Enhancing the Impact of an Open-Enrollment Executive Program Through Assessment LYLE YORKS Teachers College, Columbia University SCHON BEECHLER Duke Corporate Education RACHEL CIPOREN Teachers College, Columbia University We describe a longitudinal action research study of an open-enrollment senior executive program at a top-tier U.S. university. Over a period of 10 years the faculty director and program staff made changes to meet clients’ needs by creating an innovative curriculum design that integrates adult learning and human resource development theory with executive education. Specifically, we present the findings from the 5-year action research project that grew out of this redesign process, demonstrating how connections between learner-focused program practices can facilitate assessment of program impact. We then discuss the implications for integrating assessment with curricular design of the program for evaluating the benefits of programs for sponsoring companies. ........................................................................................................................................................................ INTRODUCTION In the current business environment of intense global competitiveness and market-altering tech- nological innovation, corporate budgets for train- ing and education are tight. The available time participants have for attending executive develop- ment programs is even tighter. These pressures are being acutely felt in the executive education departments of business schools. The clients for these programs demand demonstrated effective- ness as corporations harness executive education as a tool to facilitate strategic change (Conger & Xin, 2000). Consequently, programs have changed their focus from providing opportunities for indi- vidual renewal by teaching the latest business school theories with a teacher-focused approach, to one that cultivates strategic thinking and lead- ership and focuses on the learner (Conger, 1998; Conger & Benjamin, 1999; Conger & Xin, 2000). Along with this trend has come a shift away from open-enrollment programs to custom programs (Fulmer & Vicere, 1995), a shift that puts additional pressure on open-enrollment programs to assess and prove the benefits provided for both partici- pants and sponsoring companies. At the same time, while the need for comprehensive assess- ment is widely agreed upon, it is rarely carried out (Bolt & Sears, 1999; Conger & Xin, 2000; Swanson & Holton, 2001). PURPOSE AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS We describe a longitudinal action research study of an open-enrollment senior executive program at a top-tier U.S. university. Over a period of 10 years the faculty director and program staff made changes to meet clients’ needs by creating an in- novative curriculum design that integrates adult learning and human resource development theory with executive education. Specifically, we present the findings from the 5-year action research project that grew out of this redesign process, demonstrat- ing how connections between learner-focused pro- gram practices can facilitate assessment of pro- gram impact. We then discuss the implications for The authors thank the three anonymous reviewers and the editors of this volume for their constructive feedback on earlier versions of this paper.  Academy of Management Learning & Education, 2007, Vol. 6, No. 3, 310 –320. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 310 Copyright of the Academy of Management, all rights reserved. Contents may not be copied, emailed, posted to a listserv, or otherwise transmitted without the copyright holder’s express written permission. Users may print, download or email articles for individual use only.