In Daniel H. Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind—Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, the author outlines six right-brain “senses” he feels are essential to develop in our changing world which is trending from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. These include Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Our Introduction to Architecture class was divided into groups and each group asked to choose one of these “senses” to discuss. Our group chose Meaning. One of the author’s points our professor reiterates is that the MFA will replace the MBA as the most important graduate degree, mainly because U.S. companies are looking less for number crunchers (as much of this is being outsourced to other nations at a lower cost, or automated with sophisticated and relatively affordable computer programs) and more for leaders who can think of solutions to problems in more creative and less traditional ways. Therefore, we pose the following two questions to you:
General Question:
If MBA programs can revamp their curricula to include developing these six senses, specifically Meaning (finding meaning and purpose, spirituality [not necessarily of a religious nature], ethics, the pursuit of happiness or contentment, and how it all fits together in both business and one’s personal life), then can the MBA be salvaged? Explain.
Architecture Field-Specific Question:
Following the same premise of the general question, will a modified MBA or MFA be preferable to an architect as a graduate degree? Why?
Note: Since Meaning does encompass spirituality, and for many, includes religion, please ensure your posts and responses to other posts are respectful towards other posters’ individual beliefs. The purpose of this post is to explore Meaning, especially in how it relates to business, and not to debate religion.
awnm4 
After surfing the web for a couple hours, i found that there are a lot of mixed feelings about this topic. There are always going to be 2 sides to the story, some people i read about and asked favored Daniel Pink. I also agree with him, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m studying architecture. The world and the people on it are constantly changing, new ideas and concepts are coming to life. As the world changes it needs the people with the creativity and ideas to move along with it. I believe that’s the reason we are where we are in technology and life in general, because people who used their right side of their brain and wanted something better stood up and made it happen. So in an easier more understandable explanation, I think MFA’s are currently and will continue to be the degree plan for the future.
Generally speaking, I do not feel that the MFA in its current state is the answer to the issues corporations face requiring creative solutions. Although I do agree that many people have underdeveloped right-brain skills for a myriad of reasons, the business world is nonetheless dominated by the bottom line and litigation, and left-brain skills are still needed to survive in such a world. Corporations are in business to make money, and business cannot go on without generation of revenue. Legal issues are constantly looming. Unfortunately, the traditional MFA program does not offer any business, marketing, accounting or legal aspects in their curriculum. I reviewed a dozen program plans from various schools, and their main focus was on the development of the art, with absolutely no emphasis on the business aspect except a couple of free electives, and only should the graduate student choose to take courses from the business department. An example is this plan for an MFA in Creative Writing at The University of Texas at El Paso.
http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=56903&submenuheader=1
If one already has an undergraduate in Business, then an MFA may be suitable. However, there are many that enter MBA programs from other professions who do so because they want to move up in their careers, and need the knowledge of how business functions.
As far as the field of architecture goes, I do think that an MFA will assist an architect in being a better designer. However, the professor for this class has suggested architecture majors find time to take about an extra year or so of business courses which include accounting, marketing and law, in order to prepare for the business side of the field. The professor for the construction course in architecture advises on taking engineering courses in structure as well, in order to better understand the concepts. Our two guest lecturers this semester, who both own successful architecture firms in this city, have stressed the importance of being a good business and sales person in addition to being a good architect.
Thus, I both agree and disagree with the book’s author and my professor. I think both MBA and MFA programs should offer modifications within their programs. MBAs should take some time to develop creative thinking/problem solving skills of their students, but still be able to teach crucial business aspects those coming from non-business backgrounds desperately require. MFAs should definitely include very basic business courses because even if one is not going into an industry such as architecture, (s)he still likely has rent or a mortgage to pay and needs to know the basics of how to survive financially in her/his chosen field. Here is an example of a program where an MFA program in design is incorporating the principles of business practices into its curriculum.
http://ccsmfa.com/mfa/
As far as the six “senses” go, and in our group’s case, Meaning, although I do believe an MBA program should include the development of this attribute, this is a much deeper cultural issue. At the corporate level, despite the sometimes eloquent prose of company missions, Meaning, if it exists in a particular company, often gets lost in translation to the community and employees due to internal politics, the bottom line, and fear of litigation. The ethics portion of Meaning seems to be virtually extinct as evidenced by the events of the last decade or so (ENRON, mortgage industry corruption, credit card company practices requiring Congressional intervention, etc.). At the academic level, primary and secondary schools are so involved in teaching to pass standardized testing, that all creativity and exploration of Meaning seems dead. Colleges seem less focused on developing the whole person than they used to be, perhaps due partially to budget constraints and perhaps partially due to a society lost in the meaningless details.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128933357
Many individuals seem lost. Although Pink describes the age of Abundance in which we live, it has made us more comfortable, but not happy. We are expected to do more than ever. At my previous job, a friend lamented that because of the computer (Automation in Pink’s book), we are now expected to do exponentially more work than before the computer became commonplace. I will add to her lament by saying that because of our Automated, multitasking society, people are not only expected to do more, but excel in EVERYTHING. I am not saying that one should try to be her/his best, but we seemed to have lost a sense of balance as individuals, and because of our inflated expectations due to Abundance, Automation, and Asia (Pink’s tag for outsourcing), instead of taking time for the aspects of Meaning (contemplation, personal reflection and simply enjoying what should be the benefits of Pink’s three A’s), we seem to be in a position of servitude to his three A’s.
