The transferability of western MBAs to the Chinese context: exploring the challenges of teaching across cultures.

This thesis explores the transferability of Western MBAs to the Chinese management education context and the associated challenges of teaching across cultures. Fundamentally, it raises the question of acceptance of the Western MBA model in the Chinese context.
The methodology included focus group discussions and questionnaire survey, both carried out with MBA candidates in two particular institutions in China. Narrative and numerical data are integrated to present the research findings.
The findings suggest that the context is the most significant factor in terms of developing the practice of MBA education in China. The programme itself is overly theoretical and without enough local practices and cases. The teacher-centred approach is still dominant in MBA teaching there with little student interaction. This is linked to students‘ underlying Chinese cultural values and the Confucian learning style, but also reflects the lack of practical experience of both the teacher and students. Additionally, the findings from this research also highlight Chinese MBA students‘ preferences for group-oriented teaching methods and raise the problematic interpretation and application of Western pedagogy and teaching methods that can arise, when transferred to the Chinese context.
This research provides a comprehensive literature review of the development of MBA education in China, and a greater understanding of the current position of MBA education there. It also provides better understanding of Chinese culture and learning style, and the impact of these on people‘s preferences towards teaching methods. Overall, the findings from this research have added to a growing body of literature on the impact of local culture on the delivery of Western educational programmes in non-Western countries.

A Thesis Submitted to the Middlesex University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.