A634.1.6.RB The buck starts and stops with you_Reyes,Cassandra

Many believe that management education has contributed to the systemic failure of today's leaders. After reading the Podolny (2009) article, in your reflection blog share your thoughts on how business schools can best prepare future leaders to adopt a holistic approach to business problems and ethical dilemmas. Be sure to share benchmarks and examples of how some of the B-Schools are accomplishing this.

In order for business schools to assist with the development of holistic views towards ethical dilemmas and business problems, they should consider concentrating on the study of arts and culture as well as history, literature, philosophy and religion. Doing this will help with the continued sharpening of an individuals critical thinking skills and moral reasoning leading them to make better informed decisions instead of short sighted decisions that could possible result in crisis.

Business schools should also gear their teachings toward ethics and corporate responsibility and focus their students learnings on the actual occurrences that are happening in todays business world. While theoretical models may be useful in some instances it is important that real world knowledge and experiences are used in order not to obscure the inner workings of todays organizational structures. Today’s business schools teach traditional academic disciplines emphasizing on quantitative methods such as economics, statistics and operational research, however the importance of the study of qualitative research and management practices somehow becomes fragmented and pushed to the side

It was found that businesses have strayed away from valued academic disciplines which include studies in ethics and values because they were never considered “subjects of inquiry for traditional business school academic disciplines” (Podolny 2009).Due to the ignored teachings of values and ethics in business schools, leadership has been viewed as not needing necessary investigation and attention to detail is missed.

In order to better the teachings in leadership and management and better prepare our future leaders, business schools are improving curricula and teaching methods. They have in turn geared their “curricula toward students who want to work in sectors such as consulting and financial services” (Podolny 2009). Business schools are currently also working toward building trust for their students. To do this they are showing their students that they have the same values as society and are teaching principles, ethics and attention to detail that leadership needs. They are fostering greater integration by “defining what they teach and emphasizing integration of several disciplines.” (Podolny 2009). Business schools are also appointing teaching teams and encouraging qualitative research, this allows for more advanced and experienced mangers rather than just academic teaching the information.  

While making these changes business schools are now able to develop a more “eclectic taste for research than currently exists in most schools.” (Podolny 2009). Managers can now learn the necessary knowledge and skill it will take to teach the students of business schools the knowledge they will need to lead in their future organizations and become leaders themselves. Doing this allows them to reinvent themselves and promote behavior, understanding and awareness consistent with society’s values.

Cassandra R.