MBA Programmes?
The benefits of an
MBA are almost as varied as the programmes available
and the students studying them. With some 100,000
graduating per year with an MBA from one of approximately
1,000 US or 550 European schools, this represents
variety indeed. It is therefore not surprising
that all these benefits are not fully appreciated,
or that outdated ideas of benefits persist.
 Traditionally,
having an MBA meant that you were one of an exclusive
group of highly selected students who had survived
a rigorous academic programme, with a strong emphasis
on quantitative and analytical skills. While you
might have little or no organisational experience,
you were confident in your ability to solve problems,
and expected a correspondingly high salary on
appointment.
It is clear from the
numbers above that an MBA is no longer a mark
of exclusivity. But paradoxically the massive
expansion in MBA provision has, in many ways,
made the qualification more attractive to employers.
This is because of a shift in emphasis in MBA
content, and a major change in those studying
for the qualification. Both changes were pioneered
primarily in the UK, where the typical student
is now in their late twenties or thirties, has
considerable management experience, and is more
likely to be studying while working (via part-time,
executive or distance learning programmes) rather
than incurring the opportunity costs of full-time
study. In fact, many managers are now studying
UK MBA programmes from around the globe, without
detriment to the quality of their student experience
or the value of the qualification.
Employers no longer
see MBA as standing for arrogance, ignorance of
the real world and high salary demands (twenty
years ago, this was a common view in Europe outside
of the traditional blue-chip employers of MBAs).
Instead, they see the qualification, allied to
relevant experience and proven organisational
achievements, as indicating flexibility, the ability
to welcome rather than resist change, creativity,
self-motivation, personal effectiveness, and a
range of other qualities needed in the fluid organisational
environments to which they are currently recruiting.
This means that one
major benefit for the MBA graduate is that if
they are applying for a new job, their attractiveness
in terms of existing strengths and experience
will be considerably enhanced by the possession
of the qualification. Note, though, that this
basis will normally be important. An MBA without
other attributes will today have a restricted
appeal; only the 'top' schools tend to have consultancies
and employers queueing up to employ their graduates,
and even then relevant work experience will normally
be expected.
So much for one of the
historic benefits. The other benefits of traditional
MBAs have perhaps been less affected by time.
The confidence of knowing that you are as familiar
with concepts as those trying to 'blind you with
jargon' is as valid as ever, as is the ability
to be constructively critical of consultants or
others purveying 'solutions' to management problems.
It is still important to be able to use management
tools and techniques - from a basic spreadsheet
to a sophisticated knowledge management tool -
to communicate clearly, whether in writing or
when making presentations, and to analyse a problem
thoroughly before suggesting a solution. Understanding
the basic functions in an organisation and the
main features in the environment that impact upon
it is still vital for effective strategic management.
Exposure to the latest thinking in management
will always be an asset.
But added to these,
an MBA today is likely to give you a range of
'softer' skills and understanding. You are likely
to develop your teamworking skills, to gain an
understanding of why people in organisations behave
as they do, and to become more aware of the problems
stress can cause. You will be far better able
to understand and respond effectively to the uncertainty
and complexity that is a feature of organisational
life in times of rapid change. You may well have
developed your own creativity. Above all, you
will be able to stand back from situations and
'make sense of them' in a range of different ways,
reflecting different perspectives. What is more,
you will learn from these 'conceptual experiments'
reflecting your capacity to respond to future
situations.
Those studying part-time are often surprised at
the speed with which these benefits become apparent.
Almost from the start of a programme, testing
conceptual frameworks taught in the course against
a student's own experience changes the way they
see situations, thereby markedly increasing their
effectiveness as managers. This unanticipated
benefit of the study process is so powerful, and
the promotions that follow so rapid, that possession
of the letters 'MBA' may become almost irrelevant.
Other unanticipated
benefits are improved time management skills (indeed,
it would be hard to survive an MBA programme without
these), a network of contacts that will outlast
their management career, and increased motivation
at work as things start to make sense. Above all,
the learning and reflective habits developed will
ensure that even long after graduating, those
with MBAs will be outperforming those without.An
MBA may no longer be an exclusive qualification
for those heading for the most senior ranks of
management, or a guarantee of an immediate doubling
of salary. But an appropriate MBA still offers
managers career and personal benefits that are
likely to far outweigh any financial and personal
costs.
To gain these benefits,
you will need to choose your course carefully.
It will need to be suited to your particular needs,
and offered by a respected institution. Be warned
- gaining a reputable MBA will be hard work. Beware
too that it may also become addictive, and may
change your life and your career in ways that
you cannot envisage at the outset!
Author
Sheila Cameron
The Open University
Please
also see MBA
courses in the UK
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