And Mintzberg discovered Brazil: the internationalization of an executive master’s program

Abstract

Abstract This research analyzes the International Master’s Program for Managers (IMPM) internationalization process through a partnership established with a Brazilian Higher Education Institution. IMPM was conceived by Henry Mintzberg in 1996 as a program strong enough to challenge traditional American MBA programs since Mintzberg proposes that “managers not MBAs” should prevail. A critical perspective is adopted here to investigate whether the IMPM privileges an Anglo-Saxon point of view or not. We used a qualitative approach involving ninety-six in-depth interviews with faculty members and directors from both institutions responsible for establishing this partnership and carrying out the Brazilian module of the program, eight of which are addressed in this paper. Professor Henry Mintzberg was one of the interviewees. The findings show that despite all the efforts to preserve local culture, an Anglo-Saxon logic prevails, and there is an imbalance between the initial proposition and the results. There are a lot of unexplored issues to solve considering this framework, and future studies should consider and propose the recognition of the local production of knowledge and cultural diversity as key elements for the success of international partnerships.