᭹The meteoric growth in on-line education has focused attention on virtual learning communities. ᭹ Critics suggest that the on-line learner suffers isolation resulting from diminished interaction with others and thus question the quality of the on-line educational experience. ᭹ A case study is presented of an American MBA programme at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater that compares interactions in on-line and traditional learning communities. ᭹ Evidence is presented which suggests that on-line students score higher on measures of interaction than traditional students. Furthermore, interaction is important in predicting effectiveness of courses regardless of mode of delivery. This suggests that interaction can occur in on-line courses and is important in designing such offerings.

Management education generally, and MBA programmes in particular, have been persistently criticized for failing to speak adequately to management practice. One response to such criticisms has been to suggest a wider consideration of critical management education (CME). Drawing on research fi ndings from an empirical study of MBA learning, the article argues that MBA learning can be seen as more valuable to the manager in practice than critics contend. Moreover, the learning which is valued resonates with both a critical understanding of management and critical accounts of the role of management education, suggesting that a covert form of CME may already be operating. We argue that further building on this understanding provides the potential for a more prominent CME. Specifi cally, we propose that the experience brought to and lived within the MBA programme provides an opportunity for 'problematizing' accepted ways of making sense of the world.

Purpose: The paper examines the meaning of career success in relation to the attainment of an MBA degree, for a group of experienced managers. In so doing, the paper considers the adequacy of MBA career success, defined solely in terms of external criteria.Design/Methodology/Approach: 36 in-depth interviews were undertaken with MBA alumni which sought to capture the individual's own account of their career success in relation to their MBA. The study utilised an inductive data analysis approach. Findings:The findings revealed a diversity of meanings given to MBA career success, with success generally being expressed in much broader terms than conventional notions of fast track career advancement. The salience of internal criteria for judging MBA career success is thus highlighted. The findings may be seen to further dispel the myth that MBA students are concerned exclusively with status and salary.Research Limitations/Implications: The study focuses on the experiences of graduates from only one MBA programme. Additionally, the study reports retrospective accounts of MBA career success, a longitudinal design would be advantageous.Practical Implications: The demonstration of a plurality of career success provides potential advantage for business schools recruiting MBA students. Organizations can benefit from a wider understanding of MBA career success. Originality/value:The findings suggest that the value of the MBA encompasses more than fast track career success.

PurposeThere have again been increasing calls for management educators to strengthen the development of leadership in their programmes. However, it is unclear as to how such calls can be best answered. One way forward may be to rethink our conceptualisation of leadership. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachDominant theories of leadership may offer limited help to management educators. The dominant conceptualisation of leadership is questioned using empirical evidence from recent studies and interviews undertaken by the authors which examined managers' understandings of leadership.FindingsThis article suggests that mainstream leadership theories are framed by systems‐control thinking and highlights a number of issues in respect of teaching leadership. Proposes that a process‐relational framing of leadership may be a more useful way to think about leadership.Research limitations/implicationsWhilst the interview data drawn upon is exploratory and therefore cannot be taken as conclusive, we hope to stimulate a wider rethinking of leadership than is currently present.Practical implicationsTentative suggestions are presented for responding to calls to improve the teaching of leadership.Originality/valueThe paper emphasises a process‐relational understanding of leadership and may be seen to offer practical help to management educators concerned with the teaching of leadership.

This paper is concerned with identifying, from an organizational perspective, the concept of a``learning organization''. The first section briefly reviews the organizational learning, and business and management literature. The second part describes the research activity and outcomes from a group of middle managers employed in a large international company who are also postgraduate management students. These managers provide interpretations of a``learning organization'' within the context of their working lives. The research was followed up three months later and explores whether there had been an attempt to introduce the concept (or aspects of it), the managers' roles in this (if any) and barriers to its introduction. Finally the implications of adopting the concept for their PLC are examined. The paper concludes that institutions of higher education can have significant impact on introducing, through postgraduate study, concepts such as the``learning organization'' to managerial practice.