Management training in Greece: evolution from improvisation to the systematic development of professional qualifications

Executive management training is a fast growing field in adult training and an important component of a wider demand for reconstruction in the educational system and its orientation towards a closer relationship with the needs of the labour market and the priorities of the business environment.
This study investigates the development achieved in this field in Greece from the initial efforts made by the Greek Productivity Centre, the Hellenic Management Association and the Athens University of Economics and Business in the beginning of the 1960s up to today’s development of recognized vocational training programmes and the contribution of Executive MBAs by modern educational organizations, as well as, by both Greek and foreign Business Schools operating in this field.
In particular, this study examines the structure and the content of short-term in-company seminars, open courses and long-term courses leading to Certificates, Diplomas or Master’s Degrees and the efforts of introducing distance learning.
The Hellenic Management Association, which is the most reliable management training establishment, is the major case study of the research.
In addition, the contributing factors in the provision of training services, such as the process of designing, organising, implementing and evaluating the courses, are also analyzed together with modern training methods and techniques, trainers’ specialization and qualifications, the attitude adopted by companies and the role of the State and supervisory organizations.
The study involves a team of trainers who propose some changes with a view to improving their work and the overall efficiency of training through action research.
In addition, it examines the conditions of developing a model programme leading to an Advanced Diploma in Management, which is designed for executives who are already on the “management threshold” on their way to being promoted to higher managers.
In conclusion, the study establishes a dynamic development in the field, supports the introduction of learner-centred methods and training technologies and makes proposals for improvement and better organisation.
A 514 pages book on “The Art of Management” is an outcome of the project. It is published and delivered to the trainees of several training programmes.