Enhancing Leadership Development in Kenyan MBA Programs
©2014
Academic Paper
178 Pages
Summary
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which MBA graduates perceived their MBA education experience to have contributed towards the development of global leadership competencies in their lives. The collected data related to what the respondents perceived to have observed vis-à-vis what they would have considered adequate for the development of global leadership competencies. Stratified sampling technique was used to select the respondents using disproportionate allocation of respondents within strata. Data relating to the key research objectives were analyzed using nonparametric tests specifically the Chi-square goodness of fit test and Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The study found a significant relationship between selected global leadership competencies and career success. Considering the amount of time allocated to the development of selected competencies, frequency of use of selected instructional methods, integration of theory with practice and, integration of MBA education with leadership values and ethics, the study concluded that the MBA education as offered in Kenyan business schools is not perceived by the respondents to be significantly enhancing the development of global leadership competencies among MBA graduates.
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
Enhancing Leadership Development
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ...i x
LIST OF TABLES ... x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ... xiii
LIST OF APPENDICES ... xv
DEDICATION ... xvi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ... 1
1.1
Background ... 1
1.2
The Status of Higher Education in Kenya ... 6
1.3
Problem Statement ... 7
1.4
Significance of the Study ... 8
1.5
Research Objectives ... 10
1.6
Research Questions and Hypotheses ... 10
1.7
Definitions of Terms ... 12
1.8
Limitations ... 13
1.9
Conclusion ... 13
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ... 15
2.1
Introduction ... 15
2.2
From Management Education to Leadership Education ... 15
2.3
The Need for Leadership Development ... 16
2.4
The Role of Business Schools in Leadership Development ... 20
Enhancing Leadership Development
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
2.5
Perceived Short-Comings of the MBA Programs... 22
2.6
The Content of MBA Programs ... 23
2.7
The 21st Century Global Business Environment ... 27
2.8
An Overview of Leadership Theory ... 30
2.9
The Focus of Leadership Development ... 34
2.10
Leadership Competencies Needed By the 21st Century Managers ... 35
2.11
Selected Global Leadership Competencies ... 38
2.11.1
Leading change ... 38
2.11.2
Cultural sensitivity ... 40
2.11.3
Teambuilding ... 42
2.11.4
Strategic leadership ... 43
2.11.5
Conflict management ... 44
2.11.6
Communication skills ... 44
2.11.7
Global leadership mindset ... 45
2.11.8
Leadership values and ethics ... 46
2.12
Learning Theories and Leadership Development ... 48
2.13
Leadership Development Instructional Methods ... 50
2.13.1
The lecture method (LM) ... 52
2.13.2
The question and answer method (Q&A) ... 52
2.13.3
Group discussions method (GD) ... 53
2.13.4
The case study analyses method (CSA) ... 53
2.13.5
Experiential learning (EL)... 54
2.13.6
Action Learning (AL) ... 55
2.14
Leadership Theory and Practice Integration (LTPI) ... 56
2.15
Leadership Values and Ethics Integration (LVEI) ... 56
2.16
Conceptual Framework ... 58
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ... 59
3.1
Research Design ... 59
3.2
Population ... 59
3.3
Sampling Procedure ... 59
3.4
Sample Size Determination ... 61
3.5
Sampling Frame ... 62
3.6
Data Collection Instrument and Procedure ... 62
3.7
Data Quality Control ... 63
3.8
Treatment of Missing Data ... 64
3.9
Data Analysis ... 64
3.10
Ethical Considerations ... 65
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION ... 66
4.1
Introduction ... 66
4.2
Distribution of Respondents by Demographic Data ... 66
4.2.1
Distribution of respondents by gender ... 66
4.2.2
Distribution of respondents by work experience ... 66
4.2.3
Distribution of respondents by work context ... 67
4.2.4
Distribution of the respondents by institutional religious orientation ... 68
4.3
Objective 1: GLCs as Predictors of Success ... 68
4.3.1
Leading change as a predictor of career success ... 69
4.3.2
Cultural competence as a predictor of career success ... 71
4.3.3
Teambuilding as a predictor of success... 72
4.3.4
Conflict management as a predictor of career success ... 74
4.3.5
Strategic leadership as a predictor of career success ... 76
4.3.6
Global leadership mindset as predictor of career success ... 78
4.3.7
Communication skills competence as a predictor of career success ... 81
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
4.3.8
Leadership values and ethics as a predictor of career success ... 83
4.4
Objective 2: GLCs Development Time Investment ... 84
4.5
Objective 3: GLC Development Instructional Methods ... 86
4.6
Objective 4: Integration of MBA Education with leadership values and ethics ... 87
4.7
Objective 5: Leadership Theory and Practice Integration ... 89
CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH FINDINGS... 92
5.1
Introduction ... 92
5.2
Methods and Procedures ... 92
5.3
Findings by Objectives ... 93
5.3.1
Objective 1: GLCs as predictors of career success ... 93
5.3.2
Objective 2: Attention given to GLCs development ... 95
