Future Progressive: The Need for a Professional Doctorate – An International Doctor of Business Administration

Abstract

<jats:p>The purpose of Higher Education is increasingly under scrutiny as are its previous shortcomings. The last bastion of academic hegemony, the PhD, is being reconstructed, moving from a discipline focused degree intended to extend abstract, universal knowledge through the presentation of a thesis towards an emphasis upon the development of the skills of the researcher. Furthermore, the recognition that knowledge can be generated in realms other than academia has concurrently seen the emergence of Practitioner Doctorates, based upon Action Research, that are designed to develop researching professionals. The paper poses the question whether it is appropriate to extend the model developed for an International Master of Business Administration into the provision of an International Doctor of Business Administration?</jats:p>