Making Management a Profession – Article by Harvard professors Rakesh Khurana and Nitin Nhoria on the history of the MBA as a professional degree and an argument for creating a “Hippocratic Oath for Managers.”
1. New York Times: How business schools need to change. This article explains many of the most common critiques of MBA programs, including their failure to produce leaders who always act in the interests of society.
2. TIME Magazine: Thunderbird’s Oath. This article profiles Angel Cabrera, Dean of Thunderbird School of Management – the first business school in the U.S. to feature a professional oath at graduation.
3. Fortune Magazine: David Gergen on how business can stand tall again. CNN commentator David Gergen suggests that unless business leaders change, the government will continue to step in.
4. NPR: Business Schools Mull Over Blame in Financial Crisis. A number of business schools, including Harvard are thinking about how they need to change as a result of the financial crisis.
5. World Economic Forum: Time for a New Business Ethos. World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab on why he believes we need a Hippocratic Oath for managers.
6.The Guardian (UK): Playing by the Rules. Philip Delves Broughton, author of “Ahead of the Curve” on why business elites need to be “re-educated.”
7. MBA Universe: MBA Schools vs. Global Downturn. Article about how Harvard Business School is rethinking its curriculum in wake of the crisis.
8. Business Week Online: Video of Rakesh Khurana. Discussing the crisis in MBA education.
9. The Hippocratic Oath for Doctors. Good background reading to understand what doctors commit to when they join the professional ranks.
10. The Compromise Trap. HBS alumnus Elizabeth Doty argues that a proactive, self-aware approach is an important part of organizational and individual integrity.
Other sites of interest: