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  • 1.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-02-2005 08:53

    From: http://www2.dailybulletin.com/business/ci_3079485

     

    Evan Pondel, "A matter of degrees: MBA programs seeking students," <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Inland</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> Daily Bulletin, October 2, 2005. http://www2.dailybulletin.com/business/ci_3079485

     

     EXCERPT

    Jason Mackay never thought an MBA would one day enhance his skills as an active-duty major in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> Army.

    But after serving in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> and a promotion in rank, Mackay decided to take advantage of some extra time he had been allotted.

    The conundrum was that Mackay, 34, wanted to pursue a master's degree in national security studies, not business administration.

    "That was my plan B," he said.

    And that's exactly the problem many business schools are facing as MBA programs take second place for those mulling graduate school. No longer can a master's in business administration ensure a six-digit salary, and universities are trying to restore some of the guaranteed payoff to their business schools.

    More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council. At the same time, more <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> applicants are sending admittance scores to Europe and <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>.

    "But while it may appear that applications have dropped significantly, there are other factors at play that don't spell doom for the MBA," said Bob Ludwig rludwig@gmac.com , director of external communications at GMAC http://www.gmac.com/gmac/   , a McLean, Va.-based organization responsible for developing the Graduate Management Admission Test.

    Among those factors, students are not applying to as many programs as they did in the past. Applicants are also more inclined to stay closer to home for school.

    That was the thought process when Christina Cornejl, 28, applied to <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Bernardino</st1:place></st1:city>, for business school. And like Mackay, business school was plan B. She initially wanted to attend medical school.

    "But then I realized there were other positions in the world besides being a physician," said Cornejl, a biology major who was working as an unhappy chemist at the time.

     

    [....]

     

    "We need to make up for the loss," said Beth Flynn, MBA program director. "There's quite a crisis going on for the entire university system."

    To address the problem, CSUSB has hired a task force that will oversee domestic and international recruitment efforts. The school has also overhauled its curriculum to focus on more entrepreneurial course work, a key characteristic when it comes to attracting international students.

    The fact that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> plays a bigger role in the global economy is yet another reason business schools are shifting their focus abroad. About 30 percent of full-time MBA programs reported an increase in international applications, compared with 18 percent in 2004. Of the countries supplying the most international applicants, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region> ranks first, followed by <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region>.

    The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Southern California</st1:placename></st1:place> has a thriving population of international MBA students. But the school has also seen a 20 percent decline in overall enrollment numbers of full-time MBA students entering between 2004 and 2005. Yash Gupta, dean of USC's Marshall School of Business, attributes the decline to shifts in the job market.

    And because job creation has dipped significantly in recent years, enrollment numbers will likely continue their downward trend, Gupta said. But as <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>'s and <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s economies grow, the dean is confident he can improve enrollment at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:city>.

    That also requires a shift in business school philosophy. "Ten years ago, a student came to business school with a passport, saying, 'This is how I'm going to make millions,"' Gupta said. "But the quick-buck mentality is going. Today, there is more humility. You have to earn your stripes."

    Instead of adding accounting and marketing courses, USC is attempting to tap creativity. The school is focusing on strategies to help students manage innovation. To do that, Gupta is advocating that students work in groups and understand how businesses interact with their environment.

    But that method isn't completely foolproof, from Mackay's perspective. The CSUSB business student said working in groups isn't always productive because the "cases we're studying are a little dated." For example, Mackay recently worked on a case study about whether an Internet presence is helpful for Company X.

    "When something like this comes up, you're standing there with hindsight, saying to yourself, 'duh,"' Mackay said.

    Attempting to change that impression is Cornelius de Kluyver, dean of the Peter F. Drucker and <st1:placename w:st="on">Masatoshi</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Ito</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Graduate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of Management in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Claremont</st1:place></st1:city>. In the past several years, the school has launched a specialized degree in arts management and financial engineering.

    "The point is, we are not putting all of our eggs in one basket," de Kluyver said. "We recognize that maturing markets tend to fragment into niches. And ultimately, there will be a revitalized set of management degrees."

    Until that happens, business schools are focusing on the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> government's visa policy for international students. Since 9-11, tightened sanctions for obtaining visas are creating yet another obstacle for the nation's business schools.

    The <st1:placename w:st="on">Anderson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>, partially attributes its decline in applicants to stringent visa requirements. "But I wouldn't say we have revised our program based on these trends," said David Lewin, a professor of management and senior associate dean for UCLA's MBA program. "We have changed the program based on what we think people would be attracted to right now." That includes entertainment management and sports marketing courses.

