Top 10 MBA videos of the academic year
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
From rethinking the economy with yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur to an interview with Mike Useem on boards taking control of companies, these topics and more made it to the Business Education team’s list of the top 10 videos for the 2013/ 2014 academic year.
Which business school videos are on your list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or tweet @ftbized #FTMBA .
1. In praise of the circular economy
Yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur made her name as the fastest person to sail solo around the world. Now she is applying the same determination to rethinking the economy. She tells Della Bradshaw why companies must adopt more sustainable business models.
The US MBA market has been flat for some time according to Thomas Robertson, dean at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. He tells Della Bradshaw that students are increasingly looking at shorter specialist programmes and courses and at overseas offerings. Technology is also making an impact.
3. Winning the FT MBA Challenge
Every year the FT invites teams to compete in a consulting project that will help charities hoping to make a social impact. Rajiv Vaid Basaiawmoit, consultant and researcher at Aarhus University, tells Charlotte Clarke how he came to be on the winning team.
Students who reached adulthood around the turn of the century are demanding change, according to Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She tells Della Bradshaw they prefer learning by doing and enjoy doing so in groups. They also have shorter attention spans and a greater social conscience than their predecessors.
The number of students taking management courses has rocketed in India. But for many students, the real reason for studying for an MBA isn’t to get a job, but to make themselves look more eligible in the marriage market. The FT’s Avantika Chilkoti looks at the link between MBAs and marriage
6. Beware the narcissistic CEO
Companies presided over by individuals with an inflated view of their own importance do worse in difficult times, according to research at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. Alex Frino, dean at MGSM, tells Emma Boyde that these individuals are not always bad for companies, but it is important to be aware that they can be.
7. The language of gender bias
Business language is peppered with military metaphors such as ‘on the frontline’. But Raina Brands, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at London Business School, tells Della Bradshaw that it can backfire on women if they start using that language themselves.
8. The business of problem drinking
Government efforts to curb problem drinking tend to highlight the dangers rather than focusing on the positive impact of having a healthy relationship with alcohol. Chris Raine, chief executive of Hello Sunday Morning and an Oxford MBA, tells the FT’s Emma Jacobs about his online temporary abstinence programme and his plans to link results to future funding.
Measures to ensure that boards are more vigilant have had the unintended effect of increasing board involvement in company management. Mike Useem, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton school, tells Emma Boyde the trend is likely to grow.
The MBA, once the essential certificate for anyone wishing to make waves in the City, is facing stiff challenge from other professional qualifications that are cheaper, quicker to complete and better honed to their sectors. John Authers looks at what the MBA can still offer.
Comments