Construct_and_Support

My Decision To Pursue My MBA Degree Roxana Noboa MGT/521: Management March 7, 2011 Susan M. Jolley My Decision To Pursue My MBA Degree Abstract Obtaining an MBA is a big decision and investment and it requires serious commitment. Receiving an MBA would help me in personal and professional growth. According to Mintzberg there are many problems with a conventional MBA program. “First, the typical program attempts to teach management skills to those who have never managed anything or anyone. This is a waste of time and it demeans current managers” Mintzberg, H. (2004). Manangers Not MBA’s. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler. I am writing this paper to construct and support an argument on my decision to purse my MBA degree. In my current position as a project lead I am constantly working with individuals at all levels of my company and my current knowledge have taken me quite far but to take my career to the next level either in my current company or another organization, I need to expand my skill set. I believe that the skills that I will learn as I pursue an MBA will give me an opportunity to do that. While I do know it is not required to have this degree to succeed in today’s economy, it would help to make me more of an asset wherever I decide to go and help to ensure a more fulfilling future for me, and a more financially secure future for my family. I disagree with Mintzberg. The skills I acquired while pursuing my education have helped me become a leader in my workplace. I trained to work effectively in a team and to be an “out of the box” thinker. I also learned the importance of setting clear goals, which in turn helped me to organize my personal, work, and school life. As a result, I was able to complete my Bachelors degree in three years and get the career I desired which benefited me and my children financially. The economy has changed quite a bit in recent years, and the present business world requires people to have better communication, technical, and management skills in virtually every field. I believe that an MBA will give me the skills I need to succeed and take my career to a higher level. “THE CIOs at Procter & Gamble and Microsoft don't have one. Neither does the CIO at Wal-Mart. So, no, technically, you don't need to have a master's degree in business administration to be successful in a top technology position at a worldrenowned company. But realistically, it's an extremely good idea, especially for pure technologists. That goes not just for CIOs, but for project managers, business analysts and virtually any other IT professional aiming to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. One big reason: No one is exclusively a technology chief anymore. Everybody's a business executive, whether they call themselves that or not” King, J. (01/20/2011). Should you get an MBA' Computerworld, 45(1), 21-22,24,26. I agree that I am an executive in my job and daily life. I know to be a superior executive in any business I need to understand proper communication to avoid conflict and unintended consequences. Therefore, taking additional communication and management classes will enhance my oral and written skills and make me a more effective asset. “Communication is essential to any group’s or organization’s effectiveness” Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (12th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall. In the corporate world today, one works with many types of people. I completed a Jungian assessment that classified me as ENFJ, which classifies me as someone who is very people-oriented. I agree with the results because I enjoy constantly working with different personalities and collaborating with others on the best way to complete projects. In my MBA program, I work in team setting that teaches me how to work and prepare myself with different small networks and cultures. Given my personality, a MBA is the best place for me to improve my skills and prepare me to solve problems in the actual workplace. In my current position, I have to overcome barriers that result from cultural and personality differences. Pursing my MBA will enhance and enrich my current skills and knowledge, my effectiveness in the workforce, and business etiquette. An MBA is necessary to be a more effective project manager and a better communicator. I have to make decisions every day in both my personal life and professional life. I try not to make decisions without careful consideration. I know that sometimes what I perceive is not always accurate. In my management class I work with a team. It is important that I understand how they perceive me and how I perceive them, which will lead to better decision-making. Learning the “Perception and Individual Decision Making” Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (12th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall. in my MBA program will help me be more creative and use my critical thinking skills and help me not to make quick judgments at work or in my daily life. “Jim Marascio, chief technology officer at Giraffes in Charlotte, N.C., admits to being somewhat myopic in his approach to decision-making before earning an MBA at the University of Maine. He returned to school to earn an MBA after working a few years in a more engineeringoriented role as a technical liaison, which he landed after earning an undergraduate degree in computer science” King, J. (01/20/2011, p. 22) I believe that being able to work and manage my personal life and attend school shows any person I can manage multiple priorities. It will also show that I can manage a team. I might not get the high pay or promotion right away, but it will get me in a position to help transform and make a difference in my company and transition to my future position. It will help me see people and issues in perspective. Getting my MBA teach me new ways of thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making that I can bring to the workplace and teach others I want to inspire others to think “out of the box.” Also it will earn me creditability in the business world that I think will give me the self-esteem, drive, and the ability to take me my career to a different level. References Clouse, B. F. (2008). The Student Writer. Editor and Critic (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. King, J. (01/20/2011). Should you get an MBA' Computerworld, 45(1), 21-22,24,26. Mintzberg, H. (2004). Manangers Not MBA’s. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (12th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall.