Drones and Decisionmakers: The Paradox of Undergraduate Education for Business in the U.S.

Abstract

Addressing social and planetary crisis requires altering current business practices and deploying the best possible problem-solving capabilities. Yet, in the United States the system of undergraduate education undermines the needed response. Lower income students who have the most direct experience with business and its impact on society are often educated to function as minimally influential “drones,” in overtly practical, results-oriented programs (often at public institutions). Higher income students with the least direct familiarity with business are educated in elite, usually private, liberal arts colleges that emphasize interdisciplinary connections and critical thinking to be “decision-makers”. This paper describes the historical roots and current characteristics of a segregated educational system—one based on economic and social privilege rather than talent or ability—and suggests possible changes.