5.3.3
Objective 3: Instructional methods used in GLCs development ... 98
5.3.4
Objective 4: LVE integration with MBA education ... 101
5.3.5
Objective 5: Leadership theory and practice integration (LTPI) ... 103
CHAPTER 6: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ... 106
6.1
Global Leadership Competencies and Career Success ... 106
6.2
Time Devoted to Competencies Development ... 107
6.3
Global Leadership Competencies Development Instructional Methods ... 108
6.4
Leadership Values and Ethics Integration with MBA Education ... 109
6.5
Leadership Theory and Practice Integration (LTPI) ... 110
6.6
Recommendations ... 110
6.6.1
Program goals and objectives... 110
6.6.2
Time and resource investment ... 111
6.6.3
Use of appropriate instructional strategies ... 111
6.6.4
Integration of MBA education with leadership values and ethics ... 111
6.6.5
Link classroom experience with on-the-job application ... 112
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REFERENCES ... 113
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LIST OF FIGURES
Number
page
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework ... 58
Figure 2. Distribution of respondents by gender ... 66
Figure 3: Distribution of respondents by experience ... 67
Figure 4. Respondents' distribution by work context ... 67
Figure 5. Distribution of respondents by institutional religious orientation ... 68
Figure 6. Chi-square test frequencies for LC competence ... 70
Figure 7. Chi-square test frequencies for cultural competence ... 72
Figure 8. Teambuilding competence as a predictor of success ... 74
Figure 9. Chi-square test frequencies for conflict management ... 76
Figure 10. Chi-square test frequencies for strategic leadership ... 78
Figure 11.Chi-square test frequencies for global leadership mindset competence ... 80
Figure 12. Chi-square test frequencies for communications skills ... 82
Figure 13.Chi-square test frequencies for leadership values & ethics ... 84
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LIST OF TABLES
Number Page
Table 1. Sampling Strata... 60
Table 2. Disproportionate sample allocation using equal allocation ... 61
Table 3. Descriptive statistics for leading change ... 69
Table 4. Leading change chi-square test frequencies ... 69
Table 5. Chi-square test statistics for leading change ... 70
Table 6. Descriptive statistics for cultural competence ... 71
Table 7. Cultural competence chi-square test frequencies ... 71
Table 8. Chi-square test statistics for cultural competence ... 72
Table 9. Descriptive statistics for teambuilding competence ... 73
Table 10. Chi-square test frequencies for teambuilding competence ... 73
Table 11. Chi-square Test Statistics for teambuilding... 74
Table 12. Descriptive statistics for conflict management ... 75
Table 13. Chi-square test frequencies for conflict management competence ... 75
Table 14. Chi-square test statistics for conflict management ... 76
Table 15. Descriptive statistics for strategic leadership ... 77
Table 16. Chi-square test frequencies for strategic leadership ... 77
Table 17. Chi-square test frequencies and test statistics for strategic leadership ... 78
Table 18. Descriptive statistics for global leadership competencies ... 79
Table 19. Chi- square test frequencies for global leadership mindset ... 79
Table 20. Chi-square test statistics for global leadership mindset ... 80
Table 21. Descriptive statistics for communication skills ... 81
Table 22. Chi-square test frequencies for communication skills ... 81
Table 23. Chi-square test statistics for communication skills ... 82
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LIST OF TABLES (Continued).
Number
Page
Table 24. Descriptive statistics for leadership values and ethics ... 83
Table 25. Chi-square test frequencies for leadership values and ethics ... 83
Table 26. Chi-square test statistics for leadership values & ethics ... 84
Table 27. Wilcoxon test statistics for GLCs time investment ... 85
Table 28. Wilcoxon signed ranks test statistics for usage of selected instructional methods .. 87
Table 29. Wilcoxon descriptive statistics for LVEI ... 88
Table 30. Wilcoxon signed ranks test frequencies for LVE integration ... 88
Table 31. Wilcoxon test statistics
a
for LVE Integration ... 89
Table 32. Wilcoxon descriptive statistics for LTP integration ... 90
Table 33. Wilcoxon signed ranks test for LTP integration ... 90
Table 34. Wilcoxon test statistics
a
for LTP intgration ... 91
Table 35. Chi-square test results for GLCs as predictors of career success ... 93
Table 36. Summary of means, medians and frequency of agreement ... 94
Table 37. Wilcoxon test statistics for time investment in selected competencies ... 96
Table 38. GLCs development time investment (means & medians) ... 97
Table 39. Comparative summary results for instructional methods ... 99
Table 40. Expected usage of lecture * program strata crosstabulation ... 100
Table 41. Perceived usage of experiential learning* program strata crosstabulation ... 101
Table 42. Comparative summary results for LVE integration ... 102
Table 43. Comparative summary test results for LTP integration ... 103
Table 44. LTP perceived integration * program strata crosstabulation ... 104
Table 45. MBA schools in Kenya with graduating class in 2011 ... 143
Table 46. Perceived time for GLM* program strata crosstabulation ... 144
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LIST OF TABLES (Continued).
