At MBA Research, engaging with business and industry are the first and last stops in the research development process for our National Business Administration Standards. These standards are the basis of what high school and community college students are learning in their business administration courses.
State-level focus group panels within our organization’s member states are one of the key methods for gathering feedback from business and industry. To facilitate this, we organize focus groups in two distinct ways: via futuring and validation panels.
Standards futuring panels consist of senior-level executives from the business, marketing, finance, and hospitality/tourism management clusters. These panels are typically the first step in the development process for content standards, but can also serve as a stand-alone process to engage with business and to inform states’ decision-making regarding pathways, courses, and content.
Futuring panels are unique in that they provide a forward-thinking perspective and thus focus on trends and issues that are currently affecting the various career clusters. They also provide input on skill sets, career pathways, specializations, emerging occupations, and recognized credentials related to all aspects of the business industry.
Futuring Panel FAQStandards validation panels consist of business professionals in various stages of their career from specialists to managers, directors, and executive officers/presidents. We meet with professionals in business, marketing, and finance to help us determine, based on their work experience, the critical skill sets needed for success in the workplace.
We use this process to validate existing curriculum standards, newly proposed standards, and to update standards under revision.
Validation Panel FAQParticipation in these one-day focus groups provides business professionals with the opportunity to network with their peers and to discuss what is needed in tomorrow’s workforce. While you’re supporting education in your state, you’re also supporting yourself and the success of your industry.
• Administrative Services
• Business Information Management
• General Management
• Human Resources Management
• Operations Management
• Accounting
• Banking Services
• Corporate Finance
• Insurance
• Securities & investments
• Marketing Communications
• Marketing Management
• Marketing Research
• Merchandising
• Professional Selling
• Event Management
• Lodging Management
• Restaurant Management
• Travel & Tourism Management
Learn more about participating in our focus groups by contacting MBA Research today.