Gender, feminization and the MBA: a review of the contribution of Ruth Simpson

Purpose Ruth Simpson is a leading scholar in management education. This paper aims to provide a succinct summary of her voluminous work on management education, with a particular focus on her work on the relevance and benefit of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree, which is generally considered the flagship of business and management education. Design/methodology/approach The approach taken is a review that introduces the central themes underpinning the work of Ruth Simpson on the MBA. Findings The paper elevates the understanding of the skills development and related outcomes from the MBA. Research limitations/implications The works reviewed have implications on how to align the MBA curriculum to meet contemporary business requirements in a fast-changing world. Originality/value This paper highlights the key findings of Ruth Simpson’s research on the MBA and her scholarly contribution in this area. The paper also generates insights that are anticipated to stimulate management educators to further extend the field and carry it forward in the coming years.