Global Journal of Commerce & Management Perspective
Open Access

Abstract

An Evaluation of Effectiveness of the Zimbabwe Open University (zou) MBA Programme in Meeting Career Needs: A Graduates’ Perspective

Stephen Mwenje and Kenneth Saruchera

In Zimbabwe, the MBA degree is a popular qualification and a requisite in the business environment (Zimbabwe Financial Gazette 21-25 July 2014).While this trend appear to conform to the perception that MBA graduates have analytical attributes, strategic thinking and leadership skills (Andrew &Harris 2012), the proliferation of transnational MBA degrees offered online, have triggered sentiments about the worthiness of MBA degrees (Chinjekure 2013). Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) offers an MBA programme boosting of many graduates in senior private and public sector positions. However, like other local MBA degrees, the programme seems to be facing competition from transnational programmes in an environment of lack of empirically driven parameters for evaluating MBA programmes. This study sought to evaluate the ZOU MBA programme using perceptions of its graduates. A descriptive survey conducted on sampled graduates recommends that the programme adds an experiential and entrepreneurship component together with an enhanced ICT course for managers.