Title: Management education as an industry and MBA as a product: revisiting joint MBA programs using Porters five forces model

Authors: Tra T.T. Nguyen

Addresses: Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, le CNAM, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherches en Sciences de l'Action (LIRSA); International Institute of Management (IIM), 2 rue Conté, 75003 Paris, France

Abstract: In recent literature, Management Education is frequently considered as a business industry, with MBA program as the flagship product. In an attempt to position their programs, business schools can be expected to move toward a convergence model for the diffusion of management ideas within the spirit of cooperation. Within this framework, a case study on joint and merged MBA programs in France has been analysed using Porter's five forces model and Nalebuff's and Brandenburger's coopetition and value net model to explain that Management Education is one of specific industries which use alliances to overcome competitive advantages. A synergistic competitive advantage is driven by the cooperation inside the industry of Management Education itself, with its cooperative programs. Instead of being threatened and bargained by the forces, the industry of management education challenges the forces with its cooperative programs.

Keywords: management education; Porter's five forces; competitive advantage; Nalebuff's and Brandenburger's coopetition; strategic alliances; coopetition model; value net model; cooperative programs; joint MBA programs; MBA business; business schools; business models; business development.

DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2017.083961

Global Business and Economics Review, 2017 Vol.19 No.3, pp.356 - 377

Received: 11 May 2015
Accepted: 18 Dec 2015
Published online: 28 Apr 2017 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article