30+mba-第4部分

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distinguished　benefactors。　In　Atlanta’s　case　it　was　Robert　C　Goizeuta；　the　
chairman　and　chief　executive　officer　of　the　Coca…Cola　pany　from　1981　
until　his　death　in　1997；　whose　vision　inspired　and　supported　the　school。　
The　role　of　libraries　is　not　just　to　be　a　repository　of　knowledge　but　to　be　
able　to　disseminate　it　effectively。　Nothing　so　dramatically　demonstrated　
the　shi。。　from　repository　to　disseminator　as　the　new　Kings　Norton　Library　
at　Cranfield。　Designed　by　Norman　Foster；　it　opened　in　1992　to　an　audience　
amazed　by　two　facts。　It　looked　suspiciously　like　the　aircra。。　hangars　
surrounding　it；　and　it　was　smaller　than　the　library　it　replaced。
Introduction　11　
The　statement　on　Cranfield’s　library　website；　which　claims　‘access　to　
nearly　200　databases　and　8500　electronic　journal　titles；　most　of　which　can　
be　searched　from　anywhere　in　the　world’；　demonstrates　clearly　the　shi。。　in　
strategic　thinking　by　libraries　everywhere。　You　don’t　need　to　be　on　a　business　
school　campus　to　access　most　of　the　‘knowledge’　residing　there。　In　fact；　
as　will　be　seen　throughout　the　chapters　in　this　book；　you　don’t　even　need　
to　be　a　paid…up　student　to　find　out　as　much　as　you　require　about　business。　
Many　business　schools　make　their　latest　research　and　case　studies　freely　
available　to　anyone　with　the　inclination　to　study。　For　example；　at　Harvard’s　
Working　Knowledge　（h。。p：//hbswk。hbs。edu）　you　can　read　thousands　of　
articles　covering　every　business　discipline；　The　Free　Management　Library　
（managementhelp）　has　links　to　over　5；000　articles　covering　
650　business　and　management　topics；　and　The　British　Library　Business　
Information　Service　（h。。p：//bl。uk/services/information/business。html）　
holds　one　of　the　most　prehensive　collections　of　business　information　in　
the　world。　These　are　just　three　of　hundreds　of　sources　that　the　home　student　
can　tap　into　to　match　or　be。。er　the　resources　in　many　business　schools。　
Once　again；　nothing　said　here　is　intended　to　limit　the　value　of　the　knowledge　
contained　in　libraries　or　the　skill　of　librarians　in　cataloguing　their　
material。　It’s　just　that　you　don’t　have　to　go　to　a　business　school　to　access　
that　knowledge　or　indeed　even　to　get　a　ringside　seat　at　the　latest　thinking　
of　the　world’s　best　teachers。　
CHALLENGES　TO　THE　MBA　DEGREE　
Reading　the　numbers　of　people　taking　the　GMAT；　the　recognized　entry　
test　to　get　into　a　good　business　school　（more　about　this　in　the　appendix）；　
you　could　be　forgiven　for　believing　that　the　classic　business　school　method　
of　teaching　the　MBA　is　a　continuing　success。　According　to　the　Graduate　
Management　Admissions　Council　（gmac）；　the　numbers；　96；000　
or　so；　are　growing　steadily；　5　per　cent　or　so　a　year　in　the　United　States　and　
22　per　cent　elsewhere。　Three　pieces　of　evidence　from　the　business　schools　
themselves　seem　to　be　challenging　the　idea　that　the　traditional　method　
used　to　teach　MBAs；　that　is；　full　time　and　in　class；　is　right　for　everyone。　
The　online　MBA　
Looking　a　li。。le　more　closely　at　the　GMAC　figures；　you　can　see　that　a　large　
proportion　of　the　growth　in　applicants　to　take　an　MBA　es　from　people　
applying　to　take　MBAs　online。　There　is　a　net　45　per　cent　of　schools　reporting　
an　increase　（increase　less　those　with　shrinking　numbers）　in　applicants　for　
online　MBAs　pared　to　just　a　36　per　cent　net　increase　from　full…time　
