Strategists Cannot be Created in a Classroom (Essay Sample)

Strategic Management
Name
Institution of Affiliation
Name
Strategic Management
Introduction
Strategic management refers to continuous planning, formulation and implementation of an organization's goals. The practice is conducted by a firm's top management on behalf of the business' owners and required an in depth analysis of the business environment vis a vis the business environment CITATION Ric01 \l 1033 (Priem & Butler, 2001).
Henry Mitzberg in his book "Managers not MBAs" theorizes that in the modern context MBA programs are inconsistent with the reality on the ground with regard to creating leaders. He notes that MBA programs typically feature individuals who have little experience in management. These individuals are often aggressive, self-serving and quite impatient. The MBA program will feature the wrong people, undertaking the wrong curriculum and often developing the wrong attitude. The common reason for these individuals to take up MBA programs is to avoid responsibility in the family or take the faster route to executive positions. The practice is in contrast to what business leadership is about, usurping responsibility and an understanding that often creating value requires extensive time outlay CITATION Hen05 \l 1033 (Mitzberg, 2005).
The result of such MBA program is production of individuals who are myopic and incapable of leadership at any level. The MBA program typically requires the student to analyze a case study where the protagonist is faced with a dilemma in a typical business setting. The student is encouraged to be creative, innovative in finding a solution to the problem. The student thus will adopt a solution that has no basis on the reality of the business and will face no consequence if the solution fails. The MBA program will encourage the adoption of a limited perspective where shareholder value is emphasized. Other stakeholders e.g. society, employees will be regarded as easily replaceable and management will not introduce programs to foster meaningful collaboration. The paper therefore examines strategic management in the context of business leadership. The paper will conduct an assessment on whether MBAs and strategic management are inextricably linked and if not why?
Strategists cannot be created in a classroom
Gary Yukl in his work on leadership and strategic management notes that strategic management concerns itself with 3 tasks; change management, task completion and relationship management. His work attempts to determine what exactly makes a great leader. Emphasis is laid on the character traits necessary for an exceptional leader. Stress tolerance, self-confidence, integrity etc. CITATION Gar12 \l 1033 (Yukl, 2012). In his characterization of leadership there in no mention of the need for classroom teaching. Classroom education has taken over the need for experience as a pre-requisite for leadership. The definition of strategic management requires an in-depth understanding of both the business and the environment it operates in. As such, the management ought to be aware of the geo-political dynamics, market forces, social standing of the community within which the business operates. An understanding at such a level requires that the management is engaged in the running of the business. The management cannot acquire such an awareness from reading reports that are analyzed and in some instances prepared to "please" top management.
Classroom knowledge in this instance becomes void. It does not prepare the student I any way to work in a specific industry. The student is often in possession of knowledge that is general to the corporate environment in general. The student ought not to make any decisions that would substantially affect the firm's performance. The awareness of a business environment requires that the student engages in the business for a long period of time. Only an investment in time would provide the necessary information on a first hand basis.
Mitzberg notes that MBA create professional who have academic qualifications. Strategic management requires utilization of resources in an efficient manner. One of these resources is the human resource. A firm's employees are no doubt the most important resource the company possesses. Leaders ought to possess human skills. Skills that when deployed can encourage the employees to be more productive, more efficient, innovative and creative. In the technological age, technology is exceptionally disruptive. Companies need to be continuously investing in new, top notch products that will serve the market's need. As such, management must foster creativity an innovation by its employees. The leader must deploy multiple strategies in ensuring that the employees are able to attaining target and continuously exceed them. These are not skills that can be learned from a theoretical dissection of the corporate environment. Rather, it requires that the potential leader spend time understanding his employees. Questions such as; what drives my employees, what is important to them, how can we (management and employees) become more efficient, how we (as management) can foster growth of our employees, ought to be at the top of the potential managers mind.
John R Childress in his blog notes that leadership cannot be taught but can be learnt. The statement seems to be conundrum from a cursory glance CITATION Joh13 \l 1033 (Childress, 2013). The statement however, holds when juxtaposed against Mitzberg's work. Strategic management is a function of good leadership. Leadership cannot be taught in that teaching leadership assumes that the individual is tabula rasa (empty) and the function of leadership is poured into the individual. Rather, leadership can only be learned as the commitment to be a leader must come from the person with no external motivation. Extrinsic motivators such as power, wealth or status ought not to be a factor in creating a leader. MBA programs however, promise these exact things. Individuals who earn their MBAs are often arrogant, demanding higher pay, recognition for attaining the MBA and greater roles in the companies they work in.
MBA programs envision the CEO as a powerful officer in the firm whose words carry weight. As such, any and all of his or