The government-mandated business shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic created new models that are fulfilling a prediction Microsoft founder Bill Gates pronounced 20 years ago: “The competition to hire the best will increase in the years ahead. Companies that give extra flexibility to their employees will have the edge in that area.”
During the pandemic, office workers in particular got used to working from home and found they could be just as effective as they were in the office. As a result, extending work from home (WFH) — or providing a hybrid telecommute/onsite schedule — is high on employees’ flexibility preferences.
Since the pandemic and as the world grows increasingly digital, employees want flexible work hours to have greater control of their time, paid time off that they can use as they see fit, career development opportunities, better technology to support remote work and leadership that gives them greater autonomy in the workplace.
Record numbers of workers are also choosing the ultimate independence and flexibility work option of starting their own businesses in record numbers. Citing government statistics, Insider reported that people created 5 million new businesses in 2022, down from the 5.4 million filed in the first year of the COVID mandates but nearly five times higher in 2019.
How Did COVID-19 Affect MBA Online Education?
Over the same period, enrollment in Master of Business Administration (MBA) online programs exceeded, for the first time, participation in on-campus curricula. Inside Higher Ed stated that the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) reported 45,038 students were enrolled online in 2020-21 compared to 43,740 onsite candidates.
“Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, online MBA programs have gained stature — and students,” the magazine noted.
How Does Earning an MBA Online Help Advance Business Careers?
An MBA in Management online, such as the Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) program, equips graduates with the expertise and insights to thrive in the post-COVID business world. Its AACSB-accredited curriculum explores competition for top talent, executive and top management roles and the risks and rewards of starting businesses in an increasingly competitive entrepreneurial environment.
Its emphasis on human resources (HR) development explores critical issues in recruiting, hiring and retaining productive employees. For instance, the course examines strategies for creating more career development opportunities, one of the post-COVID workforce’s top “flexibility” challenges.
More than 90% of the chief human resources officers interviewed by McKinsey & Company “predict significant changes in the HR operating model” in the next few years, increasing demand for managers with forward-looking insights and strategic mindsets. As employees’ needs and wants continue to evolve post-pandemic, thorough HR knowledge will be critical.
The curriculum’s Leadership and Decision Making elective course focuses on individual-, group- and organization-level decision-making processes from different points of view. Understanding those dynamics are fundamental to balancing employee autonomy and remote/hybrid/onsite work arraignments.
Moreover, for graduates seeking flexibility and autonomy, the Entrepreneurship course covers critical elements in launching a new business, including feasibility studies and the risks of providing goods and services to the market.
Are MBAs Earned Through Online Programs Accepted?
The Graduate Management Admissions Council’s 2022 employment outlook surveyed nearly 1,000 corporate recruiters worldwide and found a significant spike in the value of MBA online programs during the peak years of COVID. The percentage of global recruiters who equally value graduates of online and in-person GME programs nearly doubled from between 2021 and 2022, showing significant growth in the acceptance of online programs.
Online credentials are gaining credibility among recruiters and human resources leaders as well, according to the Center for the Future of Higher Education & Talent Strategy, because they signal personal qualities that employers value.
“It takes a self-motivated and determined individual to earn an online degree,” it included in a report on the growing acceptance of degrees earned online. An online degree “requires a greater level of persistence on the part of a candidate than attendance for a face-to-face class.”
Graduates of TAMIU’s online MBA in Management program are ready to fill the post-COVID demand for business professionals with skills in areas like marketing, strategic management, financial analysis, production planning and more. As employee needs and market trends shift, business professionals with management skills will be in high demand.
Learn more about Texas A&M International University’s online Master of Business Administration in Management program.
