Entering the Swiss MBA market - an individual experience

The stereotypes of Switzerland abound and are as numerous as they are diverse. On the one hand there are the cultural stereotypes of intricate watch-making, holey-cheese, mountains, snow, skiing and, of course, chocolate. On the other side are the political stereotypes of neutrality, secrecy, international organizations, global accords and the economic stereotypes of low taxes, financial institutions, and stability.Many of these characteristics are true and some are unique to Switzerland, but what is certain is that everyone will be able to conjure their own specific image of what Switzerland is. Switzerland holds a unique place in Europe and many of the attributes listed above are a direct result of both the country's central location and social integration with its large European neighbours, but also, paradoxically, its isolation and separation from these same neighbours.

Switzerland spans three language zones, German, French and Italian (the three official languages) and the internationality of its population ( 25% non-Swiss ) makes English a defacto  fourth official language. Combining this favourable social environment with low corporate tax rates, a high quality of life and one of the best networked economies in the world, Switzerland is an attractive destination for the European headquarters of many leading multinational corporations. Some of the recent regional HQ arrivals have included Kraft Foods and Yahoo!, joining long-term residents such as Google, Toyota Europe, Microsoft, IBM, and ABB.

Now, Switzerland is leading the way in MBA and executive education.  Located approximately one hour from the country's two leading economic centres of Geneva and Zurich are IMD (considered by many the best MBA program in Europe) and the University of St.Gallen (arguably one of the strongest business universities on continental Europe).  Following from these two institutions are a small network of some 10 public universities providing world class education and research at the forefront of their respective fields.

While the programs vary on content and style, the strategies of the two leading MBA business schools are very similar - to make maximum use of the local network among multinationals at the same time as broadening awareness of their programs internationally. IMD has been leading the European market for more than a decade now and is used as a benchmark for many MBAs.  On the other hand St.Gallen is a relatively new entrant to the market and has entered straight into the top tier of the sector.

Creating great customer experience emerges as the last main aspect in an increasingly competitive MBA market. Even if schools added soft skills training and elements of thought leadership to their value proposition, only a tiny number actually master the skill of creating a unique learning atmosphere and experience in general. Most business schools run like well-oiled machines to cope with the high number of students in the system.
Little or no attention is allocated to the individual person.

Setting the stage for classroom experiences and discussions can make the learning journey much more enjoyable. Another factor distinguishing top schools is the overall philosophy of running the programs with the service management mentality of a five-star hotel. A substantial amount of individual attention can be paid to the personal needs and situation of every candidate. The St. Gallen MBA career development program, for instance, helps participants gain insight into what really matters to them and where they have to excel to achieve their greatest potential. Career services go beyond mere personal SWOT analyses. The goal of the career service office of the St. Gallen MBA is to enable a wide range of "weak ties" for the MBA candidates by thinking in terms of networking. These are more or less formal ways to get in contact with managers and future employers and to discover common ground and clarify a mutual match. The next big task is helping program participants turn those weak ties into strong ties, with the strongest tie being the future employer. Career opportunities represent a strong motivator for an MBA, so these kinds of career services are crucial for a rounded off program.

Business schools face the same trend many companies know inside out. Tough competition is part of everybody's agenda. All top universities have to fulfil their academic social responsibility. They need to supply companies with actionable knowledge in the form of management tools and concepts. They also need to churn out talent to help companies navigate through stormy waters. Eventually, business schools have to fulfil a service to their program participants. No graduate or manager is hired because he or she is a one-star category choice. They are recruited because of their quality. Business schools at the top end will therefore also be selected according to their service attitude. The concept of a well-oiled machine is thereby clearly no alternative to a five-star hotel mentality. One recipe for success in service organizations remains unchanged though: "good can always be done better".