Post-Experience Education: an enabler of personal transformation? Lessons from women alumni
Deciding to undertake an MBA is a significant life decision and motivations for following this path can vary greatly between students. But do these motivations differ notably between men and women? And do the perceived outcomes differ as a result? New research, funded by Henley Alumni, has explored the impact of the MBA on women, and provided recommendations for future development.
Previous research at Henley has explored the impact of the MBA on career and personal development with findings suggesting that women experience greater career capital development as a result of the programme than their male classmates and may have a greater propensity for personal transformation (Houldsworth et al. 2023, Houldsworth, Tresidder, and Rowson, 2024). Following this discovery, researchers have now delved deeper into the subject to uncover more about the transformative potential of the MBA for women. To consider this topic and make recommendations for the future, researchers interviewed our Women in Leadership Scholarship holders.
The research focused on the following questions:
- How do participants report the MBA to have impacted their sense of self and personal and career development?
- What elements of the teaching and learning environment, and the women’s broader social and professional context, support or negatively impact their development?
Fifteen out of 17 Women in Leadership alumni were interviewed around four broad themes:
- Why the MBA and the impact of the scholarship?
- MBA outcomes
- Being female
- Teaching and learning experience/recommendations
The majority also completed a pilot questionnaire which is intended for future roll-out with a wider sample of male and female alumni.
Motivation, impact of scholarship and MBA Outcomes
The key reasons why women undertook the MBA included:
- seeking broader business knowledge to enhance their credibility, recognising its importance for advancing their career plans
- a desire to keep learning and a passion for the essay topic posed in the scholarship competition
- to change career or work for oneself
- the opportunity for an accelerated career path
- widespread recognition of the power of the MBA network and benefit of working with and through others (as embodied in the syndicate methodology used at Henley)
- the bonding experience of working together on assignments whilst also juggling busy jobs, lives and families
- the scholarship played a key role in some cases, and winning the competition was the driver for the MBA rather than the qualification itself
- high monetary value of the scholarship and the kudos and prestige it brings was also a notable theme
- increased confidence, with the MBA providing validation of ability
Completing the MBA was a real challenge, as the majority of respondents were juggling their studies alongside a career and a family. A good support system, whether it was partners or family members was a common theme, most acute for those for whom the MBA coincided with becoming a mother.
Recommendations: Teaching and learning lessons for Henley and other MBA providers
The study reported several findings which are useful for management educators in terms of their teaching and learning provision.
Returning to the classroom: apart from a small minority who described themselves as serial learners, the MBA required a transition period and a ‘getting to grips’ with the MBA assessment requirements. There were several references to initial difficulties including imposter syndrome (should I really be here?) and a general difficulty getting up to speed with requirements of postgraduate study. Several learners reported doing less well in the first module, before seeing an improvement in their grades. One recommendation for MBA providers would be to provide more support in the first stages whilst this transition is under way.
Key programme elements: there were several real strengths of the MBA programme, as experienced here at Henley. These include the use of immersive learning experiences, which were described as having profound impact, along with the opportunity for study visits working alongside NGOs and the emphasis on personal development, along with career coaching. These were described as transformative in several cases confirming that the MBA really can change your life! Indeed over half of the respondents suggested that the programme had triggered a change in mindset, realignment of career around personal values and new ways of interpreting the world.
Challenges of group work: Group work is a key element in many MBA programmes and a key element of Henley’s heritage. Our respondents did allude to the fact that working in groups with people from different contexts can be challenging and there were several instances of the women needing to stand up for themselves to make themselves heard in a largely male environment.
Levelling the playing field: In terms of gender the interviews also highlight the ongoing gender challenges women face in juggling careers and motherhood, signalling that organisations still need to do much more to ensure a level playing field. Whilst this may be beyond remit of Business Schools, scholarships such as WiL can help to mitigate by providing career development opportunities and associated opportunities to build knowledge, confidence and a supportive network.
Network facilitation: the majority of respondents expressed a desire for Henley to facilitate them to connect as a mutually supportive network, with this being a key recommendation from this study.
Do any of these findings ring true for you? Share your experiences in the comments below.
About the researchers
Dr Elizabeth Houldsworth is an Associate Professor in Management Education and Learning at Henley Business School, leading work to advance business education research. She has a PhD in management learning from Brunel, is a trained coach and academic fellow of the CIPD. Her research interests focus on management education, development and careers, with a particular interest in the experience of women.
Isabelle Fulford-Perez is an undergraduate student who received the alumni funding to work on the project in July and August 2024 under University of Reading’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme. Isabelle is entering her second year in BSc Finance (Investments) at Henley Business school, University of Reading.
Further details can be found in the URSOP research poster below.