Number
Page
Table 47. Global leadership mindset competency* program strata crosstabulation (ET)... 145
Table 48. Perceived time for LVE * Program strata crosstabulation ... 146
Table 49. Expected time for LVE * Program strata crosstabulation ... 147
Table 50. Expected usage for EL* program strata crosstabulation ... 148
Table 51. LVE Perceived integration * program strata crosstabulation ... 149
Table 52. LVE expected integration * program strata crosstabulation ... 150
Table 53. Expected integration for LTP * program strata crosstabulation ... 151
Table 54. Perceived usage of lecture * program strata crosstabulation ... 152
Table 55. Wilcoxon comparative descriptive statistics for selected GLCs time investment .. 153
Table 56. Wilcoxon signed ranks test statistics for time invested in developing GLCs ... 154
Table 57. Descriptive statistics for GLCs instructional methods usage ... 157
Table 58. Wilcoxon signed ranks test for selected instructional methods ... 158
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xiii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
List of Universities with MBA Programs
ANU
Africa Nazarene University
DA
Daystar University
EU
Egerton University
JKUAT Jomo Kenyatta University Of Agriculture And Technology
KEMU Kenya Methodist University
KU
Kenyatta University
MU
Moi University
SU
Strathmore University
UON
University Of Nairobi
USIU
United States International University
List of Global Leadership Competencies
CM
Conflict Management
CS
Communication Skills
GLM
Global Leadership Mindset
LC
Leading Change
LVE
Leadership Values And Ethics
SL
Strategic Leadership
TB
Teambuilding
Instructional Methods
AL
Action Learning
CSA
Case Study Analysis
EL
Experiential Learning
GD
Group Discussion
LM
Lecture Method
Q&A
Question And Answer
Others terms
EFA
Education For All
ET
Expected Time
GLC
Global Leadership Competency
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IPAR
The Institute Of Policy Analysis And Research
MBA
Master Of Business Administration
MoEST Ministry Of Education, Science And Technology
NESC
National Economic And Social Council
PT
Perceived Time
LTPI
Leadership Theory and Practice Integration
LVEI
Leadership Values and Ethics Integration
S1 = Stratum 1
S2 = Stratum 2
S3 = Stratum 3
S4 = Stratum 4
PrivSml = Private Small (class)
PrivLar = Private Large (class)
Pubsml = Public Small (class)
PubLar = Public Large (class)
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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Informed Consent Letter ... 137
Appendix 2: Questionnaire ... 139
Appendix 3: MBA Schools with a graduating class in 2011 ... 143
Appendix 4: Crosstabulation Tables ... 144
Appendix 5: GLCs Development Time Investment ... 153
Appendix 6: Selected instructional methods frequency of use ... 157
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my parents:
Dad, thank you for believing and affirming me at a very early age. You words have kept me
going.
Mum, thank you for modeling determination and hard work to me and my siblings.
You were both great!
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
The list of Africa's development challenges is long and well documented (Eckert &
Rweyongoza, 2010; Munkumba, 2010; World Bank, 1999). Kauzya appropriately described
Africa as a continent;
...caught up in a complex development situation in which it is being pushed by very
many forces including two strong socio-politico-economic waves. The first one which
is the strongest wave is the desperate need to develop its people and get them out of
the claws of abject poverty. The other one is to be an effective player in global
governance, tap the benefits of globalization for the African people and avert the
threats posed by globalization in Africa's development process (Kauzya, 2007, p. 4).
In response to these challenges, stakeholders including the African governments,
development partners and, donor agencies in the past have adopted various approaches to
solve the continent's development challenges. A few significant measures adopted in this
regard include donor funding, structural adjustment programs (SAPs), as well as exerting
pressure on political regimes to adopt and accelerate perceived suitable changes in
governance. In spite of all the efforts and the massive investment channeled towards such
endeavors, the results have been minimal and difficult to quantify.
In the recent years, quality education in Africa has come to be widely acknowledged as a
necessary tool for economic growth and development (Bloom, Canning & Chan, 2006; Barro
& Sala-i-Martin, 1995). This position has been highlighted in a number of World Bank
reports (World Bank, 1999; World Bank, 2004) with specific emphasis on the crucial role
played by tertiary education in technical and professional capacity building.
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2
A report sponsored jointly by World Bank, and UNESCO (The Task Force on Higher
Education and Society, 2000) stressed the centrality of higher education as a means to
national prosperity especially within the context of the global economy where knowledge has
assumed a leading role in developing competitive advantage. Consequently, national
competitiveness within the global economy has come to be viewed as a function of the
quality of knowledge generated within its higher education institutions.
In terms of technological development, Bloom, Canning and Chan (2006) have shown that
African higher education has the potential to assist countries with technological catch-up and
thus improve the possibility for faster growth. In their own words, "Higher education may
create greater tax revenue, increase savings and investment, and lead to a more
entrepreneurial and civic society. It can also improve a nation's health, contribute to reduced
population growth, improve technology, and strengthen governance" (p. 1).
Nyaigoti-Chacha discussing the need for reforming higher education in Kenya was of the
view that institutions of higher education ought to be positioned to create the human capital
necessary to keep pace with the knowledge revolution. Further to that he argues, "Current
leaders must be trained, new leaders prepared, and students identified who will both lead and
study higher education for the future" (Nyaigoti-Chacha, 2004, p.6).
The future role of the African University may be aptly summed up in the words of former UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan in a press release where he argued:
The university must become a primary tool for Africa's development in the new
century. Universities can help develop African expertise; they can enhance the
analysis of African problems; strengthen domestic institutions; serve as a model
environment for the practice of good governance, conflict resolution and respect for
Enhancing Leadership Development
3
human rights, and enable African academics to play an active part in the global
community of scholars (United Nations Information Service, 2000)
Higher education in Africa has considerable potential for making a tangible contribution
towards resolving the core of Africa's development challenges. This is especially so in the
area of leadership and capacity building. The need for leadership capacity building is urgent
for countries and organizations in Africa where leaders perceive leadership positions as an
opportunity for amassing personal gain rather than chance for advancing public good and
agenda (Eckert & Rweyongoza, 2010). Munkumba (2010) described the leadership situation
in Sub-Sahara Africa as one characterized by lack of rule of law, a dearth of people with
integrity, and the idealization of criminals who steal from public coffers.
