Teaching ambition without accountability

“Worth a read?” is not your ordinary book review; it is a meta-review. In other words, it provides an overview of the opinions contained in a variety of book reviews published in the media at large. This week we take a look at  “What They Teach You at Harvard Business School”, written by Philip Delves Broughton and released in South Africa in August 2009.

What is it all about?

What do George W. Bush (former United States president), Robert McNamara (former US Secretary of Defence and president of the World Bank) and Jeffrey Skilling (former Enron chief executive officer) have in common? Other than having had a tremendous impact on the global political and economic landscape, they are also graduates of the Harvard Business School’s MBA programme.

After a successful career as a political journalist, Philip Delves Broughton decided he was ready for a new challenge. Although he had no understanding of the corporate world and could not use any computer software beside MS Word, he was accepted to Harvard’s MBA programme.

His book, “What They Teach You at Harvard Business School”, provides an account of his two years at one of only six Ivy League business schools.

As somewhat of an outsider from the start, Broughton is surrounded by the so-called "Three Ms" – Mormons, former military personnel and those aiming for work at consulting firm, McKinsey. But despite their homogeneity, the students still spend most of their time vying for conformity and trying to not lose out; no matter how dull or irrelevant the event, you can be sure that the Harvard students will be there.

In a world where ethics are downplayed in favour of jetsetting, and power-hungry rich kids are taught to run everything from banks to healthcare systems, the self-contained bubble that is Harvard Business School fosters ambition but not accountability. Although the school’s mission is to “educate leaders who make a difference in the world”, much of the difference they have made has been to our detriment. Broughton’s book will tell you why.

Who is the author?

Philip Delves Broughton was born in India and grew up in England. For six years, he served as the New York and then Paris bureau chief for the “Daily Telegraph”, and his work has been featured in the likes of “Financial Times” and “The Wall Street Journal”.

Broughton was the only unemployed student at his MBA graduation, and he failed to secure a job with Google despite 14 interviews. After considering launching a high-end laundry firm, he now is setting up a Podcast company with a friend.

What do others say?

Broughton’s memoir has been well received in the media. His insider’s account of life at Harvard Business School is said to be insightful, witty and funny.

Although Broughton is not exclusively negative about the MBA programme – he does, in fact, learn much about the way business works (for better or worse) and has much praise for Harvard’s case study method – he launches scathing attacks at professors, students and business moguls who present guest lectures.

Some critics have criticised those parts of the book where Broughton actually attempts to explain what he learnt – the fundamentals of marketing, investment and so forth. In contrast to the solid and disciplined prose that characterises the rest of the book, these passages are said to be dull and tedious to read.

If you ever have considered doing an MBA, read this book before you enrol. At the very least, “What They Teach You at Harvard Business School” will provide comfort for those who never got around to enrolling.

“BusinessWeek”: "In 'Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School' [the book’s US title], Broughton provides an insightful and entertaining, behind-the-scenes glimpse at a powerful institution that he sees as generally succeeding in its mission of transforming students into business leaders. But he views HBS [Harvard Business School] as failing them in almost every other way. It is, in his persuasive account, a 'factory for unhappy people'."

Extract from the book – Broughton’s "Help Wanted Ad I Sought But Never Found": "Absurdly profitable company seeks journalist with ten years’ experience and a Harvard MBA for extremely highly paid, low-stress job in which he can wear nice suits and loaf around in air-conditioned splendor, making the very occasional executive decision. Requirements: acute discomfort in the presence of spreadsheets, inability to play golf, poorly concealed loathing of corporate life, knowledge of ancient Greek."

How do I get hold of it?

“What They Teach You at Harvard Business School” is published in South Africa by Penguin Books. It is available at Exclusive Books at a price of approximately R150.00.