The Vision of Service in Management Education

The founding vision of the School of Organization Management at Yale was to train managers who could seamlessly transition between the public and private sectors, creating a culture of civic duty intertwined with business acumen. Bill Donaldson, the school's dean, aimed to prepare students for a balance of careers, with a focus on service rather than just profit. However, upon entering the job market, graduates overwhelmingly chose lucrative private sector positions over public service, leading Donaldson to feel betrayed by his vision. This shift illustrated a disconnection between the ideals of service and the economic motivations that often drive career choices in management education.