Do MBAs have higher divorce and/or personal dysfunction rates versus other
professionals (doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc.)?

I just read in a book by Professor Alfie Kohn that MBAs and those with advanced
degrees in Economics are (1) more likely to "defect" in Game Theory
simulations, (2) less altruistic than other people, and (3) less
religious than other people.  

Now I am wondering if MBAs "defect" in real life, too.  That is to
say, are those trained in economic thinking more likely to place their
self-interest dramatically above that of other people?  If so, does
this make them less reliable friends, spouses, and business partners?

Thanks !

I happen to have an old clipping entitled "Hug an Economist" from the
Washington Post (unfortunately no date or page number) on
economists--who are presumably similar to MBAs.

Excerpts:
     A team of researchers at George Washington University left
envelopes containing 10 one-dollar bills in 32 economics and 32
non-economics classes, including political science, psychology and
history.  Each envelope also contained a note suggesting the money was
to repay a personal loan.  The envelopes were addressed to a
fictitious person, with no return address, and one envelope was left
in each class, usually on a desk or on the floor near a seat.
     Then economist Anthony Yezer and his colleagues waited to see who
would turn over the envelopes to their professor.  Here's who did: 56
percent of the "lost" letters left in economics classes were turned
in, compared to 31 percent left in non-economics classes.  (Journal of
Economic Perspectives.)
     Economists at Cornell University surveyed students at the
beginning and the end of an introductory economics class, and found
their stated willingness to engage in selfish behavior had soared. 
And a survey of economists and the general public a few years ago
found that economists were twice as likely not to donate money to
charities.

Wow, rwielgosz!  Thanks for the great info.  I'll definitely look up
that article from the Journal of Economic Perspectives.  Your data
from Cornell is supported by Professor Kohn's experience...not only
were economics students and MBAs more likely to "defect" from Prisoner
Dilemma experiments, they were also less likely to consider "fairness"
to even be a consideration.

But here's the rub...your J.E.P. article seems to suggest economics
students are less "selfish."  Yet the Cornell study, the charity
survey, and Prof. Kohn all point to them being *more* selfish.

Will be very interesting to see what other data pops up.  Thanks again
!

Dear nRonRon...,


My personal experience with MBAs indicates that their behavior is
solely based on what values they were brought up with.  The sort of
thing that business teaches reinforces what one already suspected
about the how the world functions and how one should treat people. The
MBA is only two years and it does little to change what a good 30
years of learning has done before that.

Further, all the rationality that is taught to debias the busineess
world cannot rid of the basic instincts of the irrational human being,
which is also taught simultaneously in MBA classes.

In other words, my answer to your question is NO--I highly doubt that
MBAs 'defect' at greater rates.

HOWEVER, I would say the the average MBA could verbalize the reasons
for any decision more easily than the average person, making him or
her 'seem' as a more rational human being, with less altruism.

Claudietta

Thank you, Claudietta !