Using Factor Analysis to Identify Topic Preferences Within MBA Courses
Earl Chrysler, Stuart Van Auken
This study demonstrates the role of a principal components factor analysis in conducting a gap analysis as to the desired characteristics of business alumni. Typically, gap analyses merely compare the emphases that should be given to areas of inquiry with perceptions of actual emphases. As a result, the focus is upon depth of coverage. A neglected area in need of investigation is the breadth of topic dimensions and their differences between the normative (should offer) and the descriptive (actually offer). The implications of factor structures, as well as traditional gap analyses, are developed and discussed in the context of outcomes assessment. Full Text
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