By xaosseed
The Financial Times had an interesting article about MBA’s - Masters and misgivings: A coveted qualification turns 100 still seeking to prove its worth
In which the following could be found:
Roger Martin, dean at the Rotman school at the University of Toronto: “America has got the most successful businesses in the world and is the most prosperous country in the world. You have to ask the question: ‘What is special?’”
In research for Canada’s Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity, he points out that more than 21 per cent of all university students in the US graduate with a business degree – undergraduate, masters or doctoral. This is almost twice the percentage of Canada. “It drives me crazy that we [Canada] keep investing in science and engineering.”
Emphasis mine.
I find it astonishing that anyone would say ‘we have to dump science and technology’ and I’m assuming Mr. Martin meant ‘we should invest in business at least as much’ not ‘we should drop sci/eng’ except it seems to be a theme I’ve noticed a few times now, enought to make me wonder have I a) missed the point b) been seeing the world through my profession. Should ‘business’ be the primary activity of the West? Are engineers, technologists and such-like something that we should outsource to other countries and/or encourage to immigrate here? I was always fairly sure that while developed economies should be pushing more towards knowledge-work that should encompass boardroom to laboratory, not just retain the boardroom seats and get rid of the rest.
Someone needs to design and build widgets after all, they don’t make themselves no matter how good your marketing strategy and/or business plan.
Everyone who reads this is pretty much science/engineering though aren’t we? Do we have any pure-breed capitalists who can offer and opinion?
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8th of April, 2008
I suppose he’s working under the theory that Business drives new advances in science/engineering.
Whilst a businessman can generally set up shop anywhere, a scientist or engineer will have to travel to where the work is being financed. Thus a Canadian entrepreneur can attract foreign scientists and engineers, whilst the Canadian techies are more likely to emigrate to where the work/money is
8th of April, 2008
I’m not a pure-breed capitalist, but I sometimes chat with such things.
It’s true that business drives innovation — I’ve watched several science/tech startups come and go (my boss is a serial entrepreneur), and they stay as far away from government as they can because it’s 1. too slow and 2. too cheap and 3. too loaded down with paperwork. (Considering the paper trails required by some industries, this is really saying something.)
That said, it’s not really Canada’s (or any country’s) job to invest in business or MBAs; in fact, businesses will get testy and leave if there’s too much government interference. Furthermore, governments can afford to invest in science and engineering because it’s not going to make an immediate difference in their accounting. Much of the “fundamental research” in the US is indeed financed by the government, either directly or indirectly. Businesses are great for facilitating the final stages of “something cool,” but it’s really appalling at laying scientific foundations.
The one exception to all this is military tech, a significant venue for fast-paced, government funded innovation. That requires some fear and necessity, however, and incurs some nebulous costs that I’m pretty sure Canada’s people won’t stand for.