TEN STEPS FOR PREPARING MBA

LEARNERS FOR BUSINESS AND

MANAGEMENT
Mohammed R. Ahmed
Abstract
In the past few decades, business schools have realized that traditional graduate
degrees in business such as an M.A. in business administration are not marketable
because of their program design. Therefore, most business schools around the
world are now focusing on the star of the business schools product portfolio, the
MBA program. The goal of the MBA program is to prepare learners for business and
management. This paper presents the ten steps that business school must take to
prepare the learner for business and management. The paper is a triggered research
paper, and the research concludes that business schools must foster a culture of
continuous learning, and work with facilitators (faculty), corporate partners, and
accrediting agencies as a team to prepare MBA learners for the world of business
and management.
Key Words: Preparing MBA learners, Business curriculum, Business schools culture,
Tens steps for business schools, Business faculty, Trigger research.
Introduction
Business schools, like any other learning facilities, exist to create an environment
where learners will be able to gain knowledge about business and learn how to
manage a business or become a part of a management team. In general, business
schools have changed with the changing environment and are now offering degrees
that are designed to prepare learners to manage business. A good example of change
is the business schools focusing on MBA degree programs that are designed to
prepared learners for all aspects of business management rather than an MA in
business administration. In the old days, the business schools used to offer a Master
of Arts in business administration, and the focus was more on theory and less on
practice. However, business schools realized that learners graduating with a Master
of Arts in business administration were not prepared to manage a business because
of the design of the program. Thus, they shifted their marketing focus onto the star
product of the business schools product portfolio, the marketable MBA program in
order to achieve growth. Today, most business schools around the world design
their MBA programs to prepare learners to manage a business. The question here is
whether the universal design of MBA programs was the result of changing business
needs, or if it was the result of accreditation agency requirements for the business
schools. If the design was based on the changing needs of businesses, and the
business schools, facilitators, and learners understand the reasons for the design,

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the business schools will be successful in preparing the learner for business and
management. However, if the design was based on just getting the accreditation, the
business school will not be successful in preparing MBA students for business and
management. The goal of this paper is to trigger research to improve the design of
the MBA curriculum to prepare MBA learners thoroughly for business and
management. Trigger research is defined as a process of identifying research
problems and presenting creative solutions based on the analysis of the
environment and experience of the researcher. The gain of the trigger research is to
stimulate interest in the research topic and to gather primary data for further
research. Trigger research differs from exploratory research because the research
problem is clearly defined and the solutions to the problems are not based on any
previous research. In the exploratory research, the problem is not clearly defined
and relies on existing research. The research problem in this paper is how to
prepare MBA learners for business and management. The following ten steps were
formulated to prepare the learners based on experience and the analysis of the
environment surrounding the MBA programs using a conceptual design
methodology.
The Ten Steps
To prepare MBA learners for business and management, the business schools must (1)
understand the reason for the universal design of the program; (2) clearly explain the
rationale for each course included in the program and how they relate to each other and to
the learners; (3) show learners how the knowledge gained from all the courses will be
combined to make management decisions in a capstone course at the end of the program;
(4) develop course descriptions and syllabuses that are based on the goals of the program;
(5) formulate and implement classroom strategies to achieve the course goals; (6) use
appropriate evaluation tools that will determine whether there was an addition to the
learners knowledge; (7) prepare facilitators to be creative and innovative in sharing
knowledge with learners; (8) build a culture of continuous learning at the school; (9)
develop corporate partnerships; and, (10) use case studies, team work, and business
simulations in all the functional courses and the capstone course. The ten steps above are
useful for administrators, facilitators, and learners. The school administrators and
facilitators may be able to develop a competitive program focusing on the ten steps, and
the learners may be able to use the ten steps in selecting a business school that is ready to
prepare them for the world of business and management.
The goal of management is to maximize the wealth of the organization. To maximize the
wealth of the organization, the managers have to focus on the five basic functions of the
organization. If the management ignores any one area of the five functions, the firm will
not be able to maximize its wealth (Ahmed, 2010). Therefore, an understanding of the
five functions will help the management to understand the interdependences between
them and how an organization can create value by working as a corporate team. The
following exhibit shows the five functions that managers must be focused on in order to
maximize the wealth of their organization.

