Research shows that there has been a rapid growth in the number, types and delivery modes of international MBA programmes offered by private and public universities. In this situation, the process by which students select a suitable programme is of interest not only to potential students, but also to their families, university administrators, potential employers and governments (large investors in public sector institutions). This study reviews what the literature has to say about factors influencing student choice of MBA and other international markets, but further research is needed to determine whether factors of choice identified overseas also apply in Bangkok. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

Research shows that there has been a rapid growth in the number, types and delivery modes of international MBA programmes offered by private and public universities. In this situation, the process by which students select a suitable programme is of interest not only to potential students, but also to their families, university administrators, potential employers and governments (large investors in public sector institutions). This study reviews what the literature has to say about factors influencing student choice of MBA and other international markets, but further research is needed to determine whether factors of choice identified overseas also apply in Bangkok. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

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This study explores the role of social capital in the development of employability skills and attributes of first generation undergraduate students in a business school. The research, based on the reflections of graduates, examines the impact of social capital on participation in higher education and investigates the conditions within the learning environment which enhance or inhibit the development of bridging and linking social capital, as students connect with networks within the institution and with the wider business community. The findings suggest that the ability to recognise and activate bridging and linking social capital is an important determinant of employability. The analysis illustrates that when students have opportunities to connect with and work within a variety of networks, they build a range of employability skills and capabilities, particularly the interpersonal and social skills valued by employers. Students, who are confident and have the necessary skills to participate in a variety of networks within the immediate environment and with the wider business community, are not only able to access a greater range of resources but are more able to recognise the potential benefits that these activities have to offer. The reflections of the participants also illustrate that the skills and competencies which enable them to network effectively need to be developed deliberately. By supporting students in recognising the relationship between bridging and linking social capital and employability, and giving them the opportunity to reflect upon the achievement of interpersonal skills and affective capabilities, including the importance of relating to diverse others, their understanding and acknowledgement of employability will be enhanced. The study also reflects on Quinn’s concept of imagined social capital and considers its impact on the development of employability. Building on her work, the analysis identifies two new typologies; unimagined and unimaginable social capital. Both categories are important in understanding how students acknowledge the potential networks and resources available to them.

