MBA Issues

In the 1990s, "managers' capitalism" replaced "owners' capitalism" as executive power and pay spiralled out of control. And as academics pandered to the demands of businesses and universities milked the MBA cash cow, academic rigour, critical thinking and intellectual diversity were all sacrificed to mammon.

Stung by criticism that their curriculums are too narrowly focused on the gospel of shareholder value, new research suggests that business schools are rethinking what they teach.

Could it be that in Ebenezer Scrooge one can identify the genesis of the MBA? After all, both share an obsession with accountancy and the belief that employee welfare matters only to the employee and is a net cost to the business.

From small beginnings, an oath encouraging MBA graduates to behave ethically has now been taken up by students at some 25 business schools. But in later life, will their good intentions quickly be forgotten?

Studying for an MBA may seem attractive right now, especially if your job is wobbling. But with so many managers rushing back to business school, will having an MBA really make much of a difference?

The MBA has long cherished its reputation for helping ambitious high-flyers get on the career fast-track. But according to new research, that's only true if those high-flyers happen to be men.

Traditional manufacturing industries are out, so are emerging markets. When it comes to deciding where to work, MBA graduates are increasingly choosy.

Satish is keen to study for an MBA but isn't sure what interviewers are looking for in an applicant. Durham Business School's Dr Alan Jessop has some practical advice.

Studying for an MBA may give high-flyers the sort of strong general education they need as launch pad for their careers, but it is far from being an instant ticket into a top executive job.

US business schools and corporations are turning to the teachings of Hindu gurus and the wisdom of Lord Krishna for guidance. But can there ever be a meeting of the minds between those with a spiritual and those with a material target?

Controversial management Professor Henry Mintzberg has launched a broadside at his own colleagues in management education with a robust denunciation of the current obsession that business schools seem to have with teaching "leadership".

With demand for MBA graduates rising by a quarter this year in both the US and Western European job markets, average bases salaries are approaching $100,000 with big bonuses to go with them.

Rising healthcare costs in the U.S and elsewhere are prompting growing numbers of American companies to hire graduates with joint medical diploma and MBA qualifications.

Business schools are increasingly offering "soft skills" training in leadership, management and communication to MBA graduates to give them something to differentiate themselves from the competing pack.

Doing an internship alongside or after an MBA appears to be the key to landing a job offer, according to a new U.S study.

Employers are planning to recruit significantly more people with MBAs this year, quashing fears that the popularity of the qualification has diluted its "gold standard" reputation.

Oxford University is amalgamating all its business school programmes under the Saïd Business School brand in a bid to become a world leader in management education.

Monks from the Jade Buddha Monastery in Shanghai are starting business school after the Antai School of Management accepted 18 of them this month for its new MBA course in temple management.

Demand for MBA graduates this year is set to return to levels not seen since the bursting of the dotcom bubble at the beginning of the millennium, with an average 20 per cent rise across the world being reflected in higher salaries.

Academia and Business Schools in Britain are facing a staffing crisis as the number of students going into higher education threatens to outstrip the rate at which new teaching staff can be recruited.

University College London (UCL) has launched a new MSc degree that aims to attract talented students into technology sector entrepreneurship.

Only a small minority of organisations evaluate the return on investment or organisational impact of executive education. But pressure is growing for this attitude to change.

Executive Education has changed considerably over recent years as organisations recognise the critical importance of their human capital. But what does this mean for the business schools?

An increasing number of people are asking whether an MBA is the right training programme for modern managers.

Having an MBA boosts your average salary by 18 per cent upon graduation and more than 50 per cent thereafter. But the premium placed on the qualification has fallen sharply.

Now we know why London is home to so many high-flying Australians. A survey of Australian bosses has found that having an MBA means little when it comes to getting a job.

Is an MBA any use in the real world, asks Stefan Stern in the Telegraph, or is it a qualification that has had its day?

New research shows that the base salaries of UK graduate MBAs continue to rise consistently and remain ahead of average earnings despite the current economic climate.

With over 10,000 MBA graduates a year in the UK alone, it is vital for potential students to know that their qualification will be recognised by and relevant to a prospective employer.

The days have long gone when an honors degree from a good university could guarantee you the job you want.

Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) has been confirmed as one of only two UK business schools to have received the maximum rating for research quality.