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Figure-1: Five Basic Functions of the Organization

The importance of five functions in the wealth maximization process may be one of
the reasons, that graduate business programs, such as MBA programs, around the
world include at least one course on each of the five functions of the organization.
One of the questions learners may ask about the five functions of the organization is
why do we have more than five functions in the organizational chart and more than
five courses in the MBA program. Organizational structure is influenced by the
nature of the industry and the size of the business, and it is further subdivided to fit
the needs of the organization in the given industry. In the MBA program, courses
besides marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and information
technology are needed to build a rational framework for making management
decisions in the five functional areas of the business. The following exhibit shows
the courses needed for building a rational framework for management decisions.
Figure-2: Foundation for Making Rational Functional Decisions

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Although the functions of an organization are divided into five or more areas for
management purposes, it is important to remember that all functional teams in the
organization have to work together towards the common goals, that is, the organizational
goals. To work together in the organization, all the functional divisions must have a basic
understanding of how the other functions operate in the organization. Facilitators in the
business schools must understand the importance of the five functions that create value
for the organization, the interrelationship between the five functional areas of business,
and communicate the reasons why these five functional courses are included in the
business program to the learner.
The best time to communicate is during the first session of the first course in the MBA
program and to explain that an MBA degree is a universal degree; it doesn't matter where
the degree is offered, the goals are the same, to prepare learners how to manage a
business or to be part of a management team. In addition, communicating about the
courses included in the MBA program the reasons for including the courses in the
program, how they relate each other, and how the knowledge gained from all the courses
will be combined at the end of the program in the capstone course is essential. This will
help the learner to understand the importance of all the courses included in the MBA
program, and the learner may then use a learning and retaining strategy rather than a
program strategy just to pass the course. A clear explanation of the relationships and inter
relationships between the courses will help the MBA learner to see the importance of
each course in the program and its contribution to creating value for the firm. The
following exhibit illustrates that the knowledge from all the functional areas is utilized in
the capstone course.
Figure-3: Combing Knowledge in the Capstone Course

After designing the program and communicating with the learners, the next step is to
prepare a course syllabus that reflects the goals of the MBA program. A description of

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the course must be based on the present changes in the field of business and not just on
the minimum contents required by the accrediting agencies. Every course syllabus must
include an explanation on why the course should be part of the MBA program, and how
the course will improve the business and management skills of learners. There should be
a relationship between the course description and the outcomes of the course. To achieve
the goals of the course, the facilitator needs to develop effective classroom strategies.
These classroom strategies must include the 3Cs- Contents, Clarity, and
Communications (Ahmed, 1997). The contents involve the textbooks, case studies,
simulations, videos, digital platforms, and lectures. In developing a classroom strategy,
facilitators must ensure that the contents are current and appropriate to achieve the course
goals, presented in a clear fashion, and the channel of communication is appropriate for
the target learners.
Evaluation and control are a challenging task for the facilitator in a digital environment.
To evaluate the performance of future managers, answers to multiple-choice exams are
not enough to determine whether the learner is ready for a management role. To
determine whether the learner is prepared to manage a business, the facilitator needs to
creatively design evaluation tools that show the level of knowledge the learner has gained
during the class and how well the learner is using the acquired knowledge and skills in
making management decisions. In business, managers have to constantly monitor for
problems, analyze the business situation, and find feasible solutions to solve problems.
However, managers are not provided with multiple-choice solutions to solve business
problems. To prepare the learner to be successful in business, facilitators have to use
evaluation tools such as case analysis, scenario analysis, essays, peer evaluation, current
business situation analysis, and simulations to determine the level of comprehension of
materials covered in the course and the ability of the learner to apply the knowledge and
skills gained in a given business situation.
In the old days, there was a monopoly on the knowledge, and if a learner had questions or
required clarification on the subject matter, the answer used to be in the textbooks or
provided by professors teaching the course. These days, learners have billions of snippets
of information at the click of a mouse, and they can learn about any topic through a
search and click. In the digital age, reading textbooks and listening to publishers slide
presentations given by the facilitator is not enough to gain knowledge and develop the
skills needed to manage a business. Textbooks and publishers have outlined lectures
providing basic knowledge about the subject matter. However, learners, with just the
click of a mouse, can access open source knowledge sharing environments around the
clock, and around the world. Today, learners can glean more from external sources
compared to any other time in the past. Sometimes, textbooks become obsolete by the
time they are published in certain areas of business. Furthermore, the role of the
traditional professors has changed, and they have become facilitators for sharing
knowledge rather than traditional teachers. To be successful in preparing an MBA learner
to manage a business, the facilitator has to develop personal communication (ground and
online), an understanding of human behavior (face-to-face, and virtual) for interacting
with the learners, familiarity with external sources of subject related information, and an
ability to develop a goal based knowledge sharing interaction in both real and virtual

