Kevin Sweeney

Professional schools teach their students how to do things: Heal the sick, defend the accused, design homes or build bridges. Business schools fit this category, teaching their students how to run successful companies.

The underlying assumption of a professional degree is that it represents a specific and highly valued skill, gained only through a rigorous formal education. The period of education is presumed to be intense and narrow, to ensure that the basics are embedded. New diseases may surprise those with medical degrees, but the fundamentals remain the same: The human body hasn’t changed much since Hippocrates. An aorta is still an aorta. Shifting client needs may challenge those with engineering degrees, but again, the fundamentals remain. The laws of physics don’t change.

A generation ago, at least in the developed world, many people assumed there was a reasonable balance between government and business. They argued about the extent to which government exerted its authority, but the relative responsibilities of government and business were understood. A path of study was clear: Learn the fundamentals of business, and let business do what it does.

Today, the balance is far less certain. Many governments no longer provide some of the basic services once assumed to be their purview. With globalization, nations have ceded much of their authority to international trade regimes, allowing multinational rules to trump national laws. There are places where corporate shareholders (often from foreign countries) may have greater say over a nation’s destiny than its citizen voters.

This shift angers many. It leads some to demand more of business, so that business assumes a larger share of responsibility for worker and environmental protection. Some choose to use business as proxy. Don’t like U.S. foreign policy, and don’t happen to be a citizen of the United States? Take it out on Brand USA.

How does this relate to today’s MBA candidate, or to their potential employers? The context of business is changing, rapidly and in ways that affect the fundamental tenets for success. This has implications for business schools and for executives looking for new hires. The best course of study may no longer be a narrow one. It may be exceedingly broad.
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