Adequacy of graduate curricula in United States business colleges: Teaching competencies important for successful managerial performance in the global econom

To determine if the curricula offered in U.S. graduate business programs are effective in preparing graduate students for successful performance as managers in the global economy, the competencies deemed important for success and the curricula were examined. International management experts rated competencies perceived as important for managers to function successfully in the global economy. Then, chairpersons of graduate business programs rated the emphasis put on the competencies in their curricula. The graduate ratings were first compared to the ratings of the experts using correlation tests to determine if there were significant differences between the experts and the graduate chairpersons. Then, the ratings by chairpersons at public and private colleges, and small and large colleges, were compared. Though the ratings of the experts and the graduate chairpersons were significantly different for 24 of 30 competencies, the ratings by the chairpersons whether at small or large colleges, or public and private colleges, were almost identical. That the graduate programs included in this study do not emphasize the competencies deemed important for successful managerial performance in the global economy shows that graduate schools as a whole need to rethink their course offerings.