Career development and values change among MBA students: A theoretical perspective and practical avenues

Eran Vigoda-Gadot and Shmulik Grimland INTRODUCTION Recent decades have witnessed a growing interest in political and citizenship values as related to modernized states and societies (e.g. Almond and Verba, 1963; Barber, 1984; Brady et al., 1995; Cohen and Vigoda, 1998, 2000). These have received little, if any, attention in career management literature (e.g. Altman and Post, 1996; Derr, 1986; Hall, 1996b; Super, 1986; Niles and Goodnough, 1996; Greenhaus, 1987; Gutteridge et al., 1993) and, as far as could be found, no study has dealt with the citizenship values of future-leading cadre in management, business or administration. As this group is expected to have a profound effect on a nation’s economic and social development as well as general well-being, it is important to look at the citizenship values of those in a position to become leaders, eventually, in their respective countries. Contemporary organizations face an increasingly broad role in the postmodern society that is based in large part on an effective blend of values and business strategies (Hofstede, 1991; Holland, 1985). Corporate responsibility that fosters a value-positive orientation contributes to superior performance through better risk management, improved organizational functioning, increased shareholder confidence and enhanced public standing. Thus, today, corporate accountability is as vital to the bottom line as an effective business model. This is why students of management (i.e. MBAs) or students of public administration (i.e. MPAs) are urged to assume a broad stakeholder model of the firm or the public agency, one that consists of ethics,….