The Future: ‘Collaborative Solutions from the Power of a Connected Workplace’

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Jennifer Brady

I am happy to welcome back my colleague from the UMass Amherst campus, Eric N. Berkowitz, Associate Dean Professional Programs, and Professor of Marketing at the Isenberg School of Management, with this new guest post below. You may remember Associate Dean Berkowitz from a previous podcast and post entitled, BusinessWeek Ranks Isenberg School’s Part-time MBA Program 5th in the Northeast and 29th in the Nation.

UMass Amehrst Isenberg School of Management Associate Dean Eric Berkowitz A writer by the name of Saibal Sen has just published one of the more intriguing articles I’ve seen in a long time, especially when it comes to the future of MBAs and anyone else hoping to join the ranks of management consultants. This topic is obviously becoming more relevant in these challenging economic times as companies seem to be shedding employees almost regardless of rank or their past contributions to the firm.

Mr. Sen published his piece here at a site that is self-described as the most comprehensive MBA-centric website in India.

If you’re currently in an MBA program, thinking about it, and wondering how you might use your education and whether or not the effort will be worth it, this is a must read article in my opinion. Plus, you’ll be interested in reading what Mr. Sen says about the option of online learning.

To briefly summarize his view, he asserts that due to the current global economic turmoil and the collapse of many businesses worldwide, corporate leaders are going to be throwing out all the old notions of effective management that contributed to the mess. Instead, they’ll be seeking new ideas and he sees connectivity, collaboration, and small to medium sized businesses at the intersection of how and from where the new ideas will come. To a large degree, I think most in management education might well agree that there may well be some positives that come out of this global crisis. Universities as well as organizations will be far more introspective in considering whether their traditional models of doing things are the “right way”– possibly no different than you or I in using our credit cards to finance that flat screen television or vacation to the Caribbean. But, the outcome of this crisis may well lead to a more dynamic and exciting business environment. In fact, as the economic summit of world leaders has shown, the financial crisis is a global occurrence and to be effective as future business leaders we must understand different cultures. The best preparation for that success is to interact with people from different cultures in education and be prepared in the new “post financial crisis” to manage in this new world.

It appears that our leaders are struggling with the old management practices to channel the power of information in today’s highly connected workplace. So when the dust settles from the economic blow up, corporations will inevitably start looking for fresh ideas in collaborative management principles that are effective in a cross cultural workplace… The second implication I can make is that it will be the growth of the small and medium enterprises or SMEs. They are the ones most likely to turn around on a dime and adapt new ideas and leverage themselves on the power of “social networks.” Innovation will come from companies that will figure out collaborative solutions from the power of a connected workplace and society.

Asked if an MBA degree is essential for anyone contemplating a career as a management consultant, Mr. Sen says this:

I would like to say “not really” but unfortunately, most consulting companies and hirers of strategy type roles, will make the assumption that if you have done an MBA you have learned how to think independently, learn independently, work in teams, and communicate well… The real question though most of you are asking in between the lines is “Is it really worth my while to take two years out of my working career, take a loan and be assured that I will get a job such as consulting that will take the monotony out of my current job?” To this I would certainly say no… Do a part time MBA, join a distance education program or seek projects in your current job that will allow you to flex your creative grey cells.

Mr. Sen has an interesting view. The distance world may well be the corporation or world of commerce in the not to distant future with virtual teams interconnected where geographic boundaries are irrelevant. Five million people are now tweeting and Facebook has just registered its 200 millionth user –the online space is the social and communication vehicle as well as the workspace for the emerging cohorts of professionals. It is a learning environment that allows individuals across continents to be involved in case studies, chats with professors and trading articles and conducting seminars. Mr. Sen may be premature in the demise of the residential MBA, but he also may not be loud enough in all that the online world of learning brings to the MBA classroom.