| MBA IN MACAU: REVOLUTIONIZE OR PERISH In-Mei Iao & Siew-Huat Kong Issue 28 (Vol. 14, No. 2), December 2004, pp. 135-151. Many organizations hire MBA graduates on the assumption that this special class of human resource will bring some specialized knowledge and skills to the organizations. In the perceptions of the graduates, the degree also implies improved competencies and better career prospects. This study is an attempt to analyze, from the perspectives of both the recruiters and MBA graduates, the key suppositions just-mentioned. Survey on the MBA graduates shows that their decision to enter the programme is based far more on personal needs than social trends, while the perceived value of an MBA is found mainly in advancing the graduates�� career prospects and increasing their competitive advantages rather than immediate huge salary increases. The MBA respondents suggest that the conceptual skills are the most important result they obtained from the programme, which the recruiters do not perceive as very important in their selection process. The recruiters, on the other hand, are more concerned about getting from the MBA graduates technical work skills, interpersonal skills, and communication skills but they are unfortunately short in supply. It is hoped that this finding will be able to contribute towards the discourse on the purpose and content of management education. |