Executive Education in the 21st Century

Abstract

Executive education is changing. As we move into the 21st century, numerous forces are causing a transformation in not only its delivery but also its purpose. According to executives from 25 global firms, executive education will be more directly geared to making leadership and change management work. We describe shifts in six areas: learning needs, learning content, pedagogy, instructors, participant mixes, and organizational integrating mechanisms. Problem areas also are explored, particularly in the areas of program assessment and sponsorship. The concluding section describes what the authors feel must be the ultimate outcomes of these trends in terms of the transformation of executive education in the 21st century as a critical lever for facilitating strategic transitions.