Self-assessment of continuing professional learning sources used by graduate business school professors at different career stages

Needs assessment is a critical element of effective faculty development. Graduate-level, business school professors' learning needs are shaped by their formal education, business experience, and competency-related expectations of them. To fulfill these expectations, professors must engage in continuing professional learning activities. Research questions were the following: From what sources do graduate business professors prefer to gain continuing professional learning? How do they rate the effectiveness of these sources at improving their competence as graduate business professors? How do self-assessments of these sources differ between professors who are at different career stages?;An electronic survey was administered to professors employed by nationally recognized, highly rated, U.S. graduate business schools. Nationally recognized was defined as accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). Highly rated was defined as ranked in both U.S. News & World Report's and Business Week's top tier.;In contrast to typical research on faculty, this research was focused on faculty behaviors that result in increased professional competence. Particular attention was paid to the inclusion of self-directed learning sources professors utilize, as well as to the significance of career stage on learning needs. Findings can be utilized to improve the pertinence of doctoral programs, the support of learning sources deemed most educationally valuable to business professors, the retention of high quality professors, and the quality of graduate business education.;Professors reported that they most preferred academic journals, seminars and workshops, professional conferences, informal discussions with business professionals and colleagues, and networking functions. In responses to the primary question on source effectiveness, professors also indicated that these sources are those most effective at improving their professional competence as graduate business professors. Some source preference ratings and source effectiveness ratings differed significantly by subgroup, including rank. Most subgroup differences pertained to one source: seminars and workshops. Overall, findings relating to subgroup differences by career stage were inconclusive. It was concluded that graduate business professors have diverse learning needs and preferences, and additional research is needed to further explore the descriptive information that was obtained.