    California State Universities, Northridge and Long Beach, are also trying to attract students to their executive MBA programs. For Northridge, that means appealing to applicants' daily schedules, as well as their academic endeavors. And for <st1:city w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:city>, the goal is to tempt more international students by highlighting a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> program that allows them to work and go to school at the same time.

    "We've seen a difference between global trends and local trends for our students," said H. Michael Chung, director of graduate programs and executive education at CSULB. "And we'll continue to update our curriculum to adjust to changes in the market. And so far, this past summer has been very hot for us."



  • 2.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-02-2005 15:17
    The appropriate response to this situation is rather obvious.  If seemingly difficult to implement be forewarned that those who do will leave those who don't in the dust.
     
    The MBA schools need to acknowledge that Administration is not the name of the game today.  Managers have needed and now want a Masters of Business Systemization. 
     
    For the last five years the 'witchdoctors' have been extracting about $7 billion annually for delivering 'understanding' in this area.  How much of that would educational institutions like to have. 
     
    As Drucker said, Relevance, professors, Relevance.
     
    cheers,
    Jack Ring
    ----- Original Message -----
    Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 5:53 AM
    Subject: More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    From: http://www2.dailybulletin.com/business/ci_3079485

     

    Evan Pondel, "A matter of degrees: MBA programs seeking students," <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Inland</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> Daily Bulletin, October 2, 2005. http://www2.dailybulletin.com/business/ci_3079485

     

     EXCERPT

    Jason Mackay never thought an MBA would one day enhance his skills as an active-duty major in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> Army.

    But after serving in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> and a promotion in rank, Mackay decided to take advantage of some extra time he had been allotted.

    The conundrum was that Mackay, 34, wanted to pursue a master's degree in national security studies, not business administration.

    "That was my plan B," he said.

    And that's exactly the problem many business schools are facing as MBA programs take second place for those mulling graduate school. No longer can a master's in business administration ensure a six-digit salary, and universities are trying to restore some of the guaranteed payoff to their business schools.

    More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council. At the same time, more <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> applicants are sending admittance scores to Europe and <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>.

    "But while it may appear that applications have dropped significantly, there are other factors at play that don't spell doom for the MBA," said Bob Ludwig rludwig@gmac.com , director of external communications at GMAC http://www.gmac.com/gmac/   , a McLean, Va.-based organization responsible for developing the Graduate Management Admission Test.

    Among those factors, students are not applying to as many programs as they did in the past. Applicants are also more inclined to stay closer to home for school.

    That was the thought process when Christina Cornejl, 28, applied to <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Bernardino</st1:place></st1:city>, for business school. And like Mackay, business school was plan B. She initially wanted to attend medical school.

    "But then I realized there were other positions in the world besides being a physician," said Cornejl, a biology major who was working as an unhappy chemist at the time.

     

    [....]

     

    "We need to make up for the loss," said Beth Flynn, MBA program director. "There's quite a crisis going on for the entire university system."

    To address the problem, CSUSB has hired a task force that will oversee domestic and international recruitment efforts. The school has also overhauled its curriculum to focus on more entrepreneurial course work, a key characteristic when it comes to attracting international students.

    The fact that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> plays a bigger role in the global economy is yet another reason business schools are shifting their focus abroad. About 30 percent of full-time MBA programs reported an increase in international applications, compared with 18 percent in 2004. Of the countries supplying the most international applicants, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region> ranks first, followed by <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region>.

    The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Southern California</st1:placename></st1:place> has a thriving population of international MBA students. But the school has also seen a 20 percent decline in overall enrollment numbers of full-time MBA students entering between 2004 and 2005. Yash Gupta, dean of USC's Marshall School of Business, attributes the decline to shifts in the job market.

    And because job creation has dipped significantly in recent years, enrollment numbers will likely continue their downward trend, Gupta said. But as <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>'s and <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s economies grow, the dean is confident he can improve enrollment at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:city>.

    That also requires a shift in business school philosophy. "Ten years ago, a student came to business school with a passport, saying, 'This is how I'm going to make millions,"' Gupta said. "But the quick-buck mentality is going. Today, there is more humility. You have to earn your stripes."

    Instead of adding accounting and marketing courses, USC is attempting to tap creativity. The school is focusing on strategies to help students manage innovation. To do that, Gupta is advocating that students work in groups and understand how businesses interact with their environment.

