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graduate business degrees than are on offer to new hires with other types of
graduate degree。 That statistic would support the value proposition of the
MBA if a salary hike was the primary reason for taking an MBA。 A study by
the Aspen Institute （aspencbe/about/library。html 》 Reports 》 The
2008 Student A。。itudes Survey） on what MBAs feel most important a year
a。。er pleting their studies put ‘Earning a high ine’ as joint fourth in
factors of importance； alongside ‘Having a positive impact on society’； and
well behind ‘Developing my career’ and ‘Enhancing my skills’。
In GMAC’s parallel study； ‘The Value Proposition – MBA Programmes’
by Gregg Schoenfeld； Associate Director； Research； at GMAC； Schoenfeld
shows that 9 in 10 graduates consider their degree as good to outstanding
value。 But looking more closely the figures reveal that 34 per cent of
MBAs did not consider their programme to be either outstanding or excellent
value。 In fact； over 1 in 15 thought their MBA programme only fair
or poor value。 And that’s from the very best business schools！ GMAC’s
Introduction 13
statistics break down MBAs into only a handful of job sectors； with the
majority heading for banking； consulting services； information technology；
investment banking and management consulting。 So it’s fair to surmise that
if you don’t fit into those sectors； going to a business school may prove less
of a sound investment。
THIS BOOK AND YOUR OWN RESOURCES
If you decide； as do most students of business； that business school is not
the only way to acquire an MBA skill set； or perhaps it is not right for you
now for reasons of cost； time or convenience； then you can fall back on your
own resources。
Each chapter in the book covers the essential elements of one of the core
disciplines in a top MBA programme。 There are links to external readings
and resources； online library and information sources； case examples and
links to online self…assessment tests so you can keep track of your learning
achievements。
For many of the topics there are direct links to the free teaching resources
of the world’s best business schools。 You can watch and listen as Professor
Porter explains how his Five Forces strategy model works； exactly as he
might have taught it in his Harvard lecture theatre。 There are also links
in the book to hundreds of hours of free video lectures given by other
distinguished business school professors； from top schools including LBS
（London Business School）； Imperial； Oxford and Aston。 You can download
Duke University’s top…ranking Fuqua School of Business’s lecture material
on forecasting； or link into Cranfield School of Management’s Research
Paper Series and see the latest insights into business and the management
of organizations。
You certainly don’t need to spend a fortune in time or money to gain
MBA knowledge and skill。 There is no aspect of business school teaching
and virtually no world…class professor that you can’t listen to for free to
plement the content of this book。 But you do need willpower！ But if
you do decide that business school is right for you； the appendix will help
you choose the right one for you； and the book will be a sound preparation
for the programme and a worthwhile resource when you start revising for
the exams。
HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED AND
HOW TO USE IT
All business disciplines claim； some with more justification than others；
that theirs is the overarching subject or starting point。 The marketers claim
14 The Thirty…Day MBA
the customer as king； human resources specialists persist in believing that
nothing happens without people； strategists insist that petitive advantage
is fundamental to enduring success； entrepreneurs say that they
are in at the birth of all ventures； accountants see the only truth being
in numbers； even quantitative analysis has history on its side as being a
founding subject in management theory。
To sidestep the argument； in part at least； this book is organized alphabetically；
in three groupings。 Accounting； finance； marketing and organizational
behaviour are together at the start of the book。 These contain
the basic tools that an MBA will use or need to refer to more or less every
working day。 Strategy es at the end of the book as the coordinating
discipline。 It could just as easily e at the beginning； but to understand
strategy you need a reasonable grasp of the four first disciplines。 The five
bookend disciplines are in something of a chicken and egg situation。 You
can’t have any one of these without the other； but where it all begins is
more academic than useful as a point for debate。
The remaining disciplines are covered； also in alphabetical order； in the
middle of the book。 Ideally you should read the first four chapters first； these
will take about half of your 30 days。 If you are an accountant； have taken
a business or economics degree； or have a marketing or human resources
professional qualification； that time will be scaled back。 Then if you have an
immediate strategic issue at work； perhaps concerned with an acquisition；
divestment； entering a new market or changing direction； go straight to
the chapter on strategy。 While reading that； you will almost certainly need
to refresh yourself on some aspects of the first four chapters。 This chapter
will probably need a further three or four days to assimilate。 The middle
chapters you can read in order of personal preference； or alphabetically as
set out。 That should take up the remaining 10 days or so of your schedule。
By way of a bonus you will find that a number of the tools and concepts
straddle disciplines。 For example； while Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is
covered in the marketing chapter； it is equally applicable in dealing with
employees or negotiating with suppliers。 Break…even analysis is equally
applicable in accounting； marketing and economics。
This weighting corresponds closely to the emphasis you will find put
on these subjects at top business schools。 Also； as at school； you should
tackle the subjects in bursts of an hour or so and certainly not in whole
days and weeks。 You need to take time to assimilate the subject and try
the concepts out in live situations。 So； for example； you could spend a
couple of hours reading the section on balance sheets； then get your own
pany’s balance sheet and check out your understanding of it。 If you
need any further clarification you could talk in an informed way with your
pany’s accountant。
You should draw up a timetable spread over the time period allocated
for your 30…day MBA； say 12； 24 or 36 weeks。 Then mark out the hours
Introduction 15
allocated for each subject； not forge。。ing to leave an hour or so to review
each area。 You will also need to build in a couple of days for revision before
you take your final exam。
The subject areas within each chapter correspond to what you would
find in the syllabus at major business schools in terms of theoretical
underpinning and the practical application of that theory that you would
pick up from fellow students。
At the end o