The Value of Management and Leadership Qualifications

Conclusions and RecommendationsThe research shows that management and leadership qualifications can help raisemanagers’ performance and give them the confidence, knowledge and skills to succeed.Clearly, many employers do invest in qualifications and reap substantial benefits. Thechallenge is to maximise the return on investment by adopting good practice, examplesof which are demonstrated by the case study organisations in this research. The followingrecommendations aim to help employers meet that challenge.1. Managementqualifications arebecoming moreimportantMLQs were found to be increasing in importance as the need for transferable skills andbroad based business knowledge grows, helping managers implement and adapt toorganisational change.Managers also desire MLQs to demonstrate their professional credibility, recognising thatmanagement is increasingly being regarded as a profession, and value qualifications thatenhance their employability. Organisations need to respond to these trends, by regularlyreviewing their training needs in order to identify what type of qualifications will deliver thegreatest benefit in terms of employee engagement and organisational performance.2. Reputationmatters for learnersand customersLearners consider reputation as the most important factor when choosing qualifications,implying that employers should invest in well-respected accredited courses to maximiseemployee buy-in and motivation to learn. Vocational qualifications are regarded highly,especially at Diploma level, and compare well with highly-regarded business schoolqualifications.Managers also believe that MLQs provide quality assurance to customers about anorganisation’s management capability. Employers should promote investment in MLQsby using accredited staff as a selling-point in their business development activities.3. Internal coursescan give flexibilityand ensure relevanceto the employerIt was felt to be advantageous for accredited programmes to be run internally because ofthe additional control this can give employers over content. It also allowed organisations’HR and learning functions to be more active in supporting managers’ development. Wherepossible organisations should try and use the flexibility available to them to tailor programmecontent to their needs.Courses should be aligned to the organisation’s strategy, with clear goals and successmeasures defined at the outset. Learning should be embedded in work activities, withmanagers able to learn by undertaking work-based projects addressing real businessneeds.4. Good selectionfor qualificationsis crucialOrganisations should have a robust selection process to ensure the right managers areoffered the right qualifications. Participants should have an appropriate role, which thequalification will be relevant to, and into which learning can be transferred. Participantmotivation and commitment should also be assessed.Organisations should also make clear to potential participants what is involved in thecourse and what will be required of them – and what support they will receive from theorganisation. Where courses are compulsory as part of a change process, employersshould also ensure that the benefits of the qualification are made clear, ‘selling’ it tomanagers in terms of outcomes that they will value – and that matter to the organisationas a whole.35