The benefits of an MBA are as varied as the different MBA programmes and providers available. Traditionally, an MBA was viewed as an elitist qualification, available to an exclusive group of selected students who underwent a rigorous academic programme with a strong emphasis on quantitative and analytical skills. The rigour is still there, but the mark of exclusivity is no longer there. Paradoxically, the expansion in MBA provision has made the qualification more attractive to employers. This can be attributed to a shift in emphasis in MBA content as well as a change in those studying for the qualification.

An MBA places demands on people's personal and working lives, and the flexibility of a programme is often an important consideration. The hard and consistent work on the part of the student has its accompanying rewards. MBA graduates now occupy senior positions in both the private and public sectors. Employers no longer see the MBA as representing theoretical knowledge, inadequate understanding of the real world and high salary demands. Rather, they see the MBA, associated with experience and organizational achievements, as indicating flexibility, the ability to embrace change, innovation, personal effectiveness and a range of other attributes required for success in a fluid organizational and business environment.

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