, Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
A Degree in Transition
Part One The State of MBA Education
2 The Changing MBA Marketplace
3 A Close Look at the Curriculum
4 A Rising Chorus of Concerns
5 Meeting the Challenges of Globalization, Leadership, and Integration
6 Innovations in Pedagogy and Course Design
Part Two Institutional Responses
7 University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Flexibility and the Discipline-Based Approach
8 INSEAD
The Credo of Globalization
9 The Center for Creative Leadership
Leadership Development at the Core
10 Harvard Business School
General Management and the Focus on Practice
11 Yale School of Management
Integration and Large-Scale Change
12 Stanford Graduate School of Business
Customization and Large-Scale Change
13 Conclusion
Business Schools at a Crossroads
,Notes
About the Authors
Acknowledgments
We benefited from the support and assistance of a large number of people in developing and
writing this book and would like to take this opportunity to offer our thanks.
Our first debt is to the many deans, faculty, administrators, executives, and students who
kindly consented to interviews, provided us with data, sponsored our case studies, and otherwise
helped us generate the raw material that lies at the heart of our analysis. This book simply would
not have been possible without their assistance and goodwill, and we are deeply grateful for the
time, thoughtfulness, and attention that they devoted to our never-ending questions and requests.
We are also grateful to our Harvard Business School colleagues, who contributed in a
multitude of ways. John Quelch and Robert Kaplan launched us on the project by suggesting the
idea of a colloquium on the future of MBA education, convincing us to assume the assignment,
and then helping us to design a format and approach. Our dean, Jay Light, was an enthusiastic
champion; he graciously provided the resources necessary for the project, as well as unwavering
support during the three years that we were hard at work. Over one hundred of our faculty
participated in the colloquium we held in May 2008 to discuss our preliminary findings. Many
also took the extra time to offer, in writing, a rich set of suggestions for possible curriculum
changes. A number of our colleagues also provided extremely helpful feedback during informal
discussions, lunches, and hallway conversations.
Our research team was absolutely outstanding. Michael Thomas was responsible for
assembling the aggregate statistics and trend data of chapter 2, Patricia Hernandez was responsible
for the curriculum analysis of chapter 3, and Carin Knoop and James Weber wrote all of the
original case studies that appear, in modified form, as chapters 7 through 12. We met often with
the members of this group, both individually and collectively, and were repeatedly impressed by
their creativity, scholarly standards, and dedication to the project. They not only contributed much
of the data and supporting analysis that underlie our arguments, but also helped us develop several
key ideas.
During the process of writing, we had many helpers as well. Colleen Kaftan carefully and
sensitively edited the original case studies so that they fit seamlessly into part II of the book. Jeff
Kehoe, our editor at Harvard Business Press, provided wise counsel throughout the writing
process, steering us toward stronger, more compelling arguments and story lines. The four
anonymous reviewers of the draft manuscript provided us with thought-provoking suggestions,
criticisms, and questions that significantly improved the final version.
Our assistants, Alexandra Gural and Andrea Truax, kept us on course from beginning to end.
They made appointments, managed our increasingly complex calendars, coordinated interviews
and group meetings, kept us on task, and helped us produce the polished, final version of the
, manuscript. Without their guidance and gentle direction, we would never have completed this
project.
As is customary, we save our deepest thanks for our families. Srikant thanks his wife, Swati;
David thanks his wife, Lynn; and Patrick thanks his mother, Marion, and his partner, Shayda. All
four provided us with continual support—much needed during a three-year project—as well as
countless suggestions and ideas. They were invaluable sounding boards, as well as thoughtful
critics. Most important, they kept us grounded during the long process of developing and writing
this book by helping us maintain a healthy perspective. Many times their love and encouragement
kept us going. For these reasons, we dedicate this book to them.
1
Introduction
A Degree in Transition
I N 2008, Harvard Business School (HBS) celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was an occasion
for celebrating past achievements, but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing all
business schools in a rapidly changing environment. MBA programs, in particular, were the
subject of growing scrutiny as they wrestled with questions of how to prepare students for
increasingly complex organizations and careers. These new demands would require MBA
programs to take a broader view of their graduates’ responsibilities to multiple stakeholders, and
to provide their students with a deeper understanding of such phenomena as globalization,
leadership, and innovation, as well as the ability to think critically, decide wisely, communicate
clearly, and implement effectively.
In this context of escalating demands on MBA programs, we began our research for a
colloquium on the future of MBA education. Our efforts started modestly. Initially, our focus was
internal, with the spotlight on our own institution and its strengths and weaknesses. As our dean,
Jay Light, wryly put it, “It was our view that you need to think critically about what you are doing
every 100 years or so, whether you need to or not.”1 Our research objective was to generate
sufficient raw material for a two-day event that would allow our faculty to reflect on the school’s
history and consider its positioning for the future. But that effort quickly expanded as we began to
gather data on industry trends and spoke with deans and faculty at other schools. “Thank goodness
you’re doing this,” they said. “All of us need to take a hard look at where business education is
headed.”
