In today’s fast-paced business culture,
companies need employees who are
highly educated in all aspects of business, as well as certain specialized areas.
One way to ensure that your employees
have the education they need to make your
business succeed is by having them enroll
in and complete a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) program.
“An employee with an MBA will be in a
better position to manage people, work in
teams, know when to follow and when to
lead, and know how to ask the right questions and to get the information needed
to make good decisions,” says Dr. Gail
Naughton, dean of the College of Business
Administration at San Diego State University.
Smart Business spoke with Naughton
about MBA programs, how to choose one
and how an employee with an MBA can be
a valuable asset.
How could an employee who holds an MBA
benefit a company?
MBA students are equipped to deal with
issues relating to both managing people
and teams, and managing innovation and
growth. While undergraduate programs
tend to focus on preparing students for
entry-level positions in specific areas,
much of an MBA program focuses on the
integration of the specific business function areas into the bigger picture. Companies often have outstanding scientists,
engineers and technology people who are
in a position to lead and supervise others,
but are thrown into a management position
without proper education and training.
Rather than going for the quick-fix seminars and training, MBAs will have a variety
of course work in their program stretched
out over a longer period of time. They get
to deal with a variety of examples, assignments, business case studies and interact
with other students to better prepare them
for the multitude of situations they will
face in their companies. MBAs are better
problem-solvers and not only focus on
answers, but how to ask the right questions
and to research the situation.
What should a company look for in an MBA
program?
Much of this depends on the type of business, the nature of the company, its needs
and its presence outside of the local area.
However, I would suggest that they look
for a local program accredited by the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business (AACSB) that has a strong
international/global curriculum. A local
program will be most in tune with the conditions and parameters of the local economy and the international/global focus will
allow students to build the skill sets needed to compete in international markets.
Even if a company does not compete in an
international market, much of its competition might. A company should also look for
an MBA program with high admissions and
graduation standards. Students learn not
only from their professors, but also from
each other, so having bright and motivated
classmates greatly enhances the value of
the MBA experience for students.
Can programs be specialized to meet a company’s specific needs?
Certainly. At SDSU we’ve done programs
at various San Diego companies, including
Qualcomm and Hewlett-Packard. We are
able to tailor examples, assignments and
cases to fit a specific culture. However, we
also recognize that companies need to be
flexible and adaptive to change, both internally and externally, so that part of a company’s specific need is dealing with uncertainty, innovation and growth.
What factors need to be considered when a
company is choosing an MBA program?
Several factors may be important. Would
employees prefer something in-house or at
a campus? After hours or during work
hours? Face-to-face instruction or distance
education? What is the frequency of class
meetings? What support will the company
give to its students? Sometimes, it’s valuable to interact with students from other
companies, who often can offer a different
perspective or confirm situations similar to
what students experience at their own
company. A company should also consider
program costs since the time to recoup its
investment may be greater for the relatively expensive programs.
How does an MBA benefit the employee?
In a recent Graduate Management Admission Council survey of alumni of MBA
programs, 97 percent of the respondents
were satisfied to extremely satisfied that
their education was personally rewarding,
while 94 percent were satisfied to extremely satisfied that their degree was professionally rewarding. For this same group, 87
percent were satisfied to extremely satisfied that their degree was financially rewarding. Plus, any employee with an MBA
from an accredited institution is going to
be in a better position to understand the
company’s big picture and how different
divisions need to work together in the best
interest of the organization.
DR. GAIL NAUGHTON is the dean of the College of Business
Administration at San Diego State University. Reach her at (619)
594-1575 or [email protected].