By sending participants to take part in GISMA Business School's Weekend MBA program companies are able to target and nurture young management talent retaining it within the company without forgoing valuable members of staff during this period of study. The participants of a part-time MBA program are willing to invest their own leisure time studying for a degree in order to enhance their position in their company.

The sponsoring companies benefit in different ways from sending their staff to participate in the Weekend MBA program:

• future managers can acquire analytical skills and a knowledge of management concepts which can be applied to their day to day business immediately, hence benefiting the company directly. This is of course also an ideal opportunity for members of staff with a technical background to acquire the management knowledge necessary to enable them to take on management responsibility at a later stage
• participants deal with each functional area within a company during their MBA studies and thus gain an overview of the value chain of a company
• the generalist nature of the MBA program allows the participants to be placed effectively in different areas of a company as required
• participants of the MBA program regularly exchange ideas and share practical experiences often resulting in new light being shed on existing problems
• the Young Professional MBA program allows participants to use concrete projects from their own company in the program if desired

In order to match both the needs of the companies sending their high potentials and also those of the participants, lectures take place on 18 Fridays and Saturdays throughout the  year. This is a model which enables both the companies and the participants to demonstrate their level of commitment and motivation. The company releases the participant on a Friday and the participant donates his Saturday and the additional personal work required to attain this demanding degree.