MBA bloggers
I’ve run across a handful of folks who are currently enrolled in MBA programs and are blogging about their progress. I like reading those kinds of blogs because they remind me of my own time as an MBA student–both good and bad. I also like to see how other schools are approaching blogs…so far it looks like most of these MBA bloggers are kinda striking out on their own, for their own reasons.
The MBA program at the university where I work has recently piloted a program where three MBA students are blogging about their experiences. The reason for the pilot project (as far as I can tell–I’m not really involved) is to both expose students to blogs, and to do a little organic marketing of the MBA program itself. From my perspective, it’s not going terribly well. I’ve got a few ideas about why, but I’d love to hear from other folks. Blogs are gaining momentum in business communications, so they ought to be addressed in an MBA program, even briefly. I’ve got a few questions for anybody willing to pipe up…
First, does anybody know of other graduate programs, specifically MBA programs, which are providing a school-sponsored space for blogging? Drop the links in the comments section, if you don’t mind.
Second, if you’re involved in a school-sponsored blogging program, could you address any policies you have surrounding the program? Guidelines for blogging? Tips, tricks, etc? How do you select the writers?
Third, and this is open to anybody willing to offer constructive criticism on all fronts, take a look at the GFU MBA blogs page. Let me know what you think and I’ll pass it along. Content, design, layout, whatever…it’s wide open. I’ve been offering a bit of (mostly unsolicited) advice and critique ever since they began the pilot project, but I’m sure the folks behind it would love to hear from other voices. Also, I’m sure the bloggers themselves would love to get a comment or two.
Overall, I think this concept of allowing students to blog their progress has merit as a way of allowing programs to offer more transparency into what they’re all about. I think that GFU is trying to blaze some trails here and I’m pleased to see that that…I think we just need a little bit of feedback. Care to help?
10 opinions for MBA bloggers
Nenad Ristic
May 9, 2005 at 11:42 pm
Interesting that I read this post just now, since I am planning to start an MBA (Still looking around for a good course), and blog about my experience… I will take a look at the above site.
Jonathan
May 10, 2005 at 3:38 am
Timely for me also. Yesterday was the first day of classes for me to start my MBA. And in fact I’m kind of thinking about blogging the process since I’ve been stumbling around for some blog direction for a while.
It’s interesting to see how others are doing it.
Richard
May 10, 2005 at 3:43 am
Hi Bren,
My company delivers management training in the UK, offering vocational qualifications accredited through the Institute of Leadership & Management. I’m finding that our clients are preferring their managers and leaders to enrol on courses, such as those offered through oursleves and the ILM, as they focus less on the theory and more on the skills and competencies. Yes, the skills and competencies are contextualised by theory, but this is not tested, it is merely used as a foundation on which to build modern management and leadership techniques.
We have built an online forum that we use as part of our blended learning, and that has proved so successful that I am now looking at encouraging our candidates to blog as they progress through the qualification, and build a blog community for our candidate’s to share experiences etc.
We have seen how candidates behaviours change using the forum, so it will be fascinating to see them interacting through blogging.
Apologies for the length of the comment.
Jeffrey
May 10, 2005 at 5:19 am
Bren:
The problem with the George Fox student blogs isn’t so much the layout or the approach, but that the students seem more like reporter of what’s happening - you know, “just the facts” and less like bloggers.
One, there’s little tongue in cheek stuff going on. Two, there’s no criticism or second guessing. Three, there’s little “insider” information. These blogs read like a newspaper report of what’s happening. Do these folks read other blogs, or do we just have an expectation of how a blog should read?
Andy
May 10, 2005 at 6:56 am
I agree with Jeffrey above. The entries are all bland. There is no meat!
I think the GFU bloggers would benefit from a trip to http://mbaleague.blogspot.com/ to check out what other MBA bloggers are saying.
A little more information and personal touch would add a lot to the blogs as well as a more regular posting. Robert Barzler does a better job with this, but it still could be done better.
I am by no means an expert, but I read a lot of MBA blogs (since I have one)and these traits seem to be common among the bloggers I enjoy most.
The University of Minnesota provides an area for all students at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/
I know other Universities are starting to provide classes such as Success Blogging at Fordham (http://www.successblogging.com/mba_course/index.html) and the University of Michigan (http://steveshu.typepad.com/steve_shus_weblog/2005/04/top_business_sc.html)
Mike
May 10, 2005 at 7:02 am
I second Jeffery’s opinion of the dryness of these blogs. I would also throw in the fact that they just aren’t visually appealing. When looking at Dave Myerson’s blog, it was hard to tell where one post stopped and another started.
Also, the entire layout of the blogging section is way too corporate. A little splash of the “blog chrome” would help to enhance the fact that these are indeed blogs.
On a more personal note, I’m looking at MBA programs with the expectation of enrolling within 2 years (fall ‘06 or fall ‘07). Would you be interested in answering a few questions or doing an interview “blog style” to address this topic?
dforester
May 10, 2005 at 7:19 am
Good read - I’m beginning the online program an Arizona State U. this fall, and am hoping to find at least a few other bloggers in the midst (I’d imagine being an online program, there would be more than a few). For my own plug, here’s my blog where I’m chronicling my process, progress, and experiences: http://danielsmbaonline.blogspot.com/. I also second the recommendation to visit http://mbaleague.blogspot.com/ - not the easiest-to-view site, but it’s rich in links to other MBA bloggers.
Laura Bennett
May 10, 2005 at 12:28 pm
Wharton has an excellent student blogging community (http://64.78.45.16/Index.asp), which dominates the MBA blogging space by far. It has been going since I entered my first blog entry in October 2001. I wrote my blog in the form of a daily diary and now there are over 20 bloggers in one form or another blogging about the Wharton experience. The only thing I think they could change is the name from the Wharton Diaries to Wharton Blogs because that’s really what it is.
Matt
May 11, 2005 at 6:44 am
Isn’t it a rule that while you are in a school program you rip on it and gripe, and when you graduate you puff out your chest proudly and talk about how great the program was? I have worked in higher ed for over 10 years and rarely do I have a student come through my door with accolades and a thank you note while they are still in schoo: rather they have a beef. Thus, a blog by this standard would not be something a school would want to be involved in?
Also, any blog that is “sponsored” violates the premise of blog does it not? I’m no blog expert, but I thought the whole point was to have no strings attached, to be able to write what you want without consequence. Do you really think a school administrator would like a “sponsored” blogger to rip on the curriculum or a professor?
Just my cynical view . . .
Thomas
Dec 1, 2005 at 10:46 am
Thanks for the information!
BTW, there is a new official website for the top MBA’s in Canada.
http://www.canadianmba.com
Pretty interesting if you are thinking about doing an international MBA program!