Mintzberg article in Fast Company

[AdmissionsConsultants]

I’d like to thank Phil White from mba-forums for bringing this to my attention.

McGill professor Henry Mintzberg has written an interesting and thought-provoking piece about the managerial capabilities of MBA graduates and the practical value of the case study method.

You may not agree with all of his conclusions, but the article is an easy read and it may help fall applicants to further introspect upon and refine the stories they are planning to use.

Click here to read the full article.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
703.242.5885

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[y82benji]

Mintzberg isn’t the only person to have noticed how important experience is in managerial capabilities. In a lot of companies there are individuals in middle and upper management without MBAs and without graduate degrees. They get promoted for their experience with the company, not their education. The MBA degree helps add money and push you ahead a little faster, but it certainly isn’t the whole engine.

[page1]

If MBAs didn’t produce value why do companies hire them and schools graduate them? Why does Mintzberg work at a b-school if he didn’t believe it was possible to prepare people for success?

The world is littered with people who have done well without a grad degree in their field.

[y82benji]

quote:

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Originally posted by page1

If MBAs didn’t produce value why do companies hire them and schools graduate them? Why does Mintzberg work at a b-school if he didn’t believe it was possible to prepare people for success?

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I don’t think his point is that absolute. He’s not saying that an MBA is 100% bonafide worthless. He is saying, however, that experience can and often does trump the classroom education in practice. Obviously, however, one should pursue both because each adds to your knowledge and professional value. He’s just trying to dispel the myth that graduating with an MBA makes you instantly more valuable than every person out there without an MBA.

[philipwhite]

I’ve been following this slightly and I think what he is trying to do is promote his book (Managers Not MBAs) and his new program the IMPM (International Masters in Practicing Management). There are quite a few more damnning articles with quotes from his book out there. He doesn’t particularily care for consultants. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet but I assume it will go something like this. You cant teach managers they have to be crafted… Or maybe he’ll talk about the artisen or one of his freudian looking management models.

He’s an interesting guy who is somewhat thought provoking but you should take his ideas with a grain of salt. I think he should have focused on improving his school’s MBA program rather attacking it to promote the IMPM. I can only assume dissent within the ranks at Mcgill.

[hercules]

I wont fault someone for writing a book that supports what they believe if they believe in what else they do. But Page1’s comments are equally applicable to consultants which Mintzberg doesn’t like. If they are no good, why do companies keep hiring them?

[Posc]

I’m sure Mintzberg is happy with all the attention he is getting. He might fancy himslef the Madonna of the bschool profs[:p]

Support terrorists. Vote Bush out of office.

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