Management Education in India: The Way Forward

MBA – the tag spells magic! Or so thought the thousands of hopefuls joining one of the innumerable management institutes in the country. Till a few years back it was the ultimate key to a lucrative career in the corporate world. Today the MBA cookie has crumbled, leaving behind shattered dreams and sluggish careers for many.

For the past few decades, an MBA degree from a reasonably well known management education institute was considered good enough to guarantee a prestigious job in a reputed organization. A student knew that if he/she had moderately good communication and presentation skills, coupled with high CGPAs, chances of being secure career-wise were high. Institutes basked in the glory of affiliations and accreditations to national and international universities, and boasted of 100% placements in MNCs and blue-chips. This, in turn, ensured a steady flow of hopefuls to the MBA and BBA courses run by these institutes.

Things have changed, with the shrinking of jobs and avenues, post recession. Industrial growth has diminished and except for a few sectors in the service industry, most sectors have halted recruitment. As a result of sluggish recruitment drives, barring a handful of the top management schools and premier institutes, most management colleges in India have had difficulties placing students.

Students are incensed by the fact that, in spite of paying through their nose to get admission to these jobs-guaranteed courses, they are far away from their dream jobs. A number of colleges have had to face the anger of irate students and their parents for lack of placement opportunities promised at the time of admission.

Why are the management institutes unsuccessful in placing their graduates? What is lacking in the students? In spite of so many jobs being created of late, why are so many students considered unfit for employment?

The answer to these questions lies in operational and quality deficiencies in these management institutes that have mushroomed in the country. Let’s start at the first point of contact, when in order to get enrollments, counselors and admission staff promise the earth to the young hopeful candidate and his/her parents. Whether or not the candidate is actually capable of, or inclined towards a management career, the admission is done. Parents often see a management degree as an easy access to a prestigious corporate career, ignoring the fact that the child is inclined differently. No aptitude or ability tests are held, and even if they are, the results are always in favour of the student joining the institute. Further, and more seriously, no stress is placed on the fact that good academics and sound understanding of concepts is the grounding to be successful in these courses.

Candidates enter the campus with stars in their eyes and a feeling of having already made it. Since they have paid through their nose for the MBA course, they are confident of sailing through. The first confrontation with reality comes in the classroom, when the student faces competition with other peers having better academic backgrounds, and better abilities to understand the new concepts and techniques being taught. Students from suburban areas, who have studied in the vernacular, face the additional challenge of comprehending technical and management jargon in English, an alien language to most. Added to that is the pressure of continuous evaluations and assessments, where they are required to express themselves orally or in written English. Reality sinks in with the bitter realization of poor grades. They begin to understand that bright careers are only for the toppers and those with a flair for good English communication. They have to keep stumbling and falling till they somehow manage to get the degree, after three or four attempts, after which the job placements have dried up.

Here, students need to be made aware of reality. They must realize that no institute, however well recognized and reputed, can ensure them jobs unless they themselves put in their utmost efforts to make themselves employable. The average student never ventures into the library, or reads a book, or participates in an academic discussion, unless there is a question of marks involved. When they participate in the recruitment process of good companies, which assess academic excellence as well as general awareness, students realize their shortcomings. By then it is too late to pull up their socks.

So should the private management institutes down shutters and leave the thousands of aspirants stranded? That is certainly not an answer, as the degree does give an edge to the otherwise averagely qualified students. But certain quality parameters do require immediate attention. 

Firstly, there is a need to sensitize all MBA aspirants to reality. Most of the students seem to have been given the idea that a degree equates a cushy job at the level of middle management in a blue-chip company. Why not make the picture clear to the average entrant at the onset of the journey, so that the candidate knows he has to put in his sweat to make it? Also an honest self-assessment at the beginning would make candidate and parent expectations more in tune with reality.

Secondly, absolute stress on academic performance and attendance in classes is a must. Most students, used to bunking college at the graduation level, are in the habit of giving most ‘boring’ subject classes a miss. Make attendance compulsory by linking numbers of classes attended to numbers attained in exams, and subsequently, to placement opportunities. An institute that has done this has ensured at least 70% attendance in each of its MBA classes. Students should realize that attending each class is not an option, it is a value addition.

Of course, the onus of attendance cannot be put on the student alone; the faculty has an equal responsibility to enliven subjects with actual anecdotes, role-plays and case studies. The focus, as many professors would agree, has to be on the application of management concepts vis-à-vis the real workplace through cases and stories. An attempt should be made earnestly by all faculty taking classes to develop the overall personality of the students so that they are truly industry-ready by the time they graduate. Entrepreneurial spirit and efforts should be encouraged and mentored by faculty.

Last, but not the least, institutes need to investment in infrastructure, not just bricks and mortar, but intellectual infrastructure. Most institutes have libraries, but these are hardly updated. Cases and research literature are conspicuous by their absence. Professors need to be encouraged to build mini-cases and role-plays that can be comprehended by average students. Notes, dictated from tomes, need to be kept to the minimum. Institutes must nurture creative academic talent, and provide active encouragement to interactive teaching. Industry experts and practitioners need to roped in to familiarize students with current business models and operational practices. An overall holistic approach towards management should be taught so that students realize their responsibility towards the nation and to society.

All-round concerted efforts by institutes and faculty, focusing on academic excellence, honing of life skills in students, and entrepreneurial and placement support, will surely groom and prepare our students for contributing towards nation building. Let’s make sure our young management graduates put in their sweat to achieve the bright future they rightly deserve.