Fostering Strategic Change in a Function through ExecutiveEducation: The Case of Purchasing

Describes the role of an executive education programme in fostering change in traditionally passive business functions. The objective is to move the function from its traditional stance to that of a strategically‐oriented contributor to the competitive advantage of the firm. To be successful, the programme content and process must be grounded in detailed knowledge of the function, provide an understanding of the role of the function in the overall organization, foster acceptance of the need for change, and aid in the development of strategies to achieve the required new role. The authors use purchasing as the case study to illustrate the framework.