The MBA Core Curricula of Top-Ranked U.S. Business Schools: A Study in Failure?

A web-based survey of the MBA core curricula of top-ranked U.S. business schools lends some support to the continued existence of a traditional but frequently criticized “functional silo,” “dominant design.” The findings suggest a lack of emphasis on required multidisciplinary integration and experiential components and a lack of product differentiation and branding around thematic elements valued by the AACSB, such as “soft skills,” “information technology,” “globalization,” and “corporate social responsibility.” Prescriptive measures are suggested within the context of organizational theoretic constraints.