Metropolitan State University



A Research Proposal for the Metropolitan State University MBA Program

Mr. So N. So

Management 600: Practical Research Methods for Managers

November 22, 2005

I. Executive Summary

The market for provision of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees in the Twin Cities metropolitan area is competitive. As a major competitor in this area, Metropolitan State University is seeking to attract a major share of women, who constitute a growing percentage of MBA students nationwide. This proposal is for a survey of people who are currently in the first year of an MBA program in the Twin Cities to determine their reasons for selecting the program into which they have entered and to identify differences between men’s reason and women’s reasons in hopes of identifying points on which the Metropolitan State University program could be marketed toward women.

II. Background

Metropolitan State University is a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system and, as such, serves as the comprehensive four-year university for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. [Metropolitan State University web site]. Founded in 1971 as an upper division university offering bachelor’s degrees for working adults, the school has grown and expanded and now offers a variety of undergraduate and masters level programs, the largest of which is the MBA program.

There are a number of institutions offering MBAs in the Twin Cities. Most of these are private schools whose costs for tuition and fees are well above those charged by Metropolitan State.

While Metropolitan State University is well-established as a provider of MBA education in the Twin Cities, it is always seeking opportunities to attract more highly qualified students to its program. One opportunity to attract new people comes from the increasing numbers of women seeking to earn MBAs. If Metropolitan State University can effectively market itself to women in the area who are seeking to earn MBAs and can attract a large share of these women, it would greatly help to increase the number of strong students in the program.

Metropolitan State University, and the MBA program in particular, have the following strengths and weaknesses and face the following opportunities and threats.

Strengths

• Established and accredited MBA program

• Existing infrastructure, including strong library resources

• Talented and dedicated resident faculty

• Experienced and committed community faculty

• Tuition well below that of other schools

• Alliances with other schools in the metropolitan area

Weaknesses

• Significant bureaucratic inertia and resulting lack of entrepreneurial spontaneity

Opportunities

• Diverse immigrant populations in the area who are seeking education

• Increasing numbers of women seeking MBA degrees

• Large number of state and local officials potentially interested in MPNA degrees

Threats

• Incursion by other members of MnSCU into provision of graduate programs in the Twin Cities area

• Competition from online MBA programs offered by other schools around the country

Metropolitan State University is an established school with existing infrastructure and experience providing graduate business education. This means that it has an inherent advantage over any potential new entrants into the local market. The physical infrastructure existing here in the Twin Cities, including a broad array of library resources and the people to help students use those resources, lets Metropolitan State offer an experience that a national, online provider cannot. The combination of full-time resident faculty and part-time practitioner community faculty allows students the best combination of strong theoretical underpinnings and practical knowledge and experience. Because of some funding assistance from the taxpayers of Minnesota, tuition at Metropolitan State is much more affordable than tuition at any other school in the area. In addition, Metropolitan State University has alliances with other schools in the area that make it easy for students to meet prerequisite requirements and to bring themselves up to speed for the MBA program.

The major weakness that Metropolitan State University faces is the bureaucratic inertia that comes from being part of a large government bureaucracy. The speed with which new programs can be initiated to take advantage of trends in the marketplace is not what it might be, so the opportunities to be at the cutting edge of fads in graduate education is limited.

The local population of potential MBA enrollees offers a number of opportunities, including reaching out to immigrants, women and local and state government employees who might desire masters degrees appropriate to their experiences and careers.

As with any industry, threats from existing competitors and from potential new entrants can be a problem. However, as long as Metropolitan State can defend its role as the comprehensive state university in the Twin Cities and can offer more personalized attention than is available from national online programs, it should be able to effectively quiet these threats.

III. Description of Opportunity

The opportunity to be investigated in this research proposal is that of increasing numbers of women seeking MBAs. Some reports suggest that women will choose an MBA program based on different criteria than men use, and if Metropolitan State University can identify characteristics, amenities or images that are attractive to women, it could establish itself as the program for professional women in the Twin Cities. As more and more women seek MBAs, being an early leader in the area will be increasingly valuable.

