|
The Master's of Business Administration (MBA), the most popular
credential on a professional's CV and coveted throughout the
corporate world, is under the scanner! It is ironic to see that
Banking and Consulting, the two sectors that showed the greatest
appetite for MBAs have been the most grotesquely mismanaged! In
fact, the economic crisis has exposed long-standing flaws not just
in the modern approach to business education but also in the very
idea of business education. Critics of business schools are
questioning the value of an MBA. They
feel that the 'traditional' and 'scientific' way of teaching, that
focuses primarily on maximizing shareholder wealth has contributed
to the current economic crisis. A recent study of 'MBA student
opinions on the relationship between business and
social/environmental issues' conducted by Net Impact and the Aspen
Institute revealed that of the 1,850 students surveyed, 90% blamed
'short-term' business focus as one of the major factors
contributing to the global economic crisis. As a result of the
crisis, a majority of students are re-thinking their career
objectives. The goal of education is not to spell out any specific set of values to be instilled but to explore processes that will help young people understand and evaluate the concepts and ideas through which they interpret their experiences. It should therefore be designed to encourage them to examine critically the values by which they make choices and set goals. It is undoubtedly important that we provide information and knowledge to our youth for their success in life, but unless we also attend to values, character and discernment, we run the risk of leaving our youth without a compass or rudder with which to navigate. In our interdependent world, this has great consequences, not only to the individual and the world of business but also to our communities and our environment. One major critique of post-graduate education is the over emphasis of teaching and not enough focus on learning. How do we make this shift from a teaching paradigm to a learning paradigm? B-schools need to be committed to continuous personal improvement and growth. They need to concentrate on developing skills that are focused on all dimensions of knowledge, information and learning methods. Apart from this, they should be willing to accept the provisional nature of knowledge and constantly question long established truths to make sure they still hold. They must encourage an open attitude towards learning and appreciate diversity in both thought and application. Humility coupled with fierce resolve is necessary for success. The willingness to seek better ideas is part attitude and part developed skill. We should help our students become skilled at defining the limits of their knowledge. By simply asking the right questions and recognizing that they do not have all the answers, they can enhance their learning substantially. We also need to understand that individuals have different learning needs and styles. While one may be detail oriented, another would look for the bigger picture. We should capture personal biases and craft tailor made development plans for our students. Using a mentoring process, our aim should be to help our students understand their strengths and calibrate their judgments accordingly. This is hardly the case in B-schools today where we expect our students to learn at the same pace and in the same way! While there is no dearth of B-schools in our country, we are leaning towards a dearth of 'quality' B-schools. What have our schools achieved with respect to producing 'inspired leaders' and sustainable organizations? The same study revealed that only 30% of the students thought that organizations were working towards the betterment of society. A majority of students also felt that schools should integrate sustainability and corporate responsibility into their curriculum. In fact' it is the evident lack of 'value-based' leadership and indulgence in unethical practices, which has led us not only to an economic crisis, but to a crisis of confidence. Going by this evidence, many would argue that our current educational system is not producing the right kind of leaders. This shows us that there is a need and opportunity to redefine the landscape of business education in our country. By teaching students the power of 'inspired leadership', B-schools can develop people who can change the way organizations work. An important aspect of inspired leadership is 'social intelligence'. The need in the coming decade is a community where every citizen engages in affairs that lead to collective action for the common good. This of course is not a new idea. In 1920, Columbia University psychologist Edward Thorndike pointed out that "the best mechanic in a factory may fail as a foreman for lack of social intelligence." Social Intelligence has been preached since the days of Aristotle and even in the French revolution. But now, more than ever, the world and India needs an intense investment in social capital. We certainly need more abundant and better-qualified leaders to get us through the challenging times ahead. To enable this, besides improving the learning process, it is time we analyzed our selection systems as well. The quality of input is a critical factor for the success of a B-school. An alteration in the input pool could enhance the quality of leaders. Instead of only concentrating on the numerical and analytical ability (which has now become a norm), we need a framework that will gauge the multiple intelligences of individuals, more importantly 'emotional and social intelligences'. What will help is an assessment process that will allow for the evaluation of creative and leadership capacities and discriminative awareness. This process will help deepen self-awareness and contribute to the individual,s ability to think creatively, as well as support the development of caring and engaged citizens. So where is B-school education headed? Clearly, we need a shift from a vertical approach to a horizontal and integrative approach to learning. With this perhaps we can bring about a more relevant breed of leaders - leaders that the world now needs! |
Person
Rebirth of the MBA
- 80 Views
- 0 Comments
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
