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Can Online MBA Programmes Allow Professional Working Mothers to Balance Work, Family, and Career Progression? A Case Study in China

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Abstract

Career progression is a general concern of professional working mothers in China. The purpose of this paper is to report a qualitative study of Chinese professional working mothers that explored the perceptions of online Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) programmes as a tool for career progression for working mothers balancing work and family in China. The objective was to examine existing work–family and career progression conflicts, the perceived usefulness of online MBA in balancing work–family and career aspirations, and the perceived ease of use of e-learning. Using Davis’s (MIS Q 13(3):319–340 1989) technology acceptance model, the research drew on in-depth interviews with ten female part-time MBA students from a university in Wuhan. The data were analysed through coding and transcribing. The findings showed that conflicts arose where demanding work schedules competed with family obligations, studies, and caring for children and the elderly. Online MBA programmes were viewed as a viable tool for balancing work and family and studying, given its flexible time management capabilities. However, consideration must be given to address students’ motivation issues, lack of networking, lack of face-to-face interaction, and quality. The research findings emphasise the pragmatic need to re-align higher education policy and practice to position higher education e-learning as a trustable education delivery channel in China. By shedding light on the prevailing work–family conflict experienced by women seeking career advancement, this study suggests developing better gender-supporting policies and innovative e-learning practices to champion online MBA programme for this target niche.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and constructive comments. This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2012QN208-HUST) and a Grant from the Modern Information Management Research Center at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Modern Information Management, School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Mboni Kibelloh & Yukun Bao

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  1. Mboni Kibelloh
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  2. Yukun Bao
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Correspondence to Yukun Bao.

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Kibelloh, M., Bao, Y. Can Online MBA Programmes Allow Professional Working Mothers to Balance Work, Family, and Career Progression? A Case Study in China. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 23, 249–259 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-013-0101-1

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