MBA Admissions: Is diversity at b-school a fad? - IPMX2018

Do we really need diversity at b-school?

When I was preparing for GMAT, the online forums constantly buzzed with only one mantra – ‘If you are a male aspirant with IT background and B.E/B.Tech degree, then you need at least 760 (99 percentile) for the kill’. 😱

Everyone cursed the fair sex for having it easy. Does that mean women are let off the hook without much grilling? Having spoken to few other female candidates, I realized that this myth has a hidden agenda.

Diversity: Not just gender

Every b-school will have its own set of criteria to determine the profile of the class. While inducting the fair sex lets the college earn few brownie points (used for various rankings), diversity is not just restricted to gender. Many b-schools give preference to candidates who come from not-so popular walks of life. On the other hand, international b-schools also take into consideration other factors such as the race, orientation etc. So dear aspirants, please find alternatives to vent the ire.

A well-defined cohort is one of the biggest asset for any b-school. Talking from personal experience, I can say that cohort is the backbone in an MBA course. Apart from the formal learning, the students help each other to grasp the subject. This is how significant work experience helps in MBA. While we learned procurement strategies from an expert with 15 years of experience in public domain, we understood the intricacies of finance from a CA. Not to forget the informal sessions on analytics, market research, software engineering etc. from stalwarts of respective fields.

The essence of diversity is fully understood in classroom discussions. Multiple dimensions and perspectives related to a case study are deliberated amongst the students till the Professor channelizes those discussions and shapes up the underlying conclusion. Also, understanding Sales and Marketing from a peer who specialized in that field is much better than mugging it up from the textbooks.  

Diversity vs Meritocracy

A familiar question always arises when we talk about diversity.  ‘Can meritocracy be compromised in wake of diversity?’

While many studies focus on this aspect, there has been no conclusive answer to this question. Recently, IIM Lucknow hosted a panel of eminent women leaders who addressed the same issue. While the popular opinion was that meritocracy shouldn’t be comprised for diversity, there is an element of grey in this subject.

There could always be a bias lurking in the background which can cloud the fair judgment. Organizations sometimes use meritocracy as a scapegoat to steer away from diversity. The onus lies with the competent leaders who can make wise and informed decisions. A homogenous set of meritorious individuals could act as a barrier to creative and innovative solutions.

Hence, institutions and organizations should make a conscious decision to induct a diverse cohort and then award them based on merit.  

Concluding Thoughts

In today’s world, it is very important to ensure that we don’t stop just at diversity. Creating an inclusive environment is equally important to help the talent grow and sustain.

- Article by Pravin Pillai, IPMX 2018-19