Creating and implementing an offshore graduate program: a case study of leadership and development of the global executive MBA program

2013-08-19This study applies the literature on leadership framing to the globalization of higher education to understand the development of the Global Executive MBA program at a large university. The purpose of the study was to provide administrators, educators and university leaders an understanding as to how to respond to globalization and, secondly, to offer a case study of one university’s development of a Global Executive MBA program. It illustrates common challenges administrators might experience when launching a global business program, specifically within the Pacific Rim and how those leaders can respond to globalization. ❧ Using data from interviews, artifacts and articles written on the program, a single case study was developed to examine how leaders at Ray University implemented the global executive MBA program. The study sought to understand the process leaders underwent in developing the GEMBA program along with the challenges they experienced. The study also highlights assessment measures for imbedding globalization within the institution. The findings from this study indicate the program not only met the needs of business students looking for increased international opportunities, but also came at a time when the university was looking for ways to be more global in nature. In addition, it positioned the business school as a national leader in global business education and set the framework for other institutions to use the program as a model for imbedding globalization into the curriculum. This study aids in understanding how leaders utilize leadership framing to implement global programs and influence higher education