Specialised MBAs are now coming up in various sectors. B&E meets up with specialists within these sectors to find out whether such niche mbas are useful in the long term...
The specialised MBA tag is getting significantly wider in scope and appeal. While we had specialisation streams available in areas like agriculture since many years (IIM-A being a leading example) and in computers too since the past two decades, recent MBA specialisation steams have included eclectic areas like production management (for example, Indian Institute of Production Management’s School of Management; not included in our current survey), petroleum management, hospital management and more; in fact, we even have specialisations in the football and wine industry now (not in India though)! But do they work or not?
When MBA institutes, as well as the students who join them, invest their time and money in specialised MBA courses, they have an agenda in mind. The students want to establish a unique positioning, with a specific target audience in mind; i.e. the sector in question. Sometimes, such a unique positioning is actually driven by an illusory impression created through a short term growth in the sector in question (for example, MBA with retail specialisation); a growth that may or may not last over the long term. Sometimes, the MBA specialisation in itself is created by teaching only a mere handful of subjects – in one university-affiliated institute that we went to, the specialisation course in retail management was restricted to simply three elective subjects. To be fair, we did not deeply investigate the depth that each of these courses had – perhaps they did too – but what was clear was that even students aren’t analysing more important factors like contents, academic orientation and industry interface in the specialisation area, before taking up the course.
Moreover, unless a student is crystal-clear about his/her industry preferences, this could be akin to playing a major career gamble, just based on the hype that the sector generates.
The specialised MBA tag is getting significantly wider in scope and appeal. While we had specialisation streams available in areas like agriculture since many years (IIM-A being a leading example) and in computers too since the past two decades, recent MBA specialisation steams have included eclectic areas like production management (for example, Indian Institute of Production Management’s School of Management; not included in our current survey), petroleum management, hospital management and more; in fact, we even have specialisations in the football and wine industry now (not in India though)! But do they work or not?
When MBA institutes, as well as the students who join them, invest their time and money in specialised MBA courses, they have an agenda in mind. The students want to establish a unique positioning, with a specific target audience in mind; i.e. the sector in question. Sometimes, such a unique positioning is actually driven by an illusory impression created through a short term growth in the sector in question (for example, MBA with retail specialisation); a growth that may or may not last over the long term. Sometimes, the MBA specialisation in itself is created by teaching only a mere handful of subjects – in one university-affiliated institute that we went to, the specialisation course in retail management was restricted to simply three elective subjects. To be fair, we did not deeply investigate the depth that each of these courses had – perhaps they did too – but what was clear was that even students aren’t analysing more important factors like contents, academic orientation and industry interface in the specialisation area, before taking up the course.
Moreover, unless a student is crystal-clear about his/her industry preferences, this could be akin to playing a major career gamble, just based on the hype that the sector generates.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