The report by the commission for Africa (2005) aptly described the need for skilled leaders in
Africa as expressed in the following words:
Africa needs leaders. Strong leaders committed to change are one of the key drivers to
progress. Developing the capabilities of leaders at all levels and in all spheres
political, the public sector, business and civil society is critical to African led
sustainable development (p.132).
In addition to solving Africa's typical problems of unemployment, poverty, disease,
corruption and underdevelopment, Africa needs leaders who will be able to cope with the
challenges created by globalization while at the same time seizing the opportunities and
harnessing the benefits it presents (Kauzya, 2007).
African leaders need to be prepared adequately to play an active role in the global arena. It is
not enough to look at and be disappointed at the widespread leadership failure and wonder
what is wrong with Africa. Someone must take responsibility for developing leaders.
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4
For that reason, universities and institutions of higher learning in Africa are well placed to
facilitate this daunting task of raising leaders. As Kauzya (2007) points out, "They need to
review their programmes and include new ones aimed at current and future leaders for
governments, private sector enterprises and civil society organizations focusing on the central
challenges posed by globalization" (p.18)
In spite of the glaring need for leadership education in Africa, leadership development has
not been identified as a need worthy addressing by the education systems. In Kenya for
instance, the lack of emphasis on leadership development is apparent as one examines the
priorities of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) within which the
responsibility of providing education lies.
The Ministry's expressed vision is to provide "quality education for development," and its
mission is "to provide, promote and co-ordinate lifelong education, training and research for
Kenya's sustainable development" (Kinuthia, 2009). The Ministry's key objectives (Ministry
of Education, 2008) which define its priority include;
1. Achieving education for all (EFA) by 2015;
2. Achieving transition rate of 70% from 57% for primary to secondary school;
3. Enhancing access, equity and quality in primary and secondary education; and
4. Developing a national strategy for technical and vocational education and training
leading to the rehabilitation of the physical facilities and equipment and making sure
that vocational and technical institutions are appropriately equipped by 2010;
5. Expanding public universities and increase the number and proportion of all students
studying science subjects to 50%, with at least one third being women by 2010; and
6. Achieving 50% improvement of adult literacy by 2015 (Ministry of Education, 2008).
Enhancing Leadership Development
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What becomes obvious as one reads through the MoEST vision, mission and objectives, is
the conspicuous lack of any reference to leadership development as a priority for solving the
country's problems. The same applies to the catalogues of most of the public institutions of
higher learning and the Kenya's Vision 2030.
Vision 2030 serves as the nation's development blueprint for the period 2008 to 2030.
According to the National Economic and Social Council of Kenya (NESC), Vision 2030 had
its origins in 2004 when:
The government appointed a team of imminent persons to the National Economic and
Social Council of Kenya (NESC) to offer valuable advice on critical issues on the
country's overall development aimed at developing a long term vision for the country.
The team of eminent persons, drawn from the public and private sectors, the academia
and civil society was tasked with conceptualizing Kenyan's long term vision, dubbed
the Vision 2030 (http://www.nesc.go.ke).
Vision 2030's overall objective is to transform Kenya into a middle income economy by the
year 2030. However, it equally overlooks the need for developing effective leaders as a
means to economic development. In reference to education and training, the vision document
states that "Kenya will provide a globally competitive and quality education, training and
research" (Government of the Republic of Kenya, 2007; Kinuthia, 2009).
While acknowledging and applauding the value of the national education objectives and goals
as outlined by the MoEST and the Vision 2030, the omission of leadership capacity building
as a national objective remains a paradox especially in the face of the leadership vacuum
evidenced in various sectors of society.
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1.2
The Status of Higher Education in Kenya
"Kenya suffers quality of education setback" was the heading of the lead article in the local
Business Daily of April 23, 2010. In this article, the journalist describes how poor quality
education has been eroding Kenya's skills base, and by so doing adding to the list of
challenges facing the country in its quest for high rate of economic growth and the realization
of a newly industrialized status by 2030 (Kimani, 2010).
The poor quality of higher education in Kenya has been a matter of concern to academicians,
political leaders, employers and, education based agencies. For instance, the national literacy
survey report released by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) pointed out the
fact that graduates entering the labor market from the institutions of higher learning in Kenya
were of poor quality and that there was a significant mismatch between the market needs and
the skills level of graduates (Wambugu, Munga & Onsomu, 2009)
Maathai (2009), a Kenyan winner of the Nobel peace prize and a one time member of the
Kenyan parliament was of the view that Africa needed a revolution in its leadership. In her
own words such a revolution needed to come "not only from the politicians who govern, but
from an active citizenry that places its country above the narrow needs of its own ethnic
group or community" (p.18).
The Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) in reference to the general state of
education in Kenya described the situation as an education crisis in spite of the many reports
from `Commissions' and `Task Forces' that have recommended comprehensive review of the
education sector policies. According to IPAR (2008), "Access, equity, curriculum relevance
and quality challenges have characterized Kenya's education system over the years" (p.2).
This helps to explain the obvious mismatch between skills training and development needs.
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Chege (2006) evaluated the state of higher education in Kenya from an academician's
perspective and attributed the education crisis to a faulty philosophical basis. He describes the
Kenyan education system as a highly competitive learning system that picks out the best in
competition but neither in learning nor in moral commitment. Instead of this system, Chege
advocated for a developmental university that would meet all the standards of higher
education everywhere else in the world while at the same time actively participating in the
process of nation building.
Such an education system according to Chege has its curriculum, syllabus, research,
personnel, moral code and philosophy forged towards involvement in development in the
society. In conclusion, Chege postulated that, a moral or philosophical basis for higher
education institutions must first be put in place as foundation upon which to rebuild
institutions of higher education that can face the challenges of today in Kenya.