    But that method isn't completely foolproof, from Mackay's perspective. The CSUSB business student said working in groups isn't always productive because the "cases we're studying are a little dated." For example, Mackay recently worked on a case study about whether an Internet presence is helpful for Company X.

    "When something like this comes up, you're standing there with hindsight, saying to yourself, 'duh,"' Mackay said.

    Attempting to change that impression is Cornelius de Kluyver, dean of the Peter F. Drucker and <st1:placename w:st="on">Masatoshi</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Ito</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Graduate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of Management in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Claremont</st1:place></st1:city>. In the past several years, the school has launched a specialized degree in arts management and financial engineering.

    "The point is, we are not putting all of our eggs in one basket," de Kluyver said. "We recognize that maturing markets tend to fragment into niches. And ultimately, there will be a revitalized set of management degrees."

    Until that happens, business schools are focusing on the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> government's visa policy for international students. Since 9-11, tightened sanctions for obtaining visas are creating yet another obstacle for the nation's business schools.

    The <st1:placename w:st="on">Anderson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>, partially attributes its decline in applicants to stringent visa requirements. "But I wouldn't say we have revised our program based on these trends," said David Lewin, a professor of management and senior associate dean for UCLA's MBA program. "We have changed the program based on what we think people would be attracted to right now." That includes entertainment management and sports marketing courses.

    California State Universities, Northridge and Long Beach, are also trying to attract students to their executive MBA programs. For Northridge, that means appealing to applicants' daily schedules, as well as their academic endeavors. And for <st1:city w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:city>, the goal is to tempt more international students by highlighting a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> program that allows them to work and go to school at the same time.

    "We've seen a difference between global trends and local trends for our students," said H. Michael Chung, director of graduate programs and executive education at CSULB. "And we'll continue to update our curriculum to adjust to changes in the market. And so far, this past summer has been very hot for us."



  • 3.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-02-2005 20:15
    Yep, I agree. Administration is a target. At every turn folks (or
    organizations that have learned), that are good with systems, are
    targeting administrative processes and the bureacrats (er
    administrators) that run them. If universities are still pumping out
    bureacrats (er administrators) then it is high time for a change not
    only in the name of the deliverable but the curriculum as well. Don't
    want to turn out wide eyed enthusiastic bureacrats (er administrators)
    that are hired by their own kind (ummm..HR) into the road kill of an
    adapting organiztion.

    L8R
    Rick

    Jack Ring wrote:

    > The appropriate response to this situation is rather obvious. If
    > seemingly difficult to implement be forewarned that those who do will
    > leave those who don't in the dust.
    >
    > The MBA schools need to acknowledge that Administration is not the
    > name of the game today. Managers have needed and now want a Masters
    > of Business Systemization.
    >
    > For the last five years the 'witchdoctors' have been extracting about
    > $7 billion annually for delivering 'understanding' in this area. How
    > much of that would educational institutions like to have.
    >
    > As Drucker said, Relevance, professors, Relevance.


  • 4.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-03-2005 07:46
    Earlier, Jack Ring wrote in part:

    > The MBA schools need to acknowledge that Administration is not the
    > name of the game today. Managers have needed and now want a Masters
    > of Business Systemization.

    Jack, could you say a little more about what you mean by "Business Systemization." What came to my mind was the old notion of Fred Taylor's of systemizing work (later known as "rationalizing"). Did you mean that or something else?

    Fred Nickols


  • 5.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-24-2005 11:54
    Fred,

    I am incapable of saying a 'little' more so stop reading when you tire.

    BS is about as far from Fred Taylor's notion as one can get.

    BS means to see a business as a system; its context, content, structure and,
    when stimulated, its behavior.

    Content includes the contained entities.

    Structure includes the interrelationships among the entities and the
    interrelationships among the interrelationships.

    Behavior includes its stimulus<>response characteristic, an emergent
    characteristic which no subset of entities and interrelationships can
    exhibit.

    A business is different than most systems because it is composed, partly, of
    humans. Humans are not operators who sit outside the system and interact
    with it. Humans are integral components of the system. Humans are not
    resources. Humans are the sources of enthusiasm thus innovation.

    Rule: If your system does not have at least one belly button it is not
    innovative.

