MBA – Adding Value for Aviation

I was disappointed to read the media’s recent attack on MBA qualifications as a form of higher education. Although, at best, this piece came across as attention seeking and sensationalist, the potential impact it could have on a candidate to seize the opportunities created by such a qualification could be devastating, should either they or their financiers believe this self-serving hype.

For those that have not read the article entitled “Harvard’s Masters of The Apocalypse”, the author lists a number of ‘infamous’ Harvard MBA graduates and firmly lays the blame for the current economic crisis at their feet. The list, which only details high-profile, male graduates, in my eyes just confirms that there are always exceptions and that anyone can manipulate data in order to make broad generalisations, that are meaningless.

For me, although I cannot comment on Harvard’s MBA that the author of the article holds, one of the best decisions I have ever made was to invest in putting myself through the MBA programme and I genuinely believe it has provided added-value to both my employers and the aviation industry as a whole.

My career in aviation, as detailed in my biography, started in 1994, when I joined British Airways’ new operations in Jordan. I rose quickly through the ranks through hard work and dedication – a personal trait that spurred me on to undertake the MBA programme as I knew it would help broaden my horizons.

I was certainly not disappointed with the programme as it introduced me to what has become a lifelong passion – Sustainability, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility – which influenced my decision to undertake my dissertation on Aviation Sustainability and has, in turn, shaped my future career path.

And I was not the only one whose career approach was influenced by this module alone, many of my colleagues within the aviation industry that have completed MBAs and MScs have taken career paths towards sustainability – a significant area that will support the long term, environmentally-balanced, development of the industry. These new directions in aviation management were made possible through the undertaking of higher education qualifications, learning and bringing back the wealth of knowledge into our industry.

With this in mind, I feel that the article’s failure to acknowledge the good achievements of MBA graduates around the world actually serves to undermine the integrity of an entire education system that has helped people, industries and communities to move forward and progress. Placing the responsibility of the global economic failure squarely on the shoulders of a post-graduate degree is ridiculously simplistic and completely fails to place the accountability where it belongs. At the risk of of falling into the same trap, I will qualify what I am about to say by acknowledging what is commonly known; that the economic downturn is the result of several factors, but in my opinion, organisations played a leading role. Organisations have corporate visions, with supporting strategies and objectives that are set to achieve those visions. Their recruitment strategies are based on their corporate visions and strategies. If the organisation’s sole focus is on appearing to make significant profits, whatever the cost, then that is the type of graduate they will be seeking to employ.

I was really pleased to receive an email from Jeannette  Purcell, Association of MBAs CEO, to advise that the association have organised an event to meet with Mr Delves Broughton in a panel debate to address the absurd propositions he makes in his article. Here’s a link with more details.

I think really, the key question that potential MBA and postgraduate students should ask themselves is what is driving their  motivation to enter into higher education and how can they add real value to their industries through that higher education, as in this day and age, the key criteria for success in business is the need to meet the three sustainability standards  – economic, environmental and social.

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