Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62203
YourTurn An MBA Is Not Enough If the past year's MBA graduates gathered in a single meeting place, the crowd would top 115,000. Each individual would hold a solid degree and have impeccable references. Each person would boast an "enthusiastic attitude" and a keen ability to "multitask." And, most significantly, each individual would be looking for a job. The current job market is saturat- ed with qualified MBAs. Given the reality of a changing world, one must stop and ask an important question: In today's business envi- ronment, is an MBA degree still suf- ficient? Unfortunately, the answer may not be one that the 115,000 MBA graduates would like to hear: Probably not. In this day and age, when the post-industrial business world is struggling to absorb the progress triggered by technological advances, business graduates must not only be MBAs. They must also be IT professionals. Today's technology has brought too many students have left business school with- out having logged enough hours learning to under- stand and work with tech- nology—if they've logged any at all. Roles in the business world by Louis E. Lataif have changed because the way we conduct business has changed. Information technology is radically affecting how businesses are struc- tured, how products are developed, how customers are served, how pro- TODAY'S GRADUATES NEED TO COMBINE INFORMATION SYSTEMS EXPERTISE WITH MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS TO FULLY SUCCEED IN A NETWORKED-BUSINESS WORLD. increased communication and accel- erated productivity. Job roles, duties, and business leadership have been transformed—and are still transform- ing—to reflect our new, elevated business needs. Career objectives are being refined, even redefined. And employers are adhering to stricter hiring criteria. Those standards that once may have been seen as elec- tive—such as computer program- ming, Web marketing, and software development—are now require- ments. Jobs in today's work world demand baseline knowledge of tech- nology and electronic communica- tion. In spite of this reality, however, 56 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2003 ductivity is improved, how quality is strengthened, and how speed- to-market is increased. Because of these conditions, business schools must make a priority of reforming curricula to reflect the changed world. Business schools must teach the subject matter that gives today's graduates the ammunition to compete in an electronic and globally networked world. In short, business schools must into the classroom. Business schools know it is more become business leaders. As business is transformed, it's time for a new twist on the old MBA classic. It is time to incorporate infor- mation systems objectives important than ever to continue producing world-class builders and leaders. Business schools know they must provide a nurturing and wholesome environment for stu- dents from countries all over the world. However, in the years ahead, there will be an even greater need for innovative, professionally trained managers who understand the impact of technology on operations management and who have been educated to think systemically. These managers will be the leaders who will help rebuild businesses and economies. These managers will be the ones who will spawn new busi- nesses and the related new opportu- nities—the ones who will shape the post-post-industrial era of business. The question about the continu- teach information technology—both from an operating and a strategic perspective—as a part of the core curriculum. It's the understanding, both theoretical and practical, of technology that hoists a graduate's competence above the crowd, making it easy for an employer to notice him or her in a sea of tens of thousands job-seekers. Teaching business with technolo- gy is the way to prepare future entrepreneurs and executives to ing adequacy of an MBA, then, is a fair one. It is being asked in busi- ness and academic circles alike. In response, many business schools are reformatting their MBA programs specifically to reflect the demands of the information age. According to AACSB International, most of 330 accredited MBA programs (of the 700 schools that offer MBA degrees) have launched new initia- tives. These initiatives include e- commerce degrees, certificates, or other technology-focused programs. Many more MBA programs have added "e" materials in their curricu- la. By incorporating studies on e-business, e-commerce, information systems, and other technology-