“It is not an easy task given that management is a multidisciplinary subject. It takes a lot of real time exposure for a new entrant to turn out to be a seasoned professional. Interestingly, most of the management schools, in spite of lofty intents, end up in textbook-led teaching pedagogy and the graduates tend to be taking time before becoming productive for recruiting organisations.
But can a fast growing economy afford to offer a long gestation period?
This where the model of industrial exposure to business school graduates while still at school, come in handy. Today curriculum at every business school includes internship at industry bodies for varying length – a month to two months. But that can never be enough for internalisation of business practices. One needs constant interaction with the people from the industry.
In my association with various business schools, one school that I find very active on this front is EMPI led management institutions. Conceptualised by psychologist Pankaj under the guidance of the Founder Chairman Late Mr. Ajit. N. Haksar (Chairman Emeritus ITC Ltd) EMPI has ensured constant industry engagement to grow into a distinctly different institution. EMPI has been continuously involved in job-market scan and developing befitting post graduate industrial training ; skills packaged professional programs.
The result of EMPI’s endeavor has been very encouraging as AICTE has given approval for conducting the PGDM program with an array of specialisations in Advertising Communication, Business Analytics, Finance, Global Business, Human Resource and Organization Development, Integrated Marketing Communication and Brand Management, Marketing, Media Marketing, Sales and Planning and Manufacturing and Quality Management. In the communication management courses, students having access to real life databases like audience measurement or target indexing are really unique.
I think EMPI’s model of having a large number of industry experts and corporate leaders visiting and teaching the students makes an excellent opportunity for the students to imbibe the real life corporate culture.
(The writer Anirban Chaudhari is Senior Vice-President – Strategic Planning with an integrated marketing communications company)