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I cant speak about other schools, but where I'm currently attending, the students get honestly excited about economic theory, buying behavior, business valuatio

I cant speak about other schools, but where I'm currently attending, the students get honestly excited about economic theory, buying behavior, business valuation models, forecasting algorithms, and most importantly - new venture ideas. There are the career-only people, but their populations are shrinking.

anigbrowl 17y ago
So why are they pursuing an MBA rather than an economics degree, do you think? I don't think the study of business administration lacks value, and I have room for the idea of management as a science. Much of the popular cynicism about MBAs stems from the fact that some who pursue that qualification do so in the belief that they can manage effectively a venture effectively without necessarily knowing or caring much about the underlying competency (whether that be making cars or publishing books). Such people are unpleasant to work for to the extent that they have no particular vocation in that field and treat junior employees as interchangeable components, no different from the machinery that they operate. In the worst case, productivity improves but at the expense of depersonalization for customers and a feeling of dehumanization for employees. Take bookstores. I love small independent and used bookstores - it's not the most efficient way to buy a book, but it is good for discovering books I might not otherwise have read. If I know what I want (and don't want a social shopping experience), I'm more likely to buy at Amazon. I can't stand large stores like Borders etc. - they have lots of books, but none of the people who work there seem particularly knowledgeable about or even interested in books. Indeed, conversations with ex-employees of such stores suggest that a love of books is seen as a liability, because buying decisions are not made at the store level, so literary enthusiasm is seen by corporate as dangerously close to letting the cooks eat with the customers.
- pavel_lishin 17y ago
  An MBA would still teach them about the subject they care about, while also (supposedly) making them better equipped to actually get hired.
- scott_s 17y ago
  To answer your opening question, maybe because they're more interested in exploring the practice of economic theory than studying it as an academic.
- Brushfire 17y ago
  The biggest problem related to MBA is the title. Very little about the MBA is about 'Business Administration' anymore. To base your ideas about MBA's on this is both outdated and lacking. The modern MBA is about combining economics, psychology, math, statistics with finance and strategy. It is not about 'efficiency' or 'productivity' alone, those are just a small part of any business equation. Much of the popular cynicism about MBA's come from anecdotal references to the MBA jerk who people had a poor experiences with, and certainly isn't based on any real data that I have seen. As I posted in an earlier comment, most people in my MBA class have particular industry and technical experience to draw on, and I doubt most would characterize a business in the fashion you described. My main point is, if you are going to hate, hate the person, not the degree. The degree didnt make the person who they are. Both intelligent and ridiculous MBA's exist, just like any other career or degree path.
  - timwiseman 17y ago
    My main point is, if you are going to hate, hate the person, not the degree. The degree didnt make the person who they are. Both intelligent and ridiculous MBA's exist, just like any other career or degree path. True enough, but that is getting off the original topic. Most people who study math do so because they love math. Of course they think about the practicality of getting a job after graduating, but that is a secondary concern. With MBAs, the reverse is true. Some may study it for the love of the subject, but I doubt this is a large percentage. Most study it because they think they can get a high paying (or at least secure) job after graduating. This is not a condemnation of either path, but it is a statement about their motivations.
  - wglb 17y ago
    Sounds like you go to one of the two very good MBA programs in the chicago area. Have you gone to one of the chicago hn get-togethers?
timwiseman 17y ago
I cant speak about other schools, but where I'm currently attending, the students get honestly excited about economic theory, buying behavior, business valuation models, forecasting algorithms, and most importantly - new venture ideas. It seems that someone that was genuinely interested in economic theory, buying behavior, etc would be better served studying economics than getting an MBA. But I am speculating.

anigbrowl 17y ago

So why are they pursuing an MBA rather than an economics degree, do you think? I don't think the study of business administration lacks value, and I have room for the idea of management as a science. Much of the popular cynicism about MBAs stems from the fact that some who pursue that qualification do so in the belief that they can manage effectively a venture effectively without necessarily knowing or caring much about the underlying competency (whether that be making cars or publishing books). Such people are unpleasant to work for to the extent that they have no particular vocation in that field and treat junior employees as interchangeable components, no different from the machinery that they operate. In the worst case, productivity improves but at the expense of depersonalization for customers and a feeling of dehumanization for employees. Take bookstores. I love small independent and used bookstores - it's not the most efficient way to buy a book, but it is good for discovering books I might not otherwise have read. If I know what I want (and don't want a social shopping experience), I'm more likely to buy at Amazon. I can't stand large stores like Borders etc. - they have lots of books, but none of the people who work there seem particularly knowledgeable about or even interested in books. Indeed, conversations with ex-employees of such stores suggest that a love of books is seen as a liability, because buying decisions are not made at the store level, so literary enthusiasm is seen by corporate as dangerously close to letting the cooks eat with the customers.

pavel_lishin 17y ago
An MBA would still teach them about the subject they care about, while also (supposedly) making them better equipped to actually get hired.
scott_s 17y ago
To answer your opening question, maybe because they're more interested in exploring the practice of economic theory than studying it as an academic.
Brushfire 17y ago
The biggest problem related to MBA is the title. Very little about the MBA is about 'Business Administration' anymore. To base your ideas about MBA's on this is both outdated and lacking. The modern MBA is about combining economics, psychology, math, statistics with finance and strategy. It is not about 'efficiency' or 'productivity' alone, those are just a small part of any business equation. Much of the popular cynicism about MBA's come from anecdotal references to the MBA jerk who people had a poor experiences with, and certainly isn't based on any real data that I have seen. As I posted in an earlier comment, most people in my MBA class have particular industry and technical experience to draw on, and I doubt most would characterize a business in the fashion you described. My main point is, if you are going to hate, hate the person, not the degree. The degree didnt make the person who they are. Both intelligent and ridiculous MBA's exist, just like any other career or degree path.
- timwiseman 17y ago
  My main point is, if you are going to hate, hate the person, not the degree. The degree didnt make the person who they are. Both intelligent and ridiculous MBA's exist, just like any other career or degree path. True enough, but that is getting off the original topic. Most people who study math do so because they love math. Of course they think about the practicality of getting a job after graduating, but that is a secondary concern. With MBAs, the reverse is true. Some may study it for the love of the subject, but I doubt this is a large percentage. Most study it because they think they can get a high paying (or at least secure) job after graduating. This is not a condemnation of either path, but it is a statement about their motivations.
- wglb 17y ago
  Sounds like you go to one of the two very good MBA programs in the chicago area. Have you gone to one of the chicago hn get-togethers?

timwiseman 17y ago

I cant speak about other schools, but where I'm currently attending, the students get honestly excited about economic theory, buying behavior, business valuation models, forecasting algorithms, and most importantly - new venture ideas. It seems that someone that was genuinely interested in economic theory, buying behavior, etc would be better served studying economics than getting an MBA. But I am speculating.