tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post110926403677943512..comments2024-03-28T22:26:25.034+05:30Comments on Alternative Perspective: MBA Education is bad for Society/Business/.... Students?!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-64478894985567906372008-12-04T04:30:00.000+05:302008-12-04T04:30:00.000+05:30An MBA is great as is the right connections, as is...An MBA is great as is the right connections, as is the right experiences. <BR/><BR/>I am trying to jump the curve and am applying for Seth's Godins Alternative MBAkevinbuecherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15552818691322260115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-59437823747208823542008-05-08T14:44:00.000+05:302008-05-08T14:44:00.000+05:30calling an MBA bad is like calling metals like iro...calling an MBA bad is like calling metals like iron bad as they are used for bullets. <BR/>It is a tool. It is for people to decide how best to use them. <BR/><BR/>actually, there are places on the net where you get lots of info about an <A HREF="http://www.studyplaces.com/MBA" REL="nofollow">MBA in the US</A> and Aid and everything else. <BR/>I would say that an MBA remains a very socially responsible career option. NO points for guessing, I am an MBA.John Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05480545504398104722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-21228432887308603512007-10-07T12:13:00.000+05:302007-10-07T12:13:00.000+05:30It is time for change. Transformation from Informa...It is time for change. Transformation from Information age to Conceptual age. "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink has already indicated the trends. The various existing posts indicate the information age view (Pros and cons). Syllabus and courseware reforms for MBA, Enginering, Medicine, Law and Science educaion is the need of the decade. This effort will may not come forward from existing academic community as it is not in their interest(??)A.B. Patkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12005727574614735196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-52120628613605913062007-04-21T07:38:00.000+05:302007-04-21T07:38:00.000+05:30..and I can add, it is not about the "natural sefi.....and I can add, it is not about the "natural sefishness" of people. It is also about that unlike other professions, management "science" is the only one which teaches that being selfish is OK and rational - in fact it may be even good for society.madhukarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02721957971977767171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-44847829428525903162007-04-20T03:35:00.000+05:302007-04-20T03:35:00.000+05:30"I am sure this argument can be extended to any fi..."I am sure this argument can be extended to any field of study.<BR/>Nobody studies something in the hope that they dont make money. Doctor, Engineers and anyone else for that matter. After all, we are the "Selfish gene"."<BR/><BR/>Yes, but the worst thing about the MBA is that it's only two years of no work to get one . . . don't you think the 8 year medical school requirement largely weeds the "get rich quick" crowd out?curtstesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02951722043014043603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-1124967925769150562005-08-25T16:35:00.000+05:302005-08-25T16:35:00.000+05:30I think Sumantra has taken an unjustified broad sw...I think Sumantra has taken an unjustified broad swipe at the academics who indulged in "physics-type" modeling in management science (or art, whatever you call it).<BR/><BR/>Physics type modeling has its place in management science and has indeed cured us of many baseless thumbrules in finance, operations, etc. Take Finance for example. People like Markowitz have indeed liberated much of Finance from "vague English prose".<BR/>Sumantra Goshal is one of those who rely completely on vague English prose, that is full of unfalsifiable "guru" utterings. <BR/><BR/>Management, as a discipline, suffers from the greater uncertainty principle as all social sciences do, and the academicians job is to do something about it. Modeling is difficult. We make progress by making simple assumptions and gradually complicating them as our toolbox becomes larger. The "people-are-greedy" assumption has stood us reasonably well in finance and economics in terms of insights. A model or theory is judged by its parsimony of formulation and the insights it offers. When our mathematical and computing tools get more powerful, i am sure these assumptions will be relaxed and we will progressively get to a "realistic" assumption based modeling. But then, we had to start somewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-1124786174992784572005-08-23T14:06:00.000+05:302005-08-23T14:06:00.000+05:30Thanks for the comment...Indeed! since "self" is i...Thanks for the comment...<BR/><BR/>Indeed! since "self" is involved, every action and thought can be interpreted as "selfish" - but that will be missing the point by rationalising it.