Question

8. Business schools have historically had syllabuses that, according to Willman (2014), are ‘opportunistic, eclectic, fragmented and derivative’. Explain what Willman means by this statement. Critically assess the value of such a syllabus for the business school student.

Answer 1

Here, Business schools have historically had syllabuses that, according to Willman (2014), are ‘opportunistic, eclectic, fragmented and derivative’. Let explain each term that willman wanted to mean by this statement. These are as stated below:

Opportunistic: it means particularly borrowing some ideas from other domain or disciplines. Such ideas could solve current undergoing problem. During World War I, production organization was framed by considering or borrowing ideas from USA Military training facilities. Same way Business usually created their syllabus by taking or borrowing several useful ideas from other disciplines like economy.

The value of such syllabus could be high for the business school student, as, they get several useful ideas that are already implemented by other disciplines or domains.

Eclectic: here, business school prepares their syllabus by taking ideas and deriving ideas from anywhere it could be applicable. Here, they could draw such ideas or thought from inside of their educational house or outside of educational house. Here, they could target various internal or external domains like mathematics, leadership and economies.

Business school prepared their syllabuses by drawing ideas and thoughts from internal and external academia. Hence, we could get subsequent value as we have collected ideas from many areas; it could bring various useful lesson learning for business school students.

Fragmented: Here, ideas or thought become fragmented as we collect ideas from multiple disciplines, each discipline could answer a particular question in different way, for example: once answer can be served by considering economist point of view, however, this answer will be different when it is served by considering psychologist point of view.

Business school prepares their syllabuses that allow versatile answers based on considering point of view of various disciplines. Student could receive fragmented answers and ideas and they also understand the gap between two points of views.

Derivative: here, we work on using particular theories that theories already tested somewhere else. Business prepares their syllabuses where they include various theories to explain about particular situations, here, such theories will have past applications or such theories are already used or tested in some other situations.

Students could be benefited with such derivatives as they learn about the theories and they could apply such theories more confidently and they could become more consensus about the consequences or outcome as they have information like how such theories are applied in past situation.