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classrooms. Lastly, they must be able to adapt to a changing environment and creatively
use technology to share knowledge with the learners.
Culture may be defined as values, beliefs, and the rituals of the organization. In every
organization, there is a chance for the existence of sub culture, which sometimes works as
a driving force for the organizational culture or sometimes as a distraction to the
organizational culture. A distraction from a sub culture of the organization to the
organizations culture will limit the organizations ability to achieve its goals. A learning
culture could be evolved in a business school by: 1) breaking the distance and divisions
among the facilitators; 2) defining and sharing the meaning of the business research; and,
3) understanding the importance of team work in preparing MBA learners to mange a
business. Thus, in business schools there is a need for a continuous learning culture.
This learning culture starts with breaking the old divisions of tenure and non-tenure
faculty, associate and full professor, adjunct (part-time) and full-time faculty, and any
other divisions that make it difficult for facilitators to work as a team. The faculty should
be recognized based on their accomplishments, and the rank shouldnt be used to divide
the faculty. Many business schools use adjunct faculty, and very few schools use rank
(adjunct professor, adjunct associate professor, or adjunct assistant professor) for adjunct
faculty. It is important to recognize that the entire faculty will bring the providers (all the
faculty) knowledge together as a team, and they will be able to learn from each other to
form a culture of continuous learning. In present times, junior faculty and adjunct faculty
may be as affective in preparing MBA learners to manage a business as tenure full-time
professor because of their current exposure to business, and their ability to adopt
technology and to adapt with the environment.
Research is an important part of a continuous learning culture. However, the value of
research in business schools depends on how the business and management will benefit
from the results of the research. If the research is a rehash of an old theory with a new
twist, it is only good for the publishing requirements of the school and the accrediting
agency. Good business research is presented in a simple fashion so that everyone in
business and management can understand it, and the results of the study can be used
within the field. In addition, there should be collective efforts between business schools,
facilitators, and accrediting agencies to identify what is expected from business
researchers. A mere publication of an article in a peer review journal will not create a
continuous learning culture at the business school. There should be a constant effort to
get the facilitators involved in multidisciplinary research to create team learning and a
productive, facilitating environment. Lastly, business school administrators and
facilitators must work as a team to develop the infrastructure needed to create an
environment for continuous learning and the sharing of knowledge that will enhance
MBA learners business and management skills.
A business schools corporate partnership is similar to a partnership between a supplier of
raw materials and a corporation. The suppliers of raw materials and corporations must
understand that with dedicated communication, data sharing, understanding each other
needs, and managing costs, both will be able to stimulate growth and create a competitive
advantage in the market. The success of the raw material suppliers partnerships with the

