Much ink has been spilled over what they don’t teach you in business school. The fact is that B-schools do teach a lot. How much of that is relevant to a career in management is debatable. Most MBA curricula try to codify into a body of theoretical knowledge something that is difficult to codify. How can you codify what is essentially a synthesis of experience with insight, intuition and analysis which is what a successful manager does while drawing on psychology, sociology and several other disciplines (mostly from the social sciences) with a sprinkling of some quantitative theories? Management is a bit like painting or sculpture. Technique, remember, does not the artist make.
One paradox of B-schools is that management is often taught by people who have limited—if any—line experience. In my MBA days, the majority of students had no work experience. Things have changed somewhat. B-schools now prefer students with work experience. However, ‘workex’ is usually limited. Selling insurance policies or shampoo or having been a receptionist at a hotel for a year or two cannot really be called management experience. Henry Mintzberg asks, can you teach psychology to a person who has never met another human being? I wonder if a course in drama or even a lifetime in theatre can teach you life skills. Playing at management is not management. Being good at academics does not automatically mean you will be good at management. But what is tested in all academic institutions is your academic achievement, and that is another paradox.
My experience has taught me the critical importance of leadership, execution, boss management, handling corporate politics and emotional intelligence, among other skills. I cannot remember being taught any of these at B-school. In any case, the most important one, leadership, cannot really be learnt in a classroom.
Many years ago, American business schools introduced the case study method as a way of simulating actual business situations in class. Unfortunately, no case study can ever capture all the facts and nuances of a business situation. A case study in management is not like an airline simulator where every possible condition in every airport in the world can be simulated. In most B-schools, marks are given to students for class participation in case discussions. Mostly the aggressive and vociferous score well. The deep thinkers, the future leaders often keep quiet.
I’m not aware of any course in any business school that teaches a student to analyse, understand and then synthesise the social context in which s/he is working, without which management cannot work. Somebody once, half jokingly, said MBA stands for Management by Analysis (others have been more disparaging, Management by Arrogance). Students are taught how to analyse the functions of a company. However, the heart of management is synthesis. I am not sure that is taught.
Some of the highest-rated B-schools are in the US. Yet many American companies that used to be world leaders are now fighting to stay alive. Why does Japan, which taught the world quality management, depend so little on MBAs? I feel sorry that many B-schools crowd students with formulas, fads and quickfix solutions—instead of encouraging questioning and experimentation.
The vast majority of B-schools in India are, at best, money-making operations. The few good ones admit the brightest minds. Such bright people would do well anywhere. My experience indicates that most people who pursue an MBA are doing it not because they feel management is what floats their boat (do they have the aptitude for management?), but because they think an MBA degree will open doors to quick money and worldly success.
There’s much that one learns in a good B-school. However, the best sword is useless in the hands of a novice. The skill of wielding it effectively can only be learnt on the field.
Nripjit Singh (Noni) Chawla, Photographer and Consultant
