers, an immediate extension of your network of contacts, and a team that will remain by your side for the duration of the program. Your EMBA classmates are likely to come from diverse backgrounds and industries, bringing with them an array of fresh insights and experiences.  

Most executive MBA programs offer participants the opportunity to carry out a consultancy project, either independently or alongside their peers. Choosing to consult for one’s own company in these instances is an added opportunity to add real value to the organization.  Wherever the gaze of a consultancy project falls, the guidance of faculty and the shared input of peers provides a level of support that simply wouldn't exist under normal circumstances. This support is often described, therefore, as confidence-affirming, and something which readies and steadies graduates for future consultancy projects.

Alumni networks benefit employees and employers

Top business schools offer some of the largest and most prestigious alumni networks. One of the reasons many students choose to do an MBA, in any of its formats, is to have this exclusive access. Career progression and who you know are very much intertwined.

However, in the case of the EMBA, alumni networks do not need to be relegated for personal use alone. A student’s company can also benefit. Enrolling in an executive MBA opens doors to people who work within a vast array of different industries, and this is highly likely to include industries with which a student’s existing company has associations or potential shard interests. In this sense, the ability to reach out to key decision makers through business schools’ alumni networks can make EMBA graduates an invaluable asset to any organization.  

Executive MBA graduates can help business development

Due to the nature of an executive MBA program, employers don’t need to worry about employees changing careers once they complete the program. EMBA graduates usually have the sole objective to rise or maintain a strong placement within their own organization.

Taking into account the importance of boosting the success of the own organization, Executive MBA students are required to pursue a project that is relevant within their workplace, meaning EMBA graduates could directly link their studies to the success of the business.

For example, students can use their “Master Thesis” as a company project to solve challenges and issues occurring within the company, essentially acting as a consultant for their own organization.