d) Location of programme
What are the implications of where an MBA programme is located? What companies or organisations are located nearby? How many people live or work in the area? How close is the MBA programme to your home or work? Is the area conducive to your study? Are classes held in a busy city location or in a quiet university campus setting?

It may be very important to you that the programme you select is located close to your home or your work. This is especially the case, if you want to maintain your employment and family commitments, attend an MBA programme and minimise the distance you travel. Part-time programmes were designed for such individuals.

On the other hand, attending a programme, which is located in a different city from where you currently live and work may be a compelling reason to select a programme. By moving to a different location, you will meet new people and have the opportunity to ‘start over’, which for some can be very important in the educational process.

Location also has an impact on who may be in your class. For instance, Wellington, more than Christchurch, would tend to have students in their MBA programmes who work within the New Zealand government. If you are interested in a management position within the government, then attending a programme in Wellington is more likely to provide you with more contacts.

To make the most of the network and the contacts made while in an MBA programme, many individuals select a programme that is located in the city in which they ultimately wish to work. Participants in part-time programmes will learn a great deal about the organisations that employ students in their classes. In fact, it is not unusual that part-time MBAs ‘trade’ employers. Full-time students may work on projects for organisations located in the vicinity of the MBA programme, thus providing invaluable insight into potential employers.


e) Reputation of programme
What do New Zealand business or government leaders think about the reputation of an MBA programme? What do executive recruiters and employers think about a programme’s graduates? What do current students and graduates of the programme say about it?
Whose opinion really counts?

My perspective. Currently, New Zealand MBA programmes are in an adolescent-like stage of development making their identities less well defined than programmes that have been in existence for 50 to 100+ years. As MBA programmes become more ‘mature’, they tend to become more differentiated and identifiable. Also, the job market for New Zealand MBA graduates within New Zealand is still developing. As more New Zealand organisations are directed by MBA graduates who then employ MBA graduates, the programmes will become better understood. A programme’s reputation in the marketplace will impact the ease or difficulty of gaining employment.

Historically, full-time MBA programmes have been more likely to feature in international guides such as "Which MBA?" published through The Economist Intelligence Unit. They were also more likely to require the GMAT‚ for admission, which allowed them to be included on the Graduate Management Admission Council’s MBA Pathfinder website http://www.mba.com/

By participating in such international MBA publications, full-time programmes were more able to promote their programmes and recruit students from overseas. This contributed to the formation of their international reputation. Also, full-time students are more likely to relocate after completing the degree, spreading the reputation of full-time programmes more widely.

On the other hand, part-time MBA programmes have tended to focus on recruiting individuals who were living and working locally. For them, participating in international MBA publications was much less important for their promotion and recruitment. This has contributed to part-time programmes being less well known outside New Zealand. Also, in general, part-time students are less likely to relocate thus tending to build a local rather than international reputation.