Between January 18 and 25, 2022, 500 managers from Austrian companies with more than 10 employees took part in the survey. All in all, 17 MBA providers were assessed by managing directors, HR managers, managers in other areas and people who do not formally hold a managerial position but are permanently involved in strategic decisions. In order to compile the ranking, the popularity of individual providers was first ascertained and then the respondents were asked whether they had any experience with the provider in question. If this was the case, the respondent should indicate whether he or she would recommend this provider to others. Both elements were equally weighted.

"Word-of-mouth" as the key to success

In the category of popularity, the WU Executive Academy managed to move up from 82.6% to 83.8%, and in the category of recommendation, the business school of the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) succeeded for the first time in achieving a score above 50% (52,1%).

"The fact that every second executive who took part in the survey now actively recommends us to other people is a great sign of appreciation and trust in our work, for which we are very grateful - especially in these challenging times. The speed of change, the volatility and half-life of knowledge and practical knowhow are extreme challenges for companies and executives all over the world. Digitization has set in motion a development that can no longer be stopped - the Corona crisis was once again something of an accelerant. In the years to come, our task as a business school will therefore be to read the trends correctly and remain relevant in terms of content, but also didactically. Only in this way, can we accompany managers and their companies in recognizing and successfully exploiting the numerous opportunities arising from digital transformation and the many other developments of our time."