With that prompting, we broadened our scope. We realized that the timing was auspicious,
and that many in the larger business school community were ready for a deeper, collective
reflection on our enterprise. The seminal reports on business education by the Carnegie
Corporation and the Ford Foundation were at that time nearly fifty years old, having been
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
A Degree in Transition
Part One The State of MBA Education
2 The Changing MBA Marketplace
3 A Close Look at the Curriculum
4 A Rising Chorus of Concerns
5 Meeting the Challenges of Globalization, Leadership, and Integration
6 Innovations in Pedagogy and Course Design
Part Two Institutional Responses
7 University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Flexibility and the Discipline-Based Approach
8 INSEAD
The Credo of Globalization
9 The Center for Creative Leadership
Leadership Development at the Core
10 Harvard Business School
General Management and the Focus on Practice
11 Yale School of Management
Integration and Large-Scale Change
12 Stanford Graduate School of Business
Customization and Large-Scale Change
13 Conclusion
Business Schools at a Crossroads
,Notes
About the Authors
Acknowledgments
We benefited from the support and assistance of a large number of people in developing and
writing this book and would like to take this opportunity to offer our thanks.
Our first debt is to the many deans, faculty, administrators, executives, and students who
kindly consented to interviews, provided us with data, sponsored our case studies, and otherwise
helped us generate the raw material that lies at the heart of our analysis. This book simply would
not have been possible without their assistance and goodwill, and we are deeply grateful for the
time, thoughtfulness, and attention that they devoted to our never-ending questions and requests.
We are also grateful to our Harvard Business School colleagues, who contributed in a
multitude of ways. John Quelch and Robert Kaplan launched us on the project by suggesting the
idea of a colloquium on the future of MBA education, convincing us to assume the assignment,
and then helping us to design a format and approach. Our dean, Jay Light, was an enthusiastic
champion; he graciously provided the resources necessary for the project, as well as unwavering
support during the three years that we were hard at work. Over one hundred of our faculty
participated in the colloquium we held in May 2008 to discuss our preliminary findings. Many
also took the extra time to offer, in writing, a rich set of suggestions for possible curriculum
changes. A number of our colleagues also provided extremely helpful feedback during informal
discussions, lunches, and hallway conversations.
Our research team was absolutely outstanding. Michael Thomas was responsible for
assembling the aggregate statistics and trend data of chapter 2, Patricia Hernandez was responsible
for the curriculum analysis of chapter 3, and Carin Knoop and James Weber wrote all of the
original case studies that appear, in modified form, as chapters 7 through 12. We met often with
the members of this group, both individually and collectively, and were repeatedly impressed by
their creativity, scholarly standards, and dedication to the project. They not only contributed much
of the data and supporting analysis that underlie our arguments, but also helped us develop several
key ideas.
During the process of writing, we had many helpers as well. Colleen Kaftan carefully and
sensitively edited the original case studies so that they fit seamlessly into part II of the book. Jeff
Kehoe, our editor at Harvard Business Press, provided wise counsel throughout the writing
process, steering us toward stronger, more compelling arguments and story lines. The four
anonymous reviewers of the draft manuscript provided us with thought-provoking suggestions,
criticisms, and questions that significantly improved the final version.
Our assistants, Alexandra Gural and Andrea Truax, kept us on course from beginning to end.
They made appointments, managed our increasingly complex calendars, coordinated interviews
and group meetings, kept us on task, and helped us produce the polished, final version of the
, manuscript. Without their guidance and gentle direction, we would never have completed this
project.
As is customary, we save our deepest thanks for our families. Srikant thanks his wife, Swati;
David thanks his wife, Lynn; and Patrick thanks his mother, Marion, and his partner, Shayda. All
four provided us with continual support—much needed during a three-year project—as well as
countless suggestions and ideas. They were invaluable sounding boards, as well as thoughtful
critics. Most important, they kept us grounded during the long process of developing and writing
this book by helping us maintain a healthy perspective. Many times their love and encouragement
kept us going. For these reasons, we dedicate this book to them.
1
Introduction
A Degree in Transition
I N 2008, Harvard Business School (HBS) celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was an occasion
for celebrating past achievements, but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing all
business schools in a rapidly changing environment. MBA programs, in particular, were the
subject of growing scrutiny as they wrestled with questions of how to prepare students for
increasingly complex organizations and careers. These new demands would require MBA
programs to take a broader view of their graduates’ responsibilities to multiple stakeholders, and
to provide their students with a deeper understanding of such phenomena as globalization,
leadership, and innovation, as well as the ability to think critically, decide wisely, communicate
clearly, and implement effectively.
In this context of escalating demands on MBA programs, we began our research for a
colloquium on the future of MBA education. Our efforts started modestly. Initially, our focus was
internal, with the spotlight on our own institution and its strengths and weaknesses. As our dean,
Jay Light, wryly put it, “It was our view that you need to think critically about what you are doing
every 100 years or so, whether you need to or not.”1 Our research objective was to generate
sufficient raw material for a two-day event that would allow our faculty to reflect on the school’s
history and consider its positioning for the future. But that effort quickly expanded as we began to
gather data on industry trends and spoke with deans and faculty at other schools. “Thank goodness
you’re doing this,” they said. “All of us need to take a hard look at where business education is
headed.”
With that prompting, we broadened our scope. We realized that the timing was auspicious,
and that many in the larger business school community were ready for a deeper, collective
reflection on our enterprise. The seminal reports on business education by the Carnegie
Corporation and the Ford Foundation were at that time nearly fifty years old, having been