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The role of higher education in developing human capital and contributing to economic growth, competitive advantage and societal progress of any country is well documented. The direct link between the economic performance of a country and the level of education of its citizens cannot be repudiated. Furthermore, the demands of a growing economy, governmental pressure and the competitive international business environment have put pressure on South African businesses. This is aggravated by a “skills crisis” and the need to deliver more goods and services to increasingly more diverse customers. There is consensus amongst experts that the shortage of skills and high-level managerial human resources in South Africa constitute a major threat to the country’s future economic development and productivity growth. As the business world becomes increasingly sophisticated and challenging, so does the need to continuously review and assess the business qualifications that equip managers to cope with the challenges facing them. The competencies that come with a Commerce degree are relevant in every corner of society from managing successful private companies, public organisations, for governments to be able to contribute to the greatest good of society, to socially effective not- for- profit organisations. Despite the importance of a degree in Commerce there are some criticisms about the degree and Commerce graduates. The problem statement of this study is therefore vested in the continuum of praise and criticisms of Commerce graduates and the Commerce curriculum and, the reported imbalances between higher education institutions and the needs of the labour market. The question is whether such praise and criticisms are justified and whether higher education institutions specifically meet the requirements and expectations of both the graduates themselves and of business practice. The primary research objective of this study was, therefore, to obtain the opinions of Commerce graduates and Commerce graduate employers on the overall perception of Commerce graduates produced by a prominent HEI in the Eastern Cape Province in South iv Africa. To achieve this objective and based on in-depth analysis of secondary sources, two independent empirical surveys, aimed at two population strata were conducted, namely: • The Commerce graduates with known email addresses (N = 1 870) were extracted from the HEI’s alumni database. A total of 231 usable questionnaires were received from these Commerce graduates. • The employers with known addresses (N = 85) were extracted from the selected HEIs Career Centre database. A total of 47 usable questionnaires were received from the employers of the Commerce graduates. The main findings in this research pertain to aspects concerning core courses in the Commerce curriculum offered by the selected HEI, management skills and traits as required in the work environment, commerce curriculum outcomes and perceived experience as a student in the Faculty of Commerce at the selected HEI and Employer perceptions on the profile of the Commerce graduate. In this regard, the main findings are therefore summarised below: • Both graduates and employers assigned high relative importance scores to seventeen of the 19 core courses, supporting the multi-functionary interdisciplinary approach to the Commerce curriculum. Concerns were expressed by the Commerce graduates with the quality of tuition they had received in most of the core courses. Likewise, employers were not always satisfied with the Commerce graduates’ proficiency in some of the core courses, relative to the importance of core courses for running a business. • The Commerce graduates and employers strongly endorsed and supported the importance of the 43 management skills and traits in the work environment. Commerce graduates expressed concerns about the extent to which their management skills and traits had been developed through tuition. Concerns about the proficiency of the Commerce graduates in all the management skills and traits, relative to the importance in the work place, were conveyed by the employers. • On average the perceptions on the outcome of studies in the Faculty of Commerce were very highly regarded by the Commerce graduates. The highest mean score was for the item “Studying in the Faculty of Commerce contributed to an increase in my knowledge and abilities.”• The perceived experience of Commerce graduates as students in the Faculty of Commerce at the selected HEI was very highly regarded, implying that the selected HEI was meeting the expectations of its Commerce graduates. • Employer perceptions of what would constitute an ideal Commerce graduate were not fully met by the profile of the actual Commerce graduate from the selected HEI.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The theme of this study is an investigation of the financing issues of Universities, with specific reference to the Graduate School of Business of the University of Stellenbosch. The goal of the study is to determine what influence the successful or non-successful completion of studies at the Management School have on the subsidies that the University of Stellenbosch, and therefor the Business School, receive from the state. The following critical factors influence the University's revenue from subsidies. Firstly, time plays a role. It is a fact that when a student is successful in obtaining a degree within the minimum period or longer, or not al all, this directly influences the funding of the University, and therefor also that of the specific department, because each cost unit at University and Faculty level is directly influenced by the number of enrolled students who successfully complete their credits. The principles of the subsidising of instruction inputs and outputs causes that it is more important for the university that students attain their specific credits and therefor their degrees in the minimum prescribed period of time, rather than eventually attaining their degrees. If a student enroll for a number of credits in a specific year, but he does not attain those credits that year, it means that the university will effectively only receive half of the normal subsidy amount, because subsidy will not be calculated for the next year for success. The second factor is the demographic profile of students. Because of the entry of previously disadvantaged communities, and their bigger demand and need for training, there will in future be more and more pressure on the funding principles and the subsidies that universities receive from the government. This will force universities to find ways to support students, and encourage them to attain their degrees within the prescribed time frame, without compromising standards. The third factor is that the central government does not pay the subsidies that it should pay in terms of the so-called subsidy formula. These factors make it imperative that enrolled students should attain their degrees as soon as possible. This study focuses therefor on the so-called subsidy formula and how the success ratio of MBA-students impact on the financing of current expenditure of the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch. In order to make recommendations on which actions the Business School needs to take in the light of successful completion of studies, the following work method was followed. Various personnel of the Administrative Department of the University of Stellenbosch (US), as well as the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch (USB), was interviewed to determine how the formula is used within the framework of the University, as well as to obtain information and statistics on the study patterns of students of the USB. A study was conducted of previous, the current and future funding formulae. Personal interviews were conducted with people at the Management School of the University of Potchefstroom to compare their MBA-course with that of the USB. The most important finding of this study is that Universities should do everything in their power to ensure that students successfully obtain their course credits within the prescribed minimum period, as the subsidy payable for non-successful students are half of that payable for successful students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tema van hierdie studie is 'n ondersoek na die finansieringsvraagstukke van universiteite, met spesifieke verwysing na die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die doelwit van die studie is om te bepaal watter invloed die afstudering of nie-afstudering van studente aan die Bestuurskool (USB) het op die subsidie wat die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, en uiteindelik die Bestuurskool, van die Staat ontvang. Die volgende kritieke faktore beïnvloed die Universiteit se inkomste uit subsidies. Eerstens speel tyd 'n rol. Dit is 'n feit dat indien 'n student suksesvol binne die minimum tydperk of langer afstudeer, of glad nie, dit 'n direkte invloed op die befondsing van die Universteit, en uiteindelik die befondsing van die departement het, omdat elke koste-eenheid op Universiteits- en Fakulteitsvlak direk geraak word deur die getal ingeskrewe studente wat hulle krediete suksesvol voltooi. Die beginsels ten opsigte van die subsidiëring van instruksie-insette en -uitsette veroorsaak dat dit belangriker is vir die universiteit dat studente hulle spesifieke krediete en dus hulle grade binne die voorgeskrewe minimum periode moet behaal, eerder as dat hulle uiteindelik grade moet behaal. Indien 'n student inskryf vir 'n aantal krediete in 'n sekere jaar, maar nie in daardie jaar sy krediete behaal nie, beteken dit dat hy effektief net die helfte van sy normale subsidiebedrag vir die universiteit beteken, aangesien daar vir die volgende jaar nie weer subsidie bereken kan word ten opsigte van sukses nie. Die tweede faktor is die demografiese profiel van studente. Die toetrede van die voorheen agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, en hulle groter eise en behoefte aan opleiding, veroorsaak dat daar in die toekoms meer en meer druk op die befondsingsbeginsels en die subsidie wat universiteite van die staat ontvang, gaan wees. Dit sal universiteite noodsaak om wyses te vind om studente te ondersteun en aan te moedig om hulle grade binne die voorgeskrewe tyd te behaal, sonder om standaarde te verlaag. Die derde faktor is dat die sentrale regering vir die afgelope paar jaar al, nie die volle subsidies betaal wat hy behoort te betaal ingevolge die sogenaamde subsidieformules nie. Hierdie faktore noodsaak dit dat ingeskrewe studente dus so vinnig as moontlik moet afstudeer. Die studie fokus derhalwe op die sogenaamde subsidieformule en hoe die suksesratio van MBA-studente impakteer op die finansiering van lopende uitgawes van die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Ten einde aanbevelings te maak oor watter optredes die Bestuurskool in die lig van suksesvolle afstudering behoort te neem, is die volgende werkswyse gevolg. Onderhoude is gevoer met verskeie persone verbonde aan die Administratiewe Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (US), sowel as die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (USB), om te bepaal hoe die formule binne die raamwerk van die Universiteit toegepas word, asook om inligting te opsigte van die afstuderingstendense van studente aan die USB te bekom. Daar is 'n studie gedoen ten opsigte van vorige, die huidige en toekomstige subsidieformules. Die respondent het ook onderhoude gevoer met persone verbonde aan die Bestuurskool van die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys om vergelykings te tref tussen hulle MBA-program en die van die USB. Die belangrikste bevindings van hierdie studie is dat Universiteite alles in hulle vermoë moet doen om te verseker dat studente hulle kursuskrediete op tyd suksesvol voltooi, aangesien die subsidie betaalbaar ten opsigte van nie suksesvolle studente die helfte beloop van die subsidie wat betaal sal word vir 'n suksesvolle student.