1.3
Problem Statement
Globalization has created the demand for global leadership competencies among business
leaders. This in turn, has made the development of global leadership competencies a crucial
measure of relevance of any business education program in the 21
st
century. In order to gauge
the relevance of their programs therefore, business schools need to solicit for stakeholder
feedback in regard to their business education program's ability to prepare their graduates to
address the challenges resulting from a changing global business environment.
In Kenya, while a wide section of education stakeholders such as academicians (Chege,
2006), independent agencies (IPAR, 2008), government agencies (Wambugu, Munga &
Onsomu, 2009) and the news media (Kimani, 2010), among others, have expressed their
outcry over the general poor quality and lack of relevance of education in Kenya, there
appears to be little documented feedback from MBA graduates regarding MBA programs'
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8
ability to enhance the development of global leadership competencies. This may have
contributed to the reported mismatch between the market needs and the skills level of
graduates.
Without effective and timely feedback from their graduates, business schools in Kenya risk
continuing with `business as usual' in disregard of the changing business environment. This
not only amounts to wasting their students' time and money but also, the squandering of a
crucial opportunity to make a positive contribution towards resolving the country's
development challenges.
As a starting point towards the assessment of the relevance of graduate business education in
Kenya, this study sought the graduates' perceptions regarding the MBA programs' potential
to enhance the development of selected global leadership competencies among its graduates.
1.4
Significance of the Study
Several reasons exist to justify the need for enhancing leadership development in Africa's
education system and particularly within the MBA programs in Kenya. What follows is a
discussion on some those reasons:
Kenya, like many others Sub-Sahara African countries has had its share of corrupt leadership
as demonstrated in political and economic scandals. The list of mega national economic
scams perpetuated by people in leadership positions include the Goldenberg (Karanja, 2003),
Euro Bank (Gichure, 2008), Anglo-leasing (West & Central African Monitor, 2006), Triton
oil (AfriCOG, 2009a), the Kenya Maize scandal (AfriCOG, 2009b) and the Free Primary
Education (FPE), among others.
These are just a few examples from of a long list of cases where politicians, civil servants and
business leaders have colluded to steal public funds from the same people they claim to serve.
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9
What is not always obvious about these scandals is the role played by business leaders in
crafting and executing these scams. Consequently, since MBA education is the main
academic program all over the world that prepares business leaders for their managerial
careers, there is no better place to begin than where such leaders are equipped.
Leadership development within today's business education and beyond is a necessity due to
the significant differences that exist between the business environment of the past and that of
the 21
st
century. Far reaching changes brought about by globalization and advance in
information communication technologies have created a need for managers to change their
attitudes, values and practices in order to succeed within the new playing field. This study is
significant due to its potential to find out whether Kenyan business schools have kept pace
with changes taken place in the global business environment.
In today's knowledge-driven global economy, widespread technological innovations have
rendered much of the traditional management knowledge and skills inadequate and in some
cases irrelevant hence, the need to review the way business schools prepare leaders to cope
with the increasing the demand for effective leaders (Roper, 2009).
Increased globalization has stretched the boundaries of business operations while at the same
time magnifying the intensity and dynamics of competition. The changing business
environment has created the demand for a new set of leadership competencies. Consequently,
business schools charged with preparing business leaders for changing times would do well
to review their curriculums to keep pace with changing times. This study makes a step in that
direction.
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10
1.5
Research Objectives
The broad objective for this study was to investigate MBA graduates' perceptions towards
MBA education and its potential to enhance leadership development among the program
graduates. The study sought to establish the respondents' views regarding various aspects
related to the development of selected global leadership competencies, and whether there was
a gap between existing MBA education and what would be considered adequate to prepare
MBA graduates to succeed within the context of the 21
st
century global business
environment.
Specific objectives included establishing whether there was;
1. A significant perceived relationship between selected global leadership competencies
and career success,
2. A significant difference between perceived and preferred time allocated to the
development of selected global leadership competencies,
3. A significant difference between the perceived and preferred frequency in usage of
selected teaching methods,
4. A significant difference between perceived and preferred level of integration of MBA
education with leadership values and ethics,
5. A significant difference between perceived and preferred level of integration of MBA
education theory with practice.
1.6
Research Questions and Hypotheses
To investigate the various study aspects identified in the study objectives, the following
research questions, null Hypotheses and corresponding alternative hypotheses were
formulated:
R1: Is there any significant perceived relationship between selected global leadership
competencies and career success?
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11
H1
o
: There is no significant perceived relationship between specified global
leadership competencies and career success,
H1
1
: There is a significant perceived relationship between specified global leadership
competencies and career success.
R2: Is there a significant difference between perceived observed time and preferred
time allocated to the development of selected global leadership competencies?
H2
o:
There is no significant difference between perceived and preferred time allocated
to the development of selected global leadership competencies,
H2
1
: There is a significant difference between perceived and preferred time allocated
to the development of selected global leadership competencies
R3: Is there a significant difference between the perceived and preferred frequency in
usage of selected teaching methods
H3
o
: There is no significant difference between the perceived and preferred frequency
in usage of specified teaching methods,
H3
1
: There is a significant difference between the perceived and preferred frequency
in usage of selected teaching methods.
R4: Is there a significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education with leadership values and ethics,
H4
0
: There is no significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education with leadership values and ethics,
H4
1
: There is a significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education with leadership values and ethics.
