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Oh hey all,

While researching something unrelated, I ran across a reference to the Mary Kay marketing plan, and it rang a bell ... in Opinion #19 on this site, someone posted the following:

"... Our marketing plan is taught at Harvard Business school (I would encourage anyone who is skeptical to check that out), and I don't think it would be taught at Harvard if it wasn't a unique and successful plan. I'm pretty sure there are no MLM's taught at Harvard."

well, as it turns out, the above is not entirely accurate; instead we find:

" ...Network Marketing Sales is not taught at Harvard and Stanford business schools -- or in "numerous other leading colleges and universities throughout the country". Truth is, most of them detest us. They don't understand us and do not care to. As Harvard 'B' School professor Thomas Bonora recently said in an article in Marketing News:

'We do not teach such methods [MLM] at the Harvard Business School; they are not part of the curriculum; to my knowledge, they are not taught at this or any other reputable business school in the country . . . Multi-Level Marketing schemes, like chain letters and other devices, sometimes are at the borderline of what is legal -- and over the borderline of what is ethical . . .'

He concluded by saying that examples of legit MLMs are few and far between. Not a glowing endorsement for such a valuable curriculum.

Harvard has reviewed a case study of Mary Kay Cosmetics. Also, there are courses in 'Networking' as it pertains to management resources. That's it. Stanford refuses to discuss the subject."

The above is from http://www.mlmwatch.org/01General/mlmlies.html

for anyone who wants to check the source and read further.

I believe it was Mary Ward who established, in another post, that MK, according to a definition provided by the DSA (of which MK is a member), does, in fact, employ a form of mlm.

So not taught at Harvard, actually. Here is a link to a listing of relevant entries at Harvard Biz Online:

http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/includes/search/search_results.jhtml?_requestid=33048

I looked at the detail entries and see nothing that can be construed as (likely to present) a general endorsement of the company and/or its marketing plan.

Heard that too.....not verified to this excellent degree, however, the phrase "we are taught about at Harvard" is common in other MLM claims.

me. Laura


BunnyWatson web search for BunnyWatson - 17 Feb 2004

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