My thoughts on MBA education
1. What are the things an MBA student can expect from the curriculum?
Good question, especially since most students expect a job from the curriculum - they seem to forget that the 2-years can add a lot of value to them. A good business school would ensure that the student gets a strong grounding in fundamentals. In addition, the program would be designed to increase the student’s capacity to think and to integrate the learning in the different functional areas. And finally, the student should be able to learn to work in teams and apply what he has learnt to business situations.
2. How is your curriculum different from what other institutes have to offer?
I have already articulated the kind of value a good business school should add to a student. So it’s more about understanding what a business school needs to impart and then going ahead and ensuring that you impart it well. The keys to this are the quality of the faculty and the extent of industry interface the school is able to build. I believe that Praxis is able to differentiate itself from most B-schools on both these parameters - we are lucky to have a team of very high pedigree faculty and we collaborate actively with the industry in curriculum design and delivery. The fact that we are a residential, 24*7 wi-fi campus ensures that the curriculum is delivered anytime, anywhere and there is an enormous amount of collaboration among the different stakeholders of Praxis.
3. How important is it to acquire an academic qualification to sharpen managerial skills?
An MBA program is more about perspective than about knowledge and skills. While there are definite additions to knowledge, the real advancement comes in perspective. The qualification is thus important as it enhances the individual’s ability to look at business from a holistic viewpoint. The other important value-addition comes from the rich interaction with a vibrant student community and a strong faculty team.
4. Does a qualification in management teach anything that pure experience can’t?
As they say, there’s no substitute for experience. The time spent in acquiring a qualification in management from a good institute is also part of that experience - a good B-school would create simulations of real life business situations and impart the necessary theoretical training to enable a student to understand and address these situations. I would expect a business school graduate to compress the on-the-job learning curve substantially - and to be more proactive in the way he/ she runs a business.
5. What soft skills should a good manager have in these days?
Praxis believes that the one attribute common to all successful managers is their soft-skill proficiency - their ability to communicate, handle themselves at work and relate with people within and outside the organization they work for. From listening and communicating clearly to showing empathy and optimism to extreme self-awareness to knowing what’s going on around them, these vital competencies are an integral part of a progressive manager. Managers need to improve their listening, speaking and presentation skills and have the ability to conduct themselves in formal, boardroom-like of situations, without losing sight of the virtues of empathy and team-work.
You are welcome to contact me at charanpreet@praxis.ac.in
Author:Mr. Charanpreet Singh
B.Tech (IIT Kanpur), MBA (University of Iowa)
Associate Dean; Information Technology and Strategic Management Area
Date: 21st Nov.,2009
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