In Their Own Eyes and Voices: The Value of an Executive MBA Program According to Participants

The purpose of this study was to more effectively understand the learning experiences of Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) students. We asked 330 EMBA students to draw a graphic representation of their life and reflect on their EMBA experiences. We then applied the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique to conduct in-depth interviews with 13 EMBA students. By analyzing the visual and narrative data, we documented that the students tended to enter EMBA programs during transitional periods when facing major personal, professional, and self-conceptual challenges. The four most valued outcomes of their EMBA experiences were an analytical framework, a well-connected network, a community to belong to, and a journey of self-discovery and renewal.