Because of its bureaucratic inertia, Metropolitan State University may have some difficulty changing the nature of its MBA program to attract women, but such changes might not be advisable as they have the potential to detract from the ultimate goal of providing the highest possibly quality of education. Rather, the aim is to determine which of the characteristics of the school and the program to emphasize in marketing efforts, especially those targeted specifically toward women.

IV. Statement of Research Question

The research question to be answered is:

Upon what characteristics do men and women choose an MBA program and how do women’s decisions differ from men’s?

V. Description of Data and Analysis Techniques to be Used

A survey will be administered to a random sample drawn from a list of all of the new, first year students in MBA programs offered by schools in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The sample will be stratified to assure that an equal number of men and women are included. The sample will include approximately 100 men and 100 women to whom the survey will be mailed. Numerous follow-ups and a $25 check upon completion will be used to help assure a reasonable response rate.

The questions to be asked are included at the end of this proposal.

The results will be analyzed to determine what, if any, differences exist between men and women in how they chose where to earn their MBA. Mean responses will be calculated for men and for women and any large difference will be identified. Statistical tests may be used to determine whether or not any differences are statistically significant.

The following is an example of tables that might be generated:

|Men |Men | |Women | |

| |Mean |St.Dev. |Mean |St. Dev. |

|School | | | | |

|Reputation | | | | |

|Location | | | | |

|Affiliation | | | | |

|Previous degree | | | | |

|Program | | | | |

|Cost | | | | |

|Convenience | | | | |

|Flexibility | | | | |

|Months | | | | |

|Concentrations | | | | |

| | | | | |

|Adjectives | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

VI. Discussion of How Research Results will Guide Management

While the results of this survey are unlikely to bring about any changes in or additions to the existing MBA program, they can help in the creation of marketing efforts targeted toward women in hopes of attracting a larger portion of the growing market segment. The aspects of Metropolitan State’s MBA program that are important to both genders can be emphasized in advertising in general and those aspects that are most important to women can be emphasized in efforts directed more specifically at women.

The adjectives used to describe the school and program the respondent is attending will be used to further identify difference between men and women and also to help select language and images to use in marketing efforts.

It is possible that the adjectives provided by respondents will offer further insight into students’ rationale and decision-making processes that will offer additional opportunities for investigation and research.

VII. Conclusion

In the coming years, women are likely to represent a larger and larger portion of MBA cohorts around the country. As Metropolitan State University seeks to grow and strengthen its MBA program, positioning itself to take advantage of this trend is an exciting opportunity.

This proposal outlines a brief study to determine which characteristics are most important to all students, and to women specifically, when choosing an MBA program. The results of this study should allow Metropolitan State University to leverage its current position to attract a large portion of the women who will earn MBAs in the Twin Cities in the coming years.

References

Gangemi, Jeffrey, “B-Schools’ Learning Curve on Parenting; As more mothers go for their MBAs, they’re pushing colleges to be more supportive of their needs – with gradual results”, Business Week Online, May 4, 2005. Retrieved from LexisNexis September 26 2005.

Hinds, Diana, “MBA courses: What some want from an MBA; The world’s business schools are doing their best to become more”, The Independent, August 28, 2005. Retrieved from LexisNexis September26, 2005.

Metropolitan State University web site, metrostate.edu, retrieved September 28, 2005.

Survey Instrument

|1. On a scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being most important, please rate the importance of each of |

|the following in choose the school from which you chose to obtain your MBA. |

| |

| not most |

| important important |

| |

| Reputation 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Location(s) 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Religious |

| affiliation 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Previous |

| degree 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| |

| |

|2. On a scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being most important, please rate the importance of each of |

|the following in choose the program from which you chose to obtain your MBA. |

| |

| not most |

| important important |

| |

| Cost 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Convenience |

| of location 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

|Flexibility of |

| schedules 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Months to |

| completion 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| Available |

| concentrations |

| in program 1 2 3 4 5 |

| |

| |

| |

|3. Please list three adjectives that you feel best describe the program you chose for your MBA. |

| |

| |

| |

| |

|4. Which school are you attending for your MBA? |

| |

| |

| |

|5. What is your gender? Male Female |

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