<BR/><BR/>A simple test is to ask an MBA to write down two honest lists: "things to have after MBA" and "things to do after MBA".... if you compare the lengths of the list, the difference between the "consumer" and "contributor" will be clear...<BR/><BR/>Also, the point of the post was not that is anything "wrong" with the people who do MBA - but what the MBA education teaches and reinforces (including a distortion of what Adam Smith actually wrote;0)madhukarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02721957971977767171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-1124723516534060772005-08-22T20:41:00.000+05:302005-08-22T20:41:00.000+05:30let me quote u a paragraph from an economics book:...let me quote u a paragraph from an economics book:<BR/>"For what purpose is all the toil and bustle of this world? what is the end of avarice and ambition, of the pirsuit of wealth, of power, and pre-eminence?"Thus wrote Adam Smith, who glimpsed for the social world of economics what Isaac Newton recognized for the physical world of the heavens. Smith answered his questions in "The Wealth of Nations" where he explained the self-regulating natural order by which the oil of self-interest lubricates the economic machinery in an almost miraculous fashion. Smith believed that the toil and bustle had the common effect of improving the lot of the common man and woman. "Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production".<BR/> Adding here my comments on the issue, selfishness is certainly justifiable if it drives a person towards excellence and greater performance. a selfish person working hard towards his selfish interests is anyday better than an idle and inefficient person incapable of superior thoughts and actions - the mere absence of a selfish motive doesnot glorify this under-achiever.<BR/> A good deal on this view can be found if you browse through Ayn Rand's "Virtue of Selfishness". Her comments on this issue have good logic and great deal of thinking.<BR/> Nevertheless, i think there can be nobler motives than selfishness and greed for power, status and money to drive someone to excellence. Indian history is rich with such examples of great personalities. (this is where philosophy and religion will enter)<BR/> However i donot intend to extend the debate. I also agree wholeheartedly the logic behind the valid points made by the writer. But my question is , so what? who is blaming whom? is it the MBAs who are acting towards selfish interests? isnt it that every man is pursuing their selfish interest through every act of their life? (leave scope for perfected souls and sages here). You fall in luv, that is a selfish act! you help another guy, even that is a selfish act (refer Ayn Rand). you think of spending your life in comfort and bliss, away from the cut-throat competition, and again u r being selfish. where is the way out, my friend? (i have a hint for u - be perfectly selfish!! Go to Himalaya and start working for ur salvation! Or work for the community until death, seeking self-salvation again!)<BR/> well, dear! of so many evils and ills, why r u so worried abt the selfishness of aspiring MBAs who are indeed serving the society much more than the average common man, no-matter what their motives may be? Its surely not to infer that the non-MBAs arent serving, or serving any less. Now come on, tell me frankly, what is ur selfish interest??? where does it hurt ur ego to see a guy craving and reaching for his limits?<BR/>(5arnabb@iimahd.ernet.in -- :-P, so u see where it hurts me, at least!! )<BR/> PS: u remind me of mathematical fallacies,.. they have many logical steps, but suddenly, they divide both sides by zero, and then arrive at an invalid conclusion, like 1=2!!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-1124602562698934642005-08-21T11:06:00.000+05:302005-08-21T11:06:00.000+05:30I am sure this argument can be extended to any fie...I am sure this argument can be extended to any field of study.<BR/>Nobody studies something in the hope that they dont make money. Doctor, Engineers and anyone else for that matter. After all, we are the "Selfish gene".ecophilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04169434456925299608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143201.post-1110959014265503482005-03-16T13:13:00.000+05:302005-03-16T13:13:00.000+05:30Dr Shukla,
I think they are...based on whatever e...Dr Shukla,<br /><br />I think they are...based on whatever experience I have had working with MBAs from most of the B-schools, and myself being a non-MBA.Most of the times their confidence does excede their competence and these are my favourite words about them 'They just learn how to package themselves well and sell for more, and for the same reason they keep creating a brand around their institutes'<br /><br />-AnuradhaAnuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00314870895538293813noreply@blogger.com