The value of total immersion

Global MBS programmes certainly aren't cheap, but applications for courses are up for a reason, says Emma Haughton

Corporate cutbacks and an increasing fear surrounding international travel have done little to halt globalisation. Not surprising then, that so called global MBAs – delivered in several countries – are thriving, with more top-ranking schools getting in on the act. London Business School (LBS) reports a 55 per cent increase in applications for the third intake on its Executive MBA Global programme (EMBA-GLOBAL). Quite an achievement when many other MBA courses are remaining fairly static.

So what's the attraction? According to Eric Weber, associate dean for MBA programmes at IESE business school in Barcelona, the global MBA is aimed at a different target group. "For those prepared to accept the relatively high opportunity cost of not working for two years, we've long had a full-time course for people in their mid-twenties looking to leave their current employer for a period and reintroduce themselves to the business world afterwards. We've also got the executive MBA, in our case a local programme based in Madrid and taught in Spanish."

But the school felt there was a demand for another programme catering for individuals a little further along in their career "for those wanting to do an MBA, but not to stop working," says Weber, "and at the same time wanting exposure to people from other parts of the world. Basically we're trying to replicate the Executive MBA format, but with the value of the full-time programme both in curriculum and different nationalities in the cohort."

But demographics is not the only driver, according to Melissa McCrindle, director of marketing at the University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business. The growth in global MBAs is in direct response to the changing needs of recruiters and students.

"There is a definite need to be able to operate globally," McCrindle says. "The research we carried out with recruiters showed that they were really interested in people with potential for senior management roles who have lived and managed in different cultural environments and who have practical experience of languages. Global programmes immerse students in different cultures while gaining an MBA qualification, allowing graduates to claim they are truly international managers."

"We don't believe in a travelling circus, however," insists Eric Weber. "Most of these managers spend enough time travelling in their professional life, so we only take the class to places that are meaningful. Silicon valley has been a transforming force in the business world since the Fifties, for instance, while Shanghai is a prime example of an emerging economy. It's only by actually going there students can really immerse themselves in what is going on in these places."

Though the course content doesn't differ substantially from a normal MBA, participants walk away from IESE's global EMBA with a clearer perspective of the world's diversity, says Weber. "Different cultures, different attitudes, different ways of doing business – we challenge their attitudes towards a lot of things," he says.

But most of all they learn from each other, he says. These students are highly motivated individuals, typically working an average of 60 hours a week, as well as having families. "They get exposure on how to deal with those sorts of pressures from each other, along with a lot of other things that enrich these individuals far beyond what peers on a local programme could provide."

Indeed, the global networking opportunities are very much what a global MBA is about, says Lynn Hoffman, director of LBS's EMBA-Global programme, which currently has 19 nationalities in a class of 65.

"They're all high-flyers in their organisations, and usually with some kind of transatlantic or global responsibility and destined to take on senior roles," Hoffman says. "This course gives them a trans-national exposure, access to two premium global cities and access to two completely different networks in the different schools."

However, it does come at a price. A global MBA from LBS/Columbia will set you back around £75,000, compared with £40,000 for its London-based Executive MBA. IESE charges around £50,000 for its version, and Strathclyde £21,000. Cheap it ain't, but it seems plenty of managers think it's worth it.

'I wanted a school with a global emphasis with participants from all over the world'

Ngozi Megwa, 34, is a sales and business department manager at American Express in the UK. She is in the second year of IESE's global EMBA in Barcelona

I wanted to do an MBA to supplement my managerial experience and take me a step forward into a more strategic position. I felt it would help me fine-tune my learning, acquire some new skills and build on my experience. But mainly I felt things are becoming so globalised, I wanted a school that had a really global emphasis with participants from all over the world so we could share learning. I wanted that real international exposure.

That's why the international modules are so important. In Silicon Valley we went to visit companies and had people come and talk to us, as well as attending networking functions. It gave us a real feel for the place – just sitting in class and talking about it wouldn't have had the same impact.

It's the same in terms of sharing experience. Being with people from so many different countries has already influenced the way I relate with other markets – I now take cultural differences into account more than previously, because the class interactions have made it easier to understand and be aware that these differences exist.

The course is already paying off. I'm getting involved in a lot more strategy, and I can talk with senior people in their own language. I can also see more clearly where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. And I feel much more confident that I will get there.