Why Is BMA505 Required? What Should Be Taught?

A Study of What Corporations Say They Want in MBA

KU School of Business MBA http://www.business.ku.edu/gen/bschool_generated_page s/MBA_Curriculum_m786.html

Stanford School of Business MBA http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/academics/curriculum.h

tml Harvard School of Business MBA http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/term1.html

U. of Virginia (Darden School of Business) Study

    What Corporations Seek in an MBA Hire Source: Study of candidate interview forms of sample corporate recruiters nation-wide in conducting final round, on-site interviews (N = 72 Fortune 500 companies) Rank order of skills wanted in MBA graduates based upon interview schedule for MBA job candidates who were invited to corporate headquarters for a job interview Source: U of Virginia Darden School of Business survey of candidate-evaluation forms used by a representative sample of corporate recruiters nation-wide in conducting first-round, on-site interviews. Skills identified in order of priority.

Darden Table Example: 90% of candidate interview forms companies surveyed assessed bus tech skills assessed communication skill; where as only 54 % of the 72 Kinds of Companies Comm Skills Total % Finance 100% 33% 90 85 Manf Consumer Goods 31% 21% 92 75 Consulting 6% 100 Other 9% 50 IP Skills 88 Self-Motivated 87 Pro Presence 82 69 69 77 54 58 58 67 42 75 75 25 75 75 75 100 75 Lead'ship 56 Analytic Skills 54 Academic 51 Work Exp 46 Tech' Bus Skill 44 46 6 8 46 58 50 42 42 50 38 50 38 75 75 50 50 100 100 0 50 50 100 100 50

General CommunicationSkills

      Ability to organize effectively and express ideas and concepts in written and oral form In both formal and informal situations To listen to and understand what is meant by others Ability to adapt communications to meet audience needs Understanding of how to treat sensitive information appropriately.

Clear and logical presentations, correct use of language and grammar, gestures, and tonal quality.

Interpersonal Skills and Group Skills

      Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships; Capability of working with a variety of different people and cultures; Maintenance of self-control and objectivity under pressure, especially in dealing with conflict and adversity; Accurate interpretation of the feelings and unstated concerns of others; Openness to seek and be receptive to feedback; Ability to work skillfully and effectively in groups.

Self-Motivation/Initiative

    Ability to take a proactive approach with a high level of energy Perseverance, and independence in order to improve opportunities and achieve self-imposed goals; the Ability to be resourceful, innovative, and willing to challenge the status quo in overcoming obstacles and problems; Desire to learn and excel, seek self improvement, and develop new skills.

Professional Presence/Initial Impact

   Can create a positive first impression, commanding attention and respect Self-confidence, poise, decisiveness, openness, and courtesy. Professional appearance and demeanor, encompassing appropriate dress, grooming, and manners.

Demonstrated Leadership/Leadership Potential

    Abilities to guide and motivate individuals or groups toward the accomplishment of mutually determined tasks and goals; Ability to influence the outcome of a project through personal effort and initiative; and to look for solutions whereby everyone benefits. Willingness to assume responsibility and must be responsive. Must also be active in many environments (work, extracurricular, and community).

Analytical/Problem-Solving Skills

 Ability to recognize and determine issues and problems, to generate ideas and alternatives, and to develop logical, sound conclusions. Can choose a course of action for understanding and integrating the big picture and the organization’s long-term interests and strategy into the problem-solving efforts.

Academic Achievements

 Grades (major and overall), honors, scholarships, course work, activities, and significant academic accomplishments. An assessment is made of the specific applicability of these criteria to the position for which the candidate is being considered.

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Interview questions; (these are actual examples taken from the interview forms)

Communication * Tell me about a time when you had to present complex information to a customer or peer. How did you ensure that the other person understood?

* Describe a situation of such importance that you felt it necessary to summarize the results of a conversation in a memorandum or letter.

* To what extent are you or have you been involved in public speaking, debating, or dramatic presentations?

Interpersonal Skill * What was your most challenging personal encounter with someone? How did you deal with that individual?

* When working on a team project, have you ever had an experience where there was strong disagreement among team members?

* Tell me how you would deal with the following factors in achieving objectives through others:    people who place their own interests above that of the company building a team out of independent individualists people who are working at cross-purposes  overstepping of authority by a subordinate Self-Motivation/Initiative * Tell me about some projects you have initiated. What prompted you to begin them?

* Can you relate some experiences in which you felt you gained something because you persisted over a length of time?

* Have you found a way to make your current work easier or more rewarding?

Professional Presence/Initial Impact * What are the reasons for your success?

* How would a friend, a boss, and a client each describe you?

* What do you think you do best?

Interview Questions continued             Demonstrated Leadership/Leadership Potential * Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a project by taking a leadership role.

* Give an example of a situation in which you developed a high-morale working group.

* Who have you most respected for leadership qualities? Has there been a time when you tried to use that person’s style?

Analytical/Problem-Solving Skill * How do you gather information to analyze problems? Give me an example.

* What was the most challenging work or technical problem you ever encountered? What happened? What did you do?

* How would you describe yourself as a decision maker?

Academic Achievements * What parts of your course work are most applicable to this position?

* Describe three significant achievements from your academic life.

* Why did you choose this academic institution?