Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62201
recent research by Jeffrey Pfeffer, Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and Christina T. Fong, a Stanford Ph.D. candidate. Pfeffer/Fong argue that, with a few possible exceptions, master's degrees in business administration teach little of real use in the business world. Their study also questions the relevance of current research for management practice, suggesting that the dispropor- tionate influence of basic research has made us lose sight of what companies really need. Pfeffer/Fong maintain that companies typically evolve far more quickly than academics in terms of innovation in management techniques. Another chronic complaint in some management educa- MBA programs have also come under fire as a result of tion circles is related to rankings by the media. Many pro- fessors and deans rail against the potentially harmful effects of rankings. They insist that schools may be diverting their resources away from fundamentals like generating knowl- edge or improving training methods and channeling them toward cosmetic strategies that might improve their posi- tion in rankings. These criticisms have been made by solid professionals, and they raise points that merit the engagement of all man- agement educators. Nonetheless, I would say that the state of management education is healthier than it might appear. It is true, for example, that management training emphasizes functional technical knowledge; but we must also point out that our programs now attach greater importance than ever to the development of broad man- agement skills through strategies such as workshops, out- door training, coaching, and assessment programs. And while some lines of research might seem irrelevant to the practicing manager or the consultant, basic research enables qualitative advances in resolving problems of a more applied nature. In response to the rankings issue, it seems to me that, in fact, rankings have indeed affected the way many business schools operate. It seems important to acknowledge, how- ever, that competition related to rankings has also produced innovations and improvements that have had a positive effect on the quality of management training. The out- comes have had both positive and negative elements. These are real and continuing issues, of course; but I believe we're doing a good job in terms of identifying, con- fronting, resolving, and coming to terms with many of these kinds of problems. And while many of them haven't been settled to the satisfaction of all parties, other sets of trends and opportunities now may loom even larger. BizEd MAY/JUNE 2003 39