Building Bridges To Connect The Disconnects: An Analysis Of Business Program Design Processes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze current trends of design processes and redesign efforts for business programs. A review of the literature suggests business schools are not preparing graduates of their programs with the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions as deemed appropriate to succeed in the world of work. Some research studies indicate that business schools have lost their relevancy and that there is a significant disconnect between higher education and the corporate world. This study suggests, through examples, that a certain segment of the higher education industry, consisting of the small private independent sector, is on target in preparing their students to succeed not only in the world of work, but also in the world of living. This analysis builds on previous research studies in this area which emphasize the importance of using gap analysis in program design initiatives and extends this work by providing an additional conceptual model for educators to use to ensure that our business programs not only meet the needs of our students, but also exceed employers’ expectations. This model emphasizes that to meet the constantly changing workforce needs of employers, business professors must build programs that enable each student to achieve the unique combination of industry, disciplinary and cross-disciplinary performance standards (learning outcomes) appropriate to a given sector of the economy through the integration of best practices in life-long learning and continuous quality improvement. To build the bridges that “connect the disconnects”, business professors and employers must work together to create business programs that effectively prepare the workforce for the 21^st Century.