Trends in Executive Education for 2022

The field of executive education is undergoing a revolution as we enter 2022. As with most of society, the disruption of COVID-19, the economic trauma it triggered, and the ongoing sporadic attempts at a return to normalcy have produced massive changes, mostly for the better, thanks to what economists call “creative destruction.” Changes are occurring both in:

* Methods of delivering executive education, and

* Subject matter being taught

Changes in executive education methodology

Of course, all of education was disrupted by the social distancing requirements of COVID-19. Distance learning became the norm, and the disadvantages of distance learning became immediately apparent. The assumption was that traditional classroom teaching would return once the crisis had past.

Over the past two years, however, awareness has grown that there are some advantages to distance learning – in terms of convenience, cost, equity, and accessibility. As a result, the post-COVID world is seeing only a partial return to the classroom. Digital delivery remains strong in executive education: some classes are still being delivered exclusively digitally, some are delivered to separate in-person and remote cohorts, and some are structured to deliver instruction in a hybrid manner: much of it online but with critical pre- and post-session personal get-togethers that attempt to preserve the personal networking that has traditionally been an important part of executive education.

We can anticipate that the increased efficiency of delivering executive education digitally will put downward pressure on prices, increase competition among institutions, and grow the market for executive education significantly. To the extent that such a dynamic field generates a good return on investment, all of industry and all of society should benefit.

Changes in the subject matter of executive education

In addition to methodology, the content of executive education is likewise undergoing radical change to respond to the changes that have been wrought in society. First and foremost, the critical need for attention to leadership principles at every level is more important than ever. Industry is rapidly adapting to the post-pandemic world. And executive education programs are trying to lead the way by rapidly adapting to changes in corporate needs and demands and by anticipating oncoming changes. Some key topics include:

* Leadership challenges in the changed COVID-landscape

* The importance and the complexity of supply chain management

* Changes in healthcare delivery/telemedicine

* Advances in medical research

* A radical shift toward direct-to-home product delivery and the uncertainly about future competition in retailing

* The future of work and its effect on industry

* A renewed awareness of the need for including resilience in corporate resources

On top of these, changes that were already occurring pre-COVID have continued and are interacting with the changes that have come with COVID:

* The growth of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence

* The uncertain future of social media (and its effect on marketing)

* The uncertain future of the news media (and its effect on marketing)

* Concerns about personal privacy

* The rise and growing acceptance of cryptocurrency

* Ongoing equity issues that were exacerbated by social unrest during 2020

* A growing awareness of the need for industry to respond to the public demands for climate sustainability

* The effect of geopolitical issues on business supply chains and on marketing and sales, most notably the ongoing rise of China, its growing authoritarianism, and its ambitions in the South China Sea

So, hang onto your hats! It’s going to be an exciting year in executive education!

Albert & Company International, Inc. is a unique consultancy and Web publishing service for Executive Development and Advanced Management. Our vision is to help individuals gain the knowledge they need to excel, thereby increasing their efficiency and productivity, leading to better organizational growth. For more information on this and many other courses in our extensive Executive Education database, the most comprehensive and complete of its kind, visit us on the Web at http://albertconsulting.com, or email us at info@albertconsulting.com