THE ADOPTION OF MBA PROGRAMS IN GERMANY: AN INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE.

This study examines the adoption of MBA programs by higher education institutions in Germany. Using arguments from neo-institutional theory and imprinting theory, we propose that private ownership, mimetic processes, and founding period are likely to impact MBA adoption. In an empirical analysis of 86 German universities over the period 1999–2015, we show that private universities are more likely to offer MBA programs. For public universities, we find that prior adoption by other universities and an early foundation period (prior to World War II) positively influence MBA adoption. Interaction analyses show that the positive impact of prior adoption by other universities is attenuated by organizational status and augmented by the regional density of academic institutions. Our findings thus elucidate the major role of institutional factors for the diffusion of MBA programs among German universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]