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12
R5: Is there a significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education theory with practice?
H5
0
: There is no significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education theory with practice,
H5
1
: There is a significant difference between perceived and preferred level of
integration of MBA education theory with practice.
1.7
Definitions of Terms
The following is a list of technical terms as used in this study:
a) Competency - refers to the minimum standard necessary to perform a job. An
individual is to be competent if and when he or she demonstrates the knowledge,
skills and abilities to perform a job adequately (Robbins, Bradley, Spicer &
Mecklenburg, 2001).
b) Globalization refers to the continuation of the trend toward greater international
economic integration characterized by complex interdependencies and blurring of
traditional boundaries and divisions (Walker, Walker & Schmitz, 2003).
c) Kenya Vision 2030- Kenya's development blueprint for 2008 to 2030 providing the
roadmap for making Kenya middle income country by the year 2030 (Kinuthia,
2009).
d) Knowledge economy - A knowledge driven economy in which knowledge is the key
resource (Houghton & Sheehan, 2000). Powell and Snellman (2004) define the
knowledge economy as "production and services based on knowledge-intensive
activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technical and scientific advance, as
well as the rapid obsolescence" (p.199).
e) Leadership competency refers to the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors that
enable a person to exert influence upon others for the purpose of accomplishing an
Enhancing Leadership Development
13
agreed upon desired objective. Bueno and Tubbs (2004) describe an individual's
competency as an individual's ability to respond to the demands placed on them by
their environment
.
f) Global leadership competency has been described as a universal leadership quality
or ability that enables an individual to perform his or her job outside the national, as
well as, organizational culture, in spite of the limitations placed upon the leader by his
or her own educational or ethnical background, functional area represented by the job
description, or organization the leader comes from (Jokinen, 2004, p. 201).
g) Leadership development: leadership development is the process of "expanding the
collective capacity of organizational members to engage effectively in leadership
roles and processes" (McCauley & Douglas, 1998, p. 161).
1.8
Limitations
This study examined the subject of leadership development in Kenyan MBA programs from
the student's perspectives only. This narrow focus is apparently limiting in that it overlooks
the views of other stakeholders such as the MBA program administrators, instructors and the
employers of the MBA graduates. Definitely the inclusion of the views of instructors and
administrators would have given the study a broader perspective. Similarly, a content analysis
of the curriculums of the studied schools could have been useful in determining the stated
objectives and content offered by the business schools vis-à-vis the views of the graduates.
1.9
Conclusion
While the demand for effective leadership remains high in Africa, potential leaders have in
the past not received adequate structured support to help them realize their leadership
potential (Eckert & Rweyongoza, 2010). For this reason, African countries need to entrench
leadership capacity building within their education systems as a means of addressing the
Enhancing Leadership Development
14
chronic leadership and development problems that have plagued the continent for the last
seven decades.
In the long run, leadership development process should be embraced from the basic education
level all the way to the university level because leadership exists at all levels. That said, a
good place to start leadership development would be at the graduate level and especially at
the Master of Business Administration (MBA) for the simple reason that the MBA program
has grown to be one of the most popular graduate programs all over the world attracting more
students than any others graduate program. Graduates of the MBA program are likely to end
up in leadership positions in corporate, private and public sectors and hence, the more the
numbers exposed to leadership capacity building the better the society will be in the long run.
Enhancing Leadership Development
15
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Introduction
The quality and relevance of the MBA education has been a matter of concern and debate to
both practitioners and academicians in many parts of the world (Beck-Jones & Harper, 2009;
Bolden, 2007; Bruce, 2010; Hill, 2006; Mathews & Edwards, 2005; Robbins, Bradley,
Spicer, & Mecklenburg, 2001; Sulaiman & Mohezar, 2009; Zhao, Truell, Alexander & Hill,
2006). There is therefore, need to review and improve the quality of MBA programs in order
to make business education more relevant to the needs of the graduates aspiring to serve in a
fast changing business environment.
2.2
From Management Education to Leadership Education
The difference between managerial and leadership roles has become more pronounced over
the last few decades. Zaleznik (1977) who was among the first scholars to highlight the
difference between the two roles perceived that, leaders and managers are essentially
different types of people, and hence the conditions favorable to the growth of one may he
contrary to the others. Underlying Zaleznik's argument is the fact that leaders develop
differently from managers and therefore a different approaches are appropriate for the
development of each.
Kotter (1990) took Zaleznik's insights further and pointed out that, while managers promote
stability, leaders press for change and that, organizations need both to thrive during turbulent
times. Kotter's distinction between leadership and management lies within the key function
and the activities involved in each role. In terms of function, management is about coping
with complexity while leadership is about coping with change. Kotter's distinction of the two
roles of management and leadership emphasized the need to apply the right approach
depending on the desired result.
Enhancing Leadership Development
16
To produce effective leaders for the 21
st
century therefore, MBA programs must go beyond
equipping business students with knowledge and skills for planning, budgeting, organizing
and staffing. Besides these functional skills and knowledge, business schools ought to
endeavor to develop global leadership competencies relevant to the global business
environment in which the students will operate.
In spite of the recognition that leadership and management are two distinct and necessary
complementary roles in organizational development (Buhler, 1995; Kotter, 2000), many
traditional MBA programs continue to treat leadership as a subset of management. In many
management textbooks and MBA programs, the topic of leadership receives a casual
mention, and in many instances, it is omitted altogether (Bosrock, 2007). This perhaps
explains the strong functional orientation towards management knowledge and skills which
makes traditional MBA programs strong in developing managers but weak in preparing
effective business leaders for turbulent and complex business environment.
