Is MBA fluffy?

Just a few days ago, I and one of my office colleagues, also a Cranfield MBA had an interesting discussion over dinner on the subject line. Drawing experiences from our lives beyond the year at Cranfield, we were remembering the mindset a typical MBA student has (yes, this is a generalisation, maybe a bit unfair too). The varied unspoken attitudes could range from the He-Man approach "I have the power (read MBA)!" to the intellectual demi-God approach "Mujhe Bahut Aata hai" (that's in Hindi; translation means "I know everything").

Regardless of the country or the school, MBA education is often criticised and claimed as "fluffy". An interesting article that I read somewhere recently stated that in general, an Asian MBA is very strong on fundamentals, subject / content knowledge but is found lacking on developing soft skills. In contrast, a Western MBA is extremely strong on building behavioural / softer skills but lacks the ability to create deep knowledge on functional skills. Going forward, the war for talent will require professionals who bring a good blend of both the skill sets.

While studying for the MBA, most of us believe that we would conquer the corporate world following the silvery-sprinkled 3 alphabets next of our names. And then we get humbled time and again in real life. So what is it about an MBA, if anything, that is fluffy?

My answer: Nothing!
There is nothing about an MBA that is fluffy! It is the application of the knowledge we acquire during the MBA program that is fluffy! And by saying this, I transfer the onus from the school or the degree to "ourselves". Unless we demonstrate ownership and accountability, the perception about an MBA degree will not change.