Research: Executive Education Trending Toward Consultation

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (October 25, 2006) – When corporations seek out executive-education providers, more and more often they are looking for long-term, consultative partnerships rather than conventional executive-education courses, according to new research from Penn State's Smeal College of Business.

Jeffrey Spearly, managing director of Penn State Executive Programs and senior instructor at Smeal, surveyed 22 executives responsible for executive education at Fortune 500 companies and found that they seek "deep partner relationships that include assessment and consultation with education as a by-product."

Academic research over the past decade has shown that corporations have been trending toward custom programs. Spearly's research identifies a continuation of that trend in that companies are seeking even more customization. They're looking for long-term partners who will analyze their individual needs, work with them to develop custom solutions, and offer ongoing counsel.

By adapting to this change in the market, Spearly says that university-based executive-education programs will be able to continue to meet the needs of today's businesses and find success in the face of ever-increasing competition from for-profit consulting companies.

"A change in mission and philosophy may be necessary for university-based providers to remain competitive," according to Spearly. "Successful university-based executive-education providers will need to demonstrate the ability to develop deep, long-term partner relationships and fully align with the client organization, its goals, and objectives."

In addition to closely monitoring and adapting to the market, Spearly recommends that university-based providers focus on applied and experiential learning, relationship management and customer service, return on investment, and the development of flexible and diverse resources—including outside their organization.

"Successful executive-education initiatives are focused on corporate strategy and the marketplace, driven by applied research, rooted in partnerships, and measured by contributions to the growth and success of corporate clients," he says.

At Penn State Executive Programs, Spearly ensures that its custom programs meet all of those criteria. "We're already doing the things that my research shows companies are looking for," he says. "Penn State Executive Programs prides itself on our close relationships with our partners, which allow us to develop solutions particular to their needs. We believe that executive education is a process, not a product."

Spearly recently earned his Ph.D. in workforce education and development from Penn State. His research is detailed in his doctoral thesis, for which his adviser was William J. Rothwell, professor of workforce education, consultant, and author of numerous books on Succession Planning.

About Penn State Executive Programs

Penn State Executive Programs has been serving the development needs of the world's business leaders since 1954, providing both open-enrollment and custom programs. Nearly 36,000 executives from 43 different nations have participated in programs on topics ranging from strategic leadership to supply chain management. In the past 18 months, Penn State has been ranked No. 2 among public universities in open-enrollment programs by The Economist and ranked in the top 10 internationally by BusinessWeek for custom education.