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This paper describes the results of an exploratory study of the current situation of management education in public and private institutions in Spain. It assesses the inputs, processes and results of the educational system and the environment in which the schools function. The inputs were analyzed in terms of faculty qualifications and teaching resources. The processes were assessed according to the pedagogical methods used, and the evaluation criteria used for faculty assessment. The results were evaluated in relation to the skills acquired by the students. Finally, the education environment was analyzed with respect to two characteristics: tendencies in Management education in Spain and the impediments that management professors face in their work.
1. Introduction
There is more interest today than ever in assessing the quality of education. According to theory and empirical studies, education is vital to economic development (Jonathan and Slengesol, 2000), so improving its quality is an essential task for all nations (UNESCO, 2000). This is a concern not only among developing countries, but also in countries like the United States, where education is a national priority (Alavi et al., 1997). Changes and innovations in higher education in the U.S. have generated abundant literature in the last decade (Norma, 1992; Alavi, 1995; Leidner and Jarvenpaa, 1993; and Schneiderman et al., 1995).
Consequently, the importance of management education for society raises a number of questions such as, "Who will train the corporate directors of the 21st century?", "How should we develop, train and educate the future managers of the 21st century now?", "What kinds of environments will they encounter and what challenges will they have to face?", and "What should we know in order to prepare them?". In-depth research and studies on different business settings are needed to answer these questions. We believe that the results from our exploratory analysis contribute to these answers, and provide useful data for evaluating and reflecting upon some of the variables associated with management education in a sample of Spanish universities.
2. Research Design and Implementation
Information for the data base of Spanish university professors was collected from electronic directories and some telephone canvassing. The target population consisted of individuals identified as professors of management by their home institutions. The rate of response from the sample...