So yes, I do believe MBA programs should definitely find ways of incorporating the aspects of Meaning into their curricula; however, both the way corporations and individuals treat Meaning must change as well in order to have a less dysfunctional society.
A simplistic view I am am sure, but in the current times we are in it is worth thinking about. MBA’s are the ones who have wrecked the modern world. MFA’s are the ones who built the world.
anthony- that is true I agree 100%, but without MBA’s how would most of the lame business stuff be accomplished.
I think this is less of a simplistic view and more of a misguided view. Hard work and dedication was what built the world. Corruption is what has destroyed the modern world. It is true that those who lean towards corruption follow money instinctively. As such, corrupt individuals are more likely to pursue business degrees rather than fine arts.
In todays society MBA programs should be something to discuss. It should also be one”s choice. But in order to better our world, our younger generation should have the MBA incorporated into the curricula, so that they have a better understanding of “meaning”.
MFA is the problem solving, it translates creative solutions, understanding the market place and the businees. It is a development for the right brainer for many usefull skills. A modified MBA will be a better in many ways, it will help the capacity of the sutdent develop towards the program. The best solution for the MBA program is to work their way out and to find the real meaning inot their curricula for a better way of thinking and creative solutions. Daniel Pink gives a brief descripition of how the world has change, and the diffrent ways of understanding the meaning of life. Pink talks about how the MFA will replace or overcome the MBA program. In my opinion MBA should try to develop a better way for problem solving and creative thinking. Therefore a better and modified MBA or MFA will be prefarable to an architect as a graduate degree.
I think that MFA has help the architecture field by being better designers and preparing then in the business area and market place. But however if MBA wants to be part of it should take time to develop creative thinking/ problem solving skills of their students. There should be better opportunities for our future generation.
agreed
in fact, MBA programs do you teach problem-solving. As with any masters program most of the projects students work on have no right answer. They often require a difficult balance of ethics to come up with a solution. In fact, a good MBA program is in many ways analogous to an architectural degree: one learns construction (money, capital, debt), engineering (business trade, accounting, financial management, supply chain), and art (creating a business and/or product that benefits the world).
I personally think that you can’t have one without the other. OF course you can function but in order to have a smooth operation it would be beneficial to have a little of both. I am new to all of this stuff it being my first year to me like i said before it seems that they almost go hand in hand. maybe I’m wrong hopefully someone can explain a little more or have a different input on what I have said. (anthony)
After reading your articles, I get the general sense that you are trying to determine which of two kinds of masters degrees will be more likely to lead to hiring into professions. In my experience of four decades of working, and I can’t offer more qualified expertise, corporations prefer to hire people with BAs and BS degrees, as well as specifically job-oriented training certifications over any sort of Masters. It costs less in salary and benefits, and they can control training the employee upward from the beginning.
Fortunately, my work seems to avoid all of Pink’s potential problems. I perform different kinds of medical imaging. It must be done in the same room where the patient is. Though we use computers to assist, a computer couldn’t do it without human control. Patients’ bodies, diseases and injuries vary too much to create algorithms or templates for exams. Though the interpretation of the images (radiology) is definitely an exportable job which can be done at great distances cheaply and electronically, my own job, acquiring the images, isn’t.
I am currently completing an MBA with a concentration in global leadership at the University of Texas at Dallas. Since most of the comments seem to be coming from an architectural background, let me provide some insight into what an MBA program actually consists of.
Expanding upon my analogy above, I like to group the courses in three layers. First, there are the courses that cover the math and science behind the fundamental components of our trade (money, debt, credit). Second, there are courses that teach you how to manage those components and use them to make effective decisions (accounting, financing, supply chain). Finally, there are courses that teach you how to bring the components and tools together to create value for your stockholders and your community (in our particular program we think of the community as the world or at least the country).
My program is 53 credit hours. 20% of those credit hours are from classes dedicated specifically to ethics! The remaining 80% have ethics interwoven into every step. In addition to the courseload we have executive speakers (normally C level executives, CEO, CFO, COO, from the largest companies in the country) come talk to us. The vast majority of topics to date have revolved around ethics.
Obviously, I can only attest to my program. Perhaps there are MBA programs out there who do not stress ethics at all. Regardless, I can say that each person is responsible for his or her own actions. MBA programs are not teaching people how to be unethical, it is simply that unethical people can use an MBA to get closer to the money and power they desire.
Back to the original subject of meaning, this reminds me a lot of the old debates between creativity and science. The problem with these kinds of debates is they neglect the most fundamental fact: the two are the same. Every form of science requires significant creativity. As I am sure you will find out as you pursue your architectural degrees, every art form requires a significant understanding of science. As far as I know, having been limited to only one MBA, MBA programs do you teach creativity. Dealing with business is as much an art form as it is a science.
