The Nature of /knowledge in Business Schools - Essay Example

A REFLECTION Student’s Name Course: Tutor’s name Date Introduction When I first enrolled for my MBA, I was not sure of what to expect. I had read a lot about the importance of an MBA, and my expectations were divided. On one hand, I had read a lot of opinions that hyped how important the program was to leaders and managers, but on the other hand, I had come across opinions that suggested that the MBA program was nothing but hype created by business schools for profit-related reasons. One of the anti-MBA opinions that had a major impact on me suggested that MBA programs admit the wrong people for training. The author opined that as a result, the graduates cannot benefit from the program. Based on this opinion, I sought to enrol in a program that I would fit into. Specifically, since I am interested in leadership and have always pursued leadership positions in different phases in my life, I chose to enrol in an MBA program that would hone my leadership skills. Another opinion suggested that unless MBA programs imparted knowledge and information that had value or relevance to students, they were nothing but hype. With the warning offered in the foregoing opinion in mind, I sought to enrol in a business school that was renowned for providing students with courses that were relevant to the corporate world. Overall, the anti-MBA opinions that I came across before enrolling for the program did not discourage me; rather, they encouraged me to question some of the general assumptions peddled by both the opponents and proponents of the program. In the end, I believe I knew what I wanted and the school I wanted to enrol for the program as a result of all the fact-finding that I engaged in before commencing the program. Personal Challenges My first impression in the course was that I could navigate the program with ease. First impressions can be deceiving, and in my case, they were. As the course progressed, I had serious challenges handling the work-study schedule. Sometimes, I would be too tired from work-related activities that the thought of sitting in class seemed like torture. During such times, I realised the importance of self-will and dedication. I also acquired vital lessons linked to effective time management, especially since networking opportunities were essential in the course; yet, I had to juggle between coursework and meeting with professors as well as my colleagues pursuing similar interests in the corporate world. The challenges related to my work-study schedule also became an eye-opener about the personal changes that I was going through. As a leader, I was aware of Kotter’s (2001) opinions that leaders’ main responsibility was about handling change well. At that time I reasoned that if I were to become an effective leader capable of championing and leading effective change at an organisational level, I could not fail at handling changes at a personal level effectively. Once the resolve to become a better change manager at a personal level was made, everything became much easier. I was able to organise my work based on priorities, and even started looking forward to my MBA lessons in the evening. This phase in my life provided some vital lessons regarding change management. I realised that the motivation for change came from deep inside and that all one needed is an understanding about the reason, purpose and benefit for the change at a personal level. Another challenge that I encountered was related to the impression created by the likes of Mintzberg (2004, cited by Chia & Holt 2008) that some MBA programs do not adequately equip graduates for the challenges they would encounter in the real corporate world. Having worked in the corporate world for some years, I always found myself relating with or questioning most of what was taught in the program. Although a challenge, I learnt that by relating or questioning the contents of the MBA course based on the practical knowledge from my work experience, I was able to infer and draw important lessons from the theoretical schema in the MBA program. As an MBA student, part of becoming a better leader required me to reflect on theoretical lessons and how they could be applied in the real-life context. I was told from the get-go that reflection would have to be second-nature. Previously, I considered reflection as passive undertaking, and honestly, I did not think I was able to reflect on something without getting tired easily. I have overcome the challenge through much practice and reading. For example, my quest to understand why reflection was part of an MBA program led me to research different models that I could use for reflection. I discovered the ‘Dewey’s model of reflective learning’, which suggests that reflection is a secondary experience, which enables a person to consider things and the environment as “objects of reflection and knowledge” (Miettinen 2000, p. 65). The Dewey model further suggests that in the primary stage, a person interacts with social and physical objects. However, a failure or uncertainty at the primary stage of interaction leads to reflection, which in turn creates understanding and learning. In the process, I have realised that reflection enhances my understanding of concepts. After understanding why I needed reflective practice and how I could reflect with much eases, I can now attest that I am more knowledgeable as a result. Additionally, I have observed that I am able to think ahead and even envisage the future. In other words, I am better at strategising than I was before enrolling for the MBA program. Arguably, my enhanced strategising abilities have been brought about by an understanding that is created through reflective practice. For example, I hope to embrace strategies that make workplaces (or at least the workplace I will be leading) more inclusive. This is because I now understand that most workers are discontented in their jobs because there are wanton disparities in most workplaces. Part of my resolve to champion the cause of workers is informed by my own feelings (brought to the surface through reflective practice) when I was working in non-managerial positions. Often, I felt that I was overloaded with too much work and did not get the remuneration that I deserved. Through reflection, I have realised that I worked my way up to leadership, partly because I was tired of ‘underdog’ roles that attracted inferior compensation and whose opinions were not given adequate consideration. Notably, I have learned that my resolve to have power through leadership was not misled. Pfeffer (2010, p. 86) for example argues that “whenever you have control over resources important to others...you can build your power”. In future, I intend to carry on with reflective practice since I have realised its importance in creating an understanding and identifying possible important actions for the future. Effective communication was also a major