Sunil Ramlall News - Relevance of an MBA Degree

MINNEAPOLIS - Feb. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Sunil Ramlall News - Relevance of MBAs

The demand for Master of Business Administration (MBA) education has increased tremendously over recent years. Having an MBA qualification is seen as a passport for a managerial role. The prestige of MBA education, however, has fluctuated. In a fast-paced global work environment, MBA graduates are often criticized for their inability to transfer content knowledge to real situations (Sulaiman & Mohezar, 2009). This article examines the existing literature on perspectives of MBA faculty, MBA students, and employers on the effectiveness of MBA programs.  So, from a student perspective, what are their expectations?  Do their expectations get fulfilled?  MBA faculty will frequently ponder if they are adequately preparing students to be leaders in organizations.  Employers expect MBA graduates to excel in the workplace.  To what extent are all of these expectations being met?

An MBA is an internationally recognized business degree. It is academic in nature and yet provides practical preparation for individuals in business and management. An MBA can not only complement professional experience, but an MBA graduate is able to command a higher salary than his or her colleague who does not have the degree (Blackburn, 2011).  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 191,571 people graduated from U.S. schools in 2012 with advanced degrees in business, representing about one in four of all master’s degrees conferred nationwide (Hann, 2014) making the MBA the most popular graduate degree in the U.S.  Given such popularity of the degree, how can all stakeholders ensure the highest satisfaction and effectiveness of the investment and at the same time?  Are students, faculty, and employers generally satisfied with MBA programs?  Through the literature review, we explore the different perspectives of the respective stakeholder groups and offer multiple recommendations given the gaps that exist.