Are your school's MBA students worthy of being called Master/Gurus?

In one of the entrep talks, I was asked that question.  I remember it was duirng an MBAH entrep class entrep guest presentation and the guest who is from UP, an MBA (he was a milk company comptroller, and he did a lot of asset swaps, back to back leasing when the financial crisis stuck). shocked me with the question "Are your students now, worthy of being called Masters/Gurus?  During our time, our training made so good in business and strategic thinking"

I was shocked and frankly I did not know the answer.  I did not know what kind of stuff my fellow professors were teaching the MBA students, and whether there were assessments made to that effect.

Do we have gurus and Masters in our midst? Really?

Judging from some of the Strama defenses I attended, and from some of the BP submitted to me, and during case analyses which I did after that question was raised, and from the forum on the net on which is the best MBA school?,  I hate that I was asked that question.

     l.  Many lack critical thinking;

     2.  In the area of Personal Mastery (just coming to school on time and regularly;  submitting all the assignments)

     3.  Many fare badly in case analysis

     4. Many lack the rigor of use of research data and facts.  Some think that my subject does not have rigor.

In our search for being the biggest, we neglected quality.  However I admire the male strama professors who make sure that the school MBA imprint is deserved by those who wear it. I joined the ranks of faculty who were more rigorous and even flunked those who did not deserve to be called MBA.  (Now many of them are now forgotten and me included are at the backdoor)

I would have to do a lot more work (with our colleagues, to answer yes to that question.

Being an MBA means being a guru, a master

Several years ago, I had a guest who had an MBA from UP.

He said that then, as it was, being an MBA was/is a badge of honor. It means being a guru.
It means being a master.  It means being a teacher. A guru.  One who knows all.  One who
Is short of being a Renaisance man.

He asked me whether the students I had (they were MBAH) had that traits all ready.  My jaws dropped, I could not answer him for sure.  Were they?  I sheepishly told him.  Maybe soon.

Can we say that of the newly minted MBAs who were conferred the degree last Sunday?  Are they imbued with critical thinking and ability to judge well the situation, the opportunities, and their business problems?

Have we successfully done our job as MBA professors?


Only time can tell?