Predictions that the MBA is finished have been circulating since the collapse of the dot-com bubble six years ago. Reports about dropping number of applicants to, and laxer academic standards at, business schools abound, while stories circulate of recent graduates having difficulty finding work that meets their expectations.

Perceptions of an MBA’s worth haven’t changed much since 2000. Business leaders surveyed say they see it as slightly less valuable than more technical designations like CA or CFA, and marginally better than other types of graduate degrees. The weaknesses of MBA’s remain a poor work ethic and poor interpersonal skills. “My experience with MBAs,” observes one business panelist, “has been consistently poor. There is a continued arrogance with these people which I do not see in other candidates.”

Business leaders say that the hubris of the freshly-minted graduates is getting in the way at the office, giving MBAs only a provisional pass of 53% on that section of the MBA report card. Nonetheless, the job market for someone with a master’s of business administration is looking up with a majority saying that it is getting better and will continue to improve.

As Mark Twain might say, “The death of the MBA has been greatly exaggerated.”

These are the key findings from this past week’s survey of the CEO and business leader panel for The Financial Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.

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