By applying the decision-making framework and understanding the organization structure models, he was equipped with tools to better understand the impact of different options.

"If it is structured by technical expertise, the pool of technicians becomes more centralized--this is a structure that would work for organizations that are more centralized," he said. "This is the kind of theory I learned in the EBMA program that I could bring back to the organization and apply."

In addition to theories and methodologies, Ngai finds interaction with his peers--and the relationships built through these interactions--most valuable of all.

As the EMBA program is designed senior management and executives, only students with senior management experience are admitted, creating a pool of knowledge and experience. Putting a group of elite leaders in a classroom creates an environment that breaks down the business-agenda boundaries each individual invariably brings.