To develop leaders for the 21
st
century, MBA programs need to design their curricula in a
way that strikes a healthy balance between the content meant to develop managerial
competencies and that focused on developing leadership competencies. That way, the
graduates from such programs will be able to function effectively in the complex business
environment within which they will operate.
2.3
The Need for Leadership Development
Hitt, Black and Porter (2005) identified change, technology and globalism as the three most
serious challenges facing the 21
st
century managers. To overcome this challenge, the manager
must learn to get things done through people. This in turn requires one to be proficient at
assessing other peoples' capabilities; matching people's capabilities with appropriate
responsibilities and motivating people.
Enhancing Leadership Development
17
De Meyer (2010) went further and identified eight key trends happening at an accelerating
scale hence making leadership education crucial. These include;
Growing internationalization of organizations,
The fragmentation of value chains,
The creeping increase in knowledge workers,
The demands placed on companies by the civil society to be drivers of social
change,
The diffusion of sources of knowledge production and innovation,
The increasingly networked nature of multinational organizations,
The increasing need for risk management in a world where the gradual reduction
of borders and, trade barriers that have led to an increasing level playing field for
companies, and
The role of information and telecommunication technologies in networking.
As a result of changes in the global business environment, the role of the manager has
changed significantly. The Enterprising Nation (1995) depicts the 21st century manager as
the leader/enabler who differs largely from the manager of 1970s. To develop the
leader/enabler manager, business schools and programs providing management education of
necessity need increase their efforts at implementing a wide range of innovations, aimed at
developing managers with new skills set (Gupta, 2011).
Leadership education is needed because of the role it plays in national and organizational
development. Maathai in her attempt to spell out the centrality of ethical leadership especially
in Africa has the following to say:
Good leadership could decide, for instance, not to sell off Africa's natural resources
for such low prices, and then to invest the additional revenue to accelerate human and
Enhancing Leadership Development
18
economic development. Good leadership could curtail corruption, one of the most
corrosive aspects of poor leadership that has been rife in post independence Africa.
Good leadership would provide the milieu in which citizens can be creative,
productive and build wealth and opportunity (Maathai, 2009, pp.112-113).
Leadership ability determines personal and organizational effectiveness. To stress the
priority of leadership, Maxwell coined the phrase "Everything rises and falls on leadership"
(Maxwell, 1998, p. Viii) and further summarizes the significance of leadership as follows;
If the leadership is strong, the lid is high. But if it is not, then the organization is
limited. That is why in time of trouble, organizations naturally look for new
leadership. When the country is experiencing hard times, it elects a new president.
When a company is losing money, it hires a new CEO. When a church is floundering,
it searches for a new senior pastor. When a sports team is losing, it looks for a new
coach (Maxwell, 1988, p.8).
People hesitate to follow a leader simply because she holds a high position within the
organizational structure. Consequently, leadership development is necessary for building the
21
st
century business leader's social competence (Day, 2000).
In order to manage effectively, the 21
st
century manager must build and demonstrate her
interpersonal competence. On the ground, the manager must model social awareness and
demonstrate social skills (Gardner, 1990). Social awareness is demonstrated through the
manager's service orientation, ability to empathize and develop others. Social skills are
modeled through the manager's ability to manage conflict, foster a spirit of collaboration and
cooperation as well as through relationship building.
Enhancing Leadership Development
19
The question as to whether leaders are born or made and whether leadership can be taught
and learnt (Elmuti, Minnis & Abebe, 2005) has been a subject of debate for many decades.
Two schools of thought have emerged on both sides of the divide with the proponents of the
"great man" theory holding that some people are born with leadership qualities that qualify
them to perform as leaders and hence there is little that can be done to develop leaders
(Carlyle, 2007; Grint, 2000; Nietzsche, 1969). On the Other hand there is the other school of
thought (Mostovicz, Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2009; Maxwell, 1998), while acknowledging
the existence of some innate qualities that incline some people towards natural leadership
propensity views leadership as a process of exerting influence over others and thus they
argue, everyone has the potential to lead, and that leadership skills can be developed. Kotter
(2000) was of the view that dozens of people could play important leadership roles in the
business organization if they were carefully selected, nurtured, and encouraged.
To date, many authors, researchers and scholars seem to favor the position that leadership can
be developed (Gardner, 1990; Henrikson, 2006; Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 1999; Maxwell,
1993; Prince, 2001). A number of leadership experts among them Maxwell (1993) point out
that leadership is not an exclusive club for those born with leadership qualities, but is a skill
that can be taught. He further refutes the myth that leadership is a rare skill and, instead
argues that leadership is rarely taught and that is what makes it rare.
Tubbs and Schulz (2006) and a number of other scholars and researchers among them
Lennick and Kiel (2005) are of the opinion that values can be taught and learnt albeit less
easily than behaviors. On this basis, business schools in many parts of the world have been
blamed for not laying adequate emphasis on business ethics in their approach to business
education (Cheit, 1985; Herrington, 2010).
Enhancing Leadership Development
20
Doh (2003) describes leadership as "an increasingly ubiquitous subject in business school
curricula, a theme of popular business books, and a topic for academic and practitioner
research" (p.54). In an attempt to answer the question whether leadership can be taught and
what constitutes effective teaching of leadership, Doh interviewed leading management
scholars involved in leadership research, education and development. All the interviewed
scholars were of the view that leadership can be learnt. Regarding the question whether
leadership can be taught, most of the management educators believed that leadership skills
could be developed through formal courses and coaching.