    Devising a business entails application of systems thinking (including but
    not limited to the Forrester/Roberts/Pugh/Senge Systems Dynamics) and
    I-D-E-A-L practices ,
    Identifying,
    Design/Architecting,
    Engineering/Constructing,
    Adopting/Assaying/Adapting, and
    Learning.

    Because a business is composed partly of humans, its behavior is somewhat
    unpredictable.

    Because a) humans change and b) context changes then devising a business
    must be a persistent activity else market relevance becomes unsustainable.
    Once initialized a business must be continuously evolved throughout episodes
    of stochastic shock. Ashby's law says that the intensity of evolving must
    exceed the variety inherent in Context, Content and Structure else the
    system dis-integrates. The techniques and tools of creative problem solving
    are useful.

    Taylor envisioned a repetitive physical operation (essentially the
    Constructing phase of business as system with no Assaying and Adapting)
    which inevitably visited the manifestations of change on the worker bees,
    making their life miserable.

    In spite of that folly the current craze is on Enterprise Architecture
    wherein an architecture for the business is adopted without first deciding
    whether the business is intended to be a home, hospital or hockey rink.
    See, for instance, the Federal Enterprise Architecture, the DoD Architecture
    Framework and the Zachman Architecture Framework. Although meant to be a
    checklist to ensure completness of thought when initializing an enterprise
    these 'Lists in lieu of Thinking' have become crutches for the lame and
    lazy.

    Compounding this error is the IT Merchandizing Monster which would have you
    believe that businesses are composed only secondarily of people and
    primarily of computer programs wherein the management challenge is to
    execute them in the best order.

    The systematized business can become an intelligent enterprise that; a) has
    a goal, b) knows where it is and isn't, continuously, with respect to the
    goal, c) has energy, d) directs the energy with knowledge when e) triggered
    or stimulated, and f) reduces the gap between goal and situation even while
    the situation is changing (nee adapting) or the goal is changing (nee
    co-aligning).

    One mark of a systematized business is its ability to model and simulate
    itself. Any business not operating by examining alternatives with its
    simulator before commiting its resources, is not very intelligent and is not
    learning very fast. In the current era, he who learns fastest wins.

    Accordingly, a key business management effectiveness measure is
    Model/Simulation Fidelity which means that the business may encounter a
    bunch of little surprises in the situaitons it actually encounters but not
    Big surprises.

    Hope this clarifies the idea.

    cheers,
    Jack

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: <nickols@att.net>
    To: <MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU>
    Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 4:45 AM
    Subject: Re: More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline
    in operations this year when compared with 2004


    > Earlier, Jack Ring wrote in part:
    >
    >> The MBA schools need to acknowledge that Administration is not the
    >> name of the game today. Managers have needed and now want a Masters
    >> of Business Systemization.
    >
    > Jack, could you say a little more about what you mean by "Business
    > Systemization." What came to my mind was the old notion of Fred Taylor's
    > of systemizing work (later known as "rationalizing"). Did you mean that
    > or something else?
    >
    > Fred Nickols
    >
    >


  • 6.  More than 70 percent of full-time MBA programs cite a decline in operations this year when compared with 2004

    Posted 10-25-2005 13:12
    "I can't help it", #214:

    The first person, according to the Christian Old Testament & the
    Jewish Bible (Torah?), was Adam.

    Adam was not born of woman, but made directly by the Almighty.
    Therefore Adam did not have a navel.
    By the same reasoning, neither did Eve. Nor any other creature therein.

    Jack Ring says you have to have at least one navel to be innovative.

    Therefore, the Garden of Eden was not innovative.
    Therefore, the eating of apples was not innovative, but was expected
    or anticipated.

    Adam and Eve were destined to be driven out of the Garden.

    Q. E. D. :)


    On Oct 24, 2005, at 10:53 AM, Jack Ring wrote:

    > [snip]
    >
    > A business is different than most systems because it is composed,
    > partly, of humans. Humans are not operators who sit outside the
    > system and interact with it. Humans are integral components of the
    > system. Humans are not resources. Humans are the sources of
    > enthusiasm thus innovation.
    >
    > Rule: If your system does not have at least one belly button it is
    > not innovative.
    >
    >

    [snip wonderful stuff]

    Jay Warner
    Principal Scientist
    Warner Consulting, Inc.
    4444 North Green Bay Road
    Racine, WI 53404-1216
    USA

    Ph: 262.634.9100
    FAX: 262.681.1133
    email: quality@a2q.com
    web: www.a2q.com

    The A2Q Method(tm) --- What do you want to improve today?