The University of Stellenbosch Business School has for the second year in a row been rated highest in the annual PMR.africa national survey on accredited business schools in South Africa. These include schools offering MBA or MBL degrees.
In making the results of the survey known PMR.africa CEO Johan Hattingh said: "USB is highest rated on a mean score of 8.10 out of a possible 10.00." For this, the school will be awarded the Diamond Arrow Award, repeating a similar achievement in 2012.
The Chair of the USB Management Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Prof Johann de Villiers welcomed this announcement and described this as wonderful news, which "provides evidence of the school's strong reputation, built over many years."
This year the USB has also managed to become the first business school of an African university to achieve the so-called Triple Crown. This term refers to schools with all three international business school accreditations: EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB.
The PMR.africa survey was done among human resource directors/managers or line managers in listed and large companies, national, provincial and local government departments, municipalities and state-owned enterprises in South Africa that employ MBA/MBL graduates and students. The ratings are based on the perceptions of the respondents.
The respondents rated the MBA/MBL graduates and students in the workplace representing accredited business schools across 19 attributes, namely:
- Academic knowledge
- Application of knowledge in the workplace
- Communication skills/abilities
- Emotional intelligence
- Entrepreneurial skills/capacity/abilities
- Environmental awareness
- Ethical business conduct
- Financial management
- Human resource management
- Implementation of corporate governance
- Information management
- Innovation
- Insight into sound sustainable development
- International perspective
- Leadership skills/abilities
- Marketing management
- Operational management
- Quantitative abilities/skills
- Strategic management
Hattingh also said: "The purpose of the (PMR.africa) awards is to celebrate excellence. Through the awards we want to acknowledge and set a bench mark for others to aspire to."
The USB will receive its award at the PMR.africa awards evening in October in Johannesburg.
