South African MBA’s Must Focus on Development Issues not Business and Finance Only and Must Redefine the Dominance of the Eurocentric Approach

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the critical need for the inclusion of development, cultural and social issues within the MBA curriculum of South African Business Schools. Hitherto, South African Business Schools have copied the models engineered by European and Western Business Schools. This was largely due to the imposition of Western models of education in South Africa, due to the policies of repressive colonialism and of apartheid. Given the all embracing reality that the fundamentals of business education must not be compromised in articulating the core curriculum of the MBA because, of its universal application and acceptability. The call in this paper is that South African Business Schools must begin to think out of the box, not mimic, all aspects of Western models and attempt to focus on the global political and African economy with particular reference to development, cultural and social issues that permeate African educational discourse. Global and national South African rankings use a range of indicators to rank universities. Many of these criteria are abstract and not relevant to the so – called ‘Third World” but, in reality should focus more on the many important and critical development challenges that confront South Africa and African countries in general. It is therefore, a clarion call to South African higher education authorities and, to the administrators of the South African Association of Business Schools, and the African Association of Business Schools (controlled largely by South African White functionaries), including the administrations of the traditional white South African Business Schools of universities, to engage with the wider South African and African community, and not to solely rely on business research initiatives, but to meet the requirements of South Africa’s and the continents development and social needs. The paper therefore, outlines the major objectives of critical management studies which must be included in the MBA programme in South Africa which has been paid scant reference to in the past and continues to do so. It also enunciates the importance of culture to MBA teaching and its impact on technology. The paper very briefly articulates and underscores the thesis that, Western interpretation of education models, Western technology and political domination have served to hinder rather than help African economic growth. Design / Methodology / Approach: The paper does not use the traditional methodology used in classical research, but attempts to synthesize the thought processes of the writers from observation and experience with particular reference to South Africa. However, the researchers use some literature to garner their thoughts, in order to examine the issues raised in this paper. The paper does not aim to capture all issues that permeate this controversial and debatable issue, but attempts to place this crucial issue on the agenda of MBA programmes in South Africa and the continent, in order to stimulate reasoned discussion. Findings: There are no explicit findings that emanate from this paper and discussion. The findings are therefore dispersed throughout the discussion in this paper. However, the distinct findings, conclusions and recommendations are made at the end of the paper. These are synthesized through observations, experiences and the critical thinking within the ambit of the paper, which indicates an overt bias and thinking in South African MBA programmes, which are heavily loaded towards a Eurocentric bias. This bias has therefore, led to a lack of appreciation of the developmental dynamics and socio – economic realities that confront South Africa, post 1994, given its historic past and, the challenges that confront the continent of Africa, since 1957, when Ghana became the first African country to gain independence. It is against this background that the discussion in this paper is formulated and discussed. Originality Value: The original value of this paper exemplifies the reality of thinking out of the box and, in some ways challenges the status quo in terms of the subject matter taught in MBA programmes in South Africa and, the continent of Africa. The paper therefore, calls for new thinking and remedial action, in terms of the course offerings within traditional MBA university programmes, in South Africa in particular. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p108