2.4
The Role of Business Schools in Leadership Development
The role of higher education in preparing graduates for careers in the business sector has been
a subject for debate among scholars, business practitioners and business schools accrediting
bodies for as long as business schools have existed (Cheit, 1985; McKenna, Cotton & Auken,
1995; Porter & McKibbin, 1988).
On the one hand, there has been those who have advocated for making business schools more
professional oriented with more emphasis on equipping graduates for practical leadership
roles (Hugstad, 1983; Oviatt & Miller, 1989), while on the other hand are those who would
prefer to see business schools assume a more academic approach placing more emphasis on
academic rigor and scientific research (Gordon & Howell, 1959; Pierson, 1959).
A number of scholars have expressed the view that, ethical and responsible leadership is the
result of effective leadership education that emphasizes carefully cultivated ethical behavior
and perspectives (Clinton, 1999; Adler, 2002; Crane, 2004). Elmuti, Minnis and Abebe
(2005) argued that, effective leadership education should develop ethical perspectives in
every aspect of a leader's decision-making process.
Enhancing Leadership Development
21
The Pierson report (1959) identified a fourfold role of the business education including
helping the student to:
Acquire a general knowledge of one's chosen field,
Develop the capacity to reason,
Develop a sense of values
Communicate more effectively
The report discussed the role of the business education in terms of developing an individual
with broad training in both the humanities and principles of business. Accordingly, a
graduate of the business school should be capable of independent, imaginative and
constructive thought.
Milter and Stinson, (1995) observe that educational institutions educate people to function in,
and be the leaders of the organizations of the future. From this perspective, business schools
ought to play the role of change agents who proactively anticipate the future and tailor their
education to remain relevant to changing times. Educational processes should thus prepare
leaders to function in the type of organization within which they will operate. .
Global leadership competencies take long to develop (Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars,
2000) and are best developed "through a program that fosters integration of theory and that
conceives of leadership development as recursive and reflective process" (Connaughton,
Lawrence & Ruben, 2003, p.46). In his book, the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership, Maxwell
(1998) supports the notion that leadership development is a slow process that takes long time
to materialize. In his own words, "Leadership develops daily, not in a day" (p.21).
Enhancing Leadership Development
22
Consequently, given the fact that most business school programs take at least two years to
complete, colleges and universities are well positioned to play a vital role in developing the
next generation of capable and ethical leaders needed in the 21
st
century.
2.5
Perceived Short-Comings of the MBA Programs
The list of criticisms leveled against the MBA programs is long and can be traced through
time from as early as late 1950s.
Gordon and Howell (1959) with Pierson (1959) criticized MBA programs for:
Employing poorly trained faculty,
Narrow trade-focused curricula within their programs,
Implementing simplistic teaching and research methodologies and,
Attracting academically inferior students.
Since then, more concerns have continued to provoke debate regarding perceived short
comings of the traditional MBA program. Some of these shortcomings include:
Inability to help graduates enhance their careers (Pfeffer & Fong, 2002),
Narrow focus on scientific research rigor, as opposed to helping managers address
practical business challenges (Bennis & O'Toole, 2005),
Paying too much attention to the functional aspect of business education at the
expense of preparing effective leaders (Mintzberg & Gosling, 2002),
Inability to prepare graduates to
transfer their content knowledge to real life situations
(Sulaiman & Mohezar, 2009)
,
Undue emphasis on theoretical and conceptual training (Elmuti, Minnis & Abebe,
2005; Nirenberg, 2003),
Inadequate ethics training (Adler, 2002; Crane, 2004) with some going so far to
attribute corporate scandals to lack of ethical education (Clinton, 1999),
Enhancing Leadership Development
23
Failure to improve moral character of students (Crane, 2004; Mclean & Elkind, 2003;
Podolny, 2009)
Narrow focus on abstract research often irrelevant to the needs of practicing managers
(Advanced Institute of Management Research, 2006), just to list a few.
A recent debate on the role played by business schools in the development of the recent
global economic and financial crisis, though not conclusive, strongly pointed to the need for
restructuring MBA education in line with changes happening within the global business
environment (Patry, 2010; Onzonol, 2010).
Apparently, MBA programs and business degrees
have not produced well rounded managers with leadership qualities to match the needs of the
business environment within which they operate
.
2.6
The Content of MBA Programs
Business schools have been offering MBA education for over a century now. The Harvard
Guide (2004) credits the Harvard University for having established the program and offered
the curriculum for the first time in 1908. Since then, the demand for the MBA education has
grown tremendously due to the prestige and prospects for promotion that it seems to confer to
its graduates (Sulaiman & Mohezar, 2009). This has propelled the program to become one of
the most popular graduate programs in the world (Herrington, 2010).
The content of the initial MBA curriculum comprised of required core courses and electives.
The required courses consisted of courses such as;
Commercial Contracts,
Principles of Accounting, and
Economic Resources of the U.S.
The electives included;
Finance,
Banking, and
Details
- Pages
- Type of Edition
- Originalausgabe
- Publication Year
- 2014
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9783954894901
- ISBN (Softcover)
- 9783954898879
- File size
- 1.2 MB
- Language
- English
- Institution / College
- Swiss Management Center University – Business Administration
- Publication date
- 2015 (November)
- Grade
- PhD
- Keywords
- Business administration Kenya MBA graduate MBA education Higher education Leadership development
- Product Safety
- Anchor Academic Publishing