MBA　programmes。　Factoring　in　part…time　and　flexible　MBAs；　there　is　
12　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
certainly　evidence　that　the　full…time　taught　MBA　model　is　in　less　than　rude　
good　health。　
MBA　‘Lite’　
Business　schools　have　not　been　slow　to　recognize　threats　to　their　core　
product；　the　MBA。　One　response　has　been　to　introduce　what　is　in　effect　
an　MBA　Lite　–　the　core　disciplines　with　the　frills　stripped　out。　Manchester　
Business　School；　for　example；　offers　‘The　Programme　for　High　Value　
Managers　–　for　experienced　managers　who　are　looking　for　an　alternative　
to　an　MBA’。　Costing　just　￡5；500；　this　programme　is　delivered　in　two　5…day　
modules。　Kellogg　School　of　Management’s　programme；　‘The　Best　of　an　
MBA’；　takes　just　20　days　spread　out　over　9　months；　with　perhaps　another　
10　days　to　prepare　cases　and　readings　between　sessions。　Ergo　–　The　Thirty…　
Day　MBA；　as　delivered　by　a　business　school　in　the　world　premier　league　
by　any　measure。　
In　fact；　business　schools　have　been　offering　alternatives　to　the　MBA　
addressing　that　programme’s　deficiencies　–　too　long；　too　theoretical　and　
too　o。。en　taught　by　inexperienced　junior　faculty　–　for　decades。　Executive　
education　as　delivered　in　business　schools　is　almost　certainly　the　best　of　
its　kind　to　be　found　anywhere。　But　only　recently　have　schools　added　the　
accolade　of　MBA　to　such　programmes；　albeit　by　proxy。　
Value　proposition　questions　
According　to　GMAC’s　most　recent　surveys　of　corporate　recruiters；　with　
responses　from　1；382　recruiters　representing　1；029　panies　around　the　
world　that　hire　MBAs　or　others　with　graduate　business　educations；　they　
expect　to　offer　annual　base　salaries　28　per　cent　higher　to　people　with　
graduate　business　degrees　than　are　on　offer　to　new　hires　with　other　types　of　
graduate　degree。　That　statistic　would　support　the　value　proposition　of　the　
MBA　if　a　salary　hike　was　the　primary　reason　for　taking　an　MBA。　A　study　by　
the　Aspen　Institute　（aspencbe/about/library。html　》　Reports　》　The　
2008　Student　A。。itudes　Survey）　on　what　MBAs　feel　most　important　a　year　
a。。er　pleting　their　studies　put　‘Earning　a　high　ine’　as　joint　fourth　in　
factors　of　importance；　alongside　‘Having　a　positive　impact　on　society’；　and　
well　behind　‘Developing　my　career’　and　‘Enhancing　my　skills’。　
In　GMAC’s　parallel　study；　‘The　Value　Proposition　–　MBA　Programmes’　
by　Gregg　Schoenfeld；　Associate　Director；　Research；　at　GMAC；　Schoenfeld　
shows　that　9　in　10　graduates　consider　their　degree　as　good　to　outstanding　
value。　But　looking　more　closely　the　figures　reveal　that　34　per　cent　of　
MBAs　did　not　consider　their　programme　to　be　either　outstanding　or　excellent　
value。　In　fact；　over　1　in　15　thought　their　MBA　programme　only　fair　
or　poor　value。　And　that’s　from　the　very　best　business　schools！　GMAC’s　
Introduction　13　
statistics　break　down　MBAs　into　only　a　handful　of　job　sectors；　with　the　
majority　heading　for　banking；　consulting　services；　information　technology；　
investment　banking　and　management　consulting。　So　it’s　fair　to　surmise　that　
if　you　don’t　fit　into　those　sectors；　going　to　a　business　school　may　prove　less　
of　a　sound　investment。　
THIS　BOOK　AND　YOUR　OWN　RESOURCES　
If　you　decide；　as　do　most　students　of　business；　that　business　school　is　not　
the　only　way　to　acquire　an　MBA　skill　set；　or　perhaps　it　is　not　right　for　you　
now　for　reasons　of　cost；　time　or　convenience；　then　you　can　fall　back　on　your　
own　resources。　