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corporations is determined in the upper part (revenues, cost of productions) of the income
statement, the quality of products, and customer satisfaction.
In business schools, corporate partnership is perceived as a source of funding (donations
and tuition re-imbursements), and a few speaking engagements from the partner firms.
Business school partnerships with corporations involve more than tax-deductible
donations. In the 21st Century, the factors of production are land, human capital,
monetary capital, intellectual capital, and technology (Ahmed, and Pellet 2010). Business
schools are the suppliers of human and intellectual capital, and their performance is
determined by the upper and lower part (overhead and period costs) of the income
statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, return on investment, and stock prices
(Ahmed, 2008). To prepare MBA learners for business, the business schools need to
extend the corporate partnership beyond a source of funds to a source for building a
competitive MBA program by communicating, exchanging data, and understanding the
current needs of the businesses.
As previously stated, the goal of an MBA is to prepare learners for business. The best
way to achieve this goal is to develop internship programs for MBA learners. The
problem with this approach is that we have a high number of adult learners who are
working and attending graduate business schools part-time for an MBA degree, and time
and resources are limited for these adult learners (Ahmed, 1993). Only full-time MBA
learners will be able to take advantage of this internship program because they are not
working full-time and have time to take advantage of the program. Sometimes, it is
difficult to arrange internships because of corporate economic constraints, or the inability
to match the available internships with learners interests in business. The limitation of
internships is that the exposure and time span is limited. Other practical alternatives for
preparing MBA learners in business schools are the use of case studies, teamwork,
functional simulations in functional courses, and business simulations in the capstone
course. The case study approach has been used in business schools for decades and
classroom experience clearly indicate that team based case analysis encourages critical
thinking and increases the groups understanding of business and management. The team
also learns the important lesson that teamwork and group decisions are an integral part of
successful business and management.
Simulations are widely used in aviation, engineering, architectural, medical, and several
other fields. The aviation industry uses simulators to train pilots, medical schools use
simulation to train doctors, and departments of defense use simulation to prepare soldiers
for warfare. It is the most cost effective way to prepare and train people. Business schools
have used business simulations in their curriculum over the last few decades, and the lack
of success in the past may be the result of poor design of the simulations, concern for the
added cost, unclear goals of the simulation, facilitators (faculty) resistance to change,
and lack of knowledge to incorporate into the curriculum. Notably, in the last decade,
thousands of universities all around the world have adopted business simulations in their
capstone course.

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Business simulation provides an excellent opportunity for learners to understand how to

prepare a plan for the business, set goals, formulate a strategy, and implement the
strategy. In addition, they learn how competition and the external environment influence
the business. However, the impact of business simulation on the knowledge of the learner
depends on the learners preparation in the five functional areas of the organization,
design of the simulation, and the way facilitator incorporates the simulation in the course
and evaluates the performance of the learners.
Conclusions
Business schools exist to prepare MBA learners for the world of business and
management. As a supplier of human capital and intellectual capital, business
schools have to understand the changing need of business and prepare MBA
learners for business and management. The ten steps approach will help these
schools to understand the reasons behind the design of the MBA curriculum and to
foster a culture of continuous learning. Preparing MBA learners for business and
management is a team effort, which involves facilitators (faculty), business schools,
corporate partners, accrediting agencies, and the supplier of contents. Several
researchers (Barrett (2002); Emiliani (2006); Kellie (2004); Rapert,
Smith, Velliquette, & Garretson (2004); Kirby (2004); Betts and Knaus (2006);
Butler and Johnson (2008); (Betts & Knaus (2006); Rachman-Moor & Kenett (2006);
Rodger (2006); Moratis, Hoff, & Reul (2006); Salas, Wildman, & Piccolo (2009);
Seaton & Boyd (2008); Clarke (2009) have focused their work on improving
individual courses in the MBA program, and understanding the impact of business
simulations on MBA learners. This study addressed the management education area
that has not been previously explored in the management education literature. To
prepare MBA learners, academic publishing companies need to get away from the
market myopia and start thinking of themselves as information content providers
and not as textbook publishers. Furthermore, business schools and faculty need to
understand that textbooks do not provide the contents needed to prepare MBA
learners for the world of business and management. Facilitators need to get
involved in custom designing contents with the help of content providers to
accomplish the goals of the MBA program. Finally, the most effective tools for
preparing MBA learners for business and management are case studies, teamwork,
and business simulations.

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About the author

Dr. Mohammed R. Ahmed is a professor and business consultant. He has taught for
graduate business schools for the last twenty-five years. Teaching experience includes
both MBA and Doctoral programs. He has chaired and presented at several academic and
professional organizations national and international meetings for the last two decades.
Corresponding author
Corresponding author can be contacted at dr_ahmed@ameer.com
Journal of Global Business and Management
Editor can be contacted at editor@jogbam.com

Copyright 2010 Journal of Global Business and Management Fall 2010