MCB University Press
MCB University Press is a leading academic journal publishing company based in Bradford, UK However, its operations span across the world with numerous offices around the globe. In 1994, the company, in partnership with IMCA, formed its own enterprise school of management to offer its employees a range of action learning courses. Action learning and the continuing professional development of staff was important to the company as the organization sought to make a number of organizational changes. Such changes were the move from traditional printing to the electronic capture and dissemination of knowledge and information. These trends in publishing brought a number of opportunities and challenges to the organization.
Through the enterprise school of management – one of the early models for IMCA Socrates, a wide range of courses have been carried out. In its initial phase, thirty employees gained action learning MBAs and twenty employees completed IMCA Bachelor degrees. The courses carried out have centred around issues critical to MCB’s future success. As a direct result, a number of organizational changes have been pioneered and achieved. Projects include: Internet connectivity, strategic alliances and the transformed supply and demand side marketing relationships. Associates undertaking the courses have greatly benefited. A policy of promotion from within was established and, as a result of IMCA’s courses, several staff rose through the ranks to director level.
One example is an associate who began at MCB as a product development manager
and by undertaking an IMCA Bachelor degree and MBA course he gained the skills
needed for promotion. He observes:
“MCB gains a more effective, efficient and motivated manager as a result of
workplace learning, and the manager is able to extract the best from his/her
team. Meanwhile team members themselves feel encouraged to take up workplace
learning opportunities, promoting a generalized learning culture and a corporate
goal”.