challenge for me before enrolling for MBA. I cannot claim to having overcome this challenge fully, but I have made considerable progress in how consciously I communicate. Since I am an outgoing person who loves interacting with others, I generally thought that I was an effective communicator. That was until I realised that that there are times when people perceive me as arrogant, especially since I tend to know what needs to be done and as such, I tend to direct rather than consult. Gauging myself against the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator as used my Michael (2003), I realise that my approach in communication is in line with my personality type. I am an extrovert who is intuitive and perceiving. Further, I tend to rely on my feelings when making decisions. Moreover, I have traits that include emotional stability and a sense of humour. While the foregoing traits have always been an advantage for me, I have realised that my self-confidence and assertiveness have not always been interpreted correctly by those I lead, hence the impression that I am arrogant. During the MBA program, I have obtained self-knowledge, which has in turn made me aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my characters. I specifically took Gibson’s (2008) opinion to heart because he advises that without self-knowledge, leaders can use what would have been their strengths to self-destruct. With self-knowledge however, the same leaders can learn to capitalise on their strengths and also discover how to work with people who can complement their weaknesses. Gibson’s (2008) opinion echoes similar sentiments by Goleman and Boyatzis (2008), who argue that self-knowledge and empathy play a critical role in emotional intelligence. In retrospect, I think that I have always had empathy. Other authors who have benefited me in the same topic include George, Sims, McLean and Mayer (2007). From them, I have learnt that without self-knowledge, the emotional intelligence equation was incomplete. As an example of how I have acquired some self-knowledge, I now reflect about what, when, and how I am going to communicate to my followers at work before I do. I am also planning to start working with a friend, who can evaluate me and pinpoint my weaknesses in leadership when I become too assertive or too self-confident. Additionally, I intend to acquire more knowledge about effective communication skills, which I intend to use to persuade my followers to pursue desirable actions as opposed to commanding them into doing the same. As a final pointer, I admit that I struggled with the idea that I was enrolling in a program that would teach me how to be a good leader. In my mind, I knew I was going up the career ladder, and the fact that I had risen all the way to the top was evidence that I was doing the right things. Looking back, I realise how wrong I was and what a good decision I made by enrolling for the MBA program. I also recognise that there is always room for improvement regardless of how good a person thinks they are. Additionally, I have learnt invaluable lessons from the likes of Goffee and James (2000). I am drawn to the arguments of the two authors because they have discussed intuition and empathy, which are two traits that I possess. Specifically, Goffee and James (2000) argue that a leader can rely on intuition in decision-making. Additionally, they note that empathy is useful in leadership, especially when tough empathy is used. The two authors further indicate the need for authenticity in leadership, noting that most leaders are different. It is such differences that make each leader unique (Goffee & Jones 2000). From the two writers, I have learnt vital leadership lessons. For example, their explanation about revealing one’s uniqueness in leadership has made me realise that while it is desirable to have role models in the corporate sector, trying to ape the same role models would lead to losing one’s identity and uniqueness. In my case, I admire Richard Branson of the Virgin Group. However, I have realised that some of the strategies he used at the Virgin Group worked because it is him who was at the helm. Additionally, he has built a culture that appreciates and accommodates his approach in business. I therefore realised that rather than mimic what he does, I should draw inspiration from him and pursue my own leadership style, which will work for the organisation that I will be leading, the people therein, and for me too. If I were to choose the single important piece of knowledge attained from my MBA program, I would have a hard time choosing. However, Hamm’s (2006, p. 120) argument that leaders’ role “is to bring out the answers in others” has been one great lesson for me. Conclusion This reflection paper commences by identifying some of the uncertainty that I had to overcome when deciding whether or not to pursue an MBA program. The paper notes that there are multiple opinions for or against MBA programs. The papers body discusses some of the challenges I have encountered in my MBA program. The paper highlights how I have overcome the same challenges and also provides some examples on how I have used the challenges and the lessons learnt to become a better leader. The discussion section ends by noting that it is hard for me to choose which among the many pieces of knowledge has benefited me most. The realisation that a leader does not know it all but can use his position to bring answers from his followers has, however, stood out as a very important lesson for me. References Chia, R & Holt, R 2008, ‘The nature of knowledge in business schools’, Academy of Management Learning & Education, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 471-468. George, B, Sims, P, McLean, A N & Mayer, D 2007, ‘Discovering your authentic leadership’, Harvard Business Review, February, pp. 129-138. Gibson, P S 2008, ‘Developing practical management wisdom’, Journal of Management Development, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 528-536. Goffee, R & Jones, G 2000, ‘Why should we be led by you?’ Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 74-81. Goleman, D & Boyatzis, R E 2008, ‘Social intelligence and the biology of leadership’, Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 74-81. Hamm, J 2006, ‘The five messages leaders must manage’, Harvard Business Review, May, pp. 115-123. Kotter, J P 2001, ‘What leaders really do’, Harvard Business Review, December, pp. 85-96. Michael, J 2003, ‘Using the Myers-Briggs type indicator as a tool for leadership development? Apply with caution’, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 68-81. Miettinen, R 2000, ‘The concept of experiential learning and John Dewey’s theory of reflective thought and action’, International Journal of Lifelong Education, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 54-72. Pfeffer, J 2010, ‘Power play’, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp. 84-92. Read More