Teaching Executives and Teaching MBAs: Reflections on the Case Method

I draw on interviews with experienced executive education teachers and young instructors who have recently shifted into executive teaching to explore the distinctive features of executive teaching, as contrasted with MBA teaching, in a case method environment. These interviews highlight differences in three broad areas: program purpose, student characteristics, and class dynamics. In each area, I examine the associated pedagogical challenges and then develop implications for instructor preparation, class planning, session design, and approaches to discussion leadership.