Time compression and MBA behavioral skill acquisition

Abstract

Trends in master of business administration (MBA) education are favoring coursework offerings in time-compressed environments but without careful examination of learning implications. The academic literature is weak in this area, so the authors conducted a study of 558 MBA students using a behaviorally based pedagogy in management. In contrast to previous research, the authors developed arguments supporting time compression assuming certain boundary conditions. They found that students showed better behavioral learning outcomes in a shortened, 4.5-week semester versus a full 14-week semester. The authors conclude with implications for theory and practice.

Keywords:

• Behavioral skills
• experiential learning
• management education
• time compression

Notes

1 These results were for a global “overall satisfaction with the instructor” item, for one instructor who taught 230 WPL students across both time-compressed and full-semester classes. We did not have access to raw scores on student satisfaction, but it can be shown that even if variance on the time-compressed scores were maximized by creating an artificial bipolar distribution whose mean was 3.82, it is still significantly higher than 3.48. Students were more satisfied taking the class in the 4.5-week format.