Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Can MBA education be made relevant?

Posted : January 11, 2005 at 11:39 am [IST]

I refer in my entry on the 27.12.2004 about my inaugural speech to young MBA students of a business school in Ghaziabad. Around Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida a large number of professional institutes giving diplomas/degrees in engineering and business management have come up. Some have claimed the area becoming education hub of North India soon. In last few years that I have stayed in Noida, I have been associated with at least four of the management schools myself. Some of them are very good, while others are just average. With respect to facilities, all are very good with very nice buildings, computers, and hostel facilities. But I think most of these institutes have come up in private sector with proprietor interested in commercial aspects of the education business rather than a mission to train the students to the standard required by the industry. I think, the owner must be getting certain tax benefits and naturally a huge amount of land at much cheaper rate. They hardly have any mission. I get emotional as it is something related to the future generation that will be running the affairs in the industry and other businesses. I have many questions about the business education and these schools as such.

Perhaps the first question doubts the necessity of these BBA and then MBA courses and why are these becoming so popular. Is it only because the boys that have these degrees can get some jobs? There is no research on the type of jobs these boys are getting engaged in. Is the business education very soon going to become like one of the subjects in humanity? Is this education relevant to the long term requirement of business and society?

How good is the quality of the education provided in most of these business schools? How good is the quality of the faculty engaged? Why do we not get to know about their research works? Why are even our top management schools such as IIMs not placed in global ranking? Can the faculty provide the right direction to the students when they themselves don’t have sufficient exposure in actual management of enterprises?

Is this education of management becoming the exclusive preserve of the affluent classes or higher middle class? Are the most of the business schools other than some very famous ones not absorbing those children who fail to get into other professional courses? Is it the easiest way the mediocre finds to get a professional degree?

How good is the content of business education? Should MBAs be more specialized in content? Are the schools more interested in raising their resources? Should there be some cap on fees?
How good are the ratings of B-schools appearing in various news magazines? How serious is the present shortage of faculty? How many of the members must be on the permanent roll of the B-schools and what percentage should be visiting?

Why can’t all admissions to the B-schools be made through one common entrance examination? What should be the basic qualifications for those seeking entrance? Why are the requirements of recruiters not researched? Why can’t some value training be a part of the MBA? Why are they not useful to smaller enterprises and the rural India?

How can one create a manager out of somebody who has never worked before joining the B-schools? Do the people with work experience find it difficult to adapt to an academic environment? Are the present MBAs better in handling the people working for them in best way in actual business situations? Do they have the soft skills required for it?

Many feel that the top B-schools are producing outstanding MBAs as they are taking in the best students from the largest repository of students in the country.

Many of these schools admit students that are not up to the mark. Some are not even good in communication in English language that is the medium of education. It is all because the quality of education at the school level is inferior. But many of the institutes don’t have any option but to admit them, as the better ones are not available to them. But some things can certainly be done to actually improve the situation. And it must be done.

All those admitted with poorer communication skill must be convinced if necessary pressed for a preparatory intensive course in communication both in speaking as well as in writing. There are specialized courses available through institutes or individuals. It can be additional to the regular classes to cover the curricula. They must clear some examinations such as GRE or TSE with some minimum marks. They must be motivated to take up these courses and must be told about its necessity and advantages.

To cover up their lack of exposure to any working experience, the institute must arrange every week a visit to some business houses or factories and seek a report. Some executives of the enterprise they visit may be requested to address them relating some of its problems.

Each summer work project can become a small research with a useful conclusion. The project must be evaluated by the some one in company where they have worked.

The regular curricula must be reinforced by proving certain side courses in improving the personal skills in subjects like problem solving, 5S, management tools and techniques, brainstorming, benchmarking, six sigmas, or time management, and compulsorily in improvement techniques and innovational approaches.

The students should also participate with teachers in doing some virtual or real life projects. The institute must cultivate the interest in the entrepreneurship as ultimate goal based on the background and aptitude of the students. It is the entrepreneurship of the students of business and engineering courses that will create employment in long term.

- Indra

Category: Employment/Education |

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Can MBA education be made relevant?

Posted : January 11, 2005 at 11:39 am [IST]

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