One of the major factors in most of the economic problems we have seen since 2007 was not so much corruption, but risk aversion. Risk associated with investments would be boiled down to simple numbers, effectively oversimplified to the point where investors and even the investment banks themselves could not truly understand the risks they were adopting. While some of this was exploited for corrupt purposes, most of this was done with the aim of making it easier to trade. Unfortunately, it made it all too clear that estimating risk is more of an art than a science.
With all due respect to our perspective architectural graduates, to say that businesses should hire MFAs instead of MBAs is analogous to suggesting that we should use a hammer to drive screws rather than a screwdriver because the hammer will not stab you in the thigh when you put it in your pocket. An MBA is the right tool for business job; it just needs to be used correctly.
Finally, I believe all people, regardless of their level, style, and field of education, should diversify themselves through the exploration of other interests. I have found on numerous occasions that my explorations of music, history, and physics have all helped me throughout my career in unexpected ways.
I really like the analogy of the hammer versus the screwdriver (Ha!) used by Ted Young. When I posed the main question to a friend of mine, she did respond that although academia in general lacks creativity, that she did not think that running to MFAs was necessarily the answer. Rather, she, like Mr. Young and me, thinks that a large part of this lies at the level of the individual. Here is the example she gave, which she calls the LEGO effect…
When she and I were children (I am in my 30s and she in her 40s), LEGOs pretty much came in boxes of various colors and quantities. One would build, perhaps using a particular color scheme, perhaps not (I was always disappointed they did not come in pink), make modifications, be pleased with our perspective work, tear down, perhaps sort by number of nubs and color, and build something else. This continued until we got older and started playing with other toys more often and getting involved in schoolwork. Today, and for some years now, parents buy LEGO Kits for their children, whether it is say a Pirate Ship or Castle, that come with a specific number of each type of block in specified colors. Children assemble them according to the directions, that also come in the box, and leave them on the shelf.
After she told me this, the distress felt as a child that LEGOs did not come in pink is nothing compared to the fact that this is an indicator that our society has taken a very wrong turn somewhere. The age where most children try to stop swallowing LEGOs is the time where they are supposed to be at their most creative, and as a society, we have stopped attempting to develop it.
Commenting on Mr. Young’s opinion of diversifying one’s own interests, I completely agree and have seen how this benefits people firsthand. I worked in an industry, which on the surface, seems very left-brained…basic science research. Within that field, I worked with many physicians as well, another field also considered to be very left-brained. I will just quickly say that these two fields incorporate a lot of Pink’s “senses” and are very much an art, contrary to popular belief, but I digress. The technicians, scientists, and physicians with whom I worked all had extremely diverse interests outside of work. Some were very politically active when it came to social issues. Others were musicians, craftspersons, artists and gourmet cooks as well. Almost all were spiritual in one way or another, whether it was through institutionalized religion, or just spirituality in general where they felt they were part of something larger. This made for group of very balanced people, with whom I truly miss working.
I have the pleasure of being friends with a number of engineers and an accountant, who are also seen by society as very left-brained folks. However, with their very diversified outside interests, these friends are some of the most insanely fun people I know.
Everyone above seem to be doing very well in their careers, and none of them, except one who is currently pursuing an MBA, has neither an MBA nor MFA. If any of them have any academic training in their fields beyond a BA/BS, it is an MD, PhD specific to their respective fields, or as Invisible Mike mentioned, field-specific training.
In relation to Mr. Young’s and my previous comments, my husband and I went to see a production of Dracula by UTEP’s theatre department last night. Outside of the theatre was a short bio on each of the actors. One of the gentleman who played a minor role of guard at the asylum is a BS major in Business. He always loved theatre and decided to take the theatre class as one of his electives to “balance his analytical and creative sides.” I think this young man will do very well in business and in life.
Meaning is to have a purpose beyond life’s trivialities. It motivates people to do great things and brings peace to a hectic world. People have meaning in their lives when they look beyond themselves and want to give to their family or to society. There is a reason for everything and that reason has a meaning.
I look at it from a point of view of logic, which more and more is being taken over by computers and non judgemental existing standards. So the pieces are there, where before the pieces had to be created. Now that there are blocks of available information ie, standards for cutting costs under a downward business cycle, standards of optimization for business operations, standards for many of the things that before were not so clear. These standards have been tested, and refined, so that an advantage in further refinement will not bring the margins required, specially if everyone is doing the same.
What the book, in my view brings out, is not so much the artistic, although certainly people are willing to pay more for a better looking product, but a creative way of being ahead in business. Looking purely are the bottom line from a quantitative view, would be following the competition, however thinking about the customers and what appeals to them other than a cheaper product is a creative rather than quantitative approach. Quality is fine, but that costs money, so it’s offset against cost, however what I valued in Daniel Pink’s “a whole new mind” is his outside the box approach, and being creative is inherently outside the box.