Each　chapter　in　the　book　covers　the　essential　elements　of　one　of　the　core　
disciplines　in　a　top　MBA　programme。　There　are　links　to　external　readings　
and　resources；　online　library　and　information　sources；　case　examples　and　
links　to　online　self…assessment　tests　so　you　can　keep　track　of　your　learning　
achievements。　
For　many　of　the　topics　there　are　direct　links　to　the　free　teaching　resources　
of　the　world’s　best　business　schools。　You　can　watch　and　listen　as　Professor　
Porter　explains　how　his　Five　Forces　strategy　model　works；　exactly　as　he　
might　have　taught　it　in　his　Harvard　lecture　theatre。　There　are　also　links　
in　the　book　to　hundreds　of　hours　of　free　video　lectures　given　by　other　
distinguished　business　school　professors；　from　top　schools　including　LBS　
（London　Business　School）；　Imperial；　Oxford　and　Aston。　You　can　download　
Duke　University’s　top…ranking　Fuqua　School　of　Business’s　lecture　material　
on　forecasting；　or　link　into　Cranfield　School　of　Management’s　Research　
Paper　Series　and　see　the　latest　insights　into　business　and　the　management　
of　organizations。　
You　certainly　don’t　need　to　spend　a　fortune　in　time　or　money　to　gain　
MBA　knowledge　and　skill。　There　is　no　aspect　of　business　school　teaching　
and　virtually　no　world…class　professor　that　you　can’t　listen　to　for　free　to　
plement　the　content　of　this　book。　But　you　do　need　willpower！　But　if　
you　do　decide　that　business　school　is　right　for　you；　the　appendix　will　help　
you　choose　the　right　one　for　you；　and　the　book　will　be　a　sound　preparation　
for　the　programme　and　a　worthwhile　resource　when　you　start　revising　for　
the　exams。　
HOW　THIS　BOOK　IS　ORGANIZED　AND　
HOW　TO　USE　IT　
All　business　disciplines　claim；　some　with　more　justification　than　others；　
that　theirs　is　the　overarching　subject　or　starting　point。　The　marketers　claim　
14　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
the　customer　as　king；　human　resources　specialists　persist　in　believing　that　
nothing　happens　without　people；　strategists　insist　that　petitive　advantage　
is　fundamental　to　enduring　success；　entrepreneurs　say　that　they　
are　in　at　the　birth　of　all　ventures；　accountants　see　the　only　truth　being　
in　numbers；　even　quantitative　analysis　has　history　on　its　side　as　being　a　
founding　subject　in　management　theory。　
To　sidestep　the　argument；　in　part　at　least；　this　book　is　organized　alphabetically；　
in　three　groupings。　Accounting；　finance；　marketing　and　organizational　
behaviour　are　together　at　the　start　of　the　book。　These　contain　
the　basic　tools　that　an　MBA　will　use　or　need　to　refer　to　more　or　less　every　
working　day。　Strategy　es　at　the　end　of　the　book　as　the　coordinating　
discipline。　It　could　just　as　easily　e　at　the　beginning；　but　to　understand　
strategy　you　need　a　reasonable　grasp　of　the　four　first　disciplines。　The　five　
bookend　disciplines　are　in　something　of　a　chicken　and　egg　situation。　You　
can’t　have　any　one　of　these　without　the　other；　but　where　it　all　begins　is　
more　academic　than　useful　as　a　point　for　debate。　
The　remaining　disciplines　are　covered；　also　in　alphabetical　order；　in　the　
middle　of　the　book。　Ideally　you　should　read　the　first　four　chapters　first；　these　
will　take　about　half　of　your　30　days。　If　you　are　an　accountant；　have　taken　
a　business　or　economics　degree；　or　have　a　marketing　or　human　resources　
professional　qualification；　that　time　will　be　scaled　back。　Then　if　you　have　an　
immediate　strategic　issue　at　work；　perhaps　concerned　with　an　acquisition；　
dives