Date of Award
Fall 1990
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Nordberg, Robert B.
Second Advisor
McGarrity, Richard A.
Third Advisor
Thom, Carl G.
Abstract
The Master of Business Administration degree, commonly referred to as the "MBA" degree, carries with it a basic assumption that the holder has accumulated essential knowledge that other individuals do not possess about how to make money - specifically, more money. As recently as 1960, the MBA degree was a relative rarity, with only 4,643 diplomas granted. By 1970 that figure had leaped to 21,599, and went on to exceed 54,000 in 1981. A record 61,000 students received MBA degrees in 1983, 26% more than five years previously (Friedrich, 1981 ). Suggested in the significant increase of these statistics is: 1) The prospective graduate business student perceives the M.B.A. as his or her "ticket" to vocational and/or financial success; and, 2) American business assume that by hiring MBAs they are obtaining the "cream of the crop"-individuals who possess the knowledge and competence that will enable a given business or industry to be more successful than it's computers (Friedrich, 1981). Statement of the Problem and Rationale for the Study...