MBA ad went a degree too far‚ says watchdog

A training company has been reprimanded for using the abbreviation “MBA” to promote a three-day workshop.

Makarios Training & Development‚ of Roodepoort‚ was ordered by the advertising watchdog to scrap an ad for a “mini-MBA workshop for business owners and entrepreneurs”‚ because the reference to the Masters in Business Administration degree was misleading.

The ad said: “Skills taught in MBA programmes are essential to success in business today‚ but this is not always affordable and you don’t have the time! This programme is designed to introduce you to the most important and most critical business disciplines.”

Eric Bomman complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that a genuine MBA was a two-year endeavour that cost at least R250 000 and involved a seven-month research project and an international module.

“Once completed it is supposed to enhance one’s career prospects. Business schools invest heavily in getting their MBAs ranked ... in order for the qualifications to be worth something‚” he said.

“When organisations like Makarios casually use the MBA to sell their three-day workshop‚ it dilutes the value of a real MBA‚ the efforts of the students and the qualification.”

Makarios argued that the term “mini-MBA” was widely used locally and internationally. Its clients were all black-owned businesses‚ where funds for training were tight. To help them‚ it had developed “fast forward MBA” material based on personal and professional experience.

The ASA directorate said the acronym “MBA” created a misleading expectation about the quality of education and level of knowledge to be gained at the workshop. “It creates an exaggerated impression of what the course offers‚” it said.