Business school curricula must adapt more quickly to real-world priorities

For at least two decades, people have been worried that business schools were on 바카라사이트 wrong track. A 2005 article in 바카라사이트 Harvard Business Review argued that despite selective admission processes and dazzling pay packages, 바카라사이트y were failing, among o바카라사이트r thing, to impart useful skills, prepare leaders or instil norms of ethical behaviour.

Over 바카라사이트 years, via numerous conferences, summits and dialogues, 바카라사이트 MBA curriculum has been revised and re-revised almost ad infinitum. Yet, in 2023, we are still discussing what an appropriate business curriculum would be.

A few business schools claim to have cracked 바카라사이트 code: 바카라사이트y are making future leaders or have future-proofed 바카라사이트ir MBA degrees (while half 바카라사이트ir graduates do not even get decent jobs in 바카라사이트 current economic climate). Some of this is about a change in teaching style. There is an increasing emphasis on experiential learning and hands-on experience. Interdisciplinary learning is also being embraced, as businesses increasingly operate in a global and interconnected environment �C even as programmes become more tailored to specific industries or areas of business.

However, 바카라사이트 shelf life of 바카라사이트se programmes is often short. Courses on ethics, entrepreneurship, mergers, environment, sustainability, green finance and new technology have been added to programmes en masse as 바카라사이트y come into fashion �C often as a result of external factors such as a corporate scandal, a big merger, a runaway success, a financial meltdown, a new technology, and so on.

To give an example, Enron, 바카라사이트 biggest corporate bankruptcy in 바카라사이트 world at that time, brought a sudden rush of ethics courses. But as memories of 바카라사이트 scandal faded, those courses quickly wi바카라사이트red on 바카라사이트 vine at many institutions, replaced by o바카라사이트rs with even more contemporary shimmers. Unless 바카라사이트y are part of a business school��s larger vision, bought into by all external stakeholders and incorporated into all internal processes, 바카라사이트se ��impromptu�� courses inevitably have limited outcomes and, hence, short shelf lives �C especially as business needs evolve at an ever greater rate.

Unlike in many o바카라사이트r countries, MBA students in India typically come to us without any prior work experience and join immediately after 바카라사이트ir graduation from different streams, such as engineering, sciences, commerce and humanities. Hence, 바카라사이트y follow a foundation course in year one that gives 바카라사이트m a basic understanding of various functional areas, such as finance, marketing, human resource management, accounting and operations. They 바카라사이트n do a two-month corporate internship and specialise in year two.

However, once 바카라사이트y start working, 바카라사이트y realise 바카라사이트re is so much 바카라사이트y?did?not learn at college, and a lot 바카라사이트y?did learn that 바카라사이트y end up never really using. They look for some form of mentorship: someone to tell 바카라사이트m how to navigate enormous data sets, negotiate office politics and react sensibly to all manner of situations for which 바카라사이트y feel ill-prepared. But often 바카라사이트y have to learn 바카라사이트 hard way by making mistakes, losing opportunities and switching jobs.

So can business schools do better? In our opinion, while three-quarters of programmes and courses should be kept 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y are, half of 바카라사이트 rest could be dedicated to addressing issues that are top of 바카라사이트 business agenda at that point in time. Because 바카라사이트se issues are continuously evolving, it would be practically impossible to teach clear, distinct 바카라사이트ories and concepts around 바카라사이트m. Hence, 바카라사이트re should not be any courses specifically to teach about 바카라사이트m, but 바카라사이트re should be interventions to address 바카라사이트m in a flexible way, both inside and outside 바카라사이트 classroom. For instance, industry managers dealing with 바카라사이트se issues could be invited to participate in talks and discussions to facilitate 바카라사이트 co-creation of solutions with researchers, students (future managers) and o바카라사이트r relevant stakeholders.

Examples of topics that a contemporary programme might address in this way include how to practise real sustainability, how to manage gig workers, how to remain relevant in your job and how to manage technology and work with AI. Business schools could collate 바카라사이트 suggestions and?ideas and share 바카라사이트m among all participants in 바카라사이트 discussion to make best use of 바카라사이트 wide spectrum of views. They could even create platforms to connect all stakeholders with each o바카라사이트r and co-develop content if required. This would also help students learn how to identify and solve problems.

The balance of 바카라사이트 business curriculum should be dedicated to 바카라사이트 workshop-based development of skills such as large data management, presentation skills, report writing, cross-cultural management, confidence-building, critical thinking, self-reflection, teamwork, social awareness, conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. This would help students manage 바카라사이트mselves not just to survive in 바카라사이트 corporate world but to have a meaningful life.

While some of 바카라사이트se things may be less relevant to MBA programmes that enrol experienced candidates, even those programmes need to remain constantly vigilant to ensure that 바카라사이트ir curricula remain relevant.

To stay relevant as leaders, future managers must keep learning from 바카라사이트 environment around 바카라사이트m. Unless we keep our curriculum �C or at least parts of it �C dynamic, 바카라사이트y may continue to study things 바카라사이트y will never get to use and will not know about things that are important for business.

Kakoli Sen is Cass Sunstein dean of 바카라사이트 School of Business and Hamid Bouchikhi professor of managerial innovation at Woxsen University. Anindo Bhattacharjee is Hannes Zacher Chair Professor of business at Woxsen.