What happens after the MBA?
My doctoral research at Warwick Business School examines the careers and organisational contributions of Japanese graduates of MBA programmes awarded by non-Japanese institutions.
Rather than treating career progression or formal position as proxies for impact, the research asks how individuals actually contribute to organisational decision-making: where they become involved, how they work across organisational boundaries, and how influence can be exercised without corresponding formal authority.
Deep Stakeholders
A concept emerging from the research is the Deep Stakeholder: an actor whose influence is not adequately captured by formal position alone, but is enacted through sustained engagement, boundary-spanning relationships across organisations, and participation in decision processes.
The research suggests that important organisational contribution may occur well before a formal decision is made — through activities such as defining problems, developing alternatives, connecting actors and contributing expertise across organisational boundaries.
Research design
The study uses a multi-phase mixed-methods design, combining qualitative research, large-scale career mapping and survey data. It is informed by a critical realist perspective, with the aim of moving beyond observed career outcomes to understand the mechanisms and organisational conditions through which influence becomes possible.