Sunday, October 08, 2006

MBA: Mediocre But Arrogant

Since a long time I was wondering about the perception of the rest of the world about us MBAs. After reading the recent post about MBAs being silly shrewd pointless nothings on Rul’s blog I felt that I should also express my views on the same. Yeah you guessed it right this is going to be another long gyaan session.

I have seen a lot of jokes and acronyms expansion about uselessness of the MBAs. What I fail to understand that why people see us as a bunch of buffoons? Is it because most of us scored well on an aptitude test to be a part of this clan? Is it because after passing out most of us get really well paid jobs? Is it because we work really hard for all the moolah we get? I have heard the people complaining that MBAs are grossly overpaid; they are not worth what they cost. What I don’t understand is when in all the private enterprises the wages are set up by free market, there is absolutely no government intervention implementing a minimum wages (until and unless one decides to work as a physical labour) for the MBAs, then why this scorn against these people? Anyone who is actually is not worth the efforts will not be able to survive in the market place, but this doesn’t mean that all the MBAs can be branded as “silly shrewd pointless nothings”.

No matter what people say about us, the truth is that we are one of the major benefactors of the society. Apart from keeping the wheels of economy moving, we are also responsible for numerous things which have changed the face of society as a whole. Today people from rural India are having access to a lot of products which the urban India uses. A kamla bai from a village also has the option of exercising a choice between Ponds or Charmis because MBAs at both Lever’s and Colgate-Palmolive are struggling everyday to ensure the products reach her. A farmer gets additional money to buy seeds because the MBAs at ICICI bank are trying hard to make micro finance loans available. Raman uncle is tension free after he has put his money into a mutual fund, where the MBAs are everyday dealing with markets to give him a return to help him in his old age. A lot of people are being saved from being unemployed, because MBAs in investment banks and consultancies are working hard so that the companies employing so many workers don’t close down just sail through the troubled waters. Yes all this is not for charity, and each on of us is paid and paid well. But it is not that MBAs are getting all this money for free; they do their own bit for the world around.

I would say that it is not justified to look down upon the MBA junta for no real reasons. There is no reason for them to be branded as “silly shrewd pointless nothings”. It is a free world and let them do what they are supposed to do and judge them on the basis of the work they do. Al least do not brand them even before they actually get a chance to show what they are willing to do.